OQIIU
friday, January 26, 1973
lincoln, nebraska vol. 96, no. 61
Discrimination report stumbles
on judicial board differences
by Jane Owens
The Council on Student Life (CSL) recommended
Thursday that a Judicial Board on Equality, as
outlined in a 1971 discrimination report sponsored
by CSL, be established as part of a two-step process
for investigating descrimi nation complaints.
The Council, reviewing a position paper written by
Ely Meyerson, CSL member and Dean of
Administration, voted against Meyerson's
recommendation that the student tribunal handle
discrimination appeals. Under the Meyerson plan, no
Judicial Board on Equality would be established.
The council, however, did accept Meyerson's
recommendation that UNL Committee on Equality
be established as the first step in the process for
investigating discrimination.
The committee would be established to prevent
discrimination by race, creed and sex.
Patterned after a 1971 proposal to establish a UNL
Committee on Equality and a Judicial Board on
Equality, the committee concerning "limitation of
access to participation in educational, social, cultural
or other activities of the University (UNL),"
according to the proposal.'
Discrimination also would be prohibited in
housing "supplied or regulated by the University for
students and staff including fraternities and
sororities," unless based on distinctions between the
sexes.
The committee ' also would investigate
discrimination of off-campus UNL-sponsored
activities.
Meyerson's position paper includes a comparative
analysis of two programs to prevent campus
discrimination-the Equal Employment Opportunity
Grievance Procedures and Committee Structure and
the 1971 proposed UNL Committee on Equality and
the Judicial Board on Equality.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Committee,
sponsored by the NU Board of Regents in 1971,
investigates discrimination practices relating only to
University employ.
The 1971 CSL report, however, would establish a
two-step process for investigating discrimination
complaints. A nine-member committee, consisting of
faculty, staff and students, would first review policies
and practices and then recommend appropriate
changes. -
The report also would establish a seven-member
Judicial Board on Equality, consisting of faculty,
staff and students.
The board would receive appeals from the UNL
Committee on Equality and recommend policy
changes. All actions then would be forwarded to the
chancellor.
The Meyerson paper, however, recommends some
changes in the 1971 CSL report. One change, not
approved by CSL, would send appeals from the UNL
Committee on Equality to the student tribunal. No
judicial board would be established. "Personally, I
think we need a Judicial Board with some expertise
(to handle discrimination complaints," CSL Chairman
Don Shaneyfelt said after the Thursday night
meeting. The proposed Judicial Board would also
include. members from minority groups, he added.
Meyerson also recommends that the UNL
Committee on Equality review only discrimination
complaints from students. All University employes,
including student employes, would take
discrimination complaints to the Regents-sponsored
Equal Employment Opportunity Committee,
according to the Meyerson paper.
Because it is uncertain whether student employes
may take discrimination grievances to the
Regents-sponsored committee, Shaneyfelt said he
plans to send a letter to the Board of Regents, asking
for a clarification of what University employes may
bring to the Equal Employment Opportunity
Committee. - -
The Meyerson paper alto recorrimends as an
"ultimata goal" the iitabHshment of a "faculty-staff-student
body to study the feasibility of
revamping the Board of Regents'-sponsored
committee to serve all students, staff and faculty at
the University."
The process, which would allow all members of
the University community to use the same grievance
procedure, probably could not be established before
next year, according to Meyerson.
The position paper attaches a "second level
priority" to the establishment of the all-University
grievance board.
The Meyerson paper, including a statement saying
CSL does not accept all recommendations, will be
sent back to Meyerson's office, according to
Shaneyfelt.
Because Meyerson was absent from the CSL
meeting, the chairman said he was uncertain whether
CSL was intended to consider the Meyerson paper on
a formal or imformal basis.
According to Shaneyfelt, the discrimination
investigation procedure "is needed because of
allegations we have had of discrimination by
professors in the classrooms. We have also had
complaints of discrimination by sororities and
fraternities."
In other business, the Council discussed several
"minor objections" raised by ASUN Senator Bill
Freudenburg to the "Code of Conduct and
Disciplinary Procedures".
