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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1969)
f :- f:The I I J J THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1969, LINCOLN, NEBRASKA VOL. 92, NO. 74 IFC tables new contract f- - ' s , I " : - "V " S ,- , Jw f :v-- yd . , "" - ; ' 1 -..m.-,- -.- imiiin iimi nff- - - '-'-W iiraiimntniiBimr 1 1 m ntil 1 r-V--. ' - - Joe Voboril Qeft), president of Trimester, quarter changes unfeasible in some areas by John Dvorak Nebraskan Staff Writer " Throughout its 100 years, the University of Nebraska has operated on a semester system. Summer session arrangements have been . adopted and then modified through the years, but the main semester plan of operation has re mained unchanged since the first classes began in 1871. It is appropriate for the faculty to periodically ask for examination of is present calendar arrangement, ac cording to Dr. Harry P. Shelley, pro fessor of psychology. THE UNIVERSITY could maintain the present semester system, or it could take a more radical approach. The quarter system could be adopted, or the semester system could be modified, as has occassional been suggested. Students apparently have no official say in the matter, although ASUN Senate recently passed a resolution recommending that classes start two weeks earlier in the fall and that finals be given before Christmas. Sen. Tom Lonnquist, who introduced the resolution, said that aside from With sealing for 100 Shortage of space in Love Library to become object of student protest Love Memorial Library will be the scene of a student demonstration Thursday to protest the shortage of books and study space. The demonstration, organized by student senators Curt Donaldson and Bill Mobley, intend to dramatize pro testation by building a wooden "addi- On Campus Today 1 I The Nebraska Union Trips k Tours Committee is (sponsoring Europe 19G9, a program offering group fares to Europe this coming summer. At .7 p.m. Thursday, there will be an Orientation meeting and film at the -Nebraska Union for anyone who may "be interested. "k Dr. Z. F. Bereday, professor of comparative education at Columbia University, will speak at a special Centennial Symposium on education and economic growth at 4 p.m. in Love Library auditorium. Following the symposium, which is open to the public, there will be a question and answer period. ; Spring Day interviews for diair man and assistants will be held March 8, beginning at 8 a.m. in the Nebraska Union. Applicants must sign up for a time on the sheet posted on the activities board in the Union basement before 5 p.m. Friday. IFC and Steve Sumnick, pledge pledge on contract. resolutions and petitions, there is nothing students can do. Should a calendar change be made any change the resonsibility lies completely with the Faculty Senate, according to campus president Joseph Soshnik. EACH YEAR the Senate sets the calendar for the next academic term, he noted. This duty traditionally rests with the faculty. In fact, the calendar for next year has already been approved, according to Dr. Walter E. Mientak, secretary of the Faculty Senate. It is essentially the same as this year's. The Calendar and Examinations Committee of the Senate, chaired by Dr. David W. Olive, is already work ing on the calendar for 1970-1971. "I've been here 21 years," said Dr. James H. Weber, chairman of the chemical engineering department. "This calendar question comes up for big discussion every three or four years." Nothing ever seems to come of these discussions. FOR INSTANCE, in 1916 first semester classes began September 18. In 1947, they began on September 18. This year, they began September 13. In 1928, second semester ended . . . tion" to Love Library at the north entrance to the building. Construction on th: addition" will begin at 9 am. on Thursday, ac cording to Donaldson. This "addition" will remain open for 24 hours. "We will have seating space for about 16 students," be said Tuesday. "The addition will be called the Centennial Wing. Since everyone is naming something 'Centennial,' we thought we should get in on the act" Overcrowded Love now has study seating for 1,200 people. Of this capacity, 800 seats are allotted to undergraduates while 400 are reserved for faculty and graduate students. According to Donaldson, toe hur riedly erected library would also like to check out books, "BUT SINCE we have no books, we will give the students IBM cards, stamp both sides; give them a receipt; and place their name on file," he added. "The idea, of course, is that students have been unable to get books at Love Library and have even been unable to find a place to sit down." For this reason, Donaldson said their names will be put in reserve and they can have first choice of books