thursday, january 22, 1981
lincoln, nebraska vol. 106, no. 9
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Professors say big classes may limit enrollments
By Reid Warren
Sexual morality, the origins of life, suicide, marriage
and communism are available to any UNI. student.
But students will have to act fast next semester or they
may miss out.
Sexual morality is not going out of style, but the UNL
Philosophy Department is facing a maximum number of
students with a minimum number of faculty members.
"Things don't look very optimistic." Department
Chairman Nelson Potter said.
"We've reached the point where we can't really add
any more students," Potter said.
Potter estimated that since 1973 the department has
increased its output (based on the number of credit hours
produced) by 55 percent.
"It's very seldom that we've had to cut off enroll
ment," he said. "But we're going to have to stop that."
A few years ago, he said, an average class of 50 stud-
Residence hall
rates to go up
By Ken Merlin
University Housing Office Director Doug Zatechka
confirmed plans for a rate increase next year, which will
be announced at a Residence Hall Association meeting
tonight at 7 in the Nebraska Union.
The main reason for the increase is the rising cost of
steam heat for the residence halls a 45 percent increase
in January because of the jump in the price of natural
gas.
In addition, food prices are expected to rise 12.5 per
cent to 15 percent next year, along with a 12.5 percent
increase in salaries and benefits for university employees.
Zatechka said his office is taking action to reduce the
cost to residents by keeping housing rates 2 percent to
4 percent below the inflation rate, by holding operating
costs within 1 percent of the budget and by keeping the
residence halls full.
"We've been successful in meeting our goals by opening
the semester with 103 to 104 percent occupancy and
assigning students to triple rooms," he said.
Zatechka said the triple-room policy has caused some
controversy, but research at another university shows stu
dents got along well with a third roommate.
The residence hall occupancy rate improves as off
campus living expenses go up. he said.
"The cost of room and board in the residence halls is
well below what the average student can find off cam
pus." Zatechka said.
But higher heat bills are forcing the housing office to
seek ways to reduce the budget in other areas and find al
ternate sources of financing not in the operating budget.
"We've earmarked things we felt could be reduced or
limited without agitating residents." he said.
"Some students won't notice anything has changed."
cuts was in a discussion class. Now, the average is 100
students and frequently more.
Increasing enrollment creates problems when a de
partment can't receive funds for additional staff. Potter
said.
Less personal contact
It means less personal interaction between student and
teacher, less discussion, and fewer papers assigned
because of the increased amount of paperwork created by
large classes. In one class. Potter has 300 students.
"It's difficult to do as good a job teaching a large class
with a smaller amount of time," he said.
"We'll have to compromise more than we should."
Associate Professor Philip Hugly agreed.
"We've already gone past a reasonable limit," Hugly
said.
Hugly said a lack of teaching assistants means philos
ophy discussion groups arc larger than they should be to
hav; effective discussions.
Philosophy 1 10, a logic class that Hugly frequently
teaches, used to have two lectures and one discussion
class per week.
Now. Philosphy 1 10 has no discussion. The reason is
the larger classes with no teaching assistants for them,
Hugly said.
"The real change is in the contact with the students,"
he said. "The students are losing the opportunity to open
up in discussion.
"I think it's a big loss."
Night classes take resources
An agreement between the Philosophy Department and
the University Extension Service, which organizes night
classes, also contributes to the problem. Hughly said.
According to I lugly, a staff member was hired 10 years
ago to be paid by the extension service and the College
of Arts and Sciences to teach at both levels.
Since then, Hugly said, the College of Arts and Scienc
es has never assumed full-time payment of the staff mem
ber, so the philosophy staff still has to split teaching time
with the extension service.
As a result, Hugly said, his department must teach six
extension courses a year, when it already has more than it
can handle with a normal day schedule.
Hugly said he feels the College of Arts and Sciences
should accept full-time payment of the staff member.
"I realize they're on a tight budget," Hugly said, "but
it's a relatively small amount of money.
