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Leaders' opinions differ on FAB hearing testimony
By Mike Patten
Two UNL leaders had different reactions to the testi
mony given Wednesday to the NU Board of Regents task
force on student fees.
Richard Armstrong, vice chancellor for student affairs,
and ASUN President Greg Johnson agreed the hearing was
conducted in a professional way, but differed in their
opinions about the low number of people testifying
against student fees.
"'The only lack of fulfillment that I had," Armstrong
said, "is that very few people expressed any dissenting
views from the dominant view."
Hearing review
Having completed the university-wide task force
public hearings on student fees, the 10-member task
force now is considering recommendations and propos
als. The NU Board of Regents is expected to hear the
task force's proposals in December.
Hans Brisch, task force chairman said information
from the hearings will be compiled by each individual
task force committee. Reports will be written and used
for discussion in a presentation to the regents.
The regents wilT review the task force proposals
in their consideration of the current student fee struc
ture and in possible student fee changes.
Johnson said the lack of dissenting views indicates that
students don't want student fees eliminated.
"I expected to get more negative testimony," Johnson
said. "But I wasn't disappointed that we didn't get it."
He said he was pleased that apparently few students are
opposed to student fees. Fees currently are $66.50 per
semester,
1 Satisfied with hearing
"I'm pretty satisfied with the hearing and ASUN's
input," he said. "I thought the testimony that I heard was
excellent.,
"Some groups were more represented than others.-1
would liked to have seen . the. average student there."
Armstrong said that while he was disappointed in what
he called a lack of negative response, he didn't think there
was anything else to do.
He said the hearing was conducted in a democratic
manner where everyone had an opportunity to testify,
aid the task force must assume that no one else had any
thing negative to say.
"I think we just have to accept what we heard," he
said. :'. : ; v . " ":, '-: - .' j
Opposing testimony
Ronald Beer, UNO vice chancellor for student affairs,
sat in on the hearing conducted Tuesday.at the University
of Nebraska Medical Center. Beer said testimony at the
Medical Center wrs just the opposite of that at UNL.
. ? "I think you've got to take into consideration the
whole history and psychology of the "institutions," he
said. "At the : Medical Center those who are actively
involved support the mandatory fees reduction."
'Beer said the Medical Center hearings apparently also
had a lack of balanced testimony. v
"Sure it's always nice to hear from a relatively
balanced group," he said. "And I would have hoped that
more people would have seen fit to testify.
"But anybody and everybody had-an opportunity to
express their views. .
Beer said there is an apathy among students when it.
comes time to testify. Twelve people testified at the
Medical Center.
"I don't know why that is," he said. "Perhaps there is
,a whole host of reasons why people didn't come."
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friday, October 7, 1977 vol. 101 no. 22 lincoln, nebraska
Smith: few answers for mammoth minority problems
By Mary Jo Howe
UNL administrators may say they want
to increase minority populations at UNL,
but their actions don't back it up, accord
ing , to Multi-Cultural Affairs Director
Jimmie Smith.
Dissatisfaction with the school's aca
demic, social and financial aid programs
runs high among minority students and the
drop-out rate reflects that, Smith said,
Only 150 minority students have gradu
ated from UNL since 1973.
Problems for the minority student are
mammoth, and the university seems to be
slow to respond , Smith' said . - -
As a result many minority students
think the administration is insensitive and '
views them as second class citizens, Smith
said. .
The Multi-Cultural Affairs office is de
signed to help the students overcome that
feeling and give them a sense of identity,
he said, The office serves low-income
whites, blacks, native Americans, Chicanos,
and female athletes not on NCAA scholar
ships. - Cultural shock
The biggest problem . facing minority
students entering the university is cultural
. shock, Smith said.
Other common complaints are a lack of
curriculum attuned to their needs, a lack
of ethnic professors to serve as models and
counselors, a lack of sufficient financial
aid, a lack of social programs and projects,
poor faculty-staff-student relationships and
few : minority students .represented ; on
decision-making boards, Smith said.. ,.
One factor that would help ease some of
the minority students' problems is money,
Smith said. Money is needed for cultural
programs, counselors, more ethnic courses
and hiring ethnic professors, Smith said.
But the administration has been reluctant
to help out, he said.
UNL loses many "top-flight" minority
students before they get to the university,
Smith said. Financial aid packages for low
income students stipulate that the students
can't work, he said.
Bare subsistence level
, . The result is the students must live at a
bare subsistence level, Smith said.
In addition, minority student organiza
tions received a severe moral and financial
setback because of this year's student fees
cut, Smith said. Cultural programs are
important to minority students and these
day-to-day setbacks sometimes overwhelm
them, Smith said. Problems encountered in
"the university may even result in perma
nent psychological scars, he said.
The students think the university is
saying, "you are a member of a minority
group, therefore ou can't make it, Smith
said. " ,
But Smith said he believes more and
more students are staying in the university,
and the Multi-Cultural Affairs office has
made some progress in making the admin
istration aware of their needs.
. The number of minority students has
increased over the last three years, Smith
said. The office now serves about 700
students. - - ' -
Survey proves Nebraskans
think. they live 'the good life'
By Marjie Lundstrom
: Weary travelers cruising Nebraska Inter
state 80 need only open the state road map
to see Nebraska's slogan-"The Good
Life." . ,
A photo of Gov, J. James Exon bran
dishing a toothy smile accompanies the
slogan.
But are Nebraskans smiling and agreeing
they are living "the good life?"
Ves, they are according to the 1977
Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey
The study results said Nebraskans express
greater satisfaction with their lives, com
munities and neighborhoods than Ameri
cans in general.
The finding was one of many following
a three-month statewide survey by the
UNL Bureau of Sociological Research.
The bureau, made up of UNL Sociology
inside fridaij
Can you have the Friday blues?
Top name blues musicians will
perform Friday at UNL. . . . .p. 8
From Denver to Dale Carnegie:
Former Denver Bronco Head
Coach John Ralston in Lincoln
Thursday .p. 10
The Biggest Bar in town: Lincoln
City Council approves public sale
of liquor at Pershing Auditor
ium .p. 5
dept. faculty members, supervised the
interviewing last spring of about 1800
V Nebraskans, according to study counsul
tant David R. Johnson.
Other findings from those surveyed
included: .
-highest community satisfaction area is '
Lincoln, where 62 per cent are "very sat
isfied." Only 38 percent living in Omaha
are "very satisfied."
-about one-half living in rural farm
areas are "very satisfied."
-least satisfaction is in, intermediate
size cities (10,000 to 50,000), Omaha and
rural non-farm areas of urban counties.
-Better educated and higher income
Nebraskans were more likely to rate their
community highly, Older Nebraskans and
women also were more satisfied with their
communities.
Johnson said the study, was aimed to
interest the public as well as various state
agencies and research organizations.
"Instead of focusing on public opinion
"like many surveys, we looked at basic
issues," he said. "People like to know
about themselves, the state and what is
going on in the state." ,
' About 60 persons were hired by the
Bureau to conduct the survey, Johnson
said; About a third of the interviews were
done in person and the rest by telephone,
he said.
Funds for the $40,000 project primarily
came from state agencies, that wanted to
include special questions on the survey,
Johnson said. The Bureau also received
some money from the University of Neb
raska, he said.
Johnson said a similar survey will be
conducted over the next several years to
compare findings and identify trends.
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Photo by Stv Boarnor
Mr. Trash made friends with everybody, including the campus police.
For more pictures and the story, see page 7.
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