The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, March 05, 1991, Image 1

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NU President Martin Massengale rubs his eyes during testimony before the Nebraska Legislature’s Appropriations
Committee Monday.
Moore: NU,
Nebraska ride
in same boat
Lisa Donovan
Senior Reporter
Assuring University of Nebraska offi
cials that they were dealing with tough
economic times, state Sen. Scott Moore
said Monday that the Legislature’s budget
proposal was not designed
to discipline the univer
sity.
“This committee is
arguably not trying to treat
the university unfairly at ^
all, but given the budget- ”
ary times— you’re in the
same boat with us.
“We arc not punishing the children lor our
misgivings as a parent,” he said.
Moore of Seward, Appropriations Commit
tee chairman, was speaking in reference to
testimony from NU officials urging the Ne
braska Legislature’s Appropriations Commit
tee to reconsider its budget proposal for the
university.
The committee in late February released a
preliminary budget proposal for the University
of Nebraska that included 4 percent faculty
salary increases for 1991-92 and similar in
creases for 1992-93.
In his executive budget proposal, Gov. Ben
Nelson had recommended a 3.75 percent fac
ulty salary increase for 1991-92.
The committee also proposed not increas
ing funding for the Nebraska Research Iniiia
i live, a five-year plan now in its third year to
increase university research funding by $4 million
See BUDGET on 3
Lack of funds threatens museum’s accreditation
By Dionne Searcey
Staff Reporter
Morrill Hall is in danger of losing
accreditation because the museum
can’t afford to hire enough employ
ees to give its displays adequate attention,
the museum’s director said.
Museum director Hugh Genoways said the |
University of Ncbraska-Lincoln’s Morrill
Hall doesn’t have enough money to hire
employees to maintain new displays pro
posed in a bill in the Nebraska Legislature.
LB828 would grant up to $2 million for
Morrill Hall renovation and must be matched
by non-state funds.
If the bill passes, Genoways said, the
museum will have money to build displays
for specimens that have been in storage since
1987.
But, he said, the museum doesn’t have
enough employees to care for the exhibits
because about $200,000 more is needed to
meet rcaccrcditation standards requiring
employees to care for specimens.
“If we got $4 million today, we don’t
have the staff to put the whole thing to
- 44 -
The reason we won’t get accredited is because we’re still not
doing things in a professional manner - that’s maintaining cur
rent exhibits. Genoways
Museum director
gcthcr,” he said.
Currently, two employees care for Morrill |
Hall’s permanent exhibits, Genoways said. If
the $4 million in renovations is completed,
he said, the museum will need to hire about
15 people to care for the displays.
The $2 million allocated by the bill is
intended for display renovation and cannot
be used to hire employees for accreditation,
he said.
Morrill Hall is reviewed for accreditation
by the Association of American Museums
every 10 years.
In 1988, Morrill Hall was only temporar
ily accredited because of “serious deficien
cies,” including not employing enough staff
members to maintain collections, Genoways
said.
If Morrill Hall docs not receive accrcdita
TV
lion in 1992 when the current accreditation
expires, he said, it will have a damaging
effect because working for an unaccredited
museum is “a black mark on (employees’)
careers” and federal grants arc not given to
unaccredited museums. Last year, the
museum received $150,(XX) in federal funds.
In order to receive accreditation,
Genoways said, museums must undergo a
tedious application process.
The initial step takes six to nine months,
he said, in which the museum must answer
questions about budgets, staff and research
ers and photographs must be taken of every
room in the museum.
Genoways said that after this information
is submitted, a group of researchers visits the
museum and submits a report to the associa
tion’s accreditation commission.
Morrill Hall won’t look too good in the
report, Genoways said.
“The reason we won’t get accredited is
because we’re still not doing things in a
professional manner— that’s maintaining
current exhibits,” he said.
Genoways said Morrill Hall requested
$200,000 in the University of Nebraska’s
biennial budget but the university didn’t
present the request to the Nebraska Legisla
ture.
Kim Phelps, assistant vice chancellor for
business and finance and director of UNL’s
budget, said Morrill Hall’s request was sixth
on UNL’s budget priority list. Only the top
five UNL requests were included in the
university’s capital construction priority list
presented to die Legislature, he said.
“Their request was worthy of considera
tion. It was just the fact that... it wasn’t
economically advisable to send all the items
on the priority list.... We had to draw the
line,” Phelps said.
Genoways said the university has helped
Morrill Hall in the past, but now, Morrill
See MORRILL on 3
Regent recall
Stenberv rules bill unconstitutional
By Dionne Searcey
Staff Reporter_
Nebraska Attorney General Don
Stenberg issued an opinion
Monday stating that a bill al
lowing for the recall of the NU re
gents is unconstitutional.
LB54, sponsored by Sen. Ron
Withem of Papillion, would permit
Nebraskans to recall members of the
NU Board of Regents.
Stenberg said providing for the
recall of NU regents should be a
constitutional amendment, not a bill.
“... the Legislature has no power
to provide by statute for the removal
of a member of the Board of Re
gents,” Stenberg said.
The Nebraska Constitution states
that NU regents arc elected for six
year fixed terms.
Under the Nebraska Constitution,
Stenberg said, replacements for elected
state officials can be appointed only
because of death, resignation or im
peachment.
“We are, therefore, of the opinion
that elected state constitutional offi
cers can only be removed from office
for those reasons ... an appropriate
constitutional amendment would be
required to permit the recall of a state
constitutional officer,” he said.
Wilhcm said he was prepared for
controversy over the bill and would
not challenge Stenberg’s opinion.
LB54 might be amended, he said,
to decrease regents’ terms to four
years to give voters “greater access
and greater ability’’ to select the re
gents.
“Rather than recall them (NU re
gents), they’d have to answer to vot
ers,” he said.
Wilhcm said he introduced the bill
because his constituents were upset
with the firing of former NU Presi
dent Ronald Roskens and the contro
versial hiring of his replacement,
Martin Massengalc.
-•slfl Nebraskans
J/EM may no longer
■llll have to go to
mm neighboring
J* states to pur
rlwM-nW chase alcohol
after 1 am.
Pages
With his first Big Eight title in
hand, Husker senior wrestler Ja
son Kelber hopes to go national.
Page 7.
,NSIDE
Wire 2
Opinion 4
Sports 7
A&E 9
Classified 11
Consultants cite
lack of parking
for commuters
By Cindy Kimbrough
Staff Reporter _
The biggest demand for more
parking is among student
commuters to City Campus,
and UNL should work to fulfill some
of their needs, parking consultants
told the UNL Parking Advisory
Committee on Monday.
Richard Kenney, vice president of
Walker Parking Consultants of Min
neapolis, said there arc 2,272 com
m utcr spots on City Campus, but there
is a demand for 4,551 spaces.
The commuter need is much greater
than the 51 extra spaces needed for
See PARKING on 3