Students ’ ideas priority
Academic freedom
valued by professor
By Julie Skar
Staff Reporter
For Campbell McConnell, a re
tired UNL economics professor, free
[dom of academic
research and
debate always
has been a top
priority.
That priority
hasn’t gone un
noticed.
The Univer
sity of Nebraska-Lincoln Academic
Senate recently awarded McConnell
with the James A. Lake Academic
Freedom Award for his achievements
in promoting freedom of academic
research and debate.
“This award means a great deal to
me. Of the many satisfying achieve
ments in my 37 years at the univer
sity, this award ranks at the top,” he
said.
McConnell came to the university
in 1953, specializing in labor eco
nomics, and taught principles of eco
nomics courses. He decided to take
an early retirement, leaving the uni
versity in May 1990.
McConnell has a strong philoso
phy on social and economic issues:
Give the facfe and let the people decide.
“1 think that on really important
issues there are seldom clear-cut
answers. I present the pros and cons
of an issue objectively so that the
reader can form his or her own opin
ion,” said McConnell, who wrote an
economics textbook used by UNL
students.
“At times, I am criticized on the
fact that my readers do not know
where I stand. I don’t look at it as a
criticism but as a compliment. My
textbook is not a place to present
ideological viewpoints. Readers should
make their own decisions based on
the facts.”
After students take a couple of
economics courses, he said, he hopes
they will be able to think through
issues and use their critical thinking
later in life.
Economics, according to McCon
nell, is an essential tool that carries
into other subjects.
-« ————
This award means a
great deal to me. Of the
many satisfying
achievements in my 37
years at the university,
this award ranks at the
top.
McConnell
ret. UNL economics professor
-- f> _
“It is an exciting Field that can
provide you with a background which
can be applied in other areas, such as
business. Economics is to business as
mathematics is to engineers,” McCon
nell said.
Although many years of teaching
have given him extensive knowledge
in his Field, McConnell said he doesn’t
pretend to have all the answers.
“Students need to understand both
sides of an issue and make their own
decisions. I did not walk into a room
and say, ‘I’m the professor. I thought
about this issue and here is the an
swer.’ I presented both sides of the
issue fairly. It is not my job to look at
the issue and make a judgement,” he
said.
Despite retirement, McConnell still
Finds others seeking his knowledge.
His book, “Economics: Principles,
Problems and Policies,” is in its 11th
edition and has been translated into
French, German, Portuguese and
Spanish. It will have 100,000 copies
translated and reprinted in Russian
this spring.
“I envision myself as a economic
journalist, which translates into a
textbook writer,” he said.
McConnell still has a full schedule
and does not plan to slow down in the
future. He currently is working on
revising two books he co-authored,
while planning to begin work on the
12th edition of the “Principles” text
book.
And the pursuit of academic free
dom still is important to him.
“Without academic freedom at a
university there is no university,” he
said.
UNL employees file
retirement pay suit
By Kathy Wiemers
Staff Reporter
UNL cooperative extension em
ployees filed a class-action lawsuit
against the university after attempts
to work with NU officials concerning
discrepancies in retirement benefits
failed, the employees’ attorney said.
James Zalcwski of Lincoln said
Tuesday that although a lawsuit has
been filed, the employees are willing
to resolve the case before it goes to
court.
Thc lawsuit is against the Univer
sity of Ncbraska-Lincoln and the NU
Board of Regents. The complaint was
filed in U.S. District Court Feb. 13.
One class of employees represented
in the lawsuit was hired in 1957 or
later.
According to the lawsuit, those
employees were required to be in the
Civil Service Retirement System. The
lawsuit states that the employees also
could participate in the University of
Nebraska’s employee retirement sys
tem.
The class consists of about 136
employees. Plaintiffs Donald Miller,
Paul Hay, James Novotny and David
Wysong are named as belonging to
this class.
The second class includes 181
employees hired between 1978 and
1983 who chose to participate in the
Civil Service Retirement System but
did not have to. The employees were
entitled to participate in the slate
employees’ retirement system and
Social Security.
Plaintiff Andrew Christiansen
belongs to this group.
Zalewski said all employees hired
after 1983 are on the Social Security
system and under the University Re
tirement System.
The plaintiffs alleged that the uni
versity has been paying 2.7 percent
more in benefits to employees not in
the Civil Service Retirement System.
All employees do the same job,
Zalewski said, but don’t get the same
benefits.
Zalewski said he doesn’t know of
any basis for the different retirement
plans.
All employees receive a reduced
salary to finance the University Re
tirement System, but the plaintiffs
receive fewer benefits from the sys
tem, the lawsuit states.
Richard Wood, NU vice presi
dent and general counsel, said the
plaintiffs are claiming denial of equal
protection under the Fourteenth
Amendment. The disagreement is
whether the benefits are difterent,
Wood said.
Zalewski said Penn State Univer
sity and a university in Missouri have
similar lawsuits pending. Both cases
involve agriculture college employ
ees and alleged benefits discrepan
cies, he said.
The suit asks for the plaintiffs to be
given equal benefits for the entire
time of their employment at UNL and
to be compensated for lost income
from funding the University Retire
ment System.
Robin Trimar chi/Daily Nebraskan
Campbell McConnell, retired UNL economics professor, spends his time writing and working
at his Lincoln home.