when a new library is actually built. Love Library does rank behind the libraries oi most other universities of comparable size in books held, ac education chairman, discuss the on June 2. In 1961 it stopped May 27 and this year May 23. Last year a University senate Ad Hoc Committee examined a con siderable body of information and opinion that has arisen recently out of national concern about scheduling. BBHnmamnnimHiiei8imntni!Bnifl&wniHaa (Semester? Trimester? Quarter? The majority of American universi ties utilize the semester plan, al though many yeara have employed different systems. Sentiment at NU is strong for the semester plan, but other ideas have been considered. This four-part study will examine pros, cons and opinions on the differ ent calendar schedules.) BimtnumnaiBtmiiiiinuuuiiHaauuinmniHHiiuiiimiiaima That committee, chaired by Dr. J. M. Daly, professor of biochemistry, recommended no change in the cur rent calendar. The committee concluded that the present system does indeed have some undesirable aspects. Many faculty members feel the "bobtail" period (one, sometimes two weeks of class followed by final exams) after Christmas is undesirable because it cording to Frank A. Lundy, director of Love Library. Love currently ranks 61st out of the 71 members of the Association of Research libraries. "ALTHOUGH WE won't have books." Donaldson said, "we will pass out stationery to students so that they may write their state senator and urge him to work for appropriating money for a new library." Donaldson added that the IBM cards with students names will be delivered to the Unicameral. "Figures can say it, but several thousand students and faculty can say it better," he continued. "We simply can't wait four more years for a new library." THE DEMONSTRATORS have not txen actively soliciting faculty sup per, according to Donaldson. However, the . students have asked many faculty if their efforts would be helpful or harmful and they have generally been encouraged to go ahead with the demonstration. "We think a library is the focal point of a university," he said. "If you have a good library, it doesn't necessarily mean you have a good university, but you don't have a good university without a good library." "We are a small group," Donaldson added, "but we expect massive sup port from other students and faculty members." outlawing pie dge by Jim Pedersen Nebraskan Staff Writer The Interfraternity Council (IFC) Wednesday tabled an explicit and binding version of the pledge educa tion contract. Little was changed in the old clause of the contract concerning hazing. However, a sentence was ad ded which defines and forbids "line ups." The contract is more definite than the original one adopted last year. The added sentence reads: "It (hazing) shall also include 'line-ups,' when such activity involves a pledge or pledges standing at attention or being verbally or physically assaulted." "We felt that the hazing clause was far too vague," Steve Sumnick, chairman of the IFC Pledge Educa tion comittee said. . "THIS IS the main area in which old style pledge training remains," he added. "If I had to throw out everything else in the contract, I would want to retain that sentence." Sumnick feels that the contract can be enforced and made important in the fraternity system. "We win enforce the contract as well as we can," he said. "Members of my committee and the executive committee of IFC will go to houses on Monday, Friday and Saturday nights, and other nights if necessary, to make sure there are no violations of the contract." IT SHOULD be the responsibility of all the actives of a house to main tain the principles of progressive fragments the continuity- of work for students and teachers. Also under the semester system the year is not divided equally, thus sum mer terms are shorter and equivalent year-round opportunities for students are difficult to create. MANY TEACHERS contacted feel the final examination period, as now scheduled, is too lengthy. However, the semester system, composed of two 17-week learning periods plus two five and one-half week summer periods, offers three strong advantages. (1) A unit of 17 weeks permits com prehensive treatment of subject mat ter and sufficient time for study and evaluation. (2) It provides the desired amount of prime attendance time from September through June. (3) The system coincides with the calendars of about 70 per cent of the nation's institutions of higher learning as well as elementary and secondary schools of the region. ACCORDING TO the Faculty Ad J fJl' :Jh Rv " Ml: l" 1 . s fk Ai ! , . . Q - ; l:j v, . J J r -x r; ; i v J , v :'y-m : 1 j ' m -J - " " - ,t , r - - - "The Killing of Sister George" opens Thursday at 8 p.m. in Howe'J Theatre. An Army veteran lesbian