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Wednesday, march 5, 1980
lincoln, nebraska vol. 104, no. 38
Budget cramctii comld force two college closings
By Lucy Bighia
. The NU colleges of engineering and business administr
ation could be forced to seriously curtail their programs
even close down-if the university's current budget crunch
continues, according to Assistant Vice Chancellor for
Academic Affairs Larry Andrews.
A severe lack of funds is forcing the university to re
evaluate seriously the ability of its colleges, especially the
colleges of engineering and business. administration, to
provide quality education, Andrews said. t '
The university doesn't have enough money now to
offer competitive faculty salaries, Andrews said.
'We're barely able to compete with the other schools
(in the Big Eight). We're just barely in the ball park right
now," Andrews said. "How can we hope to attract the
faculty we need when other schools of engineering are
offering much better salaries, and business opportunities
are paying even more?" .
Lyle Young, associate dean of the College of Engineer-
v
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'l hi imm '
Photo by Tom Gessndt
Ed Stenger, 6315 0 St., finds the Centrum a good place to get out of the weather and read a book.
ing and Technology, agreed that NU faculty positions are
. "very difficult to fill because our salaries are not competi
tive (with other schools in the country.)"
"I think we'd be right down at the bottom, Young
said.
Young said the college has 13 faculty positions it is un
able to fill because of low salaries.
This has forced the college to tighten academic stand
ards in order to handle its increasing number of students,
he said.
He said during the past five years the college has
experienced a 56 percent increase in student enrollment
but only a 6 percent increase in the number of faculty
members.
'The main consequence of this is that we've had to
start turning away students," Young said. "Last year there
were 600 student class requests we couldn't take care of.
If there was more of a (financial) crunch, we might have
to turn away even more."
A temporary solution the college is attempting is the
use of part-time professors, Young said. Currently, about
20 percent of the college's faculty is part-time," he said.
Part-time professors are easier to attract because they
don't rely on their teaching salaries to support themselves,
Young said.
Although the practice of using part-time help saves the
university money, it is not held in high esteem by
accreditation agencies, he said.
Thus, both the percentage of part-time professors and
the high ratio of students to faculty could hurt the
engineering college's ratings in the future, Young said.
"It's simply a matter of quality," Young said. "If our
level of financial support stays the same, the quality of
our program will slip,"
According to Andrews, such a drop in quality could
force the colleges of engineering and business
administration to close down.
College of Business Administration Dean Gary'
Schwendiman was unavailable for comment Tuesday
afternoon. -v
uosmg tne engmenne couege, Andrews said, wou.
mean "discontinuing the only comprehensive engineering
program offered in the state of Nebraska."
cut roung saia ne aouots sucn drastic measures win
have to be taken.
"I don't think the state of Nebraska would let that
happen. I think they will come to our rescue," Young
said.
Bu
dg
et process to
be top priority for Wessels
, By Kent Warneke
Editor's note: This is the third in a series of profiles
on ASUN presidential candidates. The profiles appear in
the order candidates names will appear on the ballot.
ASUN presidential candidate Renee Wessels is a re
search analyst for Lincoln Sen. Steve Fowler. v
"People ask me why I want to give up a position where
I learn a great deal, meet influential people and also earn a
sizable amount of money," Wessels said. "Even my
parents asked me that."
The reason, she said, is that she cares.
"I think of myself as an organized, open-minded indi
vidual who is deeply concerned with student problems on
campus," Wessels said. "And I want the opportunity to
represent students and be in a position to be able to do
something about those problems."
Wessels is the US party candidate for president. Maury
Higgins and Glenn Poppert are her running mates for the
first and second vice president's positions.
Because of her job in the Legislature, Wessels said she
believes she can understand the perspectives of both a stu
dent and a state senator on issues such as the budget. She
also said she understands, but doesn't always agree with
the perspectives of the administration.
Legislative process
- "My understanding of the legislative process can be
brought back and applied to ASUN, which will help when
speaking on student concerns as a student regent," Wessels
said. "There are allies with state senators that students can
count on, allies we haven't always had in the past."
TTie top priority for Wessels and the US party concerns
the budget process. Students need to be involved with the
budget as it is drawn up in the departmental level, and not
just be a reactionary voice, Wessels said.
Students should be involved with administrators and
staff examining priorities, because students and admini
strators priorities do not always agree, she said.
"The library closings, higher tuition and everything
else they all relate back to the budget," Wessels said.
"Students should have the opportunity for a direct relay
at every level of the budgetary process."
Allies sought
Allies must be sought inside and outside the university
community, with the first natural ally being the faculty,
Wessels, a junior business administration major from
' Weeping Water, said. . .... 1
Allies also must be formed in the Legislature to make
all state senators realize that NU is a concern for all of the
state's districts, not just the Lincoln area, she said.
' "With my background r I feel I have a real edge in this,"
Wessels said. "There are a number of senators who are
sympathetic to students' concerns."
State senators remember when they were students and
the frustration they encountered when they were involved
with student government, Wessels said, , .
' Working for the control of student fees to allow stu
dents direct arid final authority over the money, and
putting ASUT in contact with students are two more
goals that Wessels said she wants to accomplish if elected.
!" Student impact
Wessels said a student regent has a real opportunity to
channel student impact. She said she would be relentless
if a strong stance is called for.
"Just because a student regent doesn't have a vote does
not necessarily mean he or she doesn't have a voice," she
said.
However, the day-to-day matters concerning ASUN are
just as important, because the big things aren't achieved if
the little things aren't done, she said.
"The president can't do it alone, and it takes a manage
ment type of person to see that the work gets done,"
Wessels said. "I personally feel organization is my forte."
In addition to her job in the Legislature, Wessels has
served as an ASUN senator for more than a year, was
chairman of ASUNs Budget and Fees Committee, was a
member of the Chancellor's Task Force on Budget
Planning, and has been involved with the Student Alumni
Board and the UNL debate team.
Confidence lacking
The state's lack of confidence in the university is the
major problem facing UNL today, Wessels said.
The lack of confidence is partially due to such a large
structure, since suspicion comes with size. There is also a
public feeling of suspicion about the administration, she
said. .
The NU central administration should be much more
open to students and also to the people who pay for it,
Wessels said.
"The University of Nebraska should be as much a
representative' of the state as it is an investment," Wessels
said.
. ..
"Students need to unite, b'ecause divisiveness hampers
effectiveness," Wessels said. "And with that I think I can
bring experience and vitality to represent all parts of
campus as well as possible."
Dally NbrMkan Photo
ASUN presidential candidate Renee Wessels