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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 29, 1990)
T );:$ 11 \r - 1 -m. y ^ JL-/&.JLJL y ^ weather index I 8 40M ,rfilSSI^ B JjFmi sd&R&h. Today, sunny and warmer, southwest wind 10-20 News Digest.2 a m IB Mwp^Bmp giigP^* » ^8H| iSf 1 |||j WHF miles per hour, high near 50. Tonight, mostly F-ditorial.4 ^IBk 8 ABIauawMi WS. 1h Pi ^-jpi PBS»w. 1-rMf BB in dear and not as cold, low near 30 Friday, mostly Diversions.5 mm Urn Wm mi aw itfjF* fpB iflrjS| fw §ffl sunny and mild, high in the mid to upper 50s. Sports.13 X S. L___".151 November 29, 1990 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Voi. 90 No. 64 Official criticizes UNL’s low ranking By Angie Anderson Staff Reporter The University of Nebraska-Lin coln’s rating of “non-competi tive” in a recent publication deserves no apology, a UNL official said. James Griesen, v ice chancellor for student affairs, said UNL is not sorry for its non-selective liberal admis sions policies, which were cited as the reason for the non-competitive ranking in the 1990 Barron’s Educa tional Series. “UNL is a land-grant institution committed to being open and acces sible to all students who we feel have a good chance of completing our curriculum,” Griesen said. “We’ll always be dedicated to serving the typical students who graduate from our high schools.” Griesen said UNL’s “non-competi tive” admissions policy allows any student to attend who has completed the core requirements in the policy. UNL’s admissions policy requires high school graduates to complete at least three years of English; one year of composition; one year of speech, journalism, literature or foreign lan guage; two years of math, including one year of algebra; two years of sciences; and two years of social sci ences. And although UNL has a liberal admissions policy, Griesen said, the university did not admit 100 percent of all applicants, as stated in the Bar ron’s rankings. About 200 of 8,000 applications this year were denied, he said. This shows the rankings were not carefully researched and are “non sense on the surface,” Griesen said. The Barron’s rankings are based on admissions standards, not academic quality. Griesen said competitiveness should be measured by how easy it is to earn a degree, as well as by how easy it is to be admitted to a college. UNL is consistent with Big Eight schools in degree-earning difficulty, he said. About 44 percent of UNL students graduate within five years, he said, which is about the same as at other Big Eight schools. Another indication that the rating was invalid, Griesen said, is that Barron’s rated Kearney State College and the University of Nebraska at Omaha higher than UNL. Barron’s rated KSC as competi tive and UNO as less competitive. UNL attracts more talented stu dents than KSC or UNO, Griesen said, as average American College Test scores show. Last year’s average ACT scores, before the enhanced test was instituted, were 19 at KSC, 19 at UNO and 22 at UNL, he said. Because the Barron’s series is not prevalent, Griesen said, the low rank ing will not affect enrollment. Most students never sec the rank ings, he said, and most students do not choose a college by its ranking in a publication. John Beacon, director of admis sions at UNL, said students use fac tors like academic program availabil ity, location, and size more than in formation in the Barron’s scries and similar guides when they arc choos ing a college. Despite his belief that UNL should serve typical Nebraska students, Grie sen said he thinks UNL. should study the possibility of mildly increasing admissions standards. . , r • > Shaun Sartln/Daity Nabraskan A clean Lied Visger of Roy’s Window 1 trvice washes windows on the ground floor of the Lied Center 1 trforming Arts on Wednesday afternoon. Dorm-to-dorm not done Campus mail all business, holiday greetings returned By Todd Neeley Staff Reporter Students trying to send Christmas cards and personal letters from dorm to dorm will find that their mail won’t be reach ing its destination, a University ol Nebraska Lincoln campus mail official said. Richard Schenaman, manager of campus postal services, said that any Christmas cards or personal letters that are sent from dorm to dorm are collected in the campus mail room and sent to campus housing. Students can use campus mail services only for business mail, such as class schedules, sent between students and faculty members, ac cording to UNL policy. And campus postal services stopped han dling personal letters from faculty members about 12 years ago, Schenaman said. “We don’t handle personal mail for anyone, not even faculty,” he said. Doug Zatcchka, director of university hous ing, said dorm mail that has a return address is sent back to the sender, and mail that doesn’t is thrown away. “Students may not know where their mail is going,” Schenaman said. “If there is no return address, then there is nothing we can do,” Zatechka said. He said he didn’t know the amount of mail thrown away. Schenaman said that each year, about 200 Christmas cards arc sent through campus postal services, and the number of personal letters triples during Christmas to between six and nine a day. This puts a strain on campus postal services, he said. It lakcsa lot of time to process mail, Schena man said, and personal mail “takes space that is not available.” If students are trying to send mail between dorms, they should deliver it themselves, he said. Students can put postage on their Christmas cards, Schenaman said, and have them deliv ered by the U.S. postal service, which picks up mail from the residence halls. NU, S. Africa cooperation urged By Tabitha Hiner Staff Reporter The President’s Special Com mittee on South Africa issued a report recommending crea tion of cooperative teaching, research and service programs between the University of Nebraska and a South African institution. Vista University and the Univer sity of the Western Cape were men tioned as potential institutions for the cooperative programs. The commission, in its report to NU Interim President Martin Mas sengale released this week, also rec ommended that awareness of faculty and students at NU about conditions in South Africa be increased and that the African studies program at NU be expanded and strengthened. NU is lacking in faculty members, library resources, courses and pro grams that deal with African issues, and enhancements should be made in these areas, the report said. While the University of Nebraska at Omaha has an African studies emphasis, the University of Ncbraska Lincoln has only a minor in the field, it said. Two proponents of the recommen dations said their fulfillment would benefit South Africans and Nebras kans. Peter Levitov, director of Interna tional Educational Services, said that m addition to educating South Afri cans, the recommendations would enhance Nebraskans’ awareness of South African issues. Although not a member, Levitov was invited to sit it on the committee. “No matter which way the ex change takes place, there will be a ripple effect,” he said. People in classes with exchange professors and students in an exchange would talk to friends and relatives who then would be informed on South African issues, Levitov said. Phil Gosch, president of the Asso ciation of Students of the University of Nebraska and a member of the committee, said the university’s Afri can studies program is insufficient. The report also calls for scholar ships to be created for South African exchange students. Gosch supported the scholarship recommendation and said that it was a reflection on student government. An ASUN resolution passed last May called for scholarships for South African students. Levitov said the committee’s rec ommendations were important, but that Massengale, also UNL chancel lor, could establish another commit tee that would make more concrete suggestions. The report lists guiding principles that should be followed if a commit tee to develop definite plans is cre ated. See SOUTH AFRICA on 3 Recommendations by the President’s Special Committee on South Africa 1. Develop linkages between the University of Nebraska and South African universities which would include: WimTi t' Faculty Student Joint Scholarships Potential exchanges, exchanges, research for South lecturers and projects. African speakers. ____students. 2. Strengthen aaa| NU’s African f \ \ \ studies l « \ program by: H-.-j Developing Enhancing Adding Adding to the source Th* more African library faculty existing Pr«»ktonft course8 holdings on members to African comminee'w! African teach African programs at south Africa. [__topics. courses. [the university J John Brue«yDaily Nabraakari