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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 26, 1978)
page 8 daily nebraskan ', . 1, tf "- ' it A 'N Kermit Hansen By Randy Essex Q: What do you see as your role as NU regent? A: The regents have essentially two , jobs. We set policy, and we hire the chief executive officers. I think it's a constant matter of review of policies to be sure we have proper ones; that they are being carried out; and secondly, that we have a good chief executive to carry it (policy) out. I think that's true in Dr. Roskens. ... At the present time, one of the areas that I'm keenly interested in is my participation in the areas of excel lence . . . Q: How do you view NU's reputation among other institutions of higher learning? A: It's difficult to answer, because I don't think that there is any real, hard basis on which that kind of comparison could be made. To me the real measure of the excellence ... is in the recogni tion that others in a similar field give you. But above and beyond that, I really think the measure of the value of jit is what does the student think the measure of the value of it is, what does the student think he got? If the student feels that he really did have a strong education - that can simply sometimes be, 4You opened my eyes to myself, rather than just subject matter.' - then I think that you have a good university. What little I know on a comparative basis leads me to say that I think that among other land grant colleges, we're good. Q: What was the quality of the speakers program before . the decision to cut mandatory funding of speakers, and what do you see as the future of the program? A: Number one, I think there is a value in having a diversity of speakers on the campus. Number two, I think that the attempt at achieving balance is a goal that should be strived for, and I think it's a moving target. Your concept of balance may be different than mine. Third, even though now we have gone to a program in which ... the student is going to say, "Yes, I will contribute $X to the speaker program,' or 'no, I won't.' " I think that the provisions of different viewpoints ... is a good part of the university, and I hope it con tinues . I will be glad to work with the student government and the admini stration in an orientation program, even to sell the concept of it. You may not want to spend a buck and a half, but let me just tell you it can be one of the more important facets of the university. Q: Do you anticipate any other regents action on die speakers program? A: That's almost impossible to predict. At the moment I don't. Q: How do' you feel about die univer sity in the parent role? A: Well, if you say, 'Is the university in the parent role? I guess my answer is -in p2Jt - if we permit it to be. Many parents wt the university to play that roie. My own vie if the you are 18 or 19 and cC& to the uni versity, if you have not aiZ&P a sense of maturity; a sense of selfneJJr then there's not a whale of a lot we can do in opposition to what your parents have either done or not done. If we try to serve as a parent locally, my own view, and it's borne out time and fime again, is that the students are responsible and mature beyond what many people accept them to be. And Continued on page 10 v Robert Koefoot By Randy Essex Q: What do you see as your role as an NU regent? A: I know that the University of Nebra ska requires strong leadership and strong government, so I as a regent should ful fill that obligation. Q: How do you view NU's reputation among other institutions of higher learn ing? A: I think the University of Nebraska has good reputation throughout the country; however, I do feel that it should be stronger in research. Naturally the university depends upon the funds given it by the Legislature to accomplish that which we wish to accomplish. Our first role should be the education of our young people. Fram a national stand point, research plays a key role . . . and our reputation for research is not as good as it should be. Q: What was the quality of the speakers program before the regents' decision to cut mandatory funding, and what is the future of the speaker's program? A: I do not feel that the speakers pro gram has been well-rounded. I don't think that both sides of the question have been properly cued by the group that's been getting the speakers. It's my understanding that the liberal aspect also would be represented the next time by the conservative aspect, and that's not been the case. I think that since the fees are not mandatory ... I don't feel (the pro gram) needs necessarily to be as well rounded as it should have been in the past. - I think (the program's future) depends upon the students. If it is supported . . . there should be an excel lent program in the future. Q: Do you anticipate any other action on die speakers program? A: . . . Well decide just exactly what type of speaker they're having-whether the speakers fall into the different aspects (of education). Q: Do you think the student regent should have a vote? A: No. The student regent is only on the board one year, and he doesn't have enough knowledge or experience to be a voting member. Q: Do you think Nebraska voters will elect a student to a regular regent's position? A: No. I'm quite sure voters would not elect a student to a regular regent's position. Q: Which of your constituents do you listen to more-students or parents? A: I would try to weigh each opinion equally and decide, which opinion seemed to make the most sense to me, if I were to get letters from both a student and his parents on a given issue. Q: How much contact do you have with UNL, especially faculty and students, between monthly regents' meetings? A: I have greater contact with admini strators than students or faculty. Of course, it depends on if it's summer or winter and if there are any issues of con cern to those on campus at the time. I don't make it to Lincoln very often betww? monthly meetings ... I don't have a chant t0 taIk to students direct ly very often. Q: What issues do you think the if? dents are interested in now on calnpus? A: My feeling from indications