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JAN 31
1974
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lincoln, nebraska vol. 97, no. 1 0
Students move step closer
to seat on Board of Regents
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State Sen. Richard Marvel
By Greg Wees
Student representation on the Board of
Regents moved a step closer to reality
Wednesday. The Unicameral voted 34-0 to
advance a bill by State Sen. Richard Marvel of
Hastings. The bill proposes adding three
students to the board in nonvoting capacitits.
LB323 faces two more floor tests before it
can be placed on the November general election
ballot. Changing the structure of an elected
state body requires a constitutional
amendment A statewide vote is needed to
ratify such an amendment
The original bill would have split one vote
among three unspecified student representatives
who would have been on equal footing with the
eight other regents.
Marvel amended the bill, however, to
eliminate voting powers and specify the student
body presidents of UNL, University of
Nebraska at Omaha, and the NU Medical Center
as tha board members.
Of the two versions of the bill. Marvel said
the original measure was stronger because the
student regent could vote. But he also said the
original version was not as likely to pass as the
amended one.
"There is enough opposition to a student
vegent in the Legislature that, if the amendment
was not made, the bill could easily have been
defeated," Marvel said.
"You have to move a little slower with the
bill in the present form, but at least you won't
lose the entire measure because of one issue,"
he said.
Most of the 15 state senators who spoke on
the bill Wednesday recommended the bill or
said they would vote for LB323 if it is
advanced for final reading.
Cniy State Sens. George Syas of Omaha and
Ralph Kelly of Grand Island expressed doubts
about the bill.
Gyas suggested that NU faculty also should
have a place on the board if student regents are
accepted.
Marvel replied that no faculty members had
contacted him about membership and said
Syas's concern was unfounded.
Kelly said he did not "believe that students
have any right to have a seat on the board. The
board should be reserved fcr taxpayers."
Next, Kelly said he doubted that a
constitutional amendment was needed to place
a student on the Board of Regents. He
proposed that regents invite student advisers to
their meetings.
"This approach has not proven satisfactory,"
said Marvel, who explained that the regents
legally could not be compelled to invite student
representatives to their sessions.
State Sen. Steve Fowler of Lincoln
supported Marvel, saying that past performance
by the board has forced students to solicit
membership via the constitutional amendment.
Teachers'
federations
coexist
peacefully
ByWesAibers
"Divide and conquer" may seem to be
an infallible maxim. But UNL professors
apparently haven't suffered from their
division into two rival teachers'
associations.
Peaceful coexistence rather than
divisive competition marks relations
between the American Federation of
Teachers (AFT) and the American Assoc.
of University Professors (AAUP),
association members and officials said
Tuesday.
"We are in agreement with almost all
AAUP goals," said AFT President Robert
Haller. "There is no open competition.
Basically, we work separately toward
common goals."'
Prof. John Scholz, AAUP
president-elect, said the two groups
occasionally form coalitions and pointed
out that "a lot of faculty are members of
both groups."
AAUP President Royce Ronning was
unavailable for comment, due to a death
in his family.
The two UNL chapters are part of
national organizations of professors.
Haller, said th AFT, an affiliate of the
AFL-CIO, came to UNL three years ago
and has 75 active members here.
The AAUP has been on campus longer
than any of the present officials can
remember. AAUP Secretary Lyle
Schreiner said the chapter has 221 active
members.
Haller said open competition could
develop if elections were forced between
the two groups.
Prof. Richard Gilbert, AAUP member
and ex-president, said that, barring forced
elections, the two groups could "unite for
victory if the chips were really down."
Both organizations have pushed for a
broad range of interests, including
academic freedom, tenure, improved
salary scales, due process in
facultyadministration disputes and
faculty participation in budget-making.
me aiuercnce oeiween ins iwo
groups lies in how the demands are
promoted. The-AFT is known fef its
I In inn harlfrtrni
collective bargaining. '
"We formed here because someUNL
faculty members) felt a need for a rnorr"
militant organization directly aimed at
collective bargaining on campus," Haller
said.
Gilbert said the AAUP sees itself as
more of an association, but chapters
across the nation also are moving toward
collective bargaining. This may happen at
UNL, he added.
Gilbert said he joined the AAUP 10
years- ago because he "liked the
professional background." '
Calling it "traditionally the
professional organization for college
teachers," he said AAUP has been a
staunch defender of academic freedom
nationally for "70 or 80 years." j
Religious groups get official 'no'
to bringing in campus sheaves
By Lynn Silhasek
Religion. Does it belong on campuses as well
as in churches?
University administration officials last year
put religion unofficially off limits to NU
campuses when they refused to let members of
Athletes in Action speak on their religious
beliefs before a public gathering.
Since then, the Board of Regents has issued
a policy statement about religious activities on
NU campuses.
Athletes in Action, part of the national
Campus Crusade for Christ, had planned to
speak during a half-time at a wrestling match on
the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO)
campus last year. UNO officials refused them
the opportunity to speak.
According to UNO Chancellor Ronald
Roskens, the refusal was in keeping with
constitutional separation of church and state.
The group's members then csked for a copy
of the University system policy on campus
groups organized around religious beliefs. They
waited six months for an answer.
The delay was caused because NU had no
official policy on religion then, according to
administration officials. Not until last July did
the Board of Regents approve- a policy
forbiding any group ..om using University
property to promote any one religious belief.
The policy does allow religion in course
study, and within private quart? rs on campus.
The policy also allows moments of n on sectarian
silent meditation at University functions,
"In tho past, a genera! understanding of the
delicacy of the balance between church and
state" operated in place of a policy, said NU
President D.B. Varner.
However, the sensitivity of the religion issue
made the policy necessary, Roskens said.
Under the policy, University officials decide
whether a group requesting use of University
property for religious activities is attempting to
promote a certain religious belief among other
student?, or is merely planning a program, said
Ken Bader, UNL vice chancellor of student
affairs.
Since July, only one other group has asked
for and been refused use of University property
under the policy, according to Ronald Beer,
UNO vice chancellor for educational and
student services.
Members of the Church of Christ Scientist
were refused th use of property on the UNO
campus. Beer said.
