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vLp uJJ u vLU CLU
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1969
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
VOL. 93, NO. 44
Faculty senate denies approval
backs evaluation 'cooperation
by John Dvorak
Nebraskan Staff Writer
The Faculty Senate engaged in a
lengthy debate Tuesday afternoon over
a resolution expressing the senate's ap
proval and cooperation with the upcom
ing course and faculty evaulation.
The resolution would have expressed
approval of the evaluation and would
have urged the faculty to participate
in it, but a substitute resolution in
troduced by Dr. Henry E. Baumgarten,
professor of chemistry, and amended
by Dr. Edward N. Megay, associate
professor of political science, was ap
proved instead.
The new resolution which endorsed the
principle of faculty evaluation, urged
that faculty cooperate with students in
composing a proper evaluation form, and
stated that the faculty senate urges
cooperation for the time being with the
efforts of ASUN Faculty Evaluation
Committee.
Professor Peter J. Worth of the art
department termed the faculty evalua
tion "unattractive and not useful."
Evaluation could be personally
damaging to a young faculty member
who does not have the security of an
older professor, Worth said.
The art professor also suggested that
indication of professional incompetence
published in a faculty evaulation book
was "theoretically libelous" and "can
do material damage to a person's pro
fessional life."
"It is premature to ask the Faculty
New University service
averages 24- calls daily
bv Gary Seacrest
Nebraskan Staff Writer.
First there was Time and Tem
perature. Thm came Dial-a-Prayer. Now
the University has Its own telephone
information service: the Help Line.
Help Line was designed to help
students, faculty, and staff in seeking
information and help. To use the service
one only has to telephone 472-3311 or
472-3312.
Unlike the other telephone services,
the Help Line does not give pre-recorded
answers, but is manned by operators
who will give the caller an immediate
answer or the name of a specific person
to contact.
Since its beginning on Nov. 5, the
Help Line has been receiving an average
of over 24 calls daily. Although most
of the inquiries have come from
students, University faculty and staff
and non-University people have also used
the service.
Some 3tro of the calls have dealt
with general information about the
University. Only 6',"o of the inquiries have
concerned personal problems. Inquiries
Moratorium theme is 'Peace on Earth9
The University of Nebraska Vietnam
Moratorium will emphasize the theme
"Peace on earth" with an expanded
program and extensive work both on
"If the President ends the war next year, we'll all be very happy,"
committee chairman.
Senate to endorse this when the senate
doesn't even know how the information
will be used," Worth said. He added that
he has a number of other private qualms
about evaluation.
Baumgarten said that he has looked
at questionnaires for 20 years and he
is "hard pressed to find one any more
worthless" than the computer form
which will be used next Monday and
Tuesday by the ASUN Faculty Evalua
tion Committee.
The chemistry professor added that
it would be very difficult for students
to take advantage of the evaluation information.
V--. A
Worth . . . "unattractive,
not useful"
about phone numbers and addresses
have comprised 16 of the total number
of calls.
Russell Brown, dean for Student
Development and originator of the Help
Line, said he didn't anticipate that the
service would receive so many calls
in its first month of operation. '
"The service receives a steady flow
of calls, but many of the students call
in the evening when regular office and
faculty staff are not available," ac
cording to Brown.
"There is still a large number of
students who don't know about the
service," he added. "We're looking for
ways to expand the hours when the
service is available."
Brown contends that the telephone
service is a real bargain since its only
expenses are for the use of the telephone
and wages for the three Help Line
operators.
The dean for Student Development
said the three telephone operators are
genuinely interested in people's problems
and follow-up on Inquiries from callers.
The Help Line operators are Jerry Gates
and Jerry Davis, both graduate students
and off campus, according to local
coordinators speaking at Tuesday's press
conference In the Nebraska Union.
Diane Theisen, committee chairman,
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"I am not against faculty evaluation,"
Baumgarten stressed. "I would just like
to see it done in a meaningful way."
Speaking in favor of the resolution
was Dr. F. Gregory Hayden, assistant
professor of economics. He pointed out
that faculty evaluation is a logical ex
tension of several statements in the Stu
dent in the Academic Community docu
ment. The evaluation form is not a hurried
thing, he added. It is similar to an
evaluation questionnaire used a t
Princeton University, which has been
widely copied, Hayden said.
Several other faculty members and
administrators spoke in favor of the
resolution, although none expressed
pleasure with the computer question
naire which will be utilized next week.
It was the questionnaire that created
the controversy. Several faculty
members deplored it because the ques
tionnaire leaves no room for written
comments by the students.