"We're not talking about $50,000, we're talking about
$6,000."
Continued on Page 6
it
Photo by Mark Billingsley
The lowering of the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance Wednesday in Lincoln herald the long-awaited free
dom of the American hostages. A group of public officials and a few hundred spectators gathered for the
event. From left to right: Lt. Gov. Roland Luedtke acting on behalf of Gov. Charles Thone, who is in Wash
ington, D.C., State Sen. George Fenger, State Treasurer Frank Marsh and Paul Needham, father of freed
hostage Paul Needham of Bellevue.
ASUN votes against polling in Greek houses
By Mary Louise Knapp
Rules for the March 4 ASUN election
were approved by the senate Wed
nesday night, with several amendments.
A motion to delete Greek houses from
the list of available polling places passed by
a vote of I9-6. In the l()K0 elections, three
fraternity or sorority houses close to 1 61 h
and R Streets were designated by ASUN as
polling places.
Several ASUN senators said the voter
turnout at the Greek houses had been too
low last year to use them as polling places
again.
An amendment that would have re
quired executive candidates to pay a SIO
filing fee was deleted from the rules.
Sen. Rumaldo Lovato said the amend
ment encouraged "economic discrimina
tion" and should be removed.
Sen Teresa Zeilinger spoke in favor of
the amendment, saving executive candi
dates should pay the fee because they are
paid a salary for their ASUN duties.
Sen. John lleineman. who also favored
the amendment, said that it would deter
joke parties and candidates.
An amendment permitting future par
ties to use the names of previous parties
was passed by a vote of 15-5-3.
The election rules had stated that no
party name used in the past
four elections could be used again. Accord
ing to the amendment, party members
must obtain written consent from 50 per
cent of the party candidates from the pre
vious year to use that party name again.
The filing deadline for all offices is Feb.
IS at 4 p.m.
Candidates who wish to run for any
office may pick up a form beginning Feb.
S in the ASUN office. 115 Nebraska
Union.
Lxecutive. senatorial and CFA
(Committee for Fees Allocation) candi
dates may also pick up filing forms in the
Dean of Agriculture's office. College advi
sory board candidates may pick up filing
forms in the ASUN office or their respec
tive college dean's office.
The filing deadline for student parties
is Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. also. A student party
must file a Party Statement of Intent.
Financial forms from all official candi
dates and or parties must be turned in by
March 4 at 4 p.m.
For write-in candidates to be eligible
for office, they must file a financial form
with the ASUN secretary by March 5 at
4 p.m.
The filing deadline for all proposed
amendments and referendums to the
ASUN constitution is Feb. 18 at 4 p.m.
All forms, rules and information may
be obtained in the ASUN office beginning
Feb. 8 at noon.
In other business. ASUN passed a reso
lution opposing the implementation of
laboratory fees as described by a commit
tee appointed by the Board of Regents.
Dan Wedekind, one of those submitting
the resolution, said that the committee had
not given ASUN enough information about
its findings.
The Task Force on Laboratory Fees, as
the committee is called , recently developed
three models tor implementing lab fees.
Interim Chancellor Robert Rutford had
requested ASUN's response to them.
Wedekind said that until several unanswer
ed questions of concern to students were
answered by the task force, ASUN could
not formulate a complete written response
for Rutford.
The task force suggested three methods
of determining lab fees. One of these
would charge one standard lab fee to all
undergraduate students; the second would
charge a standard lab fee to any student
taking a laboratory course, and the third
would establish specific lab fees for each
course on the basis of the cost of lab
materials.
thursday
Beating the Odds: UNL graduate student
Roger Mastalir has become one of the few
musicians ever to be awarded a Rhodes
Scholarship Page 6
"Strait' From the Heart: With the song
writing strength of Mark Knopfler, Dire
Straits releases one of the year's best
albums Page 8
Looking Up: Coach Ray Huppert says
things look better this semester for the
women's swimming team Page 10