chilli thursday, november 16, 1972 lincoln, nebraska vol. 96, no. 43 Tommeraasen student charge unlikely . l' . h Vd' V "An unpalatable alternative" .. .Finance Director Miles Tomeraasen describes the possibility of a special student assessment. by Sara Schwieder Chances are "almost nil" that students will have to pick up the unpalatable tab of $1.4 million to balance the University's budget, according to Miles Tommeraasen, director of business and finance at UNL. University administrators announced Saturday at the monthly regents' meeting that the $1.4 million deficit must be liquidated to prevent the University from going into debt. A special one-semester student assessment was suggested as a way to pay UNL's $927,000 share of the bill. "As I read the regents meeting Saturday, there was no interest in this alternative-it's such an unpalatable one," Tommeraasen commented Tuesday. He said he thought the University would be able to handle the debt without resorting to student pocketbooks. University Research Analyst James Maynard said he thought the University could possibly make up the deficit by reducing expenditures. "Expenditure reduction is not impossible painful, but not impossible," Maynard said Wednesday. "This is not a classic deficit because we haven't actually spent the money yet." University President D.B. Varner and Chancellor James Zumberge are both out of town and unavailable for comment. Administrators said the deficit resulted from a University-wide and nationwide trend toward fewer credit hours per student. Although University enrollment is up 40 students from last year to 21,581, full-time students are taking less hours and the proportion of part-time students is growing, according to Harry Allen, director of institutional research and planning. Budget projections made 18 months ago predicted that students would take 4,000 more credit hours this semester than in last year's fall semester. Instead they signed up for 7,500 credit hours less than expected, causing a major portion of the deficit. Both Maynard and Tommeraasen said the loss of credit hours caused $680,000-or two-thirds-of UNL's portion of the deficit. "I don't know if this is economics or that kids don't really care about school anymore, or if it's the war, the draft, but something happened and students aren't taking as many hours now," Tommeraasen said. He said he attended a conference of the Big Eight schools recently, and every one of the schools has had the same problem but in different degrees. Kansas University came up with a deficit almost identical to the University's. The other third of UNL's share of the debt was attributed Turn to page 6 oci laic; vuico ay an 101 special deficit charge by Jane Owens ASUN Senate Wednesday passed a resolution requesting the Board of Regents not to impose a special assessment on students, but use other means to cover the University's estimated $1.4 million budget deficit. The special per student assessment could be as high as $45, the resolution stated. "I'd like to come to the defense of the Board of Regents," Sen. Vern Broders said during discussion on the resolution. "Even though they may have blundered in estimating the budget, I think the students should be willing to make up the deficit. For a mere $40 or $50, we could prevent a decay in the quality of education at the University of Nebraska." Answering Broders, Sen. Bill Freudenburg said, "The quality of education at UNL is not spectacular enough that it warrants hitting the student for another $40 or $50." ASUN executives also have written to the UNL Faculty Senate asking to be invited to its Tuesday meeting, where the budget deficit will be discussed, First Vice President Sam Brower said. In other senate business, Sen. Ron Frank called for a report from the Legal Rights Committee on its study of confiscation of student football tickets used by non-students. The senate passed a resolution last week directing the committee to act immediately and hire a lawyer to study the problem. According to Michelle Gagne, ASUN second vice president, Frosty Anderson (Legal Rights Committee chairman) was informed of the senate's resolution but was not instructed to report back to the senate. The executives, acting upon a suggestion by Frank, plan to discuss progress on the resolution next week with a Legal Rights representative. "We directed a committee to act immediately. They seem to have failed to do so," Frank said. Gagne said the basic problem was "one of communication" because the senate did not ask Anderson to report back to it. Brower said he sent a copy of the resolution to Chancellor James Zumberge requesting the chancellor to stop confiscation of student tickets. Unexcused absence: Doug Varvel and Ken Cobb, business administration; Bruce Cadwallador, agriculture. Foreign studies gets in gear Foreign studies programs are gearing up for next year, and students should be too, according to language department sources. The University currently sponsors "study abroad" programs in France, Germany and Mexico. Seven UNL students currently are studying in Bordeaux, France, according to Jane Dein, chairman of the French Department. A year in Bordeaux costs $3,300-3,500 including tuition, books, living expenses, transportation and spending money. To qualify, a student must have a B average or better and two years of foreign language at UNL, Dein said. Students need not bo French majors, she said. Of the seven there now, one is studying history, two are English majors and one is a psychology major. The German Department sponsors foreign study programs in Regensburg and Bonn, Germany, according to Mark Cory. The German study programs are similar to the Bordeaux program. A year in Germany costs from $3,200-3,500, including transportation, tuition, books, spending money and living expenses. Students with two years of German and a B average are eligible and need not be German majors. Four UNL students are studying in Germany this year, Corey said. Of those, one is a zoology major, one a journalism major and two are German majors. The Institute of International Studies sponsors two students who are studying this yearin Mexico, Roberto Esquenazi-Mayo said Tuesday. One is attending school in Puebla and the other in Mexico City, the Mexico programs is somewhat lower than the French or German programs, at about $1,700, including all expenses except transportation. Most students pay their own way on the foreign studies programs. "Financing is very difficult to get for foreign exchange programs," Esquenazi-Mayo said. "We're trying to get more money for students to use abroad through the Study Abroad Committee." The Study Abroad Committee is made up of faculty, students and administrators and was formed last spring. All the programs provide students with a full year's credit-30 hours-in the field they choose to study. "The students are technically registered as UNL students so they don't lose their standing in the University or their financial aid," Esquenazi-Mayo said. Almost all of those who study abroad are in regular classes with their foreign counterparts, the instructors said. Students also may register for any amount of credit hours of independent study through the University and then abroad, or they may travel or otherwise learn about culture in foreign lands and apply for credit by examination from the University when they return. Credit by examination costs $9 per hour. A meeting is being held today at 2:30 p.m. in the College of Business Administration for those who want more information or applications. Ron Fritz of financial aids will explain ways of financing students abroad. Applications are due for Esquenazi-Mayo reports. He says the cost for most of the programs in January.