I WEATHER: Thursday, cloudy
■ with a 70 percent chance of showers. I I'll ]\7
I High around 60. Thursday night. 50 ^B B *1 j[ V ^B
B percent chance of showers. Some- B^^ I _ ■ J
■ what cooler with a low in the mid- I I ■ Jt*
I ;t™Kysu"nya"dcooie' J \PPrnSKtUl
October 15, 1987University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol. 87 No. 36
More students on probation in 1987
By Jane Hirt
Staff Reporter
Financial or emotional problems
or a lack of discipline caused 12 per
cent of the undergraduate students at
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
to be placed on academic probation
after the 1987 spring semester, said
James Griesen, vice chancellor for
student affairs.
Griesen said 2,204 of the 17,821
undergraduates enrolled at UNL at
the end of the 1987 spring semester
were placed on academic probation.
Griesen said this is up 1.2 percent
from the previous year.
He said more freshmen are pro
gressing from suspension to proba
tion. He cited the University Founda
tions courses as a possible reason why
fewer freshmen arc on suspension.
Nearly 1,000 students were sus
pended last spring, slightly fewer
than the previous year.
According to the new academic
standards policy effective May 1987,
“A student who receives a semester
grade point average of less than 2.00
or ends a semester with a cumulative
GPA below 2.00 will be placed (or
will remain) on probation/*
The policy also states that a stu
dent “will remain on probation until a
semester is completed with both a
semester and cumulative GPA at or
above 2.00.”
Last year, Scott Carlson, a junior
business major, was placed on aca
demic probation. He said the reason
was “mixed-up priorities.”
Carlson said he received a letter
saying he was on academic probation
after his grade report came out.
“I think my parents got one first..
.. I already knew I was in trouble,” he
said. The letter suggested that
Carlson see an adviser and retake the
courses that he had received D’s and
F’s in, he said.
“I preplanned what I would get in
each class. I wrote down my grades
and kept track,”Carlson said. He said
he also put inspirational notes in his
closet to keep him going.
Hisefforts paid off the next semes
ter when he raised his GP A by nearly
two full points.
Don McGill, a student adviser in
the College of Business Administra
tion, said that when students on pro
bation visits him, his top priority is to
get their GPAs in order.
“The quickest way to do that is by
having them retake the classes that
they received D’s or F’s in,” he said.
McGill also said he tries to direct
students to special tutoring sessions or
the academic success center.
“Unfortunately, not as many
people respond (to the letters) as we
hope,” he said.
Becky Hargrove, coordinator of
the supplemental instruction compo
nent of the Academic Success Center,
said all students—whether they ’re on
academic probation or not — can get
help from the center.
Suspension occurs when a student
fails to make academic progress.
Gricscn said that at the end of the 1987
spring semester, 999 of the 17,821
students enrolled were dismissed
from UNL,about6percentof the total
enrollment. This number is a decrease
of about 1.2 percent from the last year,
he said.
The academic standards policy of
May 1987 indicates the following
conditions as grounds for suspension:
• A student who has completed 0
18 credit hours, has attended more
than one semester and has a cumula
tive grade point average below 1.00.
• A student with 19-45 cumula
tive credit hours who has both a cur
rent semester and cumulative GPA of
below 1.75 and a cumulative GPA
below 2.00 at the end of the semester
immediately preceding the current
semester, or three consecutive semes
ters on probation.
• A student with 46 or more
cumulative credit hours who has both
a current semester and cumulative
GPA below a 2.00 and a cumulative
GPA of below 2.00 at the end of the
semester immediately preceding the
current semester, or three consecutive
semesters on probation.
Griescn said students previously
had the option of attending summer
school to bring up their GPA or taking
correspondence courses during his or
her suspension.
But, Griesen said, the new aca
demic standards policy, passed by the
Faculty Senate last spring, requires a
suspended student to sit out two se
mesters before applying for readmis
sion. The four summer sessions count
as one semester.
However, Griesen said, if students
wish to take correspondence courses
during suspension, they may.
At the end of two semesters, the
student may apply for readmission.
Readmission is not automatic, Grie
sen said.
The student must fill out a form that
asks about his reason for dismissal,
what he has done to improve his aca
demic situation during his suspension
period and what his plan is to over
come the problem that led to dis
missal.
Griesen said the form is reviewed
by the admissions office. If a student
is not readmitted, he may appeal the
decision in a UNL appeals court.
Nobel winner
NU alumnus
By Kip Fry
Staff Reporter
A University of Nebraska alumnus
has been awarded the Nobel Prize in
chemistry.
Donald J. Cram, now a professor
of chemistry at the University of
California at Los Angeles, was
named recipient of the award
Wednesday for his lifelong work in
organic chemistry. Cram will share
the award .with fellow American
Charles J. Pedersen and Frenchman
Jean-Marie Lehn.
