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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 1990)
K WEATHER INDEX Today, cooler and partly cloudy, north wind 10-20 n _ miles per hour, high in the low 80s. Tonight, '.a increasing cloudiness with a 20 percent chance J-nitonai • .. of showers, low in the mid 50s. Friday, partly Q^f/te'008.in cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers, high *. .' , in low 70s. Classifieds.is [ SePtenr|ber 27, 1990__University of Nebraska-Lincoln__Vol. 90 No. 23 Commission formed to back new amendment By Kris Karnopp Staff Reporter □oncem for the future of higher education has prompted some Nebraskans to form a committee to fight for passage of a proposal to change coordination of postsecon daiy institutions. The 48-mcmber group, Nebraskans for Cost Efficient Higher Education, is working toward the passage of proposed Constitutional Amend ment Four, which will be voted on by Nebras kans in the Nov. 6 election. If approved, Amendment Four would create a more powerful coordinating commission for Nebraska’s state colleges and universities. The current Coordinating Commission for Postsccondary Education has no binding au thority and serves as an advisory board. Charles Wilson, commission chairman from January 1986 to July 1988, said Nebraska’s current coordinating commission is “ineffec tive and completely out-of-line with similar programs in other states.” “We need a coordinating body that will organize and integrate all of the components of higher education in Nebraska,” Wilson said. “The lack of coordination results in the dupli cation of programs and unmet needs.” The Appropriations Committee of the Ne braska Legislature has become by default the coordinator of higher education programs, said Wilson, who is running for the Board of Re gents. The new coordinating commission’s au thority would extend to all public post-secon dary educational institutions -- the university, stale colleges and technical community col leges. The coordinating commission would have the power to implement new programs and abolish duplicative programs. It would design the role and mission for separate institutions and for Nebraska higher education as a whole. The commission also would serve as achcck on the NU Board of Regents and the Nebraska See AMENDMENT on 3 Anna Dockins Daily Nebrnakan Grounds crew worker Sandy Wacker trims plants in the pond at the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery Sculpture Garden on Wednesday. New fiscal year endangers grants, UNL official says By Dionne Searcey Staff Reporter As a federal budget deadline nears, un certainty looms over college students’ financial futures. Unless Congress and the Bush administra tion work out an agreement before Monday, the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Deficit Reduc tion Act will cut the U.S. Department of Edu cation’s budget for 1991 by $5.5 billion from the 1990 level. John Beacon,director of thcOffice of Schol arships and Financial Aid at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said the Pell Grant program will be most severely affected by the cut. The national program’s budget in 1990 was $4.8 billion, said Tom Lyon, spokesman for the Department of Education. However, this figure may not remain the same for the 1991 fiscal year, he said. UnderGramm -Rudman, the program would be cut $1.6 billion, according to an Education Department statement on the cuts. But if the cuts are passed, students wouldn’t feel them until the 1991 spring semester, Lyon said. The cuts would eliminate grants, averaging $1,000 each, to 1.4 million recipients, accord ing to the Education Department statement. Pell Grants to another 2 million students would be cut by an average of S120 each. Beacon said the average award per qualify ing student at UNL is $1,434. In 1990, Beacon said, about $7.5 million in Pell Grant money was distributed to 5,261 students at UNL. The amount of each award ranged from $200 to $2,300. If less federal gram aid is available, other options would be open, Beacon said. But stu dents would have to borrow more money, he said. “The Pell Grant is free money. If it’s cut, you’ll find students replacing grant money with loan money,” he said. Beacon said about 48 percent of financial aid awarded is in the form of loans. Beacon said the number of Stafford Loans awarded would not be affected by the cuts to See CUTS on 3 Professors say women students participating more By Cindy Wostrel Staff Reporter Although studies say that women are missing out on educational opportunities and feedback by fSnol participating in class, two UNL professors say that’s changing. Delivee Wright, direc tor ofUNL’s Teaching and Learning Center, said UNL hasn’ t been immune to the prob lem. But Wright and William Seiler, a professor of speech communica tions, said that professors are more aware of the problem, which has led to more participation