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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
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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
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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.-
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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
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