The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, February 04, 1991, Image 1

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Officials: Lower budget would hurt UNL
■ I A. ■ ■ ^
uinl salaries to fall
further below peers
if budget approved
By Tabitha Hiner
Senior Reporter
University of Nebraska-Lincoln salaries
wouldn’t keep pace with inflation or
with peer institutions’ salaries if Gov.
Ben Nelson’s budget is passed, the UNL Aca
demic Senate president said.
James McShane said the proposed UNL
salary increases of 3.75 percent for 1991-92
and 4.5 percent for 1992-93 would be less than
last year’s inflation rate of 5.4 percent.
“With a 5.4 percent consumer price index
rise and a 1.9 raise in the university’s budget,
we’re losing money,” McShane said.
On Thursday, Nelson proposed a biennial
budget that would increase NU’s overall budget
by 1.9 percent in 1991-92 and 5.6 percent in
1992-93. The university requested a 26 percent
increase for the biennium.
McShane said that if Nelson’s budget is
approved, UNL would be about 10 percent
behind the average of its peer groups in salaries
in 1991-92 and 12 percent behind in 1992-93.
UNL was about 7 percent behind the mean of
its peers in salaries this year, McShane said.
He added the state has been generous with
the university in previous years. Four years
ago, he said, UNL was 22 percent behind its
peer institutions in salaries.
“We’ve had a great deal of support from this
state, and the entire state is going through tight
budgeting,” he said. “The university has to be
prepared to take its share.”
He said that although it is possible for UNL
to catch up with its peer institutions, it probably
will not happen next year.
The answer for UNL’s ails will be the stretch
ing of existing dollars, McShane said.
While McShane didn’t know if programs
would need to be cut, he said temporary in
struction budgets might be affected because
instructors paid through those budgets are not
under long-term contracts.
1 emporary instruction is “an obvious place
to look if you’ve got to find money,” he said.
A reduced budget also could mean larger
classes and fewer instructors, McShane said.
He called the situation “worrisome” in a
time when tuition is being raised.
Proposal to freeze
research funds
would cut grants
By Jean Lass
Staff Reporter
Gov. Ben Nelson’s proposed Nebraska
Research Initiative freeze at $ 12 million
would mean a reduction in programs
and a lack of progress in research, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln interim vice chancellor for
research said.
“We have some really serious problems
coming up,” Bill Splinter said.
If die Legislature passes Gov. Nelson’s
proposal and all state agencies’ budgets arc cut
2 percent, the research initiative funds will face
another threat, he said. A 6 percent inflation
rate added to the 2 percent cut would make for
an 8 percent reduction in the $12 million.
“The proposal is cutting off buying power,”
Splinter said. “We (would) have to reduce our
efforts.”
The Nebraska Research Initiative was a
five-year program started in 1987 by former
Gov. Kay Orr. The program called for a state
infusion of $4 million per year into university
research. The state was to contribute $20 mil
lion by the fifth year.
Splinter said the research initiative has been
used to attract $14 million in federal govern
ment grants. If the governor’s proposal passes,
federal grants also would be reduced, Splinter
said.
He said the federal money has helped the
university start four spin-off companies in
Lincoln: BioNebraska, Genotype, Agricultural i
Products International and Woolam.
If the proposal passes, “we will lose all that
potential,” Splinter said.
The proposal to freeze the research initia
tive was a big disappointment to the university
because the research initiative was a major
campaign issue, he said.
“The Democrats took a very positive stand
on the initiative,” Splinter said. “That is one of
the reasons Nelson was elected.”
Splinter said another concern is that salary
increases for researchers also come out of the
slate budget.
Interim Chancellor Jack Goebel said that
worrying about the research initiative freeze is
premature.
“There are a lot of alternatives available,”
Goebel said, “and we will check those out at a
later date.”
NU women and
men basketball
teams bse to
OSU. Page 9.
Official says
UNL’s advising
is strong despite discontent else
where. Page 3.
Some UNL scientists say the
U S. should increase its research
spending to keep up with other
countries. Page 6.
