- ' - 3 mam eesfcv. . j BS JESSES KSSSH
cm o m m m u1 iro
MHnmju-',l,'M1llM
V- NN
in -' f
i-im HIT, iiniiinniniiii in ntrMfTr-n"rf nB - ' Ik. 2 -. lm-itlMr'tffliiiijiiiiifiimiilirir i tititiJi ij loij TA mi iiiiiriniiiiiniiiiinnniln r r'ff
NU President D.B. Vanier reviews the status of the University
Photos by Steve Boerner
Vomer: The State of the University is good
By John Kalkowski
Flying to Indianapolis on Wednesday, to Denver
Friday night, and to Chicago on Sunday of last week,
NU President Durward B. Varner's life revolves
around his main charge the University of Nebraska
system.
Varner heads the administration of a university
which he said has a close partnership and mutual
dependency with the people of Nebraska.
It was this unique relationship between the people
of the state and the University which intrigued
Varner enough to draw him awar from a "contented"
life at Michigan State University-Oakland (MSU-O)
five years ago.
In 1969, when he headed MSU-O, Varner was
contacted by the NU Board of Regents.
When he received the board's first call, Varner told
them he was not interested and that they might have
a case of mistaken identity. When the Board of
Regents called again, Varner agreed to come to
Chicago to discuss the position. Again he told the
Board he was not interested.
But after talking to the Board of Regents, he said
he was intrigued with the opportunity to make a
contribution to trie whole state.
"Our belief was that if we did well enough, we
could make a difference in the lives of a lot of people
in this state," Varner said.
He traveled to Nebraska with his wife and daughter
to look at the University and the state. "After
pondering the question mightily for two weeks," the
Varners decided to move to Nebraska.
Varner plunged into his newest challenge.
Immediately he faced what he called "the most
discouraging time we have spent in this state."
He said he recommended a sizable budget increase
to move the University toward academic excellence,
but was faced with a new governor, JJ. Exon, who
had campaigned for reduced state spending and
lessening of taxes.
If the governor's recommendations had been
implemented, it would have been a major disaster for
the University, he said.
Coming to Nebraska with very high aspirations for
moving the University along, Varner said the first
budget was a hard prospect to con Hunt.
Being continuously in the public eye has become a
part of his lifestyle, he said. There are many
immediate issues needing to be addressed that pile, up,
creating a sense of frustration at times, Varner said.
In a soft voice, he added that he tends to thrive on
such pressures. "I enjoy working at problems, trying
to find solutions, trying to make things happen that
can help us achieve our total goals," he said.
Again, Varner and the whole University face
difficult budget appropriations from the Unicameral.
According to Varner, the governor .has
recommended a University of Nebraska budget of
$71.6 million, $14 million less than his staffs
recommendations.
He said there are two basic components to the NU
budget: continuation and enrichment.
Hie continuation component would allow the
University to operate without expansion, Varner said.
If the University is to continue on the present basis,
he said it will need anywhere from $2.7 million to
$4.2 million more than the governor's
recommendations. That does not include funds for
the enrichment areas: agricultural research, efforts to
provide health care for rural Nebraska, and further
funding of the Programs of Excellence at the
University.
"We have tried not to make any inflammatory
statement or push panic buttons which is Indeed a
temptation " Varner said. "If the budget is cut," he
Wednesday, march 5, 1975
said, "something will have to give."
According to Varner, the University, which is "a
single citadel around which the state is surrounded,"
must be a cultural catalyst for the whole state.
Using the resources of the University, Nebraska
should further develop agriculture, its major industry,
expand the arts, and further diversify its industries.
"With all the vigor we can muster, we must keep
Nebraska's agricultural economy bolstered and highly
competitive with expanded research," Varner said.
The University also should provide a base of
encouragement to expand the arts in Nebraska by
bringing in major orchestras, ballets and theater, he
said.
Allowing students to express themselves in the best
art forms is part of their total education, he said.
Varner said Nebraska also must be concerned
about diversifying its economic base by bringing in
new industry. He emphasized that any new industry
should be "clean" industry. "I do not want to see
smoke stacks spewing black smoke," he said.
In his five years at NU, Varner said the University
of Nebraska system has made major improvements.
Varner came to the Universith when the merging of
UN-L, UNO and UNMC was in its embryornic stages.
