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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 1985)
:y W;:-.W:. Weather: Cloudy this morning with a 30 per cent chance of light snow. Becoming partly cloudy this afternoon with a high of 28. Clear and cold tonight. Low of 15. Sunny on Thursday with a high near 30. Ensembles to jazz up Kimball tonight Arts and Entertainment, page 6 Huppert hopes Huskers make waves in invitational Sports, page 5 0 1 o 1 hlakH. tff .jfr -n-' December 4, 1985 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol. 85 No. 69 Tenure worth problems, UNL officials say By Deb Hooker Staff Reporter Some UNL administrators and facul ty members say that while problems exist with the university's tenure sys tem, it should not be abolished. The officials were responding this week to a national survey irt which one third of higher education instructors said students would get a better edu cation if the tenure system didn't exist. Tenure virtually guarantees a per manent job. The survey, conducted by the Carne gie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, included both tenured and non-tenured instructors, said Robert Hochstein, director of communica tions for the foundation The third who favored abolishing tenure could have been instructors who have not been tenured yet or instructors who actually think its abolishment would improve higher education, Hochstein said. The survey did not ask participants why they didn't support tenure. Support of tenure varies at UNL. "I would not have voted with that 1 don't think it makes that big of a difference. I think it's kind of a plum that we can offer.' T. E. Hartung, dean College of Agriculture third," said Henry Holtzclaw, UNL's interim chairman of the chemistry department. Holtzclaw said tenure protects pro fessors' right to freedom of expression in the classroom. Without tenure, he said, professors would be less able to discuss controversial issues in class because it could cost them their jobs. However, the job security that tenure offers can cause problems, he said. Dismissal is possible "If a person is incompetent and has tenure, then their job is protected, Holtzclaw said. G.G. Meisels, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said that while it is hard to fire an incompetent tenured professor, it is possible. "Tenured professors can be dis missed only if they are not doing their job," he said. "The university must show cause." Tenure protects professors from being fired for expressing views that are unpopular with people who may have enough influence with the univer sity to have control over professors' jobs, Meisels said. Robert Furgason, UNL vice chancel lor for academic affairs said the univer sity has to prove that the instructor should be fired. They cannot lose their jobs for capricious or arbitrary reasons. "Until they are tenured," he said, "we have the ability to inform them that their contract will not be re newed." Furgason said instructors must work at the university for six years before they are considered for tenure. During this time, they are on an annual con tract and are reviewed yearly. Six years needed Furgason said there is a great deal of screening for tenure. Instructors must complete their six years and be recommended for tenure by their de partment chairman to their college's committee. The committee must then send its approval to the college dean. The dean sends his recommendation to the vice chancellor for academic af fairs, who sends it to the chancellor. The NU Board ot Regents gives final approval for tenure status. Because instructors must go through so much screening before they receive tenure, Furgason said, he doubts tenured professors will let their work slide simply because they have more job security. He said that type of person would not make it through the process. However, Furgason said, some pro fessors let their work slide below par due to problems like lack of interest or energy. "I don't think tenure itself is the villain," he said. T.E. Hartung, dean of the College of Agriculture, agreed that tenure does not lower the quality of teaching at UNL. He said recruiting good faculty members and providing them with good professional guidance will keep the quality up. "I don't think it makes that big of a difference," Hartung said. "I think it's kind of a plum that we can offer. Some of our younger faculty might not hang on if they didn't think they had a chance of some security. And we need all of them." Students agree UNL insurance satisfiesFrieeis:: By Jen Deselms Staff Reporter A survey done by the University Health Center Board showed that ,91.04 percent of students who bought student health insu rance last year were satisfied with the coverage. The board surveyed 6? students who bought the insurance last year. Of the 13 students who did not buy the plan again this year, none were dissatisfied with the coverage. This fall 1,603 students bought the plan. This number is down 161 from 1934-85. Gary Wilkinson, the health center's director of business services, said difficulties in getting information about the insurance to students accounts for the decrease in sales. The UNL student health insurance plan pays medical expenses incurred during the student's coverage period. After a $50 deductible for each occurrence, he said, the student plan pays 80 percent of the covered medical expenses to a maximum of $2,500, Expenses of more than $2,500 will be paid up to 100 percent to a maximuni cf $25,000 per occurrence. When students use the health center, Wil kinson said, the $50 deductible is waived and 100 percent of covered charges are paid. He said the plan covers a semi-private hos pital room, doctor and surgical fees, nursing care, laboratory services, anesthesia, ambu lance fees, use of wheel chair cr crutches, orthopedic supports and miscellaneous hos pital expenses. The policy can he bought from Jan. 13, 18S3, to Feb. 23, 1SS8, Wilkinson scad. Insurance is sold only darir.3 this period to prevent netive sebctien, he said, Negative selection is when staicnts get sick cr irj-rci t?.i rt'du2-2 thf fstiittl espouses will beff j5inisxllP;ft to :'mslB its j ifh Hirp f. fin V v.3i y UNL students prepare for priesthood Seminary requires college education By Martha Miller Staff Reporter Each day, 20-year-old Tim Christy gets up at 6 a.m. and attends a prayer session. At 7 a.m., he goes to Mass, eats breakfast, then goes to classes at UNL. After a day on campus, Christy returns to his home in Waverly for more classes, dinner and evening prayer. Christy is studying to be a Catholic priest. He is one of nine seminarians at the Lincoln Diocese seminary at Our Lady of Good Council Retreat House in Waverly. Young Catholic men study at the seminary to become priests. They live, eat, study and pray together under the direction of a priest and bishop. Attending classes at UNL and at the seminary isn't unusual for the men. Although most semi naries on the East Coast are complete universi ties within themselves, the Lincoln seminary doesn't offer all the classes needed to become a priest. "We have the scholastic classes required as well as the seminary atmosphere," Christy said. Priests must have four years of college besides theology classes taken at the seminary, he said. Seminarians take classes in basic church doc trine and ethics at the seminary. - After the two-year program, the seminarians continue their religious studies at other seminaries that offer degrees. "Most people don't realize that it takes eight years to become a priest," Christy said. The men are studying to become diocesan priests. This means they will most likely become parish priests or religion teachers in Catholic high schools within the Lincoln diocese. Christy said diocesan priests are obedient to the bishop and take the vows of obedience and celibacy. "We will not take the vow of poverty, but we will practice pastoral poverty," he said. The men live in the Good Council Retreat House under the direction of Father Thomas O'Donnell, who teaches the courses in religion and ethics. Ha is the author of "Ethics in Chris tian Morality," a book used by several prominent - Please see SEMINARY on 3 11 ' ":3 l&l 1 t ) I f l B. , -' i V ; J f II ' ' Y (In Ui - rJ I , , , ; , . David CreamerDaily Nebraskan UNL studsnts snd ssminsrisns (clockwise from left front) Dave Daigle, Jim Bsumsnn, Tim Christy and Jim Vcikmer pose with Father Thomas J. O'Donnell at the Good Council Retreat House.