'Publish1 or perish' 4
Each semester the editor of the Daily
Nebraskan attacks the "publish or perish"
principle which permeates the University's
evaluation of faculty. Because it is much dis
cussed; however, should not make this system
of judging faculty a dead' issue. The inequal
ities, unfairness to professor and student alike
and general inadequacy of this means of de
termining teaching ability must lead to its
demise.
There simply is no correlation between
the number of books published by a profes
sor and his ability to teach students the sub
ject matter he has mastered. If you have ever
taken a class under a publishing professor,
you know that authors are not necessarily
good teachers. The professor whose textbook
is used. in 40 major universities or who contin
ually turns out articles for scholarly journals
is recpjgnized; whereas the professor who in
tellectually stimulates students but does not
publish is not. This is not to say that he who
publishes is automatically a poor teacher,
however.
Nevertheless, the abundance of unexcit
ing teachers in American higher education is
indicative of the failure of evaluation by pub
lication. Teacher evaluation by this method
does not select, promote and recognize the
good teacher it honors and rewards the
competent author. Not only is this system un-1
fair to the faculty, it is unfair to the students. '
How interested is the professor likely
to be in his students and classroom presenta
tion if he is constantly harried by the need
to research and write his next article or book?
Will he be more worried about bringing the
subject alive for students, or publishing the
required number of articles to earn him pro
motion? The existence of Centennial College
and similar experimental colleges throughout
the nation show that some administrators,
faculty and students feel the small-group, free
study learning experience can be more excit
ing and effective than teacher-to-class divine
revelations. If faculty are forced to publish
instead of teach, students would rather learn
from each other and self-structured study than
sit through dull lecture classes.
One means of improving teaching is to
improve the means of evaluating a professor's
abilities. One effective method of evaluation
is assessment of a teacher by his colleagues
not on the basis of his publishing record, but
on observance of his teaching methods and
knowledge in subject discipline. Some de
partments at the University use this pro
cedure. Another method is to utilize student
course and teacher evaluations in essay, not
computerized, form when considering hiring
or promotion of a teacher. Students, more
than any other group in the University, are
in a position to judge a teacher. Their opinion
should be consulted.
Undergraduate teaching at the university
level is in need of improvement. Abandon
ment of the publish or perish doctrine and
the adoption of a rational means of evaluating
teachers would be a step towards improving
the situation.
Jim Pedersen
DAILY NEBRASKAN
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Ivory
Flower
Lots of things have been
happening in the Ivory Flower
this week with regard to the
governing of the University.
Monday the "Daily
Nebraskan" front page
reported the resignations of
some ASUN senators. Tuesday
the Faculty Senate turned into
a circus performance while
considering restructuring itself.
Wednesday the students were
treated by the "Daily
Nebraskan" to a special section
about the Regents, the men
who hold ultimate power over
the students' lives with regard
to academic affairs and many,
social regulations. And,'
throughout the week, the com
mittee presenting the annual
World in Revolution conference
next week has been very hard
at work, culminating seven
months of planning and
preparation.
FIRST, I'LL comment briefly
on the World in Revolution
Conference. People often com
plain about Nebraska being a
cultural wasteland and it isn't
often hat a program of this
caliber with speakers like
Abraham Ribicoff, Saul Alinsky
and others takes place.
Students should not pass up
this opportunity to hear
directly from some of the top
authorities on urban America.
The problems of American
cities are important to all of us.
The future of the United States
including rural America, is
closely tied to what is happen
ing to the cities.
Concerning the resignations
of ASUN senators the fact
should be pointed out that it's
ifi.
RAPPING
Editor,
I'm a student in the University of
Nebraska's study abroad program in
Bordeaux, France, this year. This
morning a revelation came to me and
I feel obliged to share it with the
searchers for truth at my "home
base" as I play "center field" here in
the land of enchanted enlightenment. I
would be most appreciative if you
could print this letter in your (and my,
even in abstentia) newspaper. Thank
you.
The value of life and of death Is
wont to escape man and inasmuch as
we are reasonable and sensitive
beings it is our part to return to the
original and unquestionable natural
purposes which guide creation.
The meaning of the concept of
sacrifice is often overlooked as Mr.
Gibran points out In "The Prophet'.
Eating should be seen as the
sacrifice of life for our higher
purposes. Thus when we kill the let
tuce plant destroying its life and at the
same time sacrificing the insects,
rabbits and the multitude of other life
which would thereby have profited, we
must be conscious of this fact and
aware of our higher, more worthy
goals for this lettuce.
