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Wednesday, august 20, 1980
lincoln, nebraska vol. 105, no. 1
Pride, planning are priorities interim chancellor
Dy Alice 1 1 mice k
Developing a campus-wide planning process and help
ing UNL students overcome an "inferiority'' complex are
top priorities for Robert Rutford, UNL interim chan
cellor. The Minnesota native said decreased university growth
in future years because of fewer high school graduates
must be considered in any planning process.
Rutford called for a campus-wide planning committee
such as the one initiated last year by former chancellor
Roy Young, whom Rutford replaced Aug. 10. Young has
accepted a research position at a Cornell University
institute.
Young's replacement has been vice chancellor for re
search and graduate studies at UNL since 1977. Rutford
first came to UNL from the University of South Dakota in
1972 to head the Ross Ice Shelf Coring Office.
He was director of the Division of Polar Programs for
the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C.
from 1975 to 1977.
Turned administrator
Rutford said his move from being a geologist to an ad
ministrator was prompted when he was an administrative
assistant at the University of Minnesota for expenditions
to Anarctica.
"I enjoyed it and I could get things done," he said.
"There are a lot of very good scientists who look at ad
ministration as a necessary evil. I thought it might be my
place to make things easier for thern."
The interim chancellor said that a response to the NU
Board of Regents five-year plan, released in May, would
include studies of Teachers College, the department of
food science and technology and food service manage
ment. However, he said, revisions probably will be made. "A
plan is out of date the day it is written," Rutford said.
Rutford said he hopes the students can realize the high
quality of education at UNL.
"Students have the idea that they aren't getting a good
education. Every measure we have indicates they are. We
want to infuse back that pride," Rutford said.
Taxpayer awareness
A greater taxpayer awareness of the funds necessary to
upgrade faculty and student resources is needed, he said.
"If we want to maintain the level of excellence, it will
take financial support," he said.
Rutford sees his goal as being similar to Young's
but it will be accomplished by a "different means."
Young, who has been criticized for not dealing in a
hard-line fashion, was one of UNL's "most humane"
administrators, Rutford said.
"The mark he left is an emphasis on scholastic pro
grams." Rutford will get a $300-a-month raise for serving as
interim chancellor. His salary is $58,100, a year. The
approved salary for Young this year would have been
$59,950.
An interim vice chancellor for research and graduate
studies is expected to be chosen near the beginning of
the fall term, Rutford said.
The search for a new chancellor has been on since the
end of Jury.
t Pf ft - i
Robert Rutford
Daily Utbrmkan photo
Rutford said he is in the running for the chancellor
position, but doesn't "intend to act as a candidate. I
don't intend to let my interests alter my actions.
Schmit's vet school idea
Legislature hearing topic
By Steve Miller
Alternatives to Bellwood Sen. Loran
Schmit's proposal f lat Nebraska build a
veterinary school will be djscussed Sept. 10
at a conference of the Legislature's Edu
cation Committee.
Schmit recently trinounced he would
sponsor legislation fo a veterinary school
in Nebraska.
Legislation last ye. r called for a study
of building a school vith Nebraska funds
being matched by four other states.
Schmit proposes that Nebraska put the
money up for construction.
There is always the need for someone"
to take leadership," Schmit said. "With fjve
states interested in joining in this kind of
venture it is too easy for everybody to just
sit back and wait for someone else to make
the first move.
"Since the school will be built in Ne
braska we should take the. leadership."
The other four schools interested in the
original proposal are Wyoming, Montana,
South Dakota and North Dakota.
Dale Siefices, senatorial staff member,
said he had been instructed by Sen. Gerald
Koch, Omaha, to arrange the September
meeting.
Siefkes said Sen. Chris Beutler, Lincoln,
and Sen. Tom Vickers, Famam requested
that Koch have the meeting. Vickers and
Beutler both oppose the new construction
proposal.
Expensive operation
Vickers said he thought both construct
ion and operation of the school would be
u
an-
Don't Say Charge It: UNL students will no
longer be able to use charge cards for
housing and tuition payments . . Page 2.
Loans on the Line: The federal govern
ment threatens UNL with a cut off of
National Defense Student Loan
money. Page 8.
Same Old Song: Inflation has increased
the cost of a bus ride in Lincoln Page 24.
extremely expensive, possibly more than
the.state could afford.
"I have to have it proven to me that
that's the way we have to do it," Vickers
said. "There are other options."
Vickers said he would 'rather expand
present regional agreements with out-of-state
veterinary schools. He said he thought
there were adequate openings at other
schools to handle Nebraska students.
Vickers saiq at least one school, Iowa
State, might be interested in opening up
more contracts for Nebraska students.
Vickers said that earlier this summer he
had sent a letter to Martin Massengale, vice
chancellor for the institute of agriculture,
accusing him of sitting on information that
Iowa State was interested in opening an
additional 15 spots for Nebraska students.
The addition would make a total of 31
contracts at Iowa State.
Vickers said that Massengale had
responded that the offer was not official.
Something to negotiate
"It was an offer though," Vickers said,
"It gives us something to negotiate. We
don't have to build our own facilities."
Massengale said that Iowa State had
only expressed an interest in offering more
contracts and nothing had been com
mitted yet.
"The thing that some people are missing
is that if we build our own school we
would control a complete program,"
Massengale said.
"Not only would the school benefit the
students but the whole state and the live
stock industry."
Massengale said he thinks the cost to
Nebraska for construction of a school wiO
be made up when other states pay for con
tracts for their students.
Earl Dickinson,- UNL head of veterinary
science, said he doesn't think opponents of
Schmit's proposal realize what it costs the
state to send students to other schools.
"First of all, the number of students we
can get into schools is up to someone else," -Dickinson
said.
"We've recovered from when Colorado
and Oklahoma cut us off completely. We're
all right now. But down the road who is to
say what might happen as far as guaranteed
contracts."
Continued on Page 3
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UNL: frosh Twilight Zone
Analysis By Tom Prentiss
Every year at this rime thousands
of unsuspecting freshmen arrive in
the educational and social equivalent
of the Twilight Zone.
"Caught in a world they know
nothing of and surrounded by peo
ple they do not, know" might be the
way Rod Sterling would have begun his
introduction.
But Rod Serling isn't here. You,
Joe and Josi College Freshman are
and it's time to let you in on what
the whole place is all about.
Being a freshman is like being a
baby. In a way, it sends us all back
to the playpen for awhile.
Remember all the neat times in
the playpen? Well, now those times
are replaced by college: rah-rahs
instead of rattles, studying instead
of sucking your thumb and as in
the playpen, you have one objec
tive on your mind-you want to get
out.
But fear not, for college is and can
be a Good Time in the truest sense
of the words. Like a fine golfer
playing . a tough hole, it depends
on your approach.
There, are several philosophies that
parents, brothers, sisters and anyone
who has ever been to college like
to impress upon incoming freshmen
as "The Way to Go to College.
Listen attentively when they
speak. Nod frequently and as soon
as they drive off go play Bob Dylan's
"Like a Rolling Stone" on your
stereo.
The words should tell you . that
you are now captain of your fate
for probably the first time in your
,life. Do not let it scare you. You
are not alone.
Some of the doctrines of "The
Way to Go to College" warrant
examination.
The Purpose of College is to
Obtain Useful Employment Upon
Graduation" Theory-Sounds very
nice but is highly impractical If you
wanted employment you wouldn't
be sitting through geology lectures
that make Ronald Reagan's proposals
look like current events.
Continued on page 13
