WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1970
Visitation 'not in best interest'
Chancellor
by CAROL ANDERSON
Nebraskan Staff Writer
University Chancellor
Durward B. Varner took office
Monday pledging to "en
courage and occasionally
cajole" the faculty to be in
novative. The 52-year-old, 6-2 Varner
said he will not initiate in
novations on the three state
campuses, but rather urge
faculty to formulate and
propose such programs.
The former chancellor of
Oakland University in
suburban Detroit, Mich., sees
each campus with its own
president as "semi
autonomous," his role as the
Regents' chief executive.
"I may try to persuade them
(the Regents) to mod ineir
policies, but they make the
final decisions," Varner said.
On student involvement in
University decision-making,
Varner said students can be
given a larger role than they
have currently, but added that
this is his personal viewpoint,
and it may not be University
policy.
He discussed some
drawbacks to student par
ticipation. Although the
chancellor said he has "great
confidence" in students, he
said learning is a full-time job
for most students. They lack
time and experience; and as
"transients" they don't get the
"full sweep," according to
Varner. But these handicaps
can also, be strengths because
four-year students possess a
sense of immediacy, he con
tinued. Varner emphasized that the
power of the University should
rest with the Regents as the
elected representatives of the
people and ultimately with the
state's voters.
On Regents' control over the
social life of students, Varner
said, "The Regents can't ab
dicate their responsibility to
parents for the social conduct
of students. They can choose
not to exercise their respon
sibility, but they can't deny
it."
Varner described his position
as "pretty reserved con
cerning coed visitation.
He opposes 24-hour visitation
and coeds occupying alternate
rooms on a dorm floor because
they "are not in the best in
terests of the students."
However, room for discussion
exists on less extreme
proposals, the chancellor ad
ded. Varner said he Is sym
pathetic to students who
y.Nebraskan
wanted public discussion on
nominations and selection for
chancellor, but called the
secrecy a practical matter.
If the public had known that
he was being considered for
the post, Varner said his
position at Oakland would have
been weakened and he would
have been forced to decline the
offer. Students were included
on the committee making
recommendations, Varner
added.
The new chancellor said he
was surprised to learn of his
selection and met with the
Regents in Chicago at the
insistence of Dick Adklns,
board president. His intention
to decline the position was
changed by "the enthusiasm,
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Spiro sparks protest march
Plans are completed for a
silent demonstration of protest
to be held at 6 p.m. Monday
when Vice President Splro
Agnew appears in Lincoln at
a testimonial dinner for Gov.
Norbcrt Tlemann.
"We're trying to show the
nation that there are
Nebraskans opposed to the
genocide in Vietnam," said
Steve Tiwald, an organizer of
the peace demonstration.
Mike Shonsey, coordinator of
the Moratorium Committee,
said the possibility that Agnew
will make the first public
comment on his recent Asian
tour will attract national
newsmen.
He qualified himself by
saying that plans for the
demonstration, however, were
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
urges innovation
knowledge and unanimity" of
the Regents.
Since the University of
Nebraska is the state's only
publicly supported university,
Varner said the post offered
him the opportunity to help
alleviate social problems in the
state.
The University of Nebraska
College of Medicine is "very
aggressive" in that area,
Varner commented. UNO's
urban setting furthers these
challenges, he continued.
Politically, the chancellor
considers himself an in
dependent. "My number one
party is the University of
Nebraska," Varner com
mented. He doesn't think
politics vill affect his job.
not completed until this
Monday's planning session
attended by about 75 student
s. A position paper outlining the
purpose of the Moratorium will
be distributed at the demon
stration, Shonsey said. The
position paper, approved by
those attending the planning
session, "explains that the
Moratorium is an education
process," Dan Schafer said.
"It is a continual process
designed to offer people an
option to alter government
policy."
Tiwald said he felt the en
thusiasm being mustered by
demonstration organizers is a
"different kind of enthusiasm
than that of the October
march."
As the former chairman of
the Michigan State Council for
the Arts, Varner says he hopes
for expansion of programs for
the arts at Nebraska.
Although he was impressed
with Sheldon Art Gallery and
is enthusiastic about the arts,
the chancellor admits that
having been reared in Cot
ton wood, Tex., with a
population of 70, his knowledge
of art is not vast.
Varner did his un
dergraduate work at Texas
A&M and received his masters
in political science and
economics at the University of
Chicago in 1949. He was a
faculty member at Michigan
State University at East
Lansing from 1949 to 1959,
"We've learned that the war
won't end right after a
demonstration such as this one
we've learned we must
continue to relay our
message."
Prior to the demonstration,
a rally featuring guest speaker
John M. Swomley, Ph.D will
Whafs Inside
CSL meeting page 2
Peterson runs jwge 3
editorials page 4
sports page 8
VOL. 93, NO. 48
From 1955-59 Varner was
vice president of MSU in
charge of off-campus education
programs and director of
continuing education. From
1959 to 1969 he served as
chancellor of Oakland
University, created In 1959.
During his chancellorship,
Oakland grew from a student
body of 570 to one of 5,800.
Oakland has three ex
perimental collges and
programs such as seminars for
freshmen, independent study,'
upgraded courses, off-campus
study projects, study abroad,
required study of non-western
cultures, and a three semester
calendar.
Chancellor Varner and his
wife Paula have three children.
Pharos by Dan Ladaly
be held at 3:30 p.m. In the
Union Ballroom, according to
Shonsey.
Swomley Is a member of the
American Civil Liberties
Union, president of the ACLU
in Western Missouri, and is a
professor of Christian ethics at
Saint Paul School of Theology
in Kansas City, Mo.
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