The cow sacrifices grass for the no
ble purpose of its life. We, in turn,
sacrifice the milk of the cow which
was intended for its young, and the cow
Itself, for the noble purpose of our life.
The taking of all life should be seen in
this, nature's enlightened way.
COUSIN SWIFTS "Modest
Proposal" was in the right vein, but
his cynical outlook on the English and
on economy detoured his thinking
from the noble essence of cannibalism.
My fellow sensible beings, are we not
subscribing to a profane un
derstatement of the value of all life
when we refuse to eat the other human
beings we kill?
Lanson D. Moles
Editor,
Recently the university and
especially CSL have been focusing
their attention upon the racial bias
present on the campuses. After much
discussion and heated argument, the
existence of the problem has been
clearly demonstrated to the officials
and the students. The problem is well
established here, but what is it ex
actly? THE PROBLEM is the failure for all
aspect, of university life to be
available to all students This
discrimination has prevented equal
opportunity for all university students
to enter the activities of their choice.
But more major yet is the failure of
the students to do anything to correct
these faults.
A stalemate between two factions
has developed. One side calls for im
mediate positive attack such as
forceful opening of all groups to
minorities. This could lead . 1 to
establishing set numbers of represen
tatives from each minority and ma
jority in each group or activity.
The ( second faction Is busy co
ordinating their forces for the attack
upon discrimination. They want to
catagorize and carefully think through
any action. Both factions are partially
right, but actually dead wrong.
THE COURSE of action that must
be taken involves prompt, organized
efforts. Willwut both organized and
Immediate action, any effort to solve
the problem will only bury the crux of
the problem.
THE HEART of the whole issue is
the students' personal feelings and
bias. Superficial covering of this can
be accomplished by immediate action
forcing people to react In the desirable
manner but this will not change what
they feel inside.
ON THE OTHER, .hand, lengthy
organization, clarification and
defining the redefined will set the
issue aside until the atmosphere cools
off. Then no one will remember ex-
actly what happened in the first place,
so that any action will be sufficient.
No one here at the University of
Nebraska wants to Instigate any
measures which might endanger their
own self image and require a change
in their own personal lives. Their
reasoning is: Any change is fine, as
-long as you make it, not me.
IN ORDER for any permanent con
crete change to occur for the correc
tion of racial discrimination and bias
toward other people, You and I
everyone must be willing to stop
and analyze himself considering his '
feelings, prejudices and actions. And
then proceed to correct any errors
discovered in his instrumental con
struction which rectified, would better
facilitate human understanding. The
attack upon discrimination must be
based at oneself whether you be black,
purple, white, or green.
After setting yourself In order, turn
to work upon your immediate circle of
friends to end bias.
Ron Minds-
Editor,
In last Monday's Daily Nebratikaa
some, but not all of the statements In
Ed Icenogle's editorial titled "Cultural
Experience?" were rather disturbing
to me. The editorial centered around
the quality of the "cultural ex
perience" available to students at the
University of Nebraska and called for
more state support of cultural en
deavors. I would agree with the latter
wholeheartedly for I have always felt
that private support of the arki has not
succeeded very well. This Is not only
state problem, however, but a national
problem.
IT IS ALSO true that the student at
the University of Nebraska does not
have the cultural advantages of his
counterpart in Ciiicago, Minneapolis,
New York and Boston.
But Icenogle's statement to the ef
fect that the only traces of culture
which do exist on campus are the
Sheldon Art Gallery and the "infre
quent importation of outstanding
artists and performers" overlooks a
rather substantial part of the
University's activities in the arts,
namely, the concerts and operas given
by the School of Music and the pro
ductions of the Drama Department.
An incredible amount of effort, skill
and labor goes into these for the very
purpose of encouraging a native
culture of substance.
IS IT POSSIBLE that Icenogle
believes that these cannot be counted
among the "traces of culture" at the
University? One could add that there
are lecturers who come to the
University who might also be thought
of as making a cultural contribution.
A campus group sponsors an annual
Chamber Music series, not to speak of
other series In the city which would
certainly never reject student patron
age. 1
Getting a cultural experience re
quires effort, such as getting out of the
dormitory and finding one's way to the
places where things are going on.
If the student finds a cultural ex
perience only by looking into the test
tubes of the Biology lab then he is
rather short-sighted.
CULTURAL experiences are here In
great plenty: courses in the arts and
humanities which give insights into
the constituents of cultural life, the
Sheldon Gallery, musical and
dramatic productions of a great
variety, lecturers and several
subscription series as well as many
local musical events such as organ
recitals on many fine instruments la
the city.