The ASUN evaluation form gives
students the opportunity to grade a
course and teacher on a number of
different questions. The data will be
compiled by computer and published,
although no interpretation of the d a t a
is planned. Only raw percentage data
will be published.
In other action, the Faculty Senate
decided to allow students in the Centen
nial Course during the school year 1969
70 to have the option of taking their
Centennial Course on a pass-fail basis.
Centennial students would have the
privilege only for their six-hour course
in counseling, and Cherly Daigger, a
senior in psychology.
"One of the real benefits of the
telephone service is that a person can
remain anonymous," said Brown. He
also said the service makes it easier
for students to gain information and'
help at a time convenient for them.
Some people have walked into the Help
Line office to talk with the person
operating the telephone. Another person
called and said he had no question or
problem, but just wanted to express
his thanks to the University for pro
viding the Help Line.
Brown said the telephone service was
originally established because of the
University's large size and great number
of off-campus students. The University
is also planning to establish a number
of student advocates to Investigate stu
dent complaints. Brown said the only
thing holding back this project is a
lack of funds.
Currently the Help Line service is
available Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to
11 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Satur
day 7 to 11 p.m.; and Sunday 6 to
11 p.m.
said that the activities beginning with
downtown leafleting Thursday night and
ending with a Christmas carol for peace
Tuesday, Dec. 16, concentrate on a
1
said Diane Theisen, Moratorium
in the college. All other courses would
be graded as usual.
The motion was approved without ob
jection, although Dr. Philip A. Crowl,
professor of history remarked that the
provision was "discriminatory to
students not in the Centennial program."
Nevertheless, he voted in favor of the
motion.
Dr. Robert Knoll, head of the Centen
nial College, then stated that the pass
fail privilege ought to be extended to
all University students anyway.
Study views
problems of
disabled
Phi Upsilon Omicron, the professional
home economics honorary, is taking a
survey to locate architectural barriers
on campus and in campus buildings that
might prevent handicapped or disabled
students from using the buildings or
their facilities.
The disabled student can be in
dependent only to the degree that his
environment allows him to be, according
to Elaine Pracheil.
"For example, how can a person con
fined to a wheel chair be expected to
attend classes in a building that can
be entered only by way of stairs, or
through revolving doors?" she asks.
"How can a building provide for the
convenience and comfort of a handicap
ped student when telephones and water
fountains are inaccessable or rest room
doors are too narrow to enter?"
The survey was initiated by a previous
survey at Oklahoma State University
and is supported by the Family
Economics and Management Depart
ment of the School of Home Economics.
Teacher exams
scheduled here
The University of Nebraska has been
designated as a test center for ad
ministering the National Teacher Ex
aminations on Jan. 31, 1970.
College seniors preparing to teach and
teachers applying for positions in school
systems which encourage or require ap
plicants to submit their scores on the
National Teacher Examinations are
eligible to take the tests.
At the one-day session, a candidate
may take the Common Examinations,
which include tests in Professional
Education and General Education, and
one of the seventeen Teaching Area Ex
aminations which are designed to
evaluate his understanding of the subject
matter and methods applicable to the
area he may be assigned to teach.
message of peace and goodwill to t h e
Lincoln community.
"We are trying to bring the war to
as rapid an end as is possible," she said.
"If the President ends the war next
year, we'll all be very hnppy. But if
lie doesn't, we want to continue to show
that there is a responsible peace move
ment." In addition to the leafleting and on
campus canvassing which will take place
on Thursday and Friday and Saturday,
several large group activities are plann
ed. A peace rally will be held In the
Union Ballroom Friday at 1:30. Follow
ing the rally a Peace Vigil will begin
on the north steps of the state cupilol
at 4:00. The closing ceremonies for the
Vigil will begin at 5:110 Saturday and
will Include a candlelight walk around
the Capitol in memory of the Nebraska
war dead.
A Peuce Ball. Saturday at 8:00 p.m.
at the Union, will feature Fay Hongun,
Justice, the Tensegrtty Maste Light
Show and a Kool-aid stand.
Letters have been sent to Lincoln
churches and other organizations ex
plaining the Moratorium and offering
to provide speakers and materials for
debates and discussions, according to
Dennis Berkhelm of the Speakers Com
mittee. He added that the speakers and
materials could be provided wherever
and whenever the groups wanted them.
"Last month many people stayed away
from the special church programs
because though they were interested or
concerned, they didn't know the purposes
of the Moratorium," Berkhelm reported.
"By having speakers available at any
time, we hope to avoid that."
