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friday, September 14, 1973
lincoln, nebraska vol. 97 no. 10
Class textbooks, manuals
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Mary Schmitz, Schramm Hall student assistant,
attends the Council on Student Life meeting
Thursday. Story on Paqe 2.
Editor rebuts
story's critics
UNL Campus Security Chief Gale Gade said Thursday
that the facts in a Wednesday Daily Nebraskan article about
a suggestion by one security officer to another that he enter
the office of UNL Ombudsman James Suter and copy
confidential information were correct.
But the story's headline, "UNL police blamed in
break-in attempt," was misleading and inaccurate, Gade
said.
"There was never any break-in," he said. "It was merely
a suggestion which was never carried out.
"The original story was not presented in a clear way,"
Gade said. "Its organization and the use of the word
break-in made the story inaccurate."
Suter also said the facts in the story were correct, but he
thought the headline and implications about a break-in
were inaccurate.
He said the article implied that he was accusing the
campus police of breaking into his office. "I never accused
anyone of a break-in," he said. "There never was any
break-in."
But Suter was "upset" that Tom Keith even suggested to
the officer that he should enter his office and copy
confidential information, he said.
Gade said he has no plans to reprimand Keith for his
actions. However, Suter said that "if I should be able to
verify certain information, which has not yet been verified,
I feel that Keith should be reprimanded."
In a statement published in the Daily Nebraskan
Thursday, Suter said the article would lumper negotiations
between his office and Campus Security officials.
Gade said he believes the story has given the campus
police a "black eye," and the publicity has angered the 12
men involved.
In response to criticism from Gade and Suter in a
Thursday Lincoln Journal article dealing with the incident,
Daily Nebraskan Editor-in-Chief Michael (O.J.) Nelson said,
"I will stand behind what the reporter has told us--we
believe it is correct."
The Journal article quoted both Suter and Gade as
saying they doubted that the olficer was ordered to break
into Suter's office.
"They agree there was a request, be it an order or
suggestion, to enter Sutei's office and copy confidential
information. In my opinion that is what matters," Nelson
said.
He said he agrees the headline perhaps was not the best
possible one to use, but it was not meant to deceive
anyone.
"The headline, while important, is not as important as
the fads in the story, and both Suter and Gade have said
that the facts are accurate," he said.
The Daily Nebraskan learned through an informed
source Tuesday that in August a security officer entered
Suter's office in Burnett Hall to make a routine phone call
to the switchboard operator at Nebraska Hall.
While in Suter's office, the officer noticed a list of 12
officers' names next to the phone, Gade said.
The officer, curious as to why the names were there,
reported the incident to his superior, Sgt. Tom Keith, Gade
said.
He said Keith then suggested to the officer that if he was
patrolling that area again, he should enter Suter's office and
copy the list of names.
However, the officer never went back to the office, and
the matter was not pursued by Keith, Gade said.
According to Suter, the men whose names were on the
list were security officers who had come to him with
grievances against the Campus Security office.
may head bestseller list
3y Susanne Schafer
Feel ripped off when you have to buy
the instructor's textbook for a class? Well,
you might be reading one of the top-soiling
books in its field.
"If an instructor wants to get his message
across, the best way to do it is to write his
own book," according to John Wehr,
manager of the Nebraska Book Store.
In a partial examination of the course
books in the Nebraska store, Wehr and a
Daily Nebraskan reporter found about 53
books now used as required or suggested
readings for fall semester courses that are
written by the instructors of those courses.
Subjects range from introductory
economics to classifications of American
Indian languages. Both hardbound and
papei back books and lab manuals aie
included in the books. Wehr said he has no
estimate of the exact number of books
written by instructors at UNL.
Some books are national best sellers.
Economics, fifth edition, written by UNL
economics professor Campbell R.
McConnell, is probably the second best
selling college economics book in the
country, Wehr said.
General Chemistry, an intioductory
chemistry book written by Heniy P.
Holtclaw Jr., UNL chemistry professor, is
"clearly in the top few in terms of sales,"
Wehr said.
Most books written by instructors are in
technical fields in the colleges of engineering
and business administration, Wehr said.
Some books are very specific, such as
UNL civil engineering professor Adiian
l.egjult's book on highway and airpoit
engineering, because it is one of a kind.
The practice of instructor writing tln ii
own textbooks is common in most good
universities, Wehr said, but he admitted a
few of the books were "hard to sell.
"But no book is the best book," Wehr
said. "You can tell a poor instructor when
he confines a student to only his own
book.
"In older to make valid judgments, most
instructors require students to read other
books beside their own. A good instructor
will require three or four books, which, of
course, wipes out a student's budget," Wehr
added.
Professors who require their own texts
don't make money unless the publisher can
sell moic than 5,00(3 books, he said.
Insti uctoi : may make a "killing" Wehr
said, if the book is accepted by other
f.ol''.'i.'S and by his colleagues as their text.
"fhi'ii you know that it is a good work
,jnd students have a good text," Wehr said.
Contracts differ with individual
publishers, but royalties normally amount to
about 1U per cent on the first 5,000 books
sold Up to and over 10,000 copies, the
royalties may run 15 per cent of the book's
cost. Either the wholesale or retail cost of
the book may be considered, according to
the contract.
'.Win said lie suspect:, a few teachers
ictj.iiie their books to add to their royalties,
but ihey aie in the minoi ity.
Welir said that he cannot keep some of
the books on the shelves. Some never need
i ordei ing, he said.
One book, Working with People, by UNL
a.'.oMiti; piofessoi of social woik Naomi
Hi ill, which is suggested for classes in social
woik, i;, ,t!:,o popular with people outside the
university, hi; saiit
"MinistiMs, practicing social workers,
!'. hri;., -they .ill come in to ask for it," he
(id.
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And now, students, for this semester's suggested rending...
v.