of the Continued on page 10 Ah (ft vr James Moylan By John Ortmann Q: What do you see as your role as an NU regent? A: I think my role as a University of Ne braska Regent, and as an elected regent, is to represent the views of the tax paying constituents I represent. And in that capacity, as one of the members of the board which establishes policy at the University of Nebraska. Q: How do you view NU's reputation among other institutions of higher learning? A: I think we rank pretty well St the top of higher education institutions across the nation on all three campuses. At the (University of Nebraska) medical center, I think we are progressing well. In related activities, I think we rank with any land-grant college in the country. And I think UNO, for a com muter campus, has for this day and age really come to be, and will match with any commuter campus of any institute of higher learning. Q: What is the future of the speakers program at UNL? A: It was the feeling of the board that we would prefer to have voluntary fees for several of the programs on each of the campuses and not a mandatory fee. It seems to me it was the feeling of the board, and I think across the state of Nebraska, was that any type of speakers that are going to come on campus should be funded by voluntary fees. Q: Do you anticipate any other action on the speakers program? Why or why not? A: I think it will depend on the manner in which the board policy is administer ed. If it is not being administered in accordance with our policy, then I think I would anticipate further clarification. Q: How do you feel about the univer sity in a parent role? A: I don't think they really ought to be in the status of parents to children. I think it is a contract between the stu dents and the university whereby the student is there to gain an education and we should be primarily educators for the benefit of all those who want to attend in this state. True, we do have to have research to follow that up and we're of course into the extension activities, which all relate to land-grant universities. But I don't see the university in the role of being a true parent to die student. I think we do have to have rules and regulations. Q: How do you feel about a voting student regent? A: I would not try to anticipate what the electorate of die state of Nebraska will do in any particular election. At this time I don't feel that it should be. After all, this is an institution that is maintained by the taxpayers of the state of Nebraska, and as such the board should primarily represent the views of their constituents, which includes the students which reside within the district of a regent. I follow the elective system and I think it should be maintained that the general population in a general election select the Board of Regents. Q: Which of your constituents do you listen to more, students or their parents? A: It depends on the particular issue, I think you have to listen to both sides in ,7aking your particular decision when- decision involves both, ever u.- Continued on page 10 i . i I It . ? Robert Prokop By John Ortmann Q: What do you see as your role as an NU regent? A: The primary role of an NU regent is to represent the people of his particular district or area. The role has basically been played by board members in the past years more as representatives of the University of Nebraska, rather than representatives of the people of their districts. Q: How do you view NU's reputation among other institutions of higher learning? A: . . . statistically, it's not good. Stat istically, if you make comparisons, for example with specific areas, the quality of education in terms of research pro duction, in terms of reputation national ly, overall is that is not very high . . . The American Council on Education said that if we were to consider the Big Eight, we would be the last in that type of quality. A recent study in the Journal of Psychology placed our (psychology) department seventh in the Big Eight. So generally, I think that the quality in some aspects is not what I would con sider a good situation in terms of the national picture. We do . have some specific departments which are excel lent. Take for example the Department of Chemistry, which I think ranks extreme ly high in the United States. And I think there are certain areas in the Ag Institute which rank rather high, parti cularly agronomy. But generally, again going back to the statistics, we don't rank as well as we should." Q: What is the future of the speakers program at UNL? A: I think the future lies with the stu dents. If they want to go ahead and fund a speaker's program, they have full right to do that. I don't think there was any consideration on the board to ban speakers. Q: Do you anticipate any other action on the speakers program? Why or why not? A: Personally, I'm not sure what the future of the speaker's program is in terms of action. I see that there are some people who say they want a definition. I see no reason why the per son who initiated the compromise can't define what he meant. On that issue I stood for complete voluntary funding of the program. And I think it is up to the other six who voted for the particular resolution that made the speaker's program a specific target of the overall picture to define what they meant. Q: How do you feel about the univer sity in a parent role? A: . . . The board of regents has to have the authority to set rules for the in stitution. And until somebody can come up with a court decision that says that we don't have the prerogative and we don't have that right, then I'm more than willing to let the students set their own rules. But until that time the board does have and shall have the ability to define anything they wish in terms of the state institution, from the dormitor ies and classrooms all the way to what occurs on state property. And I think the concept is one of discipline rather than dictation. There certainly is a fine line between the two, but I think if you are at the institution to study for advancement and educa tion, then certainly the discipline of study and the discipline of what educa Continued on page 10