Committee members criticized the
President's proposed plans for handling
the war. Mike Barret, canvassing
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Dr. Henry Baumgarten, who cosponsored the second resolution
on faculty evaluation, termed ASUN's computer forms "worthless."
CSL, Dean Synder
discuss social rules
by Carol Anderson
Nebraskan Staff Writer
Dean Helen Synder told the Council
on Student Life (CSL) Tuesday that a
need still exists for the sub-committee
on social affairs and student activities
which she chairs, although she admitted
that nearly every living unit on campus
has violated that committee's rules on
registering social activities.
The committee, consisting of five
faculty members and administrators and
two ASUN appointed students makes
rules governing social functions
"sponsored by some legally constituted
organization on campus," according to
the campus handbook. Theoretically, this
means that an off-campus activity plan
ned by a group of dormitory students
must be registered, although Miss
Snyder said no checking is done to see
that this rule is followed.
The University also forbids
"possession and consumption of liquor
chairman, said that six years ago
President Johnson was announcing
reductions in the conflict and predicting
that South Vietnam could soon take over
the bulk of the fighting.
"Administrations have been promising
that "the war will soon be over" for
years," he said. "We want to keep
reminding the Nixon Administration so
they won't break as many promises as
LBJ."
"Even if the President withdraws 100
thousand men per year, the war won't
be over for five years," he added.
The National Moratorium Committee
is also strongly urging students who
want to help to "Take the Moratorium
home for Christmas." This attempt to
have students do anti-war work while
in their home towns for Christmas
vacation has been termed "crucial" by
the committee.
Activities suggested Include canvassing
neighborhoods, distributing leaflets to
shoppers and organizing high school
students. Miss Theisen said local
Moratorium organizers were anxious to
help students carry out these activities
by supplying leaflets and other Informa
tion. She added that all interested should
go to the Union booth.
Congressmen traditionally spend the
Christmas recess in their home districts
to receive visits from constituents, ac
cording to the National Committee. The
Committee has urged students to
organize groups, including parents, to
visit their elected representatives and
make their concern over the war
known.
There is also a call to initiate
"Presents for Peace," the giving of
presents on a peace theme, books,
articles and posters about the war.
"Peace" Christmas cards and "peace"
Christmas caroling" are also recom
mended by the Committee as helpful
hometown activities.
at any social event sponsored by any
University group."
"Are we discouraging spontaneity in
student activites?" student CSL
member Bill Chaloupka asked Dean
Synder in reference to the waiting period
and paper work involved in registering
student activites.
"Not entirely," she said. Registration
protects a group by insuring that func
tions are well-planned, she continued and
termed poorly planned parties, in her
experience, as "hazards."
Randy Prior objected to the
"maternalistic" functions of the com
mittee, and said it should be eliminated
as much as possible in accordance with
student self-determination.
Determining when a group can hold
a function "doesn't seem like an ap
propriate function for a central com
mittee," said Chaloupka, who suggested
leaving It up to the individual living
unit.
Dean Synder commented that checking
with a central agency helps to avoid
conflicts with other activities that may
be scheduled simultaneously.
"Is the committee's purpose central
control or guarding against conflicting
functions?" Rich Page asked.
"Some of both." Dean Synder
answered and explained that the Faculty
Senate had thought her committee would
prevent "the social from running away
with the academic" part of the
University.
Miss Synder said some of the com
mittee's regulations aren't necessary and
that she recommends some changes
although she was not prepared to present
them.
CSL named a group to studv the com
mittee. The original objective of the Tuesday
meeting was to hear suggestions from
students, but only one showed up.
William Hoppner requested that CSL
study not only the role of the Athletic
Department in the University structure
but also whether it even has a place.
"What good does it do?" Hoppner
asked. The social cost as well as the
monetary cost of the department should
be evaluated, he continued, to determine
if these costs outweigh the gains.
The question ot whether the Athletic
Department was a symptom of the
University's "intellectual impurity" or
a cause of it was raised by Chaloupka,
who said he concluded it" was just a
symptom.
Dr. Robert Hurlbutt objected - to
assuming that there is something wrong
with the Athletic Department.
Prior replied that he wouldn't propose
abolishing the department, but "certain
aspects of it leave a bad taste."
CSL chirman John Robinson said
Athletic Director Bob Devaney will meet
with the Council in January.
Robinson said In the future the first
half-hour of CSL meetings will - be
reserved for open discussion. AH
students are invited to participate. Next
week's agenda includes committee
reports on the sub-committees on student
organizations and the Publications
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