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Wednesday, teptember 12, 1979
llncoln, nebraska vol. 103 no. 12
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NU Regents
By Craig Nelson
Regent Robert Simmoni of Scottsbluff,
who has recently criticized NU President
Ronald Roskens for the 15 percent' in
crease in the university budget request
over last year, said he welcomes a meeting
between the governor and the regents to
discuss the proposed budget.
Simmons, reached in his Scottsbluff
office Tuesday, said he looks forward to,
and sees a need for a meeting with the
governor.
In a letter to Simmons, dated Sept. 4,
Gov. Charles Thone said he could not re
commend such an increase, and asked for
a meeting with the regents to discuss the
budget request.
"There certainly are some areas of the
budget which need to be cut," Simmons
said.
"I don't think there will be any pro
blem in cutting the proposed1 budget. I am
sure wi (the, regents) can come to some
sort r f agreement with the governor in
regar-i to the size of next year's budget,"
he s? id.
Thone, who labeled the budget request
as "too high," is oil a trade tour in Europe.
overaor see need for budget meeting
Another regent who received a copy of
the letter, Ed Schwartzkopf of Lincoln,
said that a meeting between Thone and the
regents is "an excellent idea."
"Anytime you can have a dialogue in
volving an agency of the state that is as
important to the economic and educational
life of the state as the university is, you
ought to take advantage of the opportuni
ty, he said.
Neither Simmons, Schwartzkopf, nor
NU President Ronald Roskens were sur
prised by Thone's decision not to support
the 15 percent budget increase.
NU has requested a 1980-1981 budget
of $133.2 million from state tax sources.
The 1980 session of the Legislature will
make the final decision on the budget.
Thone's decision not to support the 15
percent budget increase is based on his at
tempt to limit the overall state tax budget
to annual increases of 7 percent.
In the letter, Thone said he believed the
university has been sufficiently funded, in
comparison with the rest of state govern
ment and post-secondary education, over
the past several years.
"It is also clear that, in terms of general
tax support for post-secondary education,
Nebraska taxpayers have nothing to be
ashamed of in comparison with other
states," the letter said.
Newspaper clippings outlining attempts
by the State College Board of Trustees and
the State Department of Education to trim
their budget requests were attached to the
letter.
"Their discussion of the need for fiscal
restraint is heartening,Thone said.
ASUN agenda
ASUN Senate will meet Wednesday
night in Room 202 at .7 pm. Here is the
agenda.- :.'5;'iN' "
I. Call to orderroll call W-
II. Approval of minutes ? f ' V, ,
III. Appointments-Electoral Com
missioner; Student Court
IV. Open Forum-Nathan Wesely,
Pam Fritz, Bob Gleason J.
V. Executive Reports
VI. Committee Reports-Academic
Policy, Budget & Fees, Campus LifeV
Special Topics, Constitutions, Internal
Affairs, CFA f -v V' " '
VII. Old Business-Amendment to
Organic Act No. 1, minority recruitment
committee
VIII. New business
IX. Announcements
X. Adjournment
J-
Photo by Tom Gamer
This dog may be looking for a way out of the Humane Society. The possibil
ity of cremation awaits many of the 1,000 animals that are brought each
month to the Humane Society. For more details, see page 6.
Koefoot: Regents' letters caused conflict with lawmakers
By Cindy Coglianese
Four members of the NU Board of Regents say the
board's relationship with the Nebraska Legislature is in
good standing.
. One member disagreed, saying that misunderstandings
between the two bodies have caused problems in the
relationship. ?
Board Chairman Robert Koefoot of Grand Island
V., " '
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Rent Robert KccTtct - -
said misunderstandings developed through "letters of
communication by two of the regents."
Speaking of the letters sent to the Legislature by
Regents Robert Simmons of Scottsbluff and Robert
Prokop of WUber, Koefoot said it is "unfortunate that this
(letter writing) happens but they do not represent the'
board in whole."
Simmons sent a letter to some legislators after the
regent's July meeting. In his letter, Simmons criticized
the board's acceptance of an operation budget request
of a IS percent increase. He also criticized NU President
. Ronald Roskens in his letter.
- PROKOP, WHO often has sent letters to state senators,
sent a letter last spring charging that the unversity had
covered up issues concerning faculty consul tan tships, fees
for veterinary diagnostic testing labs on East Campus and
legal fees at Eppley Institute of Cancer Research.
: "I have met with a number of state senators in the past
and I will meet with some in the future to try and solidity
the relationship, Koefoot said. "But if one continues to
receive letters from the other that try to disrupt and
change everything, you can't accomplish what you want
to accomplish. ,
. Koefoot went on to explain that the regents are the
V governing body of the university and are elected by their
constituents to represent them.; He said it is the
Legislature! responsibility to "control budgetary aspects
of the university." - -v-;
Te have never strived to control the Legislature, he
. v sdd. "We ask what we think is necessary and leave it to
"I am looking for improvements in the bad relationship
. because there are a number of younger state senators who
' are open-minded concerning the state and education as a
whole and they are willing to listen to both sides of the
eoin.Vv -.. k ' - .V,- .
. REGENTS KERMIT Wagner of Schuyler, Robert Raun
of Minden, Kermit Hansen and lames Moyia of Omaha,
all agreed that the current relationship between the two
. go vemLng bodies is good.
- It varies from time to time but I think the relation- -
ship is normal at this time, Raun said.
Hansen said the good relationship exists because "we
have excellent administrators working with the Legislature
on a day-to-day basis. He added that it is a dynamic re
lationship that depends on the needs and position of both
the state and the university.
"The basic area of tension and misunderstanding in
volves those who appropriate the funds, Hansen said.
"Sometimes they feel it is their prerogative to establish
priorities, but the State Supreme Court clarified what the
constitutional law of the boani of regents is. v
Hansen added that the regents are accountable to the
Legislature for "fiscal soundness" and to taxpayers and
the university community to ensure academic quality.
Moylan said at times the Legislature is reluctant to
trust the regents. He cited the incident last semester
concerning the purchase of an air conditioning unit for
East Campus without legislative approval beforehand.
There were a lot of legislators complaining about
the cMler, but we've learned our lesson, MoylaV s&idl
Wagner said that the Legislature has been very
cooperative in taking care of college needs. He added
that in the nine years that he has been a regent, the
relationship has always been good.
. Regents Robert Prokop of Omaha, Robert Simmons of
Scottsbluff and Ed Schwartzkopf of Lincoln could not
be reached for comment. ,
or
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Sharing the pie: The UNL Faculty Senate passes a resoh
tioa asking that part of a proposed tuition increase be
allocated to the Teaching Council. Ti;2 1 1
Showing off: Comics, musicians and acts climb upon the
Open Stase to make their Lincoln debuts. . . rte 15
FanuUar team; Beatrice hii school graduates tc-ihrr
as UNL voSeybaa $ytn . ............. f-C-1 5
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