thursday, august 28, 1975
page 12
daily nebraskan
Parity within NU goal of UNO student president
By Rex Seline
Editor's note: This is the first in a series of interviews
with the presidents of the student bodies of the three
campuses, in the NU system. In following stories. Dairy
Nebraskan reporters will interview the student presidents of
UNL and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. t
Parity has been on pie mind of Conald C. "Clint"
Bellows, student body president of the University of
Nebraska at Omaha, this summer.
In fact, the question of parity has been bothering
Bellows since last spring when he decided to run for the
post at UNL's sister campus, he said.
"Maybe parity's not the best word for it," Bellows said.
"The real thing we're looking for is equivalent support for
academic support of similar programs at each campus (UNO
and UNL)."
Bellows said he thinks that the Omaha campus has been
on the short end of the receiving stick when the Nebraska
Legislature and NU Board of Regents have been passing out
money. He cites figures comparing the percentage that
UNO students pay toward their education compared to
what Lincoln students pay.
Payments unequal
"UNO students paid 36 per cent toward the bill for their
total education compared to 18.5 per cent paid by UNL
students," Bellows said.
Bellows said the average UNL student receives $1 ,340 in
educational assistance for a typical 30-hour year while the
average UNO student gets $960. He said housing costs did
not figure in the comparisons.
Bellows says he doesn't necessarily want to take
anything away from Lincoln and he understands the excuse
that there are several expensive graduate programs that
need funding on the Lincoln campus. But he's looking for
better break for UNO.
"For example, lincoln has gotten more in the way of
surplus funds when they are passed out." Bellows said.
Surplus funds are monies that have been budgeted but
not spent by the university where they were budgeted. NU
redistributes the money so the Lincoln campus gets 50 per
cent of the funds and UNO and the Medical Center get 25
per cent each.
Different rates
Among the alternatives Bellows is looking at is different
tuition rates at the two campuses. In his position as student
regent he said he may make such a proposal to the NU
Board of Regents.
"Maybe we should begin at ground zero and figure what
the cost of education is at each campus and then charge
what we have to," Bellows said.
He said UNO is fighting the line item veto by Governor
J. James Exon of money for a "sorely needed" Health,
Physical Education and Recreation building. Funds for
construction of the building were cut after $300,000
already had been spent planning the building.
"I called for a rationalization from the governor for the
cut but he hasn't responded," Bellows said. Checks also
have been made with the regents and the state attorney
general concerning a possible appeal of the Exon veto.
Turmoil at UNO
Bellows will be entering his first full semester this fall as
student body president after a year of political turmoil on
the Omaha campus.
However, Bellows election was not marked by dispute as
was his predecessor':., Jim Sherretts. The Sherretts election
followed a Student Court reversal of the results of a first
contest in which the winner was accused of illegal campaign
practices.
Bellows said one of the major issues in his election was a
football referendum also on the ballot which would have
called for an end to intercollegiate football on the Omaha
campus. The measure was defeated with Bellows openly
supporting the continuation of football.
"There's no questions about it, the football thing helped
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us," Bellows said, but he denied that fraternity and soronty
members and the athletes were his only supporters. We got
57 ?er cent of the vote so it had to be more than just the
Greeks and the jocks who voted for us.
Fraternity member
Bellows is a member of a fraternity and the football
referendum reportedly brought a heavy turnout of athlete
. in support of the measure and Bellows.
Nonetheless, Bellows said he was disappointed with
voter turnout. 1 1 per cent of UNO's students voted
"There were two reasons for the small turnout. One. last
year's election dispute soured a lot of people and two, there
was no clear cut issue except possibly the football
referendum," he said.
In addition to the question of parity, Bellow s work has
centered on providing more services for the student. Among
the proposals are a campus bank and student housing.
"One of the misconception, about UNO is that it is
totally a comrnutercampus," Bellows said. "About 2,000 or
3,000 students could use a dorm so we're looking long
range at the possibility of some housing."
Tornado hurt
Bellows said the Downtowner Inn, where many
out-of-town students had lived, had a "big chunk"
destroyed in Omaha's May 6 tornado.
Bellows said some local civic and business leaders are
being contacted in the exploration for alternatives in the
housing problem.
The bank "could go two ways" according to Bellows.
"We could get a branch bank (similar to the Gateway
Bank in the Nebraska Union) in the student center or the
other angle is to , get a terminal facility for the Electronic
Funds. Transfer System," Bellows said. "Right now it's
pretty much up in the air."
Bellows said he thinks he is starting to progress in his
dual role as student president and regent.
"I feei that a lot of the communication problems that
were built into this job are beginning to be broken down.
We've got a politically oriented group of good people here
who are going to make sure I do my job."
'Good relationship'
And after "three or four times" of meeting with the
regents he said he feels "like I've gotten to know quite a bit
about each" and has learned to work with them.
"When I came on I felt that the student regent didn't
have any power because he couldn't vote and the regents
always have a strict agenda for their meetings. I've since
changed my opinion. 1 think we've got a good relationship
but I've let them know I'm not going to be stepped on. The
thing about it was there's no orientation for the student
regent."
A broadcasting major with future political ambitions,
Bellows said he ran for the job "because I enjoy it. It wasn't
a big altruistic thing. I enjoy things and have been able to
learn from it. although it s never easv.
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