He said his most important single achievement and
concern is the merging of the colleges.
Varner: "I enjoy working at problems,
trying to find solutions, trying to make
things happen that can help us achieve
our total goals."
Since he has come to the University, a system wide
office, a capital construction office and a new
accounting system have been established.
A major obstacle to overcome is the tensions
existing between the campuses, Varner said. There
was a strong feeling on the Omaha campus that
Lincoln had the best of all worlds and the Omaha
campus was just a second cousin, he said. Of major
concern on the Lincoln campus was the apprehension
that UNO was an intruder taking away funds, Varner
AtuU
The tensions still exist and always will, Varner said.
But the tensions have been greatly reduced, he added.
Varner also had established a new
system-administration "with no preconceived
notions," and has clearly fixed the lines of authority
on each campus to the chancellors' offices.
In ten years, Varner predicted NU will be a
nationally recognized, academically strong
University. It will be more aggressive in reaching out
to the people of the state, he said.
"Too long education has been restricted only to
the young," he said. The University will have a more
diverse student population because of increased
interest of the state's adults, according to Varner.
His demanding existence at the University has
made it difficult to wok in any kind of family and
private life, he said. "We always hope to carve out
some fraction of time we can devote to our family
life," Varner said.
The Varners try to reserve Sundays for themselves,
but he said staff meetings, traveling on Sundays and
being an elder at Westminister Presbyterian Church
often infringes.
The Varners also entertain at their home on the
average of once a week, he said. Last Saturday, they
had 40 persons at their home for dinner.
Many organizations, such as the Legislative Ladies
League and Lincoln Symphony Guild meet at their
home.
daily nebraskan
Behind his office desk, Varner appears to be the
understanding, yet firm administrator, clad in a
businessman's suit. In a low voice, he explained the
working of the University of Nebraska system and his
personal involvements in ii.
Later, at home, in a red and white checked shirt
and red cardigan sweater, he relaxed his tall Texan
frame, again talking in a low voice about his family
and his job.
A typical day for Varner begins at 6:20 a.m. As
soon as he wakes he rides his stationary bicycle four
miles before a light breakfast. He said he is usually at
his office by 8 a.m.
The day is filled with phone calls, appointments
with staff members, the chancellors and people from
across the state, Varner said. Invariably, Mrs. Varner
added, he has a luncheon or breakfast to attend.
He said he works until 6 p.m. and that three or
four nights a week he must attend meetings. At other
times he travels for the University, dictating to his
dictaphone and catching catnaps between cities, he
said. -
"No day is really a typical day," Vamer said.
Varner said he has three hobbies he enjoys when he
can.
His "first and foremost hobby" is his family, he
said.
"A farm boy at heart " Vamer also enjoys
gardening. He bought a vacant lot a few blocks from
their home in the Knolls. There he grows flowers and
vegetables.
Both Varner and his wife enjoy golfing, he said.
Varner grew up on a Texas farm about 200 miles
west of Dallas. He attended Texas A & M where he
received his bachelor's degree.
While at Texas A & M, Varner said, he had a blind
date with the "Baylor University Sweetheart." That
sweetheart later became Mrs. Paula Varner.
"I think he liked me because I liked choclate ice
cream," Mrs. Vamer said.
With a hint of a smile, Varner said, "That's not trie
only reason."
Varner did post-graduate work at the University of
Chicago. Although he had finished his work on a
doctoral degree, he never received the degree. When
he finished his doctoral dissertation, his review
committee was scattered around the world.
Before his committe got back, he was plunged into
a major role of administering the agricultural
cooperative extension service at Michigan State
University.
"The excitement of restructuring and giving a sense
of new direction to the extension service was so
interesting, I never really went back and paid any
attention," he said. The dissertation still sits where it
sat 20 years ago, he said.
At age 32, Varner was leapfrogged from assistant
professor to a full professor and became vice
president at MSU.
Editor's Note
D.B. Vamer and James Zurnberge are familiar
names on the NU campus. But what is the nature
of their jobs and duties of other campus
administrators?
To answer this question Midweek this week
features interviews with four of seven University
officials and their views and ideas about the NU
system.
Part two next week will explore
responsibilities of administrators Ken Bader,
James Zurnberge and Steven Sample.
page 7