INDEX
Wire 2
Opinion 4
A&E 7
Sports 9
Classifieds 11
Morrill Hall
renovation
low priority ’
By Tabitha Hiner
Senior Reporter
□ he biggest obstacles facing a
bill to help renovate UNL’s
Morrill Hall are the N’J ad
ministration and the Board of Re
gents, the bill’s sponsor said.
Sen. Don Wesely of Lincoln said
LB828, which would grant up to $2
million to Morrill Hall renovation
and must be matched by non-state
funds, has been hurt by the regents’
low priority for Morrill Hall renova
tions.
Morrill Hall didn’t make the rc
See MORRILL on 5
Allied torces lose BOz,
strike missile launchers
DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia (AP)
- American “Scud patrol” jets,
in a swift counter-strike,
pounced on two _
Iraqi missile
launchers Sun- -
day and may
have knocked
one out, and the
Air Force also
lost a big one —
a B-52 down in
the Indian Ocean.
Three of the giant bomber’screw
men were plucked safely from the
sea, and a search continued for the
other three, the U.S. command said. It
said a mechanical problem probably
was to blame.
As ground fire died down for the
moment on the northern front lines,
the Desert Storm allies pressed their
relentless air war.
The U.S. command said the air
campaign had passed the 40,000-sor
tie mark — some 10,000 more mis
See GULF on 3
I . MiM___£___... ■« SIBiaiiMBWWWyBililMl BUT
Shaun Sartin/Daify Nebraskan
Russell Koos, a junior international affairs major, studied at Tel Aviv University last semester.
Students say Israel should react
By Kara Morrison
and Michael Hannon
Staff Reporters
While U.S. military experts sug
gest the coalition against Iraq
may break up if Israel re
sponds to Iraqi Scud missile attacks,
two UNL’students with Israeli ties
say the country should retaliate.
“I think Israel has a right to retali
ale. I don’t think the other Arab coun
tries should have a problem with that.
Everyone should fight for what they’re
fighting for and not for what others
arc fighting for,” said Amanda Lainof,
who has friends in the Israeli army
and a relative in southern Israel.
Russell Koos, who returned to the
United Stales Jan. 4 after studying for
a semester at Tel Aviv University,
agreed.
“Every country has a right to de
fend itself, and if the attacks keep
coming, they (the Israelis) should
respond sooner rather than later,” he
said.
Koos, a junior international affairs
major, studied with 240students from
America and other nations and is still
in communication with friends who
See ISRAELI on 5
January DW1 offenses increase among UJNL students
DWI cases closed at Student Legal Services from
Jan. 1990 to Jan. 1991
14T
12- ■
10
0
6
A
1990 1991
Source: UNL Student Legal Services_
Ami* DeFraln/Daily Nebraskan
By Alan Phelps
Staff Reporter
Student Legal Services saw a “dra
matic” increase in January of
offenses involving students
driving while under the influence of
alcohol, a lawyer with the services
said.
Shelley Stall said Student Legal
Services closed 14 DWI cases in
January. Only four such cases were
closed in January 1990.
“I’m not sure if it’s that students
are drinking and driving more or if
the police are enforcing the laws more
effectively,” Stall said.
Ll Frank Rowe, the officer in charge
of the traffic section of the Lincoln
Police Department, said the 1,980
DWI arrests in Lincoln in 1990 mark
a 27 percent increase over the previ
ous year’s 1,553.
Rowe said the increase probably
was a combination of belter enforce
ment and more drunken driving.
“A great deal of that (increase in
arrests) does have to do with better
enforcement. Training measures on
the identification of a drunk driver
are an ongoing effort,” Rowe said.
Rowe said 15.1 percent of the people
arrested in 1990 for DWI were below
the legal drinking age.
“There is a heavy concentration of
19- and 20-year-olds, and a large
number of 21-year-olds as well,” he
said. Rowe said the percentage of
underage DWI offenders is remain
ing consistent, causing the police
department concern.
“These are the youngest drivers
with the least amount of experience,”
he said.
Stall said that if students knew the
penalties for DWI, they probably would
avoid drinking and driving.
“Students are often really shocked
to find a jail penalty attached to first
offense DWI,” she said. “You can go
to jail.
“We’re here to help, but we’re not
miracle workers,” Stall said. “It’s hard
to win a DWI case.”
Stall said her clients usually are
See DWI on 5