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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8,
byGARYSEACREST
Staff Writer
Stephen L. Rozman, out of
a job as of August, vowed
Sunday to carry his case to
federal court, national and
local faculty channels, and the
University community in an
effort to save his academic life
at the University.
Rozman, who was involved
in last May's anti-war protests
on the Lincoln campus, was
ousted from the NU faculty
Saturday by an unanimous
vote of the University Board of
Regents in one of the stormiest
meetings of the Regents in
recent history.
The controversial assistant
professor of political science
said he plans to file an
injunction as well as a damage
suit against the Regents.
Noting that he also intends
to file an official complaint
with the national office of the
America Association of
University Professors (AAUP),
Rozman remarked, "the
University should be censured
for this outrageous action."
The president of the local
chapter of the AAUP,
Desmond Wheeler, said Sunday
he assumes Rozman could
make use of the chapter's
special legal defense fund
recently created for academic
freedom cases.
Rozman. who has started
his own legal defense fund,
said, "1 hope the whole
University" community gives
generously to it."
He added he plans to appeal
his case to the NU Faculty
Senate because, "I want the
faculty to recognize that the
Regents' decision affects not
just me, but the whole
University." The Faculty
Senate has a regularly
scheduled meeting Tuesday.
The Regents concluded
Saturday that "the interest of
Dr. Rozman and of the
University will be best served"
Meetings, fast scheduled
in sympathy for Rozman
Meetings, get-togethers and
other activities are planned for
Monday in connection with the
firing of Steven L. Rozman,
assistant professor of political
science.
In a "mandate Wm the
Senate" ASUN leaders have
called a special meeting of the
Student Senate for Monday at
8 p. m. in the Union, according
to ASUN President Steve
Tiwald.
Chancellor D. B. Varner and
President Joseph Soshnik are
slated to attend the open
discussion to explain the
"contradiction between the
faculty fact-finding committee
report and the Regent's
actioa," said Tiwald.
An open meeting for
anyone wanting to speak-out
on the Rozman case is
scheduled for noon Monday in
the North Union Lounge.
A group of students led by
Senior Bill Art mann plan a fast
in Soshnik's Love Library
V7
1971
if Rozman was not
re-appointed. The Regents said
his contract terminates in June,
but Rozman contends he has a
contract to teach summer
school.
The Board's ouster of the
30-year-old Rozman was
reached despite the report of a
special fact- finding committee
(composed of five faculty
members) appointed by the
Regents to investigate the
actions of the political science
teacher during last spring's
anti-war demonstrations, "it is
the general finding of the
committee," the faculty group
concluded, "that Dr. Rozman
was not quilty of inappropriate
actions during the week of May
4."
After Regent J. G. Elliott of
Scottsbluff finished reading the
Regents' resolution to dismiss
Rozman, several students stood
up and shouted obscenities at
the Board about the resolution.
Rozman then bolted out of
his front-row seat and asked
the Board: "Do I have a chance
to speak? Does the defendent
have the right to speak before
sentencing is passed?"
Regent President Robert
Raun of Minden ruled Rozman
out of order and refused to let
the political science teacher
address the Board. A roll call
vote was taken on the motion
to oust Rozman and the eight
Regents all casted "aye" votes.
The Regents then quickly
adjourned and left Rozman to
address a crowd of nearly 250
students.
"You have abused and used
this committee," Rozman
shouted to the Regents after
the meeting. "I've never seen
such hypocrisy."
Rozman then asked
Chancellor D. B. Varner for his
comment on the Board's
action.
"This is a decision of the
Board of Regents who have
judged the case," Varner said
office Monday morning.
"During a period of two
days (Feb. 8 and 9) we shall
consume only liquids," said a
statement released by
Arfmann. "The deficiency of
our physical consumption
during these two days shall
reflect what we perceive to be
the deficiency in the
educational environment at the
University."
When Soshnik's offices close
at 5, the group plans to go to
the north steps of Love Library
and wait "until a fellow
member of the University
community shows solidarity
with us by taking us to his or
her residence for the evening."
The following morning the
students plan to return to
Soshnik's office.
The statements calls upon
students and faculty to join the
fast or to write letters
supporting the fast to
Chancellor D. B. Vamcr and to
the Regents.
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snnnnnn
1U 5
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
with a look of pained
reluctance: "In my opinion
your conduct was
inappropriate on the night of
May 4th."
Rozman added later: "This
is the first time in judicial
history where the jury turned
in a finding of not-guilty and
the judges unanimously passed
a judgement of guilty."
Although the Regent's
resolution acknowledged
appreciation for the service
rendered by the fact-finding
committee, it added:
"Realizing that five
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"Let me talk before I'm sent away,"...Rozman protested before the
Regents, who unanimously decided not to renew his contract.
Belt-tightening begins already
as Regents face budget cuts
On the first day of classes
last fall, Chancellor D. B.
Varner announced his goal the
University should become the
finest school in the Big Eight.
But now, at the beginning
of the second semester,
Varner's goal appears to be
indefinitely postponed. lujtead
the Lincoln campuses are faced
with the prospects of cutbacks
in programs, a freeze in
enrollment, a tution hike and a
halt to filling personnel
vacancies without advanced
authorization.
The University has already
begun the arduous job of
belt-tightening to fit Gov. J. J.
Exon's budget recommenda
tions that call for cutbacks in
state aid for the University for
1971-72.
Hardest hit were the
Lincoln campuses, where Exon
recommended $2.7 million less
in state funds for next year
than the campuses are now
receiving.
The University Board of
Regents Saturday unanimously
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"Even though Dr. Rozman has stated that he
believed that he was acting in the best interests
of the University during the Military and Naval
Science Building occupation, his actions in
refusing to leave the Military and Naval Science
Building when directed to do so by the
administration and in refusing to cooperate with
the administration efforts to secure the
evacuation of the building after it had been
determined. . . that the action of the students
had become disruptive to normal University
operations, are not approved by this Board and
will not be condoned. . Regents resolution
0
1 MM
approved nine
recommendations made by
Varner in an attempt to make
the necessary changes if Exon's
a ustere budget recommenda
tions are adopted by the
Unicameral.
Varner urged the Regents to
re-study the tuition increases
that had been proposed last
September because the
assumption at the time was
that the University "would
develop an educational
program of better quality
which would inevitably cost
more money and that the
students should by prepared to
pay their fair share of the
increased costs.
"Since it now appears
unlikely that we can deliver on
our end of the bargain, he
added, "it would seem unfair
to ask the students and the
parents to bear an
ever-increasing share of the
cost of their education.
Exon used the tuition
increases as a replacement for
increased state aid for the
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University's operation in
1971-72.
"It is our fervent hope,"
Varner said, "that the
Legislature will review with us
the implications of our present
situation and will provide the
funds to permit us to remain
competitive." .
However, the Chancellor
told the Regents the University
cannot afford to wait until
May or June to make the
necessary changes if Exon's
budget recommendations are
adopted.
At Varner's request, the
Regents set a goal that the
University "establish without
qualification its objective of
becoming the best university in
the Big Eight in those areas" it
now offers programs.
"It seems quite clear,"
Varner asserted, "that if we are
to o perate at even
approximately the level of
financial support being
recommended, we cannot
achieve the level of quality
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