The code was approved by CSL in October. ASUN
has not yet accepted the entire code.
The major objection raised by Freudenburg
concerned the definition of personal misconduct. The
report includes personal conduct off campus "which
directly, seriously, and adversely interferes with or
disrupts the educational or other function of the
University" under the definition of misconduct.
"The statement is rather ambiguous, to say the
least," Freudenburg said.
He expressed concern that the statement might be
interpreted to include conduct that "should be
regulated by civil authorities," such as public
drunkeness.
According
inclusion of
adversely" in
protection as any
the statement.
CSL noted Freudenburg's objections to the
Conduct Code and plans to send two representatives
to next week's ASUN meeting to discuss the Code.
According to Shaneyfelt, the regulation will be
discussed by the Faculty Senate in February. CSL
will then consider all objections to the Code made by
both bodies, he added.
to CSL member Harry Canon, the
the words "directly, seriously, and
the statement "probably is as strong a
against a broad interpretation of
University students may soon say 'charge it'
by A.J. McClanahan
Picture it now-using a Master Charge card or a
BankAmericard to pay for anything on campus,
including housing and tuition.
That is a picture of the near future, according to
Miles Tommeraasen, UNL business and finance
director. Master Charge is now used several places on
campus, Tommeraasen said, and added it has been
successful.
One campus wide reason for use of cards is the
high cost and risk of the Nebraska Union check
cashing service, according to Union Director At
Bennett. Cost for the service comes to $10,000
annually and includes sending certified mail letters
(65 cents each) for bad checks, hiring personnel and a
small write-off for unrecovered money, he said. A
high risk to the Union also is involved in keeping so
much cash on hand for checks, Tommeraasen added.
If enough students use the charge cards, they
probably will cash fewer checks and consequently
take monetary pressure off the Union, he said. If the
cards do not cut down the number of checks cashed,
the Union may institute a five to ten cents a check
service charge, according to Bob Lovitt, financial
coordinator for business and finance.
Lovitt said the UNL officials have worked on
instituting charge cards for about two years. He said
he thinks there will be fewer collection problems with
the cards because those companies have their own
collection agencies.
One of the cards' advantages, according to
Tommeraasen, is that once the student has it, he has
instant credit and can take more time to pay his bill.
He said some people would rather use the card than
obtain a bank loan.
He said cards may be especially helpful for
students or parents who can't pay all of their tuition
or housing at one time. UNL cannot accept
installment payments, but students could pay the
credit card companies that way, he said.
If a student (or anyone else) decides to pay his bill
over a period of several months, he will be charged
one and a half per cent interest each month,
according to Howard Mattison, assistant manager for
Master Charge in Lincoln. But if a student pays his
bill within 25 days after receiving it, he is charged no
interest, Mattison said.
Spokesmen for several Lincoln banks said that for
small amounts of money borrowed for. a s... period
of time (a year or less) students would be charged
about 18 per cent interest a year anyway.
According to Mattison there are three ways
students can get charge cards depending on their
financial status.
A student who has minimum $250 a month
income can have his own charge card. The company
extends him up to $300 credit. Mattison said when
Master Charge started business the minimum income
was $400 a month with $500 credit extended, but
both have been lowered.
A student who has a small income,(below $250 a
month) but who's income is supplemented by his
parents or guardians still can get his own card. His
parents or guardians must agree to be responsible for
debts incurred on the card. Minors cannot get cards,
no matter what their incomes are.
When the student has no personal income, the
company will issue a card to his parents or guardians
with their names on it. The student may sign his
name on the back. If the parents have their own
cards, the student's will be a third card.
A BankAmericard spokesman said his firm has
about the same requirements, but no definite rules.
He said BankAmericard will consider a student
without income, if he has a large saving account.
Minors are allowed cards with their own names on
them, if the parents or guardians agree to it, he said.
Mattison said his company issues cards to students
because its a way of getting the company's name
before the public.
"We are hoping students won't always pay on time
(within the 25 days), because then we'll break even,"
he said.
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