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I lincoln, nebraska vol. 105, no. 22
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Photo by Mitch Hrdlicka
The late September chill may be filling the air as autumn arrives, but not enough to discourage this Lincoln
resident. John Dunlap sets out his Ashing pole and relaxes under a nearby tree at Holmes Lake.
Senators think budget increase fair
By Steve Miller
Reactions from the Legislature's Appropriations
Committee members were generally sympathetic to the NU
budget request to increase state aid in the 1981-82 budget
by 18 percent.
The request for the $21,146,000 increase was voted
on and approved at the last meeting of the NU Board of
Regents.
i
Waverly Sen. Jerome Warner said he thought the
university could use the increase but that he didn't
think it would get that much.
"I imagine it will end up something less than
that, "Warner said. "I presume that the regents re
quested what would be desirable, but realistically I don't
think it's going to be at that level."
Sen. Steve Fowler of Lincoln said he would support
the 18 percent increase.
"That amount doesn't seem out of line," he said.
"If the governor hadn't vetoed the amount proposed
by the Appropriations Committee last year we wouldn't
see this great a request.
Adequate funds
Fowler said that currently the state has more than ade
quate funds to cover the request.
"Chances for that amount depend on what the gover
nor gives in his budget proposal," he said. "Then there
will be a compromise and the governor has the final
decision."
Fowler also said he thought the university was reaching
a critical decision-making point on maintaining programs.
He said he hoped there would be enough money approved
so programs would not have to be cut.
He said he thought that morale on NU campuses was
less than it used to be.
Staffs continue to be dedicated, but it's hard for them
when they think of the lack of money, Fowler said.
Jerry Sellentin, Fowler's opponent for the 27th
District legislative seat, said that because of the setbacks
in last year's budget, rising enrollment and costs, ne would
also support the request if elected.
"I don't think the university needs to apologize for
asking for an increase because they lost ground," Sellentin
said.
Make up ground
Selletin added that he thought the 18 percent increase
might make up for some of that lost ground and help
maintain quality programs.
Sen. Shirley Marsh of Lincoln said that the re
quest was- in line and that needs were not met last
year.
She said she thought that there would be a loss of
faculty because of low salaries.
"Professors are being asked to stay on in good faith,"
she said. "But we're going to loose faculty.
"We can appreciate dedication but we can't continue
to count on that.
"They (professors) feel the same cost of living pinch
as the rest of us."
Sen. Marsh's opponent, LaVonne Crosby, said she
couldn't comment about the request without doing some
research.
"I am pro-university," Crosby said. "I feel that they
need to make improvements but I don't know what the
state has in its fund.
"I'm for the university getting whatever it can get as
long as it is justified."
NU budget increase 'vital Marsh
Kruegerrand's are a "disagreeable form of wealth for
many persons in the United States," but the main issue
facing UNL now is how the Krugerrands can help the un
iversity, Sen. Shirley Marsh told business students Mon
day. Marsh spoke at the College of Business Administration.
Her remarks on the Krugerrand issue came in response
to questions after her speech.
Marsh said that as a state senator, she has no control
over what will be done with the 1 ,300 Kruegerrands do
nated to the NU Foundation last January by James Coe
of Phoenix, Ariz.
Hie damage endangered by controversy over the
coins has been done, she said, and it would do no good
to return the gift. To give the Kruegerrands back would
be tantamount to sending back educational opportunities,
she later said.
It is unfair to second-guess the decision made by others
to keep the coins, she said, but recommended that the
Kruegerrands be converted to another form of money.
Marsh, a member of the Legislature's Appropriations
Committee, told the students that the 18 percent budget
increase suggested by the NU Board of Regents is "vital."
Because the university did not receive support last year
the regents had no choice but to ask for the large increase,
she said.
Marsh said students should realize that the quality of
education at UNL depends on the level of funding approv
ed by the Legislature.
Funding cuts have made larger-than-ideal classes nece
ssary, she said. The problem is especially evident in the
business college, because its enrollment is increasing faster
than some other colleges, she said.
Marsh urged students to find out who their state sena
tors are by calling the legislative clerk's office.
Legislators need to hear from their constituents, she
said.
"We (legislators) don't hear from students as often as I
think we should," she said.
Pay increase could
give faculty parity
By Betsy Miller
UNL faculty can expect to reach salary parity with
similar size universities if the Nebraska Legislature
approves a 12 percent faculty salary increase in the 1984
1985 academic year, said UNL Faculty Senate President
Ezekiel Bahar Thursday.
A 12 percent increase in employee salaries for next
year was included in the NU operating budget approved
by the NU Board of Regents on Sept. 12.
Bahar said this increase translates into 10.5 percent
raise in salary funds, a 1 percent increase in retirement
funds and 0.5 percent more in fringe benefits.
UNL needs a 18 percent salary increase to reach parity
by 1981-82, the report said.
With a 10.5 percent increase in salaries this year, the
report showed that UNL salaries will still be 9.19 percent
behind those of other land-grant universities which, like
UNL, are members of the Association of American Uni
versities. The universities of Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and
Wisconsin were no included in the report. Iowa State,
Michigan State, Ohio State, Pennsylvania State and
Purdue Universities were also included.
Bahar emphasized that the final increase of 12 percent
in the budget was not a figure "pulled out of mid-air,"
but part of a gradual faculty salary increase which will
help UNL achieve salary parity .
The 12 percent salary increase for this year came after
close study by the salary study committee, Bahar said.
The projected increase that other university faculties
will receive this year plus one-fourth of the difference
between UNL and other college faculty salaries were
added to come up the 12 percent increase, Bahar said.
Hopefully, in four years, UNL salaries will be at the
same level as salaries at other universities, Bahar said.
Parity level rising
According to Bahar, parity will be difficult to achieve
because the parity level UNL is aiming for this year will
probably keep rising.
"We're shooting at a moving target," Bahar said.
He said, at first NU President Ronald Roskens and the;
regents made a tentative agreement to reach salary equal
ity in three years, but that later the plan had to be revised
so parity could be attained in 1985.
"This is not as fast as we expected," Bahar said.
He said that UNL faculty salaries shouldn't bebelow
average in the first place and that faculty members might
be justified in asking for a total elimination of the parity
differential all at once.
However, Bahar said that the faculty is practical and
realizes that parity will take some time to achieve.
Current economic factors make it impossible for the
university budget to include enough funds to eliminate
the salary discrepancy all at once, he said.
The salary committee report said that UNL salaries in
creased 7.4 percent from 1978-79 to 1979-80.
However, in 1979-80, UNL salaries were 10.49 percent
lower than salaries at other universities studied, according
to the report.
"There is no reason why we should have a gap to begin
with. We deliver as good an education as anyone in the
Big Eight," Bahar said.
The extra money for salaries at UNL receives this year
will be divided up for two main uses according to Faculty
Senate Secratary Earl Green.
A majority will be used to reward faculty members for
satisfactory service and the rest will go to award members
for special works of merit, he said.
"It (funding increase) doesn't mean that everyone
would get an increase in their salary," Green said.
Green said performance and merit pay increases are
decided by faculty supervisors.
These supervisors decide how much each instructor
should get for good work, according to Green.
Continued on Page 3
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Moving Up: Yell Squad tumbles for Big Red. . . . Page 10