Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 29, 1985)
ccc Weather: Mostly cloudy and cool today. Winds southerly 5-15 mph becoming north erly later this afternoon. High of 65. Continued cloudy tonight with a low of 44. Partly cloudy on Wednesday with a high of 63. Firehouse's 1 Do.!' worth the hour drive Arts and Entertainment, page 7 Wrestling coach seeks reversal of last season Sports, page 9 Oo T silly r October 29, 1984 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol. 85 No. 46 - S3 opposes salary cuiti By Joseph Dejka Staff Reporter NU President Ronald Roskens said in a state ment released Monday that he opposes "any proposed response to additional budget reduc tions that would cut faculty or staff salaries." "Clearly any such reductions would consti tute a severe blow to an excellent faculty and staff whose salaries already are well below those of their academic and professional peers," Roskens said. Roskens was responding to the suggestion made at Friday's NU Board of Regents meeting to cut salaries to meet the 3 percent mid-year budget cut proposed by Gov. Bob Kerrey. NU Regent Robert Koefoot of Grand Island said Friday that a 1 percent decrease in salaries would generate more than $1.8 million. Joseph Rowson, NU public affairs director, said Monday that because UNL competes in "the national marketplace" for competent and quali fied faculty members, such a salary cut could hinder competition. UNL's standing already is low, Rowson said. Such salary cuts would only hurt faculty morale, induce staff members to look for posi tions elsewhere and restrict faculty recruitment, he said. NU Executive Vice President and Provost Lee Jones said faculty salaries have been a major priority at UNL but salaries still are not competi tive with peer institutions. Any university must try to create an environ ment for faculty members to grow and develop in their particular field, Jones said. . Faculty members are the most important fac tor in building a quality university, but a salary cut symbolically reduces their importance, he said. A faculty salary cut now is especially bad timing because in the early to mid-1990s UNL will need more faculty members, Jones said. Many faculty members will retire in the 1990s, he said. Student enrollment is expected to increase, he said, and industry will become a more attrac tive option to qualified faculty members. Roskens gave a tentative list of possible budget cuts to the Legislature Appropriations Committee. Cuts include hiring freezes of full time faculty members, spending reductions for part-time faculty members and firing some staff members who are not tenured faculty members, ' M- Mf" i 1 .Vf'' yc. . ".- Phil TsaiDaily Nebraskan Committee plans Lied Center use By Molly Adams Staff Reporter When the Lied Center for Performing Arts is built, it will supplement academics at the uni versity, said the chairman of the committee in charge of planning and programming for the center. "The center should be an integral part of academics, and as a committee, we've approached different departments and asked 'How can we help?' and 'What are your needs?' " said Larry Lusk. Lusk said the committee will encourage peo ple and student organizations interested in using the center. However, for events that draw only about 200 people, Lusk said the committee might have the group use Kimball Hall or the Sheldon Art Gallery instead. Lusk said the center will accomodate about 2,500 people, with access for the physically han dicapped. The dance department's faculty offi ces also will be in the center, Lusk said students will be offered the same ticket discounts they get now at Kimball, Shel don and Howell Theater. "The university owes students an education, and it is important for that education to include exposure to the arts," he said. Lusk said the committee is examining six aspects that will affect programming and the general operation of the center. They include: O policy of costs O priority of use scheduling administrative staff and committee set-up of the center O special relationships between the UNL music department and the center special relationships between the UNL dance department and the center. Sara Boatman, director of Campus Activities and Programs and a committee member, said it has been the committee's job to consider how the center can best serve the community, state and region. The committee was created by UNL Chancellor Martin Massengale. The committee consists of 1 2 faculty members. Twelve students soon will be added to the committee. The center will be funded with a $10 million gift from former Omaha businessman Ernst Lied. The money was given with the intention that it would be used specifically to build a performing arts center. The Legislature appropriated $5 mil lion for the project. Students protest minority professor cut By Linda Hartmann Staff Reporter Members of the UNL Afrikan People's Union and other students said they want to see more attempts to keep a minority professor's position from being eliminated. Zelma Mosley's temporary teaching position in the political science and ethnic studies departments recently drew attention because funds to continue the position next fall have not been authorized. Mosley's course, "Blacks in the American Political System," will not be offered next semester. Members of the Afrikan People's Union and former students in the course met with UNL Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Robert Furgason. At the meeting, Furgason told students he was concerned about retention and recruitment of minority professors at UNL, but budget cuts work against him. Furgason said he must look at each position individually and with respect to the needs of all departments when deciding whether to autho rize funds to keep a position open. With recent 1.5 percent budget cuts and possible 3 percent cuts pending in the Legislature, Furgason said a prudent decision was made. Reshell Moore, president of the Afrikan Peo ple's Union, said the meeting did not accomplish much. She said the students were "left hang ing," being told nothing more cart be done. Moore said this shows a lack of commitment on the part of some administrators to get and keep more minority faculty members at UNL. Furgason said considerable efforts were made to keep Mosley in the position. Temporary funds were authorized for the position during the 1984 85 school year, but funds had to be taken from another political science position to keep Mos ley's position open during the 1985-86 year. Moore and Furgason agreed that the univer sity should have more minority professors in each department so that a single position wouldn't become the focal point of discussion. Furgason said some people believe Mosley's position can be held only by a black professor. David Rapkin, political science chairperson, said although the course could be taught by a professor of any race, it is desirable to have a black instructor teach it. Moore said black students need more minor ity professors as role models and counselors. She said black students have little leadership on campus because there are so few full-time minority professors. She said the class Mosley teaches is impor tant because it brings the black perspective into studies about American politics. Please see MINORITY on 3 Surveys slwiv Nebraskans more satisfied with life than most By Mike Weibel Staff Reporter Editor's Note: This is the second story in a flve-purt series about research at UNL. "Vcikir-2 for the future" ; examines Just a . few : of ; the : many research prefects atihej university. NctKskans fire generally mere satisfied with the quality of life in their state than other people across the country, accordng to a national comparison of surveys. Working for Alan Cooth, co-directcr cf UNL's Bureau cf Sociolcjicd research, said "the good life" noticn fits well with Nebraskans.." '-'fy-- Since 1977, the bureau has con ducted The Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey to determine the quality of life in Nebraska. Every year, the views and opin ions of 1,800 Nebraskans are gather ed through telephone interviews. The survey includes questions about the environment, housing, health, recreation, oceujT.:icn, eaacation, family: life and 0 reflect the respc life. ide r natters tnat r.ts' quality of "Each interview is approximately 40 minutes long," Booth said. "Once you get them talking for five to ten minutes, they get interested in the survey. They don't mind talking for that long." Booth said telephone numbers are selected by a computer. People with unlisted numbers have an equal probability of being included in the survey, he said. According to the NASIS Prospec tus 198G, the survey is designed to serve two functions; to provide con temporary data on single years and to provide a picture of changes in quality of life in the state. To fuilfill the second purpose, Booth said, the same people are called every other year to see how their views have changed over a period of time. He said some people look forward to their calls every two years. : Please see RESEARCH on 5