called Sister George and her roommate Childie, in her thirties, become distressed when they learn that George is to die. pledge training and not let any in cidents occur, Sumnick continued. If there is just one violation, the contract will be revoked. Sumnick also outlined plans to in form rushees of the existence and importance of the contract. "There will be an explanation of the contract in the rush books which go out to incoming freshmen and the contract will be explained by the IFC orientation teams which will travel through the state in June," he said. A list of the houses which have signed the contracts will also appear in the rush book, Sumnick added, and a list and similar emanation will be sent to all high school principals. SUMNICK INDICATED that the Pledge Education committee will also contact national and alumni chapters of University fraternities in ai at tempt to acquaint them with the methods of progressive pledge training and convince them the pledge training must be altered. Most of the revisions in the new contract were made to plug loophofes in last year's contract. For instance, the revocation clause was changed so that a violation of the contract will cause a house to lose it for a full calendar year. "Previously, a house was able to lose the contract through a violation in the first semester and then renew it for the second semester," according to Sumnick. "It was no big deal hav ing the contract for the second semester, as the house easily renewed it for rush week." The expiration date of the contract Hoc Committee, two realistic alternatives exist and each would require considerable revision of the calendar. The Quarter System: Under this plan, the year would be divided into four nearly equal learning terms. The summer could be broken into two five and a half week sessions. Less than 30 per cent of the nation's colleges and universities use the system, but this figure may be misleading. Schools on the quarter system represent a number of large state-supported institutions like Iowa State, Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan State and the University of California. THE QUARTER Plan has several main advantages: Elimination of the "bobtail" ef fect; four equivalent academic terms, three of which occur during the prime attendance period; more flexibility in course offer ings, faculty leaves and research activities and administrative and instructional equivalency in work loads, pay 1 incups was also changed. Formerly the con tract had to be renewed with each change in house officers. The new contract provides that the contract will be in effect from the first day of classes in the 1969-70 academic year until the first day of classes in the following academic year. .. "THE REASON for doing this was to prevent houses from evading the IFC by saying we cannot investigate a violation or Hell Week because they have changed officers and no longer have the contract," Sumnick said. - Minor changes include the lengthening of study time for pledges from three and one-half hours to four hours and the addition of a clause providing for eight hours of sleeping time for the pledge. ; Another slight alteration as the ad dition of a sentence which says quiet hours will be maintained from dinner until daybreak in rooms and study areas. The clause replaces t h somewhat vague "quiet hours in selected areas." , Sumnick doesn't expect all fraternities to sign the contract T l "SOME PEOPLE fear that no houses will sign it," he added. "I don't believe this will happen, but if only a few houses sign, they certainly will reap the benefits from the con tract." If the IFC revokes any contract, it will be published, Sumnick con tinued. A list of those houses which sign the new contract also will be published. Sumnick feels that in scattered Continued on page 3 periods and salaries for both prime attendance periods and summer terms. Credit hours could be structured in one of two ways under the quarter system. Plan A. One quarter system credit equals two thirds of a semster credit For year-long classes, no major changes would be required; subject matter would be divided into three, rather than two units. ' FOR ONE semester classes, however, some subject matter would have to be eliminated or shifted to other courses in order to fit a 10 or 11 week class schedule. Plan B. One quarter credit equals one semester credit. This would. re quire a three credit class to meet five times weekly for 50 minutes or three times a week for 80 minutes. Students would concentrate on three rather than five subjects per quarter. Like every other system, the Quarter System has purported disad vantages. It would require one addi tional advising and registration Continued on page 3 i f k 5 fi : : y . . . si 4AA fettAfri:
