chilli
thursday, november 16, 1972
lincoln, nebraska vol. 96, no. 43
Tommeraasen student charge unlikely
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"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.
