f'cr.y, Jano 7, 1070
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ewiy arrived chancellor Youn
learning about campus proble
ms
By llsidh Synovec
r
UNL Chancellor Youcg last week expressed his
concerns for academic qssiity. 1 nwcofeyKaesSysewe
When problems arise it's not magic, hut effort, which -solves
them, Roy Young said at a news breakfast last
week. Young took over as UNL chancellor June 1 .
Young succeeds interim chancellor Adam
Brenkenridge.
Young said he would spend .the next two weeks
meeting with UNL's deans and vice chancellors to
acquaint himself with campus programs and concerns.
"It will take some time to get a good feeling for what's
going on," he said, but my basic philosophy is unless we
.continue to improve, well be going backward." ,
Young said the conferences will help him determine
academic areas needing more depth or quality, the
feasibility of exploring new areas and programs that can
be dropped.
One of the things which attracted him to the
chancellorship is the broad range and stability of UNL's
programs, Young said.
Research is vital to academic quality, he said.
Two areas he said he would like to see emphasized are
solar energy research and academic research.
"Solar energy and gasahol programs are critical for the
nation in light of resource shortages. It is a somewhat
restricted area but has great possibilities, he said.
"Scholarly research contributes to toal academic
quality and a dicotomy need not exist between education
and research, he said. "A good research program lends
itself to a good instructional program. : t
Research money is especially difficult for newer
faculty members to obtain, he said, but faculty effort can
play an important part in obtaining funds.
"It is important to determine what research to do as'
well as how to look for dollars. Much can be accomplished
by identifying what is really wanted and by setting up the
right program," Young said. (
He -warned that a bargaining union, such as the
American Association of University Professors (AAUP),
should be cautious in the demands it makes.
''Academic freedom is too important to be
compromised away," he said. A well-constructed tenure
and promotion program has advantages over union
bargaining, he said.
Commenting on a proposed amendment to authorize
the Legislature to make state grants for higher education
in private schools, Young said it is important to maintain
private institutions for the benefit of education.
"There are no serious conflicts in states where funds
are available for students to attend private schools. These
funds help the institution as well as the family," he said.
Before he became chancellor here, Young, 55, was Vice
president of research and graduate studies at Oregon State
University (OSU).
Both UNL and OSU are land grant institutions and
have many of the same programs, although there seems to
: be a greater emphasis on liberal arts at UNL, he said.
By Theresa Fcisssa
According to a tenatrve distribution
plan drawn up last month, eight UNL
colleges will receive a portion of the
$351,CGO provided by the Bereuter
amendment to the university budget.
The amendment, sponsored by Utica
Sen. Douglas Bereuter, provides the
money for the 1976-77 school year and
stipulates the funds are to be used to
improve the quality of undergraduate
education at UNL.
The money win be used to hire faculty
to alow smaller classes and to increase
the number of classes taught by
professional faculty members.
The distributions plan, drawn up by
srreral UNL administrators, stipulates
that at least 75 per cent of the workload
( 7 these additional faculty members must
be directly related to classroom
instruction of undergraduates.
The money will be- distributed as
follows: v.-;-;..'
: Five per cent to the College of
Agriculture to add two positions.
Five per cent to the College of
Architecture to add two positions.
Thirty six per cent to the College of
Arts and Sciences to add 1634 positions
and to upgrade six positions.
Twenty six per cent to the College of
) n
d
k
Business Administration to add five
positions and to upgrade nine positions.
Two per cent to the College of
Dentistry to add one position.
Seven per cent to the College of
Engineering and Technology to add one
and one-half positions and to upgrade
two positions.
Four per cent to the College of Home
Economics to add two positions.
, Seven per cent to Teachers College to
add three new positions and to upgrade
one position.
Five per cent to Summer Sessions to
upgrade 50 positions.
Upgrading a position means that
positions currently filled by graduate
teaching assistants, instructors or
part-time faculty will be converted to
full-time positions at the professional
. lsveL '
Before drawing up the distribution
. plan, administrators reviewed requests for
fends totalling almost $2 million from 45
UNL academic departments, said Alan
Seagren, assistant vice chancellor for
program development and review.
He said the proposals were reviewed
- by UNL's academic planning committee,
which made recommendations for the
final distribution plan. Hearings were
conducted with each of the college deans
before the plan wa3 drawn up.
"This money is a tremendous
advantage to the university,' said ilax
Larsen, dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences. He added the money received
by the college was about one-third of that
it needs. have needs ether than tksse
taken care of by the Bereuter
amendment, he said, cMsg insufficient
equipment and cpsratiag funds. SspgEa
tsd equipmest axe -ts necessary to us
riht now as person&4 are, he szSi.
Cut the adi3l funds ere a step in
the rijjit directSsa, cccr&23 te oa
Ssih, dssa of &s CcSsa cf Stsac&s
AdsasMrsfea. Tts asSzs fcsdJfcssa
concerned about pcs.h tsmsnstica cf '
accreditation due to facultystudent
rr.tios. Accreditation standards for the
college stipulate than 75 per cent of the
faculty must be full-time professors. Last
year only 63 per cent of the faculty were
full-time professors.
Smith said if enrollment does not
increase, the undergraduate funds would
be able to close that gap. He added the
college has experienced eight per cent
enrollment increases over the past few
years. -
Smith added the college still needs
additional money for faculty research.
"We're hurting in research because of a
high teaching load," he said. He said he is
optimistic that UNL Chancellor Roy
Young will understand the college's
problems in reduced opportunities for
research. Young took over the
chancellor's duties June 1. He was vice
president of graduate studies and research
at Oregon State University before his
appointment as chancellor.
Uf
