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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 1988)
T Weather: Wednesday, partly sunny Chine about*’ Rolling rv I v-% L%-iJA I ar- spL76Readers'poU - « ■ V ■ I B « y' y S,mny' * kelball .earn face Okla X ^wIL^XCJL^J^BHLJL BL !_!:_ i-s—pa*eg Committee mulls appointment of regents By Mary Nell Westbrook Senior Reporter Sen. Ron Withem of Papillion said Tuesday that a proposal to have gubernatorial appointment of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents would make government more accountable for the board’s actions. Withem, who introduced the reso lution, told the Nebraska Legislature’s Education Committee that LR247 would have the regents be appointed by the governor instead of being elected by the public. If the Legislature passes LR247, a pro posed constitutional amendment, it will be put on the ballot to be voted on by the public. Withem, chairman of the Educa tion Committee, said the public makes better choices with fewer of fices to choose from. If the regents were taken off the ballot, he said, voting would be easier for the con stituents. “The less real control by election, the better,” he said. Regent Nancy Hoch of Nebraska City, who opposed the resolution, said she thinks regents should be accountable to the people of Ne braska through election. Withem said opponents often accuse him of taking away the right ofthcpeopletochoo.se. Butat several town council meetings in Sarpy County in 1984, Withem said, he found that many people don’t realize who their representatives are. He said he asked constituents if they could name their representative on the NU Board of Regents. He said he figured that people would be able to identify Hoch immediately since she ran against U.S. Sen. J. James Exon and came so close to taking his Senate seat. “No one even knew she was on the Board (of Regents),” Withem said. Hoch said the university belongs to the people of Nebraska and should not be controlled by the governor. Hoch said this resolution is an other attempt to control the univer sity. The regents have been elected by the public for 110 years, Hoch said. Hoch said the Legislature is not guaranteed that appointed officials would be better or more committed than elected officials. “(The people of Nebraska) elect the people whose views match their own,” she said. It would be naive to think an appointed board wouldn’t be partisan toward its governor’s party, she said. “The requirement to campaign requires us to listen,” Hoch said. No one spoke in favor of the reso lution, and Hoch was the only one who opposed. The committee didn’t advance the measure to the floor. The committee also did not ad vance a resolution for a constitu tional amendment that would create a single governing board for the uni versity system and state colleges. Under LR268, also introduced by Withem, the governing botird would consist of elected and appointed offi cials, unlike the exclusive appoint ment system he is endorsing for the NIJ Board of Regents. Withem said all but three states — Nebraska, Vermont and Delaware — have statewide governing boards. Delaware and Vermont do not have governing boards because they have only five and six campuses each .But Nebraska has 21 campuses. Because Nebraska has so many more campuses, Withem said, the statewide governing board is needed. He said the board would promote sharing resources and lessen compe tition between colleges and universi ties. It would also provide for strate gic planning for budget priorities, Withem said. Joe Kerrigan, student regent from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, opposed the resolution. Kerrigan said only one student would represent the university sys tem . Also, the governor could choose not to select a student from the uni versity system. Under the resolution, three col See HEARING on 5 Ward Williams/Daily Nebraskan Sen. Ron Withem of Papillion proposed Thursday to the Legislature’s Education Committee that thn NU Board of Regents be appointed by the governor instead of being elected. NU Board members oppose measures By Dan Dwinell Staff Reporter Several members of the Univer sity of Nebraska Board of Regents oppose, but aren’t upset about, two measures in the Legislature that would allow the governor to appoint board members and the Legislature to operate the board. The Nebraska Legislature’s Edu cation Committee conducted hear ings Tuesday on LR247, a proposed amendment to provide appointment of the regents by the governor. On 8 Monday, the committee heard testi mony on LR269, which would put direction of the regents under the Legislature. Neither measure was advanced from committee or considered a pri ority by the Legislature. Regent Nancy Hoch of Nebraska City is opposed to the appointment of regents. “I believe the people of Nebraska will want to keep their representa tion,” she said. Hoch said she wouldn’t like to see the regents under the direction of the Legislature. “There would be a direct line of influence from the governor and his or her political party,” she said. Regent Robert Koefoot of Grand Island agreed. “I’m opposed 1(X) percent to hav ing the regents appointed,” he said. “I don’t think the state legislators should have the authority.” Regent James Moylan of Omaha said the regents have always felt an elected board is more responsive to the state. “Allegiance is different, totally,” he said. Regent Margaret Robinson of Norfolk posed the question, “Why doesn’t the governor just appoint the senators to the Legislature? “Elected regents arc very good because they are responsive to the entire state instead of the governor,” Robinson said. Andy Pollock, president of the Association of Students of the Uni versity of Nebraska and U n i versi ty of Nebraska-Lincoln student regent, isn’t concerned by the measures. “I’m not real decided in what I think,” he said. “I hate to be wishy washy, but it really doesn’t affect us (student regents).” Pollock and Government Liaison Committee lobbyist Shawn Ilg plan to discuss the resolutions with Sen. Ron Withem of Papiliion. Withem wrote both resolutions. Bob Sittig, UNL professor of po litical science, said he doubts the measures will pass. “(Former Gov. Bob) Kerrey pushed it for five years,” he said. “It will take gradual pushing and pull See REGENTS on 5 -1 UNL expansion put on hold again By Amy Edwards Senior Reporter Malone neighborhood residents and University of Nebraska-Lin coln officials were put on hold again Tuesday as the Malone Rede velopment Study Committee failed to reach a compromise for UNL’s expansion into the area. The committee has made prog ress in the land battle that has gone on for the past 30 years, agreeing on a 15-year plan that will allow UNL to expand its boundaries into the Malone neighborhood in three phases. Officials from the university, Malone Community Center, Malone Neighborhood Association and the city will meet again Thurs day to resolve a conflict in the third phase of the plan. The conflict resulted between UNL and Malone representatives because both want to gain control of a half-block area of land between 21 st and 22nd streets and R and T streets. Dallas McGee, a community development program manager, said the land would expand a pro posed park to six acres, the mini mum size suggested by the city parks and recreation director. McGee said the committee should focus its attention to solve this issue. The Rev. Terry Cain, Malone Community Center representative, said if the other three parties could agree on the fate of one-half block of land, the community center would probably be in agreement. Representatives from the four groups agreed on eight points of compromise at the meeting: • The planning should be a con tinuous process. • The plan should take a phased approach but be flexible. • The three-block area between 19th, 20th, Vine and S streets is the Phase 1 area for university develop ment. • Phase 2 will include land south of S Street between 19th and 20th streets and south of R Street be tween 19th and 22nd streets. • The Malone Center and Malone Manor will remain where they are. • There will be park develop ment south of the Malone Center between P and U streets and 20th and 22nd streets, with a link to housing east of 22nd Street. • There will be a buffer between the university land and the Malone neighborhood. • The existing open space and park in the Malone neighborhood will be maintained and available to residents until the new park is built. But Malone and university offi cials disagree on the ownership of the buffer /one. Jack Goebel, UNL vice chancel lor for business and finance, said he is bothered by the concept of own ership and the location of the buffer. Topher I lanscn, president of the Malone Neighborhood Associa tion, said the ownership of the buffer is critical to the boundary. Hansen said Malone residents want the boundary to be defined so they * have some degree of certainty. “If the regents are set on going Christina Geiger/Dally Nebraskan east, I’m not sure there is a possibil ity of compromise,” Hansen said. . ... . ■ t '