Editorial
9 T'lailv Amy Edwards, Editor, 472-1766
B tsalLy Lee Rood, Editorial rage Editor
lik ^um yk | y a m 'k Jane 1 lift, Managing Editor
f* f J | 3 S IV 3 Tl Brandon Loomis, Associate News Editor
X .EV HU Rrjan Svoboda Columnist
Editorial Board Bob Nelson, Columnist
University Of Nebraska-Lincoln Jerry Guenther, Senior Reporter
Time to show cards
Regents need to take stand on report - now
It’s high time the NU Board of Regents came out with
an opinion on the consultants’ report concerning the
future of Nebraska’s higher education system.
It’s been been two weeks now since Widmayer and
Associates submitted the interim report on Phase I of the
post-secondary education study to the Nebraska Legisla
Iture’s Higher Education Committee. In the report, con
sultants recommended major changes in the state educa
tion system, including abolishing the current board erf
regents.
In its place, the consultants recommended establishing
a new board of regents with more limited powers, but
which is responsible for coordinating the collective
activities of the University of Nebraska campuses and
state colleges.
0
Seven newly-established boards of trustees would,
according to the interim report, be responsible for govern
ing each of the three NU campuses and the four state
colleges.
The State College Board of Trustees, which would be
eliminated under the consultants’ proposal, already has
endorsed the recommendations in a report released last
week. The report, written for Wednesday’s Higher Educa
tion Committee hearing, states that prolonging uncertainty
in Nebraska’s higher education structure would only delay
“getting about the business of improving education’s
needs.”
The board’s chairwoman, Celann LaGreca, said Tues
day that “while we don't want ttfmove too quickly, we
feel it’s important to move forward.”
The college board’s prompt and supportive response of
the consulting firm’s recommendations is an appreciated
sign that members are ready and willing to change.
i Meanwhile, the NU Board of Regents continues to drag
its feet in taking a stand. Chairman Nancy Hoch said
Wednesday that thorough analysis of the report requires
more time. The proposal recommends dramatic changes
and deserves careful consideration. But board members
have had ample time for a preliminary review.
The time has come for a full and frank discussion of
the report. If the regents are opposed to the proposed
recommendations, they should speak now.
The regents failure to react publicly to the proposal
would be acceptable if it reflected a true desire to better
understand the implications of the report.
However, it appears that this is not the case. The tone
of Hoch s testimony Wednesday along with previous
remarks made by other regents last week suggest that the
board is opposed to the recommendations.
The board’s evasiveness implies that regents may be
looking for ways to avoid the death knell sounded by the
j repwt while, at the same time, not antagonizing powerful
leaders in the Nebraska Legislature.
The regents have been playing games all semester. It’s
I time for them to lay their cards on the table and take an
| active role in solving Nebraska’s higher education prob
lems.
•• L«c Rood
for the Daily Nebraskan
ffiimrak- — —
Signed staff editorials represent
the official policy of the fall 1989
Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the
Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its
members arc Amy Edwards, editor;
Lee Rood, editorial page editor; Jane
Hirt, managing editor; Brandon
Loomis, associate news editor; Jerry
Guenther, senior reporter; Bob Nel
son, columnist; and Brian Svoboda,
columnist.
Editorials do not necessarily re
flect the views of the university, its
employees, the students or the NU
Board of Regents.
Editorial columns represent the
opinion of the author.
The Daily Nebraskan’s publishers
arc the regents, who established the
UNL Publications Board to supervise
the daily production of the paper.
According to policy set by the
regents, responsibility for the edito
rial content of the newspaper lies
solely in the hands of its student edi
tors.
^ © WM fc'l*
’89 roller-coaster year at NU
Student leaders will face challenge to dream, change university
OK folks, brace yourselves.
No, some of you arc saying,
it can’t be. Not another “I’m
graduating next week and here’s my
last article, so happy trails’’ column.
But yes, people, that’s exactly
what it is. I do graduate, in fact, next
week - not a moment too soon, as far
as my parents are concerned.
And this is indeed my last column,
an opportune time to reflect back on
all the things I learned at the Univer
sity of Nebraska and to leave you all
with some pearls of wisdom.
Ah, the hell with it. Forget the
pearls of wisdom. Let’s talk politics.
This, of course, has been a very excit
ing year for the University of Ne
braska. From the July Firing of NU
President Ronald Roskens to
Wednesday’s LB247 study commit
tee hearing, the wonderful world of
university politics has been like a
roller coaster, filled with twists and
turns.
50 wnat s next on the old roller
coaster? Is there another big dip just
ahead? Or will the tracks suddenly
run out, throwing us all to our doom?
