The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, September 13, 1971, Image 1
DOoo sDqbitss dliDWii DDooclcs i2LW ' ' Senofors talk about rural development ft' - ' jOC ' " To Ihe praise of U.S. Sen. Hubert Humphrey (D-Minn.), NU Pres. D. B. Varner Friday proposed a system of Institutes for Rural Development as a vehicle land-grant universities could use to help invigorate rural America. Varner told members of the Senate subcommittee Humphrey chairs that the University has asked a "major foundation" to fund a pilot institute at NU. THE NU PRESIDENT said he envisioned the proposed institute first as a coordinator, "drawing together the full capabilities of the entire University in directing these (the University's) resources to developing rural Nebraska and rural America." He recommended that Congress fund such a system of institutes across the country, each one able secondly to "create a variety of independent and coordinated research projects dealing with all the problems involved in rural development. Thirdly, he said the institutes could establish "a highly selected and highly qualified corps of area business and industrial specialists" to analyze rural communities strengths and weaknesses. The ex perts would emphasize ways the communities could improve economically. AS MEMBERS of the University staff "these specialists would not be engaged in the traditional promotion work as undertaken by chambers of commerce," Varner said. The specialists would draw on the resources of Ihe University, the State Department of Economic Development, the federal government, and local communities, Varner added. Humphrey said Varner gave "the finest testimony I've heard yet on the subject of rural development." lie said the institute idea has "great merit," and asked Varner for an expanded proposal that could be used in drafting legislation. HUMPHREY and two other members of the Rural Development Subcommittee of the Senate ( ommittec on Agriculture and Forestry held hearings on rural development at the Nebraska Center for Continuing Education Fast Campus. Humphrey left to fly to California half-way through the afternoon, leaving Sen. Carl Curtis (R-Nebr.) and Sen. Henry Bellmon (R.-Okla.) to finish the session. The subcommittee has been touring rural areas throughout the country since its formation in April, Humphrey said, to "encourage and promote development of rural areas of the country." THE FORMER Vice-President said economists and sociologists talk about the city, but most poor people and most poor housing in the country are in rural areas. Gov. J. J. Exon said in his testimony that to relieve rural America's plight modern agriculture must receive "parity of income with other sections of the country." Exon proposed a PAL (Professional Agri-business Labor force) program. The government-supported program would both provide a labor pool to entice industry into the state and also help workers "retain the dignity of work." Exon said his proposed labor pool could serve farms Turn to page 8. QDfflDDJy snRnp 21UUUL MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1971 LINCOLN, NEBRASKA VOL 95, NO 7 Varner asks approval of University budget NU President D. B. Varner is presenting for Board of Regents' approval this morning a budget request of $86.8 million for the 1972-73 fiscal year $8.7 million dollars higher than 1971-72's $78.1 million budget. If approved by the Regents today, the request will be forwarded to the office of Gov. J. J. Exon for approval and inclusion in the Governor's legislative budget proposal. The Governor and the University are reportedly much more in agreement over this budget request than last year's, when the Regents requested $101 million, a sum Varner said was needed to move the University to the top of the Big Eight conference scholastically. The 1971-72 budget, called by one University official - ' .T,,-. TTl Members of the Senate Subcommittee on Rural Development listen...to testimony at Friday's hearing. "uncommonly restrictive," was the largest annual spending authorization in N. U. history, 8.6 per cent higher than the previous year's budget. The 1972-73 proposal under Regents' consideration asks for an 11.1 per cent increase in all funds. A 3.5 per cent inflation factor is included in the request. Varner said the University estimated this figure to be higher, but the 3.5 figure represents what NU's "best intelligence" says the Governor is using. The request takes into account an estimated 250 additional students at UNL and essentially no change in student numbers at UNO. "An institution can get too large," Varner explained, referring to the low UNL growth projection. He :said the University "ought to try to limit its growth to this number." He emphasized that only a "minor adjustment" would have to be made to accommodate a "controlled growth" of 250 students per year. Varner said one way UNL could limit its growth would be by becoming more selective in readmitting students who drop out. "We'll make every effort to help a student succeed here," Varner said, but if the student chooses to drop out there's merit in saying "let's let another student have a shot at it." Varner said he was surprised both at the increase in UNL students this semester and at the decrease in UNO students. The Omaha campus registered over 1 ,000 fewer students then expected, he said. So the budget request predicting no growth at UNO is reasonable, Varner said. The request also includes a five per cent salary and wage increase for faculty and professional staff, as well as a $300 increase for nonprofessional staff working full time. Other points in the proposed 1972-73 budget request include: --$250,000 to continue computer centralization of the NU system. -Approximately $200,000 at UNL and $100,000 at UNO for strengthening graduate programs, and approximately $100,000 at UNL and $100,000 at UNO for strengthening undergraduate programs. -Approximately $100,000 it UNL, $50,000 at UNMC and $150,000 at UNO for strengthening the libraries. -$250,000 for an increase in the Regents' Discretionary Account. (This year the account amounts to $313,000.) No new programs or tuition increases are requested. The 1972-73 $15.6 million capital construction request as presented to the Board of Regents includes: --$3,320,000 to complete library. -$1,410,000 to complete the home economics building. -$2,950,000 for the law building. -$190,000 to remodel Ferguson Hall.