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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 1970)
Regents need students j" The most important lesson that college administrators, regents and taxpayers should have learned from the past decade of campus unrest and cries for student power is this: students now realize universities should be run for and partially by students. Universi ties which once existed almost solely to pro vide corporations with working units, gov erned by groups made up totally of lay trus tees and run by administrations deaf to stu dent pleas for a voice in their affairs are waking up. Throughout the nation, universi ties are giving students representation on committees, seats on boards of regents and a chance to determine some of their affairs. The University of Nebraska is one of the schools that has taken steps in this direction. But, just how much voice and power do University students have over their affairs? Students have the CSL with a student major ity, but all decisions are subject to a review by the Regents. Students have no representa tion on any committees which hire or, dismiss faculty members, and the Regents hate final authority over such matters. It is obvious that the Regents govern the University they have the real power; and they have NO student members. President Soshnik says the Regents must "balance the interests of students and tax payers." Do they? Or as lay politicians, do they listen with cupped ear to the electorate and not the students? Soshnik also says the Regents have "an absolute obligation to take into account the interests of parents and tax payers who have a vital interest in the Uni versity." No student would deny the propriety of that statement. But although students are grateful for financial aid from parents and taxpayers, it is the students who must live and learn at this university, not parents and taxpayers. Consequently, students should be allowed to participate in University policy and decision-making at its highest level. Two more seats should be created on the Board of Regents. The positions would be filled by students elected from the student bodies of the combined University campuses. A student would become eligible for election as a sophomore and would serve a three-year term. If the student left the University, he would still serve as a regent unless he chooses to resign. This proposal is rough and many spe cifics concerning election and eligibility would need to be examined carefully. But it is funda mental that students be given a place of real power in determining important matters in their education. Students don't want to rule the University; they want only to participate in governing it. They don't want to decide all that goes on within the institution; they merely want to be given authoritative partici pation. If universities insist on government by oligarchy, students should be a part of that privileged group. All things considered, re stricted membership for students on the Board of Regents is not too much to expect. .Jim Pedersen DAILY NEBRASKAN Second clati postage paid at Lincoln. Neb. Telephone: Editor 471-25M, Builneu 47I-25M, New 4712SV0. Subscription rata art M par lemmter or (4 per year. Published Monday, Wednetday, Thurtday and Friday during the school year except during vacation and exam period. Member of Intercollegiate Prat. National Educational Adver tising Service. The Dally Nebratkan I ttudent publication, Independent el the Unlvemty of Nebraska' admlnlttratlon, faculty and n dent government. Addretsi Daily Nebratkan 14 Nebratka Union Unlverilty ot Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska MM &.&lM&iW3&83ZKVr :MA HZ-mT- Stff.VMfiJ W 33a. . WeaJF-JJHKirc V".' all nwtf 1 IITT TT" fT fl I I . "PREASE, I NOT AMEIXAN. I ARE flllCflY ROCAL TALENT." . Finch: The days dwindle down by FRANK MANKIEWICZ and TOM BR A DEN Washington Robert Finch is giving serious consideration to leaving his post at HEW and filing for the Senate seat in California. The decision must be made before March 21 when filing closes, and it will tell as much about President Nixon's plans for his party as it will about the future of Robert Finch. For the decision Is not so much Finch's to make as it is the President's. The polls show that Finch can defeat any Democrat handily he beats John Tunney by 10 points more than Incumbent GOP Sen. George Murphy does, and this without campaigning or even hinting that he might be a candidate. But if Finch decides to take the tide at flood, Murphy must step aside or California Republicans are in for a bruising battle. FINCH COULD probably win it but It would Involve taking on Gov. Ronald Reagan and Reagan's big-money backers, some of whom are even to the right of Reagan. Finch has kept a close watch on California affairs. For ex ample, some of those who led the fight on the board of regents of the University of California against Reagan's successful move to Impose the first tuition In the university's history think they got help from Finch's allies in the state. But opposing Reagan in set ting state policy and opposing him publicly by taking on Murphy are two different things. Moreover, Murphy stumped the state for Finch In his race for lieu'enant governor in 1966. It would be best to avoid a fight. Only the Presi dent has the muscle to make Murphy step aside. PRESIDENT NIXON -therefore Is going through some soul searching on the problem. California Is his home state and the one he cares most about. His party in that state Is run by a man he does not care much about and who is only waiting and hoping for the President to stumble. The moderate Republicanism which he thinks of himself as in heriting from Dwlght Eisenhower is the hallmark of his protege, Robert Finch. Finch Is a sure winner and Murphy a possible loser. It all adds up to the opportunity to turn California Republicanism into the President's own image of himself moderate, forward-looking, accepting the best of the liberal programs, making them acceptable to the conservatives. MOREOVER, Richard Nixon found only one fault with the Eisenhower Presidency and that was Eisenhower's failure to use the office to build his own party. Nixon has resolved not to make the same mistake. It Is therefore at least possi ble that some presidential arm twisting will be applied to Murphy within the next few days and, in any event, the President's decision will tell a great deal about how far he is willing to go to Influence and refashion his party. FIGHTING a rear-guard ac tion against the Southern strategy, and losing it slowly, Is likely to tar Finch eventually in his present job, not to mention the new faces and new issues which may intervene. He turn ed down Nixon's offer of the Vice Presidency at Miami and, watching his friend in the White House since then, he has not been sorry. He is convinced that he would not want the job of being President of the United States. But the Senate is another thing. If he does not run now, Finch sees himself opposing Sen. Alan Cranston in 1976, and he is convinced that Reagan sees the Senate seat as an alternative to retirement from politics. If he must tackle Reagan sooner or later, why not now, when polls show him at the peak? The question haunts Finch as he waits to see what the President will do. I PAGE 2 THE DAILY NEBRASKAN WEDNESDAY; MARCH 11, 1970