‘He has made out
standing contribu
tions to creative
organic chemistry.’
— Cromwell
Cram earned his master of science
degree in 1942 as one of the first three
graduate students to study under UNL
Regents Professor Emeritus Norman
Cromwell. Because Cromwell could
not advise doctoral siudcnLs at the
time, he suggested Cram pursue fur
ther studies at Harvard University. He
received his doctorate there in 1947.
Cram was also a research chemist
for Merck and Co. for three years
before going to Harvard.
He has received many other
awards, including the National Re
search Council Fellowship while at
Harvard. He was elected to the Na
tional Academy of Sciences in 1961.
He was awarded the American Chcm -
islry Society’s Award for Creative
Work in Synthetic Organic Chemis
try in 1965 and the society’s ArthurC.
Cope Award in 1972.
‘‘The award was very much in
order,’’Cromwell said. “He has made
outstanding contributions to creative
organic chemistry.”
Cromwrli said Cram’s research is
important in the fight against cancer
and other viruses such as the AIDS
virus.
Cram, who was born in Vermont in
1919, is the second NU alumnus to
cam a Nobel Prize. George Beadle,
who earned two degrees from NU in
1926 and 1927, was awarded the
Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1958.
Cram was unavailable for com
ment Wednesday afternoon.
Eric Gregory/Daily Nebraskan
Read 'em — and cheap
Bargain hunters search through the more than 10,000
books for sale under the Love Library Link Wednesday.
i — "
ASUN asks administration
to plan improvements
for office of financial aid
By Lee Rood
Slaft Reporter
AS UN members passed a bill
Wednesday night asking the admini
stration to write a report on improve
ment plans for the Office of Scholar
ships and Financial Aid, and a time
table as to when the changes will be
implemented.
The request came after students
circulated a petition at the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln campus, asking
university officials to promptly deal
with problems in the office.
Students complained about unnec
essary late fee charges, delays in the
processing of their financial aid pack
ages and office telephones always
being busy.
Senate members also passed a
resolution commending the office,
despite its lack of space, funding and
manpower, and the first-year law stu
dent who started the petition, Dave
Regan.
Regan said he was very glad senate
members passed the bill, but that it
was only the first step in getting things
done to improve the office.
“The senate has shown that it is a
responsible and representauve body
tonight. Not for all time ... but to
night,” he said.
It the timetable the administration
turns in to the senate is unacceptable,
Regan said, students will have to start
pushing again.
Regan said changes would have to
be implemented by Fall 19HK lor the
timetable to be acceptable.
Vice Chancellor of Academic Af
fairs James Griescn called the vote a
“fine show of support. ” But in reality, —
he said, it won’t make a difference
because the administration is already
doing everything in their power to
improve the office.
“It has been our top priority ... you
can’t gel any higher than that, can
you?” he said.
Andy Pollock, A SUN president,
said it was time senate members took
a definite stand on the issue.
“I realize money is tight ” he said,
“but we have to take every step we
can.
“Hopei ully we’ll see some positive
things evolve,’’ he said.
Pollock said the vote would exem
plify to Nebraskans and the Unicam
eral the need for money throughout
the university, not just the Office of
Scholarships and Financial Aid.
Four employees from the Office of
Scholarships and Financial Aid came
to the meeting to voice their support of
the bill, and said other staff members
would have been there if they could
have.
Peggy West, assistant director of
student employment in the office, said
she was glad students like Dave Regan
and senate members were helping to
bring the office’s problems to some
type* of conclusion, and commended
them on keeping the ball rolling.
-1
StarVenture’s forum pegs problems
By Michael Hooper
Senior Editor
Increasing faculty salaries at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln is
not the only need in Lincoln educa
tion, developer David Hunter said
Wednesday night at the Lincoln
Lancaslcr Star Venture open fo
rum.
StarVenturc’s education com
miuee should also address the
problem of illiteracy in Lincoln,
Hunter said. He said 15 percent of
Nebraskans are illiterate and
12,000 people in Lincoln are illit
erate.
Hunter criticized StarVenture
for not asking local businesses if
they arc pleased with the education
of high school graduates.
About 150 people attended
StarVenture’s open forum at the
Comhusker Hotel.
StarVenture, the community
strategic planning initiative, has
three committees addressing eco
nomic development, education
and community development
Because UNL is such a signifi
cant part of the community, Hunter
said StarVenture should form an
other committee called Lincoln/
UNL.
Hunter said the L.incoln/UNL
committee should address the
question of how dependent Lin
coln should be on UNL.
"Arc we at the mercy of UNL or
is UNL at the mercy of Lincoln?"
Hunter asked.
Jim Lewis, UNL Faculty Senate
See FORUM on 3
_