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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1971
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
VOL. 94 NO. 58
n.nr
i
President Soshnik...reiterated his view that the Regents acted logically
and equitably in not rehiring Rozman before a group of students in the
Regents board room.
Students visit Varner's office
to ran about Rozman dismissal
by GARYSEACREST
Staff Writer
"We don't agree on
Rozman," Chancellor D.
B. Varner told a group of
about 50 students who
had marched to his office
Monday to protest the
dismissal of Stephen
Rozman, "but at least we
should be talking."
And talk they did.
Varner and President Joseph
Soshnik both held meetings
Monday in Varner's office with
students who protested what
they called threats to academic
freedom as evidenced by the
Board of Regents' refusal to
re-appoint Rozman and hire
Michael Davis, a University of
Michigan graduate student.
"If the policy of the
Regents become repressive, I
would resign," Varner told the
students. "But I don't see any
repression."
The Chancellor added,
"Without qualification, I can
stay to the best of my
knowledge, Rozman was not
fired because of his political
beliefs."
Varner repeated his belief
that Rozman's actions during
last May's occupation of the
Military and Naval Science
Building were "inappropriate."
The heart of the argument
concerning Rozman4 Varner
said, was the definition
"inappropriate." The Regents
Saturday voted unanimously
not to reappoint Rozman
despite the report of a special
fact-finding committee which
concluded that the political
science teacher was not guilty
of "inappropriate actions"
during last May's anti-war
protests.
Responding to questions
about possible actions students
could take to protest the
ouster of Rozman, Varner said,
"the courts will have to
determine the case." But he
advised "the students to
contribute to Rozman's legal
defense fund.
The Chancellor agreed with
the students that the
University should establish
"more specific" guidelines for
the hiring and dismissal of
teachers.
Several of the protesters
told Varner that students are
frustrated because they lack
power in University affairs.
Varner said that students'
voices should definitely be
heard in University affairs, but
he reminded the protesters of
the responsibility the Regents
have to the state's taypayers.
Then it was Soshnik's turn
to confront the students.
"Given the information the
Regents had on Rozman, they
acted logically and equitably,"
Soshnik said. "Steve Rozman
was not fired because he took a
political position."
Although he expressed
agreement with the Regents'
decision not to re-appoint
Rozman, Soshnik said he had
"real qualms" about Rozman's
dismissal because the political
science teacher's "professional
life has suffered real damage."
Before they visited with
Varner and Soshnik, many of
the students marched through
the Administration Building
chanting, "Rehire Rozman."
However, the marchers were
stymied because most offices
were closed for the lunch hour.
When the protesters arrived
at 1 p.m.., they found the door
to Varner's office open and the
chancellor waiting for them.
The group crowded into the
Regents' board room and
talked to Varner and Soshnik
for about an hour.
Although fielding sharp
attacks from the students for
the Regents' decision to oust
Rozman, the two NU
administrators remained calm
during the confrontations.
"Here we are beating our
heads against the wall talking
to administrators," concluded
one student. " Instead we
should be talking to the
Regents who have the real
power."
I & i v 3' u W :1
"At least we should be taIkir.,"...Varner told students
who visited his office to taik about the Rozman dismissal.
Voluntary strike proposed
A group of students have added plans for a voluntary
student strike to Tuesday's array of events sparked by the
dismissal of Stephen L. Rozman from the University faculty.
"This strike is being called in order for students to dedicate
their time to working with the Rozman matter," said Michael
Richardson, one of the students involved. "I hope that all
concerned students will join us in this strike so that justice can
be served."
An 1 1 a.m. press conference with Rozman has also be
scheduled in the Nebraska Union Tuesday, Richardson
reported. At 3 p.m. speakers, including Rozman, will address a
meeting of concerned students in the Union, he added.
Action delayed ;
administrators
add
JL HOO
by DAVE BRINK
Staff Writer
In a late evening meeting as
confusing as the Stephen
Rozman case itself, the ASUN
Senate decided to postpone
until Wednesday action on
seven resolutions concerning
the Rozman case.
The resolutions ranged from
support of Rozman to appeals
for censuring the Regents to
simply thanking Chancellor D.
B. Varner and President Joseph
Soshnik for speaking at the
meeting.
About 500 people gathered
in the Nebraska Union
ballroom in anticipation of the
specially- called ASUN
meeting-which had been
scheduled for 8 p.m. However,
after a 20-minute delay, the
meeting was rescheduled for 9
p.m. to avoid conflict with a
play being put on as a part of
Black History Week in the
adjacent Centennial Room.
But the students-and one of
the widest arrays of
administrators seen at a recent
student meetingwaited
pariently until the nearly
two-hour long meeting finally
began about 9:15. Varner,
AQITM
Shosnik, Dean of Faculties C.
Peter Magrath and other top
administrators were present.
Stephen L. Rozman, assistant
professor of political science,
was in the audience.
During his response to
questions from the Senate and
the audience, Varner said many
of his opinions would be
disliked by the crowd but he
said he would "rather be
honest" than popular.
"I am convinced that these
men (the Regents) made this
decision on the basis of what
they thought was right," he
said. Varner said that to his
knowledge there was no issue
of academic freedom involved,
but rather the question
whether Rozman had behaved
inappropriately during
anti-war activities on campus
last spring.
When he was asked if he
would challenge a decision of
the Board with which he
disagteed, the Chancellor
jokingly pointed out that he
has no tenure. More seriously,
Faculty Liaison
may comment
on Rozman case
The Faculty Liaison
Committee held a private joint
meeting Monday evening with
the five professors on the
Fact -Finding Committee that
investigated the Stephen
Rozman matter.
Wallace C. Peterson,
professor and chairman of the
economics department, who is
acting as head of the Liaison
Committee, said his group
would have no comment on
the Rozman case until the
Tuesday afternoon Faculty
Senate meeting.
he said: "I have to make a
decision I can live with." He
added that he would resign if
he found the Regents were
behaving in a repressive manner
or destroying academic
freedom.
Soshnik concurred in
Varner's statement. The
President added that Rozman
has not been convicted of any
violation of civil law, but the
non-reappointment of a
non-tenured faculty member is
different than a conviction on
legal grounds.
When Rozman went to the
microphone to ask a question
some of the audience sat
.silently but most gave him a
standing ovation. He criticized
Shosnik's comparison of his
case with two other political
science teachers who have also
been asked to leave the
University. Rozman said the
two were dropped because
they didn't receive their
doctorates as expected.
Rozman said he has been
commended for his teaching
and research.
