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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 1980)
pegs 6 daily nebraskan Wednesday, february 6, 1980 Higher education cheaper in some foreign countries About 900 foreign students chose to attend UNL this semester. About half of them attended a university or other post secondary institution in their home coun try before choosing to come here. What did they leave behind in favor of UNL? According to three grad students and three undergrads, foreign universities resemble American ones in some aspects but are fundamentally different in others. The greatest difference is in the amount of government funding. All six of the countries represented-Brazil, India, Japan, Nigeria, Pakistan, and West Germany-have universities established and run by the na tional government. Private universities, colleges and institutes are also found in each country, except Nigeria, where all post-secondary education is government-run. n Direct government funding has cut tui tion rates in all six countries. For example, in West Germany "we don't pay any tui tion. All kinds of university are free. There are fees, about $15 each semester, for the student government and activities," said Maria Nussbaum. Jose Da Costa said that federal universi ties in Brazel also do not charge tuition. Students in Pakistan, however, have to pay -about $2 a month, according to Naeem Adamjee. "But. that's really negligible, just a nominal fee," he added. Dorm rates at government-sponsored universities are also a fraction of what they are here. Kahoru Tanaka said that it costs about $5 a month to live at the University of Hokkaido, Japan dorm. Da Costa's university, at Vicosa, Brazil, "provides dorms for most of the undergrad students, but the grads should find an apartment. The dorm is very cheap-justV symbolic payment, I'd say. The govern ment pays the rest. 'The dorms are very much like they are here-nice and modern-except that three or four students share one room. Because of this, most students go to the library to study. Also, there are no restrictions such as visiting hours," he said. At the University of Ife, Nigeria, a $1,000 fee covers tuition, room, and board for the year, according to Tony Ofili. "About 70 percent of the students live in dorms, the rest mostly have apartments. Dorm life at Ife was more exciting than here. The town isn't very big, so everything happens on the campus. Weekends were especially nice, with parties, movies, and dances. "We also have bars on campus, and the biggest one is run by the student govern ment. There's no drinking age, but it's con sidered disgraceful to get drunk. Every body finds out," Ofili said. Although alcohol is accepted on almost every overseas campus, calling professors by their first name is not. "We should respect the professor. We can't call him by his name only-we must say 'professor.' Never would I use his first name. If I did, he would think I'm crazy," said Tanaka. Japan's formality was echoed by all the other students for their country, except Brazil. Japan proved more formal than the other countries: "We can't eat or smoke in class, because the professors think this behavior interrupts the class. I have seen a few students thrown out of class for smok ing," said Tanaka. "We're allowed to sleep in class, though, because that doesn't interrupt. If the professor and topic are really boring, may be 90 percent of the students are napping," she added. "Most of the teachers only grade the exams, not students' attitudes in class. v Note: This column will be continued .next Wednesday. WRC Counseling Program- The Women's Resource Center offers a short-term counseling service for those who wish to discover their own meanings of femininity and masculinity, to face immediate concerns or crises, and to make decisions about lifestylesThese decisions may involve relationships, sexuality, marriage and academic or career difficulties-for some ex amples. This is a free service, walk-in or by appointment, staffed by peer and professional counselors. WRC Groups Program- Come in or call to sign up for one of the following groups: Women's Support Group Single Parents' Group Men's Group Group for Men and Women Lesbians' Support Group Abused Women's Support Group womerrs zippy cervrer for and abouT women ctj c;ba ltti A I resa 116 Ksirerxsty cl nctmii lisacla 6S5C3 Hours: 10:004:00 Phone:472-2597 Benefits of unlimited visitation questioned By Kathy Sjulin Twenty-four hour visitation in UNL dormitories is not likely in the near future, according to two officials. Richard Armstrong, vice-chancellor for student affairs, said he questions the educational benefits of 24-hour visitation. Armstrong said he doesn't believe the increased guest hours would provide any educational benefits compared to the current visitation hour system, which allows floors to choose a 14-hour maximum visitation. "The benefits aren't worth the problems it might cause" he said. "Interest in this across the country has disappeared." The last major decision concerning visitation hours was made in 1974 when the NU Board of Regents set a 14-hour limit, according to Douglas Zatechka, UNL director of housing. Last year the UNL Residents Hall Association proposed that two floors in : Selleck Quadrangle experiment with open visitation for one year, Zatechka said: This proposal was vetoed by Armstrong and UNL Chancellor Roy Young. Open visitation is a new phenomen on on most university campuses, he said. The movement toward open visita tion began about 20 years ago, he said. Few effects studies Because of its newness, few studies have been done on the effects of unrestricted visitation, he said. There aren't many statistics on the amount of noise and damage done in 24 hour rooms as compared to those with limited visitation, he added. Zatechka said he hasn't found any re search that says 24-hour visitation is "inherently great or severely detri mental." Although 24-hour visitation isn't a likely possibility at the present time, Zatechka said he worries about visita tion rules because "almost everyone has an opinion on them." The number of students against 24-hour visitation is higher at UNL than it was at Michigan University, where. Zatechka was employed before coming to Nebraska two years ago, he said. The reasons for this lower rate of approval are uncertain, he said, but added it could be the result of the state's conservative nature. Greater religious emphasis through- out the state as compared to the rest of the nation could also be a significant factor, he said. "In Lincoln alone, there is one church for every 1,600 people," he said . Since 95 percent of all UNL under graduates are native Nebraskans, Zatechka said they tend to be more homogenous, which could be a contributing factor. Similar religious upbringing "Nebraskans tend to have similar religious upbringing, background and more. homogeneity of values," he said. Zatechka was quick to point out that just because something works at Harvard University doesn't mean it will work at UNL. The success of 24-hour visitation at Harvard may be explained by its diverse population, he added. Floors with no visitation hours haven't been present on the UNL campus for two years, he said. Most dormitory floors now have hours ranging from $ to 14. Few complaints about violations of these hours are received in the housing office, he said. For some UNL students, however, the visitation hour restriction is a problem because of the inconveniences it creates. One. UNL sophomore, who lives on a coeducational floor, related an incident involving two girls and their male health aide. "Last week two girls on my floor got sick and they couldn't even go down the hall to the health aide's room to have their temperature taken," Mark Duer feldt, 20, said. "They had to meet the health aide half-way in the TV lounge because it was after visitation hours." Unaware of problems Duerfeldt. an education major, trans ferred to UNL this fall from Iowa State University where. 24-hour visitation is allowed on every floor. He said he was unaware of any problems caused by that school's open visitation policy. Restricted visitation hours sometimes become ridiculous, he 'said. For instance, last semester a coeducational floor had to hold a meeting to vote on whether or not someone with a broken leg could violate the visitation hours to use the elevator to go to class in the morning. Latest records show that five schools in the Big Eight have 24-hour visitation, according to Zatechka.1 They are: Iowa State, Oklahoma University, University of Kansas, Colorado and Kansas State. 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