ndaily
monday, february 27, 1978 vol. 101 no. 77 lincoln, nebraska
Engineering classes lack space
By Margaret Stafford
The College of Engineering and Techno
logy officials have joined a group from
UNI. schools complaining about over
crowding and lack of resources for their
students.
George Hanns, dean of the Engineering
College, said it is too early to know the
extent of the school's problem, but that it
is "fairly severe."
Manna said 470 class requests were re
fused in the 1977 fall semester. That a
mounts to 3,014 credit hours that the
school could not provide, he said. Figures
for the spring semester have not been received.
Hanna said the problem resulted from a
34 percent increase in student enrollment
since 1974. During that period, the number
of faculty members did not increase, he
said.
Students are admitted to classes on a
first -come-first -serve basis, Hanna said.
Most students turned away were freshmen
or sophomores. No graduating seniors were
refused classes, he said.
The school opened some new sections
and increased class sizes when faculty was
available, he said. However, every class
eventually reaches its limit.
"There are only a certain number of stu
dents that fit into a classroom," Hanna
said. "Our labs only have room for 15 to
17 students. If more than that apply, what
arc you going to do?
Hanna said the increase has caused a
heavy work load for the faculty. More stu
dents in classrooms and more advisors in
crease faculty pressures, he said.
"We are beginning to worry that this is
jeopardizing the quality of education our
students are receiving," Hanna said.
UNL administrators are aware of the
school's overcrowding, Hanna said, and are
studying ways to help.
"The obvious solution is to increase our
resources," Hanna said. "If we can't do
that, well look for another solution. I just
don't know what it would be."
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Photo by Bob Pearson
High jumper Doug Phelps collected Nebraska's only first-place medal in the Saturday's Big Eight Track Meet by clearing
6 feet 1 1 inches. For more on the meet, see page 10.
Health aides may
face budget cut
By Randy Essex
Money for UNL student health aides
may be cut next year if the University
Health Center does not receive a larger
budget, according to Dr. Gary Martin, asso
ciate director of the health center.
The health aide program employs 140
UNL students at $5 a week. The aides pro
vide routine care and health education to
students which Martin said, "keeps a num
ber of students out of the clinic."
UNL Chancellor Roy Young asked
health center officials to prepare two bud
gets for next year, according to Martin.
One budget would reflect no additional
funds.
Martin said if the health center receives
the same amount of money as it did this
year, the' health aide program will be cut
back to accomodate salary increases and in
creased costs.
The cut would reduce the number of
health aides by one-third, according to
Cheryl Bellinger, a public health nurse. Pre
sently there are aides on each floor of the
dorms, but one aide would serve every
other floor if the cut goes into effect, Bel
linger said.
Martin said the program "saves the stu
dent time and money," and is effective for
the cost of the program.
"There are fears that the program's ef
fectiveness as a screening process for the
clinic will be reduced if funds are cut
back." Mike Hofclt, a student health aide
coodinator said. He explained that the
doubling of aides would "remove" the
aides from students. "In co-educational
units, aides would have to cover, say floor
five and floor seven. I think that fewer
students would know about the program,
let alone use the aides," Hofelt said.
Martin said no one is sure how great an
effect the cutback would cause. If funds
are cut, the health aide program will be re
evaluated at the end of the fall semester
next year.
"We are planning to look at our records
to determine what difference is made by
having fewer aides," Martin said.
The program was the first of its kind in
the nation when UNL first offered it in
1957. Bellinger said that the number of
aides has grown steadily since that time.
Those penalized for cheating only a drop in the bucket'
By Diane Johns
Alt hough "an abundance of cheating"
occurs at UNL, according to an assistant to
the dean of Student Development, most
professors prefer not to single out students
for acade; lie dishonesty.
Jane Baack said her otTiuc only hears of
cheating incidents when an instructor turns
in a failing mark for a course in which the
student cheated, or when disciplinary
action is recommended.
"Some professors think they shouldn't
single out students because it would only
be a drop in the bucket." Baack said.
Professors often fail the student on that
exam, paper or project and require the stu
dent to retake the exam or to turn in
another assignment. Some professors think
one who cheats has cheated himself, she
said.
Yet, other professors will fail a student"
in a course because the instructor thinks
the student's cheating hurts the class aver
age and destroys the curve. Back said:
"There's a real divergence of thinking when
it comes to punishing a student for cheat
ing." Baack said she believes UNL's policy is
ineffective.
"In order to curtail cheating, we need to
come to some understanding that in such
an academic community, wc will not toler
ate cheating."
Most cheating incidents stop at the in
structor's desk, she said. The instructor is
required by the UNL Code of Conduct to
discuss the matter with the student.
According to UNL's Code of Conduct,
cheating includes submitting exams,
themes and reports as one's one: assisting a
fellow student in committing an act of
cheating; and changing one's grades on an
exam 01 in an instructor's grade book.
"But." Baack said, "the Code of Con
duct doesn't mention out-and-out cheating
or forging an instructor's signature on a
drop-add form.
"There are many ways to cheat, and
many different ideas on what constitutes
cheating," Baack said.
If, however, either the student or pro
fessor feels it's necessary, the matter shall
be brought to the attention of the in
structor's department head or chairman.
Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Richard
Armstrong, the student's major adviser or
the dean of the student's college.
"Once a cheating incident is reported to
our office." Baack said, "the student, who
generally docs not contest the matter,
appears before the University Judiciary."
The nine-member board presents the
student with a written warning, conduct
probation 01 suspension lor a definite
amount of time Suspension does not
hamper rcadmission to NU. Baack said.
She said the severity of disciplinary
action depends on who is sitting on the
judiciary, but that the board is fair.
A disciplinary file is kept on any
student found guilty of cheating, Baack
said.
Professional schools often want to
know if a student received college dis
ciplinary action. However, these records
are destroyed upon a student's graduation,
and it' a request for such information
comes after a student has graduated, the
Student Development Office replies, "no
records."
Al Dittmer, ombudsman, said he receiv
ed more calls last year from students accus
ed of cheating than he has this year.
"But," he said, "such cases only repre
sent about .5 percent of all cases dealt,
with."
Dittmer said faculty members call to
request procedural information.
If a student calls, Dittmer advises him of
the steps to take before appealing the grade
and helps the student find ways to prove
Iris innocence.
The Office of Student Life at Iowa
State University recently proposed follow
up interviews with students found guilty of
cheating.
Under the proposal, faculty members
must be willing to report cheating incidents
to OSI. and students must attend counsel
ing sessions.
Baack said she feels such a program al
ready is working at UNL.
She said some faculty members already
counsel the student accused of cheating
and the student and instructor work to
gether to end the matter.
UNL's policy of cheating, Baack said,
does not contribute to cheating, but
certain courses encourage it.
"Some courses, such as freshman large
lectures, are overcrowded. It's almost too
tempting to the student who wouldn't
normally cheat. We are institutionally
setting up the student."
Dittmer agrees with Baack. "Such con
ditions tend to promote cheating," he said.
rooAdau
J
Johnny can too read: A recent study
discounts the myth of high school
graduate illiteracy page 2
Elementary, my dear Watson: Stu
dent super sleuths patrol UNL
campus buildings page 5
If you thought things were wild in
the 60s: UNL student assistants
evaluate their changing roles
page 6
