monday, march 10, T980
lincoln, nebraska vol. 104, no. 41
edges: Constitution protects engineering college
H
By Val Swinton
Hie NU College of Engineering and
Technology will not be forced to shut
down, no matter how bad the university's
budget crunch becomes.
That's the word from Ned Hedges, vice
chancellor for academic affairs, who spoke
to a group of engineering students last
week at Nebraska Hall.
Hedges made his remarks in response to
a story in the March 5 Daily Nebraskan.
The story quoted Assistant Vice Chancellor
for Academic Affairs Lurry Andrews as
saying the engineering program may be dis
continued if funding for the college does
not increase.
But Hedges said Thursday the story
simply was not true.
"That was a figment of somebody's
imagination," he said. "But it was not
Larry Andrews or mine."
Hedges said th state constitution pro
t - the engineering college. A provision
i . die constitution says the university must
provide instruction in the mechanical arts,
which, Hedges said, has been interpreted
to mean the engineering college. ,
"Even the Legislature cannot do away
with the College of Engineering, Hedges
told the students.
Andrews denial
Andrews, in a telephone interview
Sunday, denied making the statement.say
ing that he had instead indicated that 75
percent to 80 percent of the programs at
the university, including the engineering
and busjiess programs, were unique not
only to post-secondary education, but to
the state as well, and would not be
removed.
"I have affirmed and will continue to
affirm our support for the programs and
will do everything to secure resources" he
said.
Both Hedges and Lyle Young, acting
dean of -the engineering college, said efforts
were being made to help solve the funding
problem within the college. Hedges said
one of the major problems was the difficul
ty in filling vacant faculty positions. There
are 13 vacant positions, difficult to fill be
cause of low salaries-a problem Hedges
blamed on the Nebraska Legislature.
"In not one of the past seven years has
the rate of increase in salary appropriated
by the Legislature come close to the rate of
inflation," he said.
Compounding the problem is the
current demand for engineering graduates
in private industry.
"People with bachelors degrees are
going out and making more money than
professors, Hedges said.
Few future teachers
Both Hedges and Young agreed that
high salaries in private industry are keeping
students out of graduate programs. And
graduate students, they said, are future
teachers.
To prove his point, Hedges asked for a
show of hands of the 20 students at the
meeting who planned to enroll in graduate
courses. Three responded.
Lack of funding also is putting a dispro
portionate burden on the engineering
college because of the large amounts of
money needed for equipment at the
school.
Young said attempts were being made
to solve funding problems by soliciting
outside donations. He said a letter-writing
campaign to alumni and businesses in the
state should help.
Hedges said $250,000 in the new budget
has been earmarked for the college, and the
chances of getting the money "are very
good."
The controversial Krugerrands, donated
to the college also would help ease finan
cial problems, according to Young.
NU Alumnus James Coe of Phoenix,
Ariz, donated about $900,000 in Kruger
rands to help fund equipment purchases in
the college, but the donation has been pro
tested by members of a black organization
on campus, hecause they say black labor
was exploited in mining the gold in the
coins.
ASUN president
endorses Parsons
By Lori McGsnnis
ASUN President Bud Cuca Sunday endorsed John
Parsons for the 1980-1981 ASUN presidency.
Cuca said although Parsons and Renee Wessels are
the front runners in the campaign for the presidency, he is
endorsing Parsons and the STAR party because he said
Parson's plans to implement ideas clearly "rests head and
shoulders above" Wessels, a member of the US party.
Cuca, along with Willie Watters, campaign manager
for Cuca and the SUN Party in 1979, Jon Pfeiffer, a 1979
SAIL candidate for ASUN's second vice presidency, arid
Scott Brittenham, a former senator and a candidate for
the ASUN presidency in 1979, announced their support
for Parsons in an afternoon press conference.
On the basis of the debates, Watters said Parsons stands
out from the other three candidates. Wessels and Parsons
have similar ideas, but the difference is in their sincerity,
he said.
"As far as Im concerned, he's worth his weight in
Krugerrands," Watters said.
Pfeiffer said that while all candidates are operating in
the university system, he agreed that Parsons plans for
implementing his goals stood out.
Brittenham said Parsons has a "keen sense of what
needs to be done."
Watters, Pfeiffer and Brittenham said they will actively
campaign for Parsons.
Parsons said he wasn't sure if Cuca would endorse him,
but was hoping he would.
"I'm very pleased with the decision he's made,"
Parsons said. "I think its the right decision."
Parsons said Cuca's endorsement will give his candidacy
a boost, but he will continue to campaign hard.
Wessels said she was disappointed about Cuca's
endorsement.
"I'm disappointed in Bud and his judgment, however I
don't feel his endorsement will have much of an impact."
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7n7Z of victory
Photo by Colin Hackley
"We're number one," Husker swimmer Anders
Rutqvist exlaims. UNL won Big Eight titles in both
men's swimming and diving, and in men's gymnas
tics this weekend. For stories, see page 14.
Group unveils five write-in candidates, platform
By Mary-JoPitzl
Students claiming that they have been denied their
right to a bona fide joke party, Militants Encouraging
Collegiate Aggression, Sunday unveiled their candidate
and presented a 12-point platform for this week's ASUN
elections.
Kirk Ehrlich, a journalism senior from Lincoln, was re
vealed as the unidentified candidate referred to in Daily
Nebraskan ads for the past month, according to Tim
Mommaerts, MECA party member. Ehrlich will run as a
write-in candidate for ASUN president.
Other candidates named on the MECA ticket were
Diane Walkowiak, a senior in social sciences ' from
Spalding for first vice president; Joe Beam, an electrical
engineering junior from Omaha for second vice president;
Dianna Todd, a freshman forestry major from lincoln for
agriculture college senator; and Ron Dahlkc, a non
student ambassador to the Air Park West Campus.
Althoueh there is no UNL campus at Air Park West,
Ehrlich said the party feels having an ambassador there
may strengthen its standing with the NU Board of
Regents' past proposal to relocate Memorial Stadium
there.
Mommaerts was quick to disassociate MECAs name
from an ofTampus organization of the same name.
The Monday Evening Club Amended, a broadiased
group that meets weekly off-campus, has no direct in
volvement with this campaign other than that the Monday
Evening Club launched the unknown candidate, Mom
maerts said.
"It would be grievously offensive to be called a joke
party" Ehrlich said. "I'm serious about everything on this
platform.
MECAs 12 proposals include:
-guaranteeing all students the rights to sex, drugs and
rock n roll.
-allying UNL with the "University of Wisconsin-Madison
in its war against the Universities of Kansas and Mis
souri, and set(ting) up ' an exchange treaty with UW-M
whereby we would trade corn for beer." Ehrlich explained
this would fulfill ASUN's overdue need for taking an ac
tive stand and said that, if elected, he would create a
department of war.
Ehrlich, figuring that MECA would get along pretty
well with presidential candidate Tim Munson, said he
would appoint Munson chairman of the Joint Chief of
Staffs of UNL
-replace all disco music in campus jukeboxes with
"Spike Jones recordings.
-allow religious testimony on campus and bring back
St. Christopher medals.
-establish a pub in the Nebraska Union. Beam said this
could open the door to selling beer at athletic events.
-"establish parity between Greeks and GDI's by elimi
nating the dorm system. Beam said MECA believes the
fraternities and sororities provide valuable services to the
university. Hie vacated residence halls would be used to
hold prisoners from the war with the Universities of
Kansas and Missouri.