paga 14
daily nebraskan
thursday, October 4, 1079
Faculty committee studies proposed grade change
By Gordon Johnson
The UNL Faculty Senate has "dilly-dallied around" in
resolving charges that the university administration inter
fered with agricultural economics faculty freedom,
according to a professor in that department.
Loyd Fischer said the senate has not moved fast
enough in determining the facts behind possible change of
a graduate student's grade. "They have not done a thing'
Fischer said.
Glen VoUmar, chairman of the agricultural economics
department, acknowledged he has heard complaints from
instructors in the department about the senate's progress.
The Faculty Senate's Academic Freedom and Tenure
Committee has been appointed to investigate charges that
UNL administrators assigned a grade to a student without
faculty permission.
The investigation is the latest in a controversy that be
gan in January when a professor of agricultural economics
charged an African graduate student with cheating. The
student then alleged that the instructor gave him a "C"
for a course because the professor was prejudiced.
Other investigations concerning the same .issue are be
ing conducted by the Federal Department of Health, Edu
cation and Welfare and the UNL Professional Conduct
Committee.
The Professional Conduct Committee is looking into
charges filed by Sen. Ernest Chambers that the
same professor acted unprofessionally.
Faculty members and documents provide the following
scenario.
A MONTH AND a half after the initial charges an
agreement was made between the student and the pro
fessor stating that both would drop the charges. It was
agreed that the sudent's "C" grade, which he received in
Agricultural Economics 852, would be changed to a "B"
once the student satisfactorily completed his comprehen
sive examinations.
But the student apparently became dissatisfied with
the agreement and went to Chambers for help.
A second agreement, dated May 2 1 , was drawn up by
NU Genefal Counsel Richard Wood, following a meeting
between UNL Chancellor Roy Young, Martin Massengale,
vice chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and
Natural Resources, Chambers and some faculty members.
The new agreement raised the student's grade to a "B"
for other than academic reasons. Allowance was made for
the student to take his comprehensive examinations in
Los Angeles, where he now lives.
Final oral examinations were waived, the student was
given a graduate assistantship of $417 a month and the
university paid for round trip air fare for the student to
travel between Lincoln and Los Angeles to consult with
his adviser.
Fischer said the agreement was drawn up without the
knowledge or consent of the faculty.
After agricultural economics faculty learned what
happened, they submitted a resolution to the Executive
Committee of the Faculty Senate, Fischer said.
THE RESOLUTION CALLED for censure of Young,
Massengale and Agriculture and Natural Resources College
Dean Ted Hartung because of alleged interference in aca
demic matters.
The proposal also charged that the three administrators
coerced faculty members to change the student's grade,
and that the administrators submitted to political pressure
from members of the Legislature.
The senate did not approve the resolution, but did suc
ceed in July in getting the administration to rescind por
tions of the May 21 agreement.
Fischer said the agreement violated university bylaws
because a grade cannot be awarded for other than academ
ic reasons and oral examinations cannot be waived unless
the student has been doing superior work.
In a letter dated Aug. 17 to the student, attorney
Wood withdrew the second agreement. The letter said the
student would receive a "B" for the course only after he
satisfactorily completed his comprehensive examination.
The waiver of the oral exam was also withdrawn.
Fischer said that at the meeting between the adminis
ters and Chambers that Chambers threatened the adminis
tration if the student did not pass his comprehensive
exams.
"I AM WILLING to go on the witness stand and swear
that Chambers threatened us if he (the student) failed,"
Fischer said.
Only July 24, the Faculty Senate's Executive Commit
tee accepted a letter from Young stating that administra
tive efforts to have the student's grade changed for other
than academic reasons were inappropriate.
The executive committee also ruled that this was an in
adequate response and that it would pursue no further ac
tion. At the Sept. 1 1 Faculty Senate meeting, the Academic
Freedom 'and Tenure Committee was appointed to deter
mine which administrators were responsible for the grade
change.
However, Fischer said he doubts this investigation will
find anything new because the executive committee has
already studied the matter.
Fischer charged that the executive committee decided
not to pursue further action because it did not want to
confront the administration; But Faculty Senate President
William Campbell said more information would be needed
before the matter can be pursued.
He added that the committee is not designed as an in
vestigative body.
THE INVESTIGATION BY the Professional Conduct
Committee is not expected to produce any significant re
suits, according to Campbell.
The committee will have to examine events that occurr
occurred before the original agreement, but the terms of
the agreement specify that the professor involved cannot
comment on events that happened before the agreement.
The professor (not Fischer) said he was able to cooper
ate with HEW officials in their investigation of discrmina
tion filed by the student.
After the second agreement was withdrawn, the stu
dent hired a local attorney, Larry Ruth. Ruth would not
comment on whether legal action is planned, or the status
of any agreement.
Ruth said the student "is considering a number of op
tions," and litigation could be one of them. Ruth, who is
retained as a lobbyist by several groups, added that he has
met with Chambers on the matter.
Campbell said tie thinks the original and last agree
ments offered to the student were fair, but resolution of
the matter "is a long way off," because of pending inves
tigations. Bookstore computer
offers
convenience
An in -house mini computer will be the newest addition
to the staff of the University Bookstore. According to
manager Larry Behrends, the computer system is designed
to help bookstore personnel provide students with books
quickly and economically.
The computer system will process all data for ordering
and unkeep of textbooks. The computer will process
about 300 words per minute, increasing the efficiency of
the entire textbook department, Behrends said.
"Most people can't type that fast," Behrends said. The
textbook department currently is operated manually.
Data used to order and take inventory of textbooks
include author, title, publisher and price. Data for the
course the textbook is be used for, such as instructor,
call number and section number, also is included.
Besides processing and managing textbook ordering,
the computer system will print purchase orders, automate
returning unsold texts to publishers, analyze textbooks
usage for future ordering and provide more responsive
customer service with immediate access to all textbook
data.
Behrends said the benefits of the computer system
include earlier ordering, improved faculty -student
communication, and reduced inventory processes.
The computer was ordered recently and will arrive
in January 1980.
Behrends estimated it will take one year from the
time installation starts until the computer is running
at capacity. The long-term goal of the system is to
control all data for the entire bookstore, he said .
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