The student who comes to the
University only to learn a trade may
not be moved to take advantage of
these, but they can provide a cultural
experience of some depth and mean
ing. Raymond H. Hagjjh
prat, at Music
by Steve Tiwald
an annual occurrence that
some senators resign at this
time of year.
MORE ATTENTION should
be focused on WHY these
senators resign. Conflicts with
job, classes and sports were
the reasons stated by the
quoted Senators for their
resignations.
Commitment to student
government is essential for
senators to be effective in
Senate, for student government
as a whole to be effective.
If a senator is not going to
contribute positively he should
resign and make way for so
meone who will. An example of
this is Dave Landis, who
criticized expenditures for
Time Out and the World in
Revolution Conference, but all
year did not offer a single
positive constructive program
or even resolution.
THE FACULTY Senate
Tuesday held its monthly
meeting and turned into . a
circus performance. In con
sidering plans for restructure it
showed itself oblivious of stu
dent (ASUN) work for a
combined faculty-student
senate.
The chairman, Lincoln cam
pus President Joseph Soshnik,
refused even to allow a student
to speak to the Faculty Senate.
Many faculty members are
concerned and would like to see
change in the direction of
combined faculty and student
input into the governing of the
University. Obviously, these
progressive faculty members
are not represented in the
group that controls the Faculty
Senate show.
And, Wednesday in the
"Daily Nebraskan" we heard
from those six men who control
the destiny of the University
the Regents. I see more clearly
now why we are so distressed
about the job they are doing.
THEIR COMMENTS show a
lack of depth in their
knowledge of the University.
The budget is their primary
concern, and this seems to be
the limit. Students are people,
paying for services they
receive. The Regents, to my
knowledge, have never gone
out of their way to listen to
students.
If they would get input for
decision making from students
and faculty, not only from the
administration, this would be a
better university.
Mi
in;
Our man hoppe
by ARTHUR HOPPE
Dear Mr. Moynihan: I am writing to
pledge my full support for your proposed
policy of applying "benign neglect" to our
racial strife.
I couldn't agree with you more that
benignly neglecting the problems that beset
and divide our society is the only way
to get a little peace and quiet around
here. Have you thought of extending The
Benign Neglect Doctrine to pollution?
W WE Americans could get together
, and benignly neglect pollution, it would
go a long way toward silencing the
hysterics, paranoids and boodlers on all
sides of the issue.
The heart of the matter, as I see
it, is not merely to neglect pollution, but
to look upon it benignly. With a little
effort, we might even come to enjoy it.
, When one casts aside his irrational
emotional responses, an oil slick on the
water becomes an aesthetic experience;
the interplay of ralnbow-hued colors danc
ing In the sun delights the eye. And what
could more soothe the troubled soul than
contemplating a soft coverlet of warm
amber smog on a balmy spring day?
IF APPLIED to Vietnam, poverty, in
flation and those under 30, The Doctrine
of Benign Neglect would do much to quiet
the extremists who are now tearing our
society asunder. A problem ignored, I say,
is a problem you don't have to deal with.
I speak as a long practitioner of Benign
Neglect myself. At the moment, I am
benignly neglecting a recurrent twinge in
my left chest, beetles in my basement
and a funny noise in my transmission.
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
Thus far, the results have been in
keeping with my motto, which I am sure
will appeal to you and the entire Silent
Majority - "Everything Will Work Out
All Right."
The only problem I can foresee is sell
ing The Doctrine of Benign Neglect to
those who will be benignly neglected, such
as militant blacks, conservationists, doves,
hawks, poor people, investment bankers
and young anarchists.
I, myself, for example, have had a
difficult time selling it to Mr. Hotchkiss
of the Courtesy Collection Agency. He keeps
saying, "A bill is a bill and must be
paid!"
THE GOVERNMENT, however, has one
great advantage: the highest desire of most
citizens is to be benignly neglected by
the Government.
The only time the Government takes
a personal interest fat us is to send us
a draft notice, a tax bill or a jury sum
mons. The Government, let's face it. is
bad news.
So all we need do is convince the
militants of the advantages of being
benignly neglected. In turn they will
perhaps benignly neglect to burn down our
cities. Perhaps.
Of course, under the principles of racial
equality, I demand that the Government
benignly neglect me, too. To do my part,
I have decided to benignly neglect it. I
am sure it will continue to make progress
without me.
Please inform the Commissioner of
Internal Revenue of our agreement before
April IS. And do give him my most
heartfelt and benign good wishes.
Benignly Yours, etcetera ...
PAGE 5
IE 4
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1970
THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1970