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tuesday, march 25, 1 980
lincoln, nebraska vol. 104, no. 52
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Calendar guidelines freeze faculty, student input
By Shelley Smith
Specific calendar guidelines adopted by the NU Board
of Regents in 1978 are scheduled to take effect next fall,
halting calendar input from students and faculty indefin
itely. Prior to 1976, the calendar, which includes specific
dates for spring vacation, final exams, commencement,
and semester lengths, was established by a calendar
committee on each of Nil's three campuses.
Because of the time spent in constructing the calendar,
and problems it inevitably created, the regents established
a common calendar committee staffed by students and
faculty members from each of Nil's three campuses.' Its
directives were to formulate calendar guidelines that
would be uniform for the three campuses. The guidelines
were then adopted by the regents June 17, 1978.
However, they were not adopted without dispute, and
the guidelines taking effect next fall have received equal
criticism from faculty and'students.
Faculty senate opposed
The UNL faculty senate was opposed to the idea of a
common calendar, said Jim Lake, 1977-78 faculty senate
president and current law professor.
The faculty thought it should have the right to deter
mine UNL's educational process, arguing that calendar
timetables are within academic standards, Lake said.
There was no logical reason for the calendars to be joined,
he added.
"But, with the amount of valuableime spent arguing
over the calendar, we knew something had to be done,"
Lake said. "The guidelines were a compromise to get us
out of arguing with the regents arbout a common calendar.
They didn't believe what I said, I didn't agree with what
they waa ted."
Roscoe Shields, associate professor of elementary
education and faculty senate calendar committee chair
man, agreed the issue of a common calendar "did not set
well with the faculty "
Shields' said under" the "guidelines, Ifie" only calendar
changes made would have to result from a direct change
in the guidelines.
"I could program a computer and have the calendar
set for the next one million years," Lake said, referring
to the lack of input.
ASUN President Bud Cuca said he opposed the guide
lines because students and faculty should have active in
put into calendar decisions.
Guidelines inflexible
Shields said he believes students needs wilt change
throughout the years, and that the guidelines might not be
the best to suit those needs.
'The calendar ought to be set to benefit students and
the educational program. Both students and faculty
should have a say in it," he said.
Under the guidelines, UNO's spring break next year
will be different thanlhe Omaha Public School's spring
vacation for the first time ever, creating problems for
families with children in both systems, Lake said. Also,
the NU Medical Center must change its current calendar
drastically next year to be in compliance with the regent
guidelines.
Spring vacation, next year, will fall during the 11th
week of school, and five weeks will remain when students
'return to their respective campuses. This year, UNL's
spring break is the 12th week of school, and only four
weeks will remain when students return April 7.
The faculty seriate opposed the NU systems proposed
calendar for this year because of the shortened time span
after spring break is over. Although the calendar did not
need senate approval to be adopted, many faculty
members hoped the regents would listen to the senate's
position.
"But, as usual as we were a voice crying in the wilder
ness," Lake said.
The UNL faculty senate has continued to keep its
eight-member calendar committee, Lake said, and added"
that it will probably take on a guideline "police type
role."
"It will be there to handle any problems that might
arise with the calendar or scheduling," he said.
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Reflections on
a blue Monday
Photo by Mark Billingsley
Lourdes Nezda passively waits for her ride home
inside the Nebraska Union as the weather outside
took a blustery turn.
Omaha teacher openings few if lid' stays sealed
By Mary Jo Pitzl
The lid clamped on the Omaha Public Schools' budget
in August may have created a vacuum in the teacher job
market, but teacher placement and OPS officials caution
it's too early to predict any job shortages in Omarva,
"If the lid stays on, it will have an effect on the
number of teachers OPS can hire," said Ron Anderson,
assistant superintendent of QPS. The lid, which froze
further budget expansion; is being debated by the Legis
lature, It is possibile the Legislature will remove the lid
before the session e nds April 11 .
Anderson said everything depends on the Legislature's
action and the budget recommendations made by the
Omaha Board of Education. Budget studies will start-in
April, Anderson said, so it is too early to say if there will
be a cut in teacher posts.
Also, until OPS teachers return their job contracts
April 15 and until OPS officials have staffing meetings
with school principals later this spring, job., market
predictability is fuzzy, Anderson said. A , . '
The mood among teacher placement officials is wait
and see, according to a check with officials at UNL and
Creighton University, The main source for OPS teachers
is Nebraska colleges, primarily UNL, UNO, Creighton and
Kearney State College, Anderson said .
600 graduates
Lee DeJonge,, director of teacher placement for the
UNL Teachers College, said there will be about 600 spring
graduates with teaching certification.
UNL graduates have traditionally shown a lot of
interest in the Omaha and Lincoln areas for jobs,
DeJonge said, but added he cannot predict how the bud
get lid will affect job possibilities with the OPS.
Larry Johnson, chairman of the education department
at Creighton University, said there is a feeling among
graduating seniors that OPS jobs may not be available.
"But it's all so premature," Johnson said. "It's only the
looking time for our people."
Johnson emphasized that students are' encouraged to
not limit themselves when looking for jobs, but if they
are limited by geographic or other conditions, they may
be disappointed when job hunting.
A "fairly heavy" number of Creighton graduates look
to metropolitan areas for teaching jobs, Johnson said,
adding Omaha is one of those cities.
90 percent placement
Johnson said that about 40 Creighton students will
graduate this spring with teaching certificates. Last year,
90 percent of the Creighton t teaching graduates were
placed in jobs, he said .
. Both Anderson and DeJonge said that the number of
people entering the teaching field is lower than in the
past.
In 1971.72,1,208 certified teachers graduated from
UNL, DeJonge said. Of the students that registered with
the placement office last year, 93 S percent took jobs,
75.9 percent of them in teaching posts, he said.
DeJonge admitted that there has been an "overkill
in the number of teaching graduates and consequently
some teaching areas lack qualified teachers.
"Nationwide, the colleges are producing fewer certified
teachers each year," DeJonge said. "As a result, special
education, vocational agriculture, math, science and even
English are showing up as shortage areas."
Several factors
He attributed this shortage to several factors, among
them more attractive salaries in the private job sector,
lower teachers' salaries and a mistaken encouragement
to not pursue teaching careers.
Students should not have been dissuaded from entering
the teaching profession, DeJonge said, but rather should
have been cautioned to avoid certain teaching areas having
an overabundance of teachers.
Anderson said OPS estimates teacher turnover at about
10 percent this year.
"Over the years, the number of new teachers we've
brought in has declined," he said, explaining this is be
cause of declining school enrollments and more lucrative
job offers in the private sector.
The budget lid, if enforced, will curtail the number of
people OPS will be able to hire, affect class size and could
lead to possible salary cuts and even dismissals if the
money situation gets too tight , he said .
No one is safe: State Democratic chairman says either
party can win ... . Page 2.
Park it here: IIpw to plan a camping and recreation
excursion in city and state parks Page 9.
It's a bird, a plane, No it's. . .: UNL diver Scott Hinrichs
aims for more than just the pool, he hopes to be a
stunt man in films page 10.
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