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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 1971)
" : WfWL Job security? Some UNL professors are not satisfied with the tenure system as a method of ensuring academic freedom for faculty members, even though a tenured professor may supposedly conduct his classes and research without regard to the political whims of his administrative superiors. That's insufficient protection according to about 100 UNL faculty members who are trying to build a representative chapter of the American Federation of Teachers at UNL. The faculty members hope the union, with the help of the prestigious American Association of University Professors chapter at UNL, will at least become a non-exclusive bargaining unit for professors. Promoters of unionization say allegedly unjust administrative decisions, such as the Regents' refusal to rehire activist (and untenured) assistant political science professor Stephen Rozman, should be dealt with by an activist collective bargaining unit capable of using power tactics to promote the faculty's point of view. The Regents do not have a history of paying much attention to faculty opinions when political issues are involved. Because of this policy they may frustrate the faculty into forming a bargaining unit capable of creating its own political issues. Steve Strasser Is there due process? A former UNL political science professor is still without a job following a court decision rendered by Federal District Judge Warren K. Urbom. Stephen L. Rozman, who lost his job at the University because of "inappropriate" actions during the student protest on campus in May of 1970, had filed suit asking for reinstatement, and compensation for damages. In his decision, Judge Urbom stated, "there is no question of the authority of the Board of Regents to fail to reemploy Stephen Rozman, unless, as previously observed, it did so in deprival of due process of law." The Memorandum of Decision went on to say just why Urbom's interpretation concluded that due process was indeed followed. Accepting the court's word as to the propriety of the "due process" of the case of former professor Rozman is well and good, however, cases involving circumstances as a controversial nature almost always to to court. In the future, must all similar cases go to court in order to establish the credibility of the process? It would be to the Board of Regent's advantage to specify now just what "due process" must be undertaken in cases of dismissed untenured faculty members, and most importantly where boundaries lie concerning acceptable and unacceptable behavior of University employees. The case of Stephen L. Rozman may indeed be pinned with a "badge of infamy" as the plaintiff stated in court, but should the Regents encounter another situation of such a volatile nature, it would be wise for the Board to rely on an accepted statute or by-law rather than await a court decision. This way, hopefully a faculty member would not find himself in a situation of the "inappropriate" nature that cost Stephen Rozman his job. Barry Pilger Telephones: editor: 472 2588, newt: 472 2589, advertising: 472-2590. Second class pottage rate paid at Lincoln, Nebraska. Subscription rates ar $5 per semester or $9 per year. Published Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during the school year except during vacation and axam periods. Member of the' Intercollegiate Press, National Educational Advertising Service. The Daily Nebratkan is a student publication, editorially Independent of the Univeristy of Nebraska's administration, faculty and student government. Address: The Daily Nebratkan, 34 Nebraska Union, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508. ''ill ) r' s mm Did you know that if I close my eyes real tight I can make the Constitution disappear? doug voegler The laws of society It takes a lot of courage to do something that you feel is morally right, when it is prohibited by the laws of society. It is a complicated question, that has been debated by philosophers for centuries. Does man have a moral obligation to obey a "higher law of the universe,", or should the law of the community prevail? In practical application the law of the community prevails for the moment. Throughout history men have been placed in jail and even executed for going against society. Some have later been vindicated by time, others have not. What is the "higher law"? This is a question deep within the area of speculation. Many times a man has done what he considered morally right, only to find that the consequences of his actions greatly outweighed any possible moral good. Also there is the question of individual perception of moral good as opposed to a community perception. In our times, we have a recent example of this with Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers. Was he morally right in releasing them to the newspapers, or was he wrong in taking it upon himself, in violation of the law, to release the documents which THE DAILY NEBRASKAN were classified as secret by the government. This summer, I wrote to Mr. Ellsberg and asked him what his feelings were, and what went through his mind when re released the documents. I acknowledged that to take such an action, whether it was right or wrong must have taken a lot of courage. Very few of us, I imagine, would be willing to take on such a moral responsiblity. I would like to share his reply with you: Cambridge, Massachusetts Dear Mr. Voegler: Thank you very much for your warm letter. This has been a demanding and hectic period for my wife and myself but expressions like yours from "friends we have never met" have made it very rewarding for us. Both my wife and I very much appreciate your taking the time to write. In fact, we have often had the impulse to write someone who had done some public act for which we felt grateful but we have rarely acted upon it. The encouragement your fetter has given has shown us the importance of following up such instincts, so your thanks will be passed on to others in the future. Letters like yours have reassured us that my motives and actions have been truly understood by many of our fellow citizens. It seems clear my hopes were justified that Americans would feel they had a right and a need to know this information about our history, once they became aware what had been hidden from them. Meanwhile the war goes on; and it will not end until enough Americans, individually and together, find ways to withdraw their collaboration from it, to resist it, and to expose untruths that sustain it. Speaking truth to each other and refusing to tolerate concealment or deception in matters of life and death, are among the best ways each of us can help bring peace. Again thank you for your support. Very truly yours, Dan Ellsberg P.S. At the time that I released the Papers to Senator Fulbright and again when I released them to the newspapers (after the Laos invasion), the stakes for this country in ending the war seemed so far to outweigh my personal risks that it did not seem to me much courage was involved - certainly no more than we ask of young draftees, or more than young draft resisters exhibit. But older people, unfortunately, apply different standards to each other. PAGE 6 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1971