by women in the classroom. Seiler said classroom participation by women varies. Although five or 10 years ago he would have agreed that women participate less than men in class, he said, he’s not sure that still holds. David and Myra Sadker, profes sors of education at American Uni versity in Washington, found in a 1983 study that women participate in class half as much as men. Myra Sadker. who has researched women’s participation in the class room, said women act as spectators to classroom discussion and don’t do as well on standardized tests because of it. But Seiler said he doesn’t think there has been a problem in his classes. Some women have voiced their views strongly, he said. He said he thinks that professors play a part in keeping all students, including women, involved in class room discussion. But professors sometimes fall vic tim to the “squeaky wheel” syn drome, Myra Sadker said. The stu dents who shout out in class, more often men than women, are likely to get attention, she said. Wright said part of the problem i& that professors have learned to re spond to men and women differently. “My observation is that every body wants to be equitable and fair,” she said, but faculty members some times unconsciously pay more atten tion to men. Women students contribute to the problem, Wright said. ‘‘I think they’ve been enculturatcd, too,” she said. Women sometimes doubt them selves more than men, Wright said, and men tend to be more competitive. Women may know the answer to questions asked, she said, but do not feel a need to answer them. ‘‘I feel it’s more that than some one keeping them from answering,” she said. Whatever the reason, women lose out by not participating, Wright and Myra Sadker said. As spectators, women aren’t get ting the skills they need for jobs, Myra Sadker said. Just the act of speaking in a class room can help students exercise their minds, she said. When students pre pare to speak, their minds “go a mil lion miles a minute,” she said. Professors can encourage women’s participation by calling on students instead of relying on those who vol unteer, Myra Sadker said. A bonus to calling on students is that they pre pare better for class, she said. Wright said students who partici pate in class learn quicker and better than those who don’t. “You don’t forget that question that you answered today,” she said. Students who participate get feed back on how they are doing, Myra Some officials shocked Roskens ’ appointment gets mixed reactions By Adeana Leftin Staff Reporter The shocked and dismayed reaction of some university regents to the appoint ment of Ronald Roskens to the NU Foundation Board of Trustees met with sur prise from other officials Wednesday. ‘‘I was very pleased to see him (Roskens) among our trustees,” said William Smith, chairman of the NU Foundation Board of Directors.*‘I was stunned by the reaction of some of the regents.” Roskens and his wife, Lois, were appointed last week with 33 others to the board. There arc more than 400 trustees on the board. NU Regent Rosemary Skrupa of Omaha said she thought it was an ill-advised move on the part of the foundation’s Board of Directors. Skrupa had told The Omaha World-Herald she was “shocked” about Roskens’ appoint ment. “He’s got a job back in Washington, and I think he ought to tend to it.” Skrupa now says she was assuming too much. “I was unaware of the fact that there arc over 400 trustees. I thought it was a position that required a tremendous amount of lime,” she said. Roskens served as University of Nebraska president for 12 years. He was fired by the Board of Regents July 31, 1989. Currently, Roskens is director of the U.S. Agency tor International Development in Washington. Smith said, “It wasn’t like someone sneaked him in.” Roskens’ name was submitted to the foun dation’s nominating committee and sent to the Board of Directors. On both levels, Roskens* appointment was unanimously approved. The Board of Trustees gave final approval to his appointment, Smith said. Smith said Roskens has given 17 years of his life to the university and has a love for it. He said Roskens had been helpful in fund raising since his departure and was in a good position to help the university system with his connec tions in Washington. Don Blank, chairman of the NU Board of Regents, said, “I think people are misinterpret ing as to the magnitude of that appointment.” Blank of McCook said people were making it comparable or equal to the foundation’s Board of Directors. The Board of Directors decides foundation policy. Trustees help support the university and the foundation, but do not vote on policy. ‘‘He was president (of the University of Nebraska) and I have no trouble with this appointment,” Blank said. Regent Margaret Robinson of Norfolk said she had no comment on Roskens’ appointment. ‘‘Dr. Roskens is a citizen of this country, and he is free to go where he wants,” she said.
