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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 1988)
rnonfmrm A story about the CBA Action Council (Nov. 11} was incorrect. Shennen Salzman said m he would like at least 600 to 800 letters sent to Gov. Kay Orr Also. 30 percent of the classes in CBA are taught by graduate assistants. In another CBA-related article (Nov. 18), State Sen. Bernice Labedz was mistaken for Sen -elect LaVon Crosby. Tuesday, partly cloudy and mild, high in the low to ^gest.2 mrd 50s with SW winds 10-20 mptv Tuesday night. ^ £ Entertainment;; [ ] 7 partly cloudy, low around 30. Wednesday, mostly Sports 9 sunny, high 60-65. Classified ! ......... 12 November 22, 1988 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol. 88 No. 61 Former professor files complaint in court By Victoria Ayotte Senior Reporter A former University of Nebraska-Lin eoln associate professor has filed a complaint in U.S. District Court alleg ing he was denied due process in consideration for tenure by three UNL officials. Joseph Shlien, former associate professor of mechanical engineering, filed (he complaint Wednesday against Chancellor Marlin Mas sengale, Robert Furgason, vice chancellor for academic affairs and Stanley Liberty, dean of the College of [Engineering and Technology. Shlien said in the complaint that Liberty recommended to deny him tenure because of an unwritten criteria that Shlien did not generate enough external funding for his research. Shlien said he is a nationally-recognized expert in the field of thermo-fluids and turbu lence and was promised, when he was hired in 1982, that he would qualify for tenure if he designed and developed a basic research labo ratory within his field and taught the required courses. Shlicn completed these requirements, ac cording to the complaint. Shlicn said he was given the written requirements for obtaining tenure, and nowhere was external funding for research outlined as a condition of tenure. The chairman of the mechanical engineer ing department evaluated Shlicn in May 1985, the complaint stales, and it was first implied that an unwritten requirement of external fund ing might become a precondition for tenure. “Dr. Shlien must... have external funding,” a quote from the evaluation says. The National Science Foundation is the major source of funding in his field, Shlien said in the complaint. Shlien said lliat National Science Foundation funding in his field was “substantially reduced” between the time he was hired and the denial of his tenure. “The defendants, and each of them, prede termined that they wished to deny plaintiff tenure,” Shlien said in the complaint. UNL officials allegedly went through the tenure consideration process “to conceal that predetermination,” he said. Shlicn said the mechanical engineering department chairman recommended to Liberty that Shlien be granted tenure, although the Promotion and Tenure Committee of the de partment recommended against it. The advi sory*committcc of the college voted against tenure, according to the complaint. Liberty wrote to Furgason in February' 1987 recommending against tenure, it stales. Shlien said he was informed in April 1987 that tenure was denied, “because he had not acquired outside funding for his research.” Shlien said he was never informed of any of the considerations. He then requested reconsid eration for tenure. In the reconsideration process of May 1987, the Promotion and Tenure Committee reversed its earlier decision and voted to recommend tenure for Shlien. The College Advisory Committee again recommended against tenure “after being in structed by Defendant Liberty to not consider recent accomplishments of Plaintiff (Shlien), such as publications in the leading journals in his field and recognition by his peers nationally that he had become an expert in his field.” Liberty again recommended that tenure be denied, and Shlien was informed by Massen gale and Furgason that tenure was denied and 1987-1988 would be his final year at UNL. Shlien filed a grievance with the UNL Fac ulty Senate Grievance Committee, which con cluded in December 1987 that the tenure con siderations procedures “had been manipulated and basic protections to which Plaintiff (Shlien) was entitled had been denied.” The grievance committee recommended reconsideration, and that external funding should not be a consideration for tenure. The committee agreed an outside panel of profes sors from other universities would review Shlien’s qualifications and advise Liberty. However, Shlien alleges, Liberty, Furgason and Masscngalc “intentionally substantially delayed any further reconsideration.” Liberty again indicated that external support for research was a consideration, the complaint states. In July 1988, Liberty allegedly restructured the college’s advisory committee to See LAWSUIT on 6 '' » .. ■ ... 1,1 i What they d like to see: j New resents ponder goals By David Holloway Senior Reporter hen the University of Ne braska Board of Regents meets Jan. 14, two new members will sit on the board. Robert Allen of Hastings, who defeated 18-year board member Robert Koefoot of Grand Island, said he would like to see what could be done to attract “more new talent” to the staff and administration at the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln. Board chairman James Moy Ian, an 18-year veteran from Omaha, was defeated by Rosemary Skrupa of Omaha. Skrupa said her top priority will be the “portability of credits from the University of Nebraska-Omaha to UNL.” Allen hopes to hold on to the talent in faculty and staff at UNL but attract some new professors. “Something needs to be done in salary enhancement for faculty and administration,” Allen said. William Swanson, a regent from Lincoln, said he is “glad that Allen supports the faculty salary increase.” Faculty salaries are something the board has supported for years, Swan son said, and Allen could help push the pay increase. Allen said his top priority now is to See REGENTSon6 • . • f Minority scholarships increasea By David G. Young Staff Reporter The University of Nebraska Lincoln will have five limes the amount of money for minority-oriented scholarships in 1989 as currently available, said James Gricscn, vice chancellor for student affairs. “I would guess that we should have in the neighborhood of S50,(X)() (next) year for scholarships aimed specifi cally at minority students,” Gricscn said. Gricscn said the increase, which was financed by “a number of gifts from private donors,” comes as part of a university effort to attract more minority students to UNL. He would not specify who the donors w ere. ‘‘This is the first year we feel we ’ ve had a respectable amount of money available,' he said. “Nebraska never has aggressively recruited, with scholarships, minority students with particular academic ability.” In order io4promotc the new schol arship dollars, advertisements were placed in the Omaha World-Herald and the Omaha Star, a newspaper targeted at black readers. Letters also were sent to Nebraska high schools which traditionally have a large number of minority students, Gricscn said. “On Wednesday, Nov. 9, 80 stu dents from South High School visited the university, the vast majority of them minorities. 1 met with them in ^ the morning as part of a day on cam pus. A number had already gotten the word (about the scholarship pro gram),” Grieuen said. “My indications would be that if the sample of 80 is accurate, that when we tally them up this year, we should have a significantly larger manner 01 applicants, nu saiu. Gricscn said minorities in Omaha arc highly recruited by Iowa Slate, as well as many other private schools. He said this was partially because of a lack of effort by UNL. Jimmi Smith, director of the Multi-Cultural Affairs Office, agreed with Gricscn that the lack of funding in the past has given the university a bad reputation. “Examining the UNL experience, it can he clearly said that for white middle class and white low income students, they arc served pretty well,” said Smith. “The university was built, was planned and was structured to serve that type of person. “How well has it responded to the educational needs of racial minority persons and groups? is quality of education being received on an equal basis as those other groups?” Smith said the new scholarship effort fils in one of the need areas presented by the Appreciating Cul tural Diversity Program. Gricscn said that in the future, more money would be added to the fund, provided primarily by the Rick Davis scholarship. Davis, who gradu ated from UNL, difcd recently, leav ing between $50,000 and $200,000 available for the future, Gricscn said. Smith noted, however, that while the scholarship program may be suc cessful in attracting more minorities to the university, efforts need to be made to retain these scholars. “It’s critical that the environment be looked at,” he said. “If that scholar finds he can’t succeed outside the classroom area, he'll be frustrated, if m inori ty scholars aren ’ t al lowed to do that, it could cause them to leave." Smith said the best way to assure minority success outside the class room is to fund minority organiza tions.