Well, as I ride off into the sunset,
let’s pull out the old crystal ball and
take a look at some of the people,
places and things I’ve written about
this semester. Let’s wrap the year up
by taking a last, longing look at:
•THE NU BOARD OF RE
GENTS. The regents, folks, have got
troubles. After firing Roskcns, they
appear to have been successful in
seizing control ol their university
from the system president and central
administration.
But at what cost? Some regents in
recent months have seemed to lack
the background and perspective nec
essary for running a university.
And the regents as a group still
seem to lack the openness in deci
sion-making expected of a public
board. This fact was made crystal
clear at Wednesday’s hearing, when
state Sen. Ron Withem asked Regent
Nancy Hoch how the regents came up
with the criticisms Hoch gave of the
LB247 study report.
Withem observed that while the
other groups testifying before the
committee had developed their state
ments in public meetings, nothing
that Hoch said was even hinted at in
the news accounts and minutes from
the last regents meeting.
Hoch never really answered
Withem’s question.
All the recent suggestions and
criticisms aimed at the regents may
become irrelevant, however. If the
Legislature and Nebraska voters en
act the recommendations made by
the LB247 report, the university sys
tem as wc know it will cease to exist.
And we won’t have the NU Board of
Regents to kick around anymore.
• THE ASSOCIATION OF STU
DENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
NEBRASKA. ASUN, loo, has troub
les. But nobody really seems to care.
Like some sort ol Greek tragedy (no
pun intended), ASUN is going
through the same motions it has for
years — mid-term senate resigna
tions, frustration with an apathetic
student body, preparations for an
other campaign, and so on.
Some things may happen to liven
things up, though. The formation of a
sell-described Coalition Parly for the
ASUN elections, led by a group of
campus activists, could throw a big
wild card into the race and raise some
serious issues, loo.
And il ASUN President and stu
dent Regent Bryan Hill continues to
be outspoken before the regents on
issues like the alcohol policy and the
demolition of the Woodruff Build
ing, there may be some pretty inter
esting things happening on the stu
dent side ot tne tsoara oi Kegenis. |
The bottom line, however, lies I
with the student body. ASUN will see I
changes only if students get out and !
vote for a party that is willing to make
them. That’s not an easy answer to
ASllN’s problems, but it’s the only
one.
During the last four months, I’ve
written a lot of things about this uni
versity and its politics. Many of those
things have been very critical,
prompting administrators, student
government leaders and even regents
to wonder just who the hell I am and I
why I’m writing such nasty things I
about them.
well, I am a student 01 tne univer
sity — for nine more days, anyway -•
and I care deeply about this institu
tion. The university is one of the best
things that ever happened U> this
state. And although I didn't think so
when I first got here, it’s one of the
best things that ever happened to me.
It is for this reason that I wanted to
leave this campus a better place than
it was when I got here. It bothered me
that I could get a degree and have
never been taught by a person of
color. It bothered me when students
felt alienated by their government,
and didn’t even want to vote, let alone
gel involved.
And it bothered me that elected
officials such as the regents could
make decisions affecting student and
citizen lives, and yet fail to include j
students and citizens in their deci
sion-making.
These arc the challenges that
face tomorrow's student leaders. As
Robert Kennedy said, “Some men
sec things as they are and ask. Why.
I dream things that never were and
ask, ‘Why not?’”
If wc are to make this university a I
better place, wc must be w illing to|
dream, and to turn our dreams into!
reality. I
As for me, I’m oulta here. Happy*
trails. I
Ssoboda is a political science and Russial*
major, and a Daily Nebraskan columnist. ■
n htaer says A pel s criticism misses the poini
has problems, anyone can sec that.
But I think Jeff Apcl is missing the
point when he further criticizes an
already beleaguered program.
I do agree with some of the thines
you said, Apel.so don’t get hot under
the collar yet. NU is a bad road team
and Nee is not a great coach. But so
far this season (only eight games old)
all the Daily Nebraskan has done is
rake Danny Nee and the struggling
Huskcrs over the coals. Let’s look at
symc OI mc positive points for
change.
first, it did take a lot of courage on
the part o! Richard van Poclgccsl to
say what he did in front of his team
mates^. And better to have him do it to
their laces than to backstab. Second,
you are right in saying there is talent
on this team but wrong in saying this
is the “saddest aspect about this
whole scenario And finally,
ee didn t exactly inherit a wonder
mi program from Moe Iba and Moe
didn t exactly go to the NBA to coach
(TCU actually). Let’s face h folks
Nebraska hasn’t had a gcxxl team in a
long, long lime.
The saddest aspect about the story,
Apcl, is the fact that all anyone docs
anymore is criticize. How about a
littJe support for once? Sure the bas
ketball team is not very good, but
what do you expect, the New York
Knicks?
Brian Gordot
junio
general studie
