editorial Iffem
y u
Tuition troubles
Nebraska University students once again appear to
be one of the primary targets of Gov. J. James Exon's
annual budgetary attack. If the Legislature accepts
Exon's proposed financial plan for the University,
students can prepare themselves for another tuition
increase.
The NU Board of Regents recommended, and
Exon accepted, a revamping of the tuition structure
that calls for the removal of the so-called "free zone"
under which students currently pay the same price if
they register for any number of credit hours between
12 and 16. For a substantial number of students, such
a change would result in an increased tuition bill. At
the same time, Exon rejected the regents' proposal
for a by-the-hour tuition reduction to $17 for
residents and $46 for non-residents per credit hour.
Exon is asking that the figures be $18 for residents
and $48.25 for non-residents. Under the governor's
plan students would effectively be paying two
increases over the regents' budget.
It is unfortunate that Exon has chosen this
particular time to hold the line against even a minimal
tax increase no matter what the cost to various state
institutions, including the University. Within the last
week and one half, publication of the proposed
federal budget revealed that the Nixon
Administration plans to reduce aid to schools,
including cutbacks in the National Defense Education
Act under which students loans have been financed.
Today's college student will have to pay at least
twice for Exon's unwillingness to adequately fund the
University. First, and most immediate, is the tuition
increase. Secondly, when students graduate and
become full-fledged taxpayers, sooner or later they
will be paying increased taxes so that the state can
finance the educational improvements currently being
neglected.
Tom Lansworth
KJ TS nui
Mt Trihww S ndiralr
Speaking of "Shield Laws" . . t
' I - . jmL I m m m m m - - -
aeecner aerenas asun trom critics attacks
Bruce Beecher is the president of the Associated
Students of the University of Nebraska (A SUN).'
by Bruce Beecher
For the past year ASUN has come under fire from
what I consider to be often uneducated and
misinformed sources. It is for this reason that I am
writing this article, not to attack those individuals
who have been unfair in their opinions of this
administration, but hopefully to enlighten them and
other students about the activities and
accomplishments of the 1972-73 ASUN.
Last March when I ran for office with Sam
Brower, Michele Gagne and the 25 members of the
Student Cause Party (SC), ,we promised to work
toward the accomplishment of the following platform
goals:
-to make ASUN more accessible to students by
having the ASUN office moved to the first floor of
the Nebraska Union;
-to improve the fiscal accountability of ASUN, "SC
will enforce budget appropriations and requests for
additional funds will require Senate approval;"
-to start a student cooperative to offer discounts to
students;
-to encourage the Housing Office to define riaid
criteria for University approved housing and to assist
OTT-campus students by povidmg legal counseling on
lease agreements;
-to work in support of self-cfetermination for all
students;
-to dispose of the Education Committee and put all
educational reform activities under the direction of
the Center for Educational Change (CEC);
-to continue support for the math tutorial program
and try to expand this effort to other departments.
For me to say at this time that everything Student
Cause pledged to work for has been fullv
accomplished would not be truthful to students or to
myself. Anyone who has accomplished everything he
sets out to do should wear a bia vellow "S" on his
chest. I certainly don't. I would, however, like to
account for what has been done on each of those
campaign pledges to this date.
Prior to this year, ASUN employed poor
bookkeeping techniques and paid little or no
attention to their financial status. Because of this,
much time was spent at the beginning of our term in
intercepting and repairing ASUN's books. An
encurbrance system was adopted In order to enable
VA5UN to maintain accurate financial records. Also a
39-page budget was prepared which employed the
concept of program budgeting and was subsequently
passed by the ASUN Senate. A resolution was also
attached to this budget which bound the executives
authorize expenditures only in those areas approved
by the Senate. Prior to this, ASUN executives were
given significant discretion in spending decisions after
the budget was approved. In short, this year's ASUN
has been able to improve ASUN's fiscal
accountability from one that was denounced by
CSL's student fee report as financially unaccountable
to a system endorsed by the student affairs staff
Justifiable criticism has been directed at ASUN
about the delay in beginning the Associated Student
Ko-op. Unforeseen red tape and demands from other
projects were responsible for these delays. However, I
have often felt that more time has. been spent by
ASUN critics in emphasizing the delay than has been
spent in working for it. Although the Ko-op has been
discussed by ASUN members for the last three or
four years, no other administration has been able to
actually achieve the beginning of a student Ko-op. I
find it funny when four years of research proved
unsuccessful that four months of delay can be so
mmm liM VHMP pr gg u
vehemently criticized. I will say that I willingly
accepted this criticism in order to assume that the
Ko-op was begun properly.
It would be an easy thing for me to claim that the
addition of 40 married student housing units was the
product of any ASUN efforts. But, in all honesty th?
University administration deserves all the credit for
this modest increase in available housing units.
Although legal counseling has not been
accomplished in the University Housing Office,
meetings between ASUN representatives have
produced model lease agreements and a review of the
"University approved" guidelines.
Shortly after the ASUN elections, the guest rights
policy was neutralized to the satisfaction of most
students. However, this years' administration of
ASUN has not let student self determination die
there. Members of ASUN have been working jointly
with the Residence Hall Association in preparing a
proposal which would allow the consumption and
possession of alcohol in living units. This proposal
will soon be presented to the Board of Regents.
The disposition of the Education Committee and
the establishment of the Center for Educational
Change as the sole educational reform committee in
ASUN was accomplished shortly after taking office.
Since then CEC has given financial assistance to
college advisory boards and is currently finishing a
teacher evaluation proposal.
ASUN has continued its support of the math
tutorial program. However, efforts to expand this
type of program to other departments have been
unsuccessful.
In addition to the above projects, I feel that ASUN
has been successful in many other areas not
mentioned in any campaign material. Last summer, a
freshmen record was made available through ASUN
to help orient incoming students to the University of
Nebraska. Also, a detailed report on student fees with
attche.d recommendations was prepared and
submitted to the Board of Regents. Research by
ASUN into University library inadequacies has
ultimately let to the allocation of money to retain
professional consultants to review the library system
as to solutions of pressing problems. Through the
efforts of the Legislative Liaison Committee, a bill
was introduced in the Legislature providing for
students to serve upon the Board of Regents. The
Legal Rights Committee has prepared a proposal for a
student lawyer and Is currently exploring possible
methods of funding such a position. ASUN's
Environmental Task Force has woked to increase
students' awareness of environmental problems by
sponsoring speakers and conducting recycling drives.
Also, ASUN members were helpful in initiating the
cultural affairs committee which has been responsible
for bringing many fine arts concerts to the UNL
campus.
These are just some of the things that have been
happening this year in ASUN. I feel that in some
areas we have met unqualified success, In other areas
failure and in still other areas neither success nor
failure. Some criticism of this year's ASUN has been
warranted, much criticism, on the other hand has
not '
J.f!?cere,y hope at this article wi" shed light on
ASUN s activities and show that ASUN does not have
a ao noming administration.
page 4
daily nebraskan
thursday, february 8, 1973
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