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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 12, 1991)
Cutting speech department wrong move, chairman says Faculty and students hope to publicize possible cuts By Adeana Leftin Senior Reporter Those who decided to propose cutting the speech communication department “took on the wrong department,” its chairman told ASUN Wednesday._, Bill Seiler, chairman AGI Ijkl of the Department of AvUll I Speech Communication, said the department is mobilizing to save itself by having faculty mem bers contactall state sena tors and the media to publicize the department’s possible elimina tion. Students have been circulating a petition in support of the department. “All in three days,” Seiler said. The proposed elimination of the department is in response to a Nebraska Legislature man date last spring that the University of Ne braska-Lincoln cut 3 percent from its budget. Recommendations on where cuts should be made were presented by UNL vice chancellors Monday to the Budget Reduction Review Committee. The committee will make cut rec ommendations to the chancellor. Seiler said he was optimistic about the department’s fate. “You’ve got to have hope,” he said. In other action, the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska approved the new BRRC structure. Two weeks ago, the senate approved the BRRC structure which was later vetoed by the Academic Programs Council to avoid having a roll-call vote. The BRRC structure must be approved by AS UN, the Academic Senate, APC and the administration. Monday APC compromised and agreed to have a division of the house clause, which means that when a committee member cal Is for a division of the house, a roll-call vote must be taken. ASUN President Andy Massey said he was pleased with the outcome. “We got what we wanted after all,” he said, “it just took a little more time and convincing.” AS UN also passed a resolution encouraging the members of the Parking Advisory Board to lobby for more student board representation. IANR Continued from Page 1 retire within two years. Support staff positions will be eliminated, he said, but officials are trying to move as many staff members as possible into other areas. “We are trying to protect program quality,” Omtvedt said, “and to make this as humane a process as possible.” One program that might be cut is the poultry nutrition program. Omtvedt said the poultry nutrition equip ment is obsolete and would cost millions to replace. And, he said, there is little demand for the program. Preparation for possible cuts began last fall, he said. When Initiative 405 was proposed last Oc tober to put a 2 percent spending lid on state and local spending, the institute put a tempo rary freeze on positions, Omtvedt said. When the initiative failed, Omtvedt said he was cautious about reopening positions be cause he fell the legislative outlook for the university was poor. He said he wanted time to build up flexibility in case cuts became neces sary. Some cuts were anticipated, Omtvedt said. The combination of two programs into the Communications and Computing Services had been proposed to take place this year, he said. But by making the associate vice chancellor the director of die combined programs, the cost of one position and benefits will be saved. The combination of the Water Center and the Environmental Programs was not planned, Omtvedt said. Plans to add a natural resources emphasis to the program were delayed. Down the road, he said, he hoped to add faculty so that a natural resources emphasis could be created. “It’ll just take us longer to get there.” UNL’s reputation as a strong agriculture school probably won’t be hurt by the cuts, Omtvedt said. “My hope is that, as we look around the country, no flags will be raised that the budget cuts at Nebraska have devastated program quality,” he said. The programs at IANR will be fewer, but stronger, Omtvedt said. “The quality of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources will be stronger in the future than in the past,” he said. Teacher Continued from Page 1 About 1,700 students look activities classes last year, generating about $90,000 in tuition, he said. “They have proposed that (the classes) be taken off academic credit and on to a fee basis,” he said. Students would pay to take the classes but would not receive academic credit for them in such a system. The revenue from a fee-based system would be $85,000 a year, he ‘aid. “But the program is currently drawing $90,000 in tuition,” he said. “Where are the savings?” The elimination of the coaching endorse ment program would not save money either, Ansorge said. The program pays various Ne braska high school coaches a total of about $5,500 a year to teach coaching classes, he said. Tuition from these classes generates about $22,000 a year, he said. “There’s no savings (in eliminating the program),” he said. “There’s a net loss here.” Ansorge questioned budget priorities at UNL. “How can the regents approve $1.3 million in funding for the recreation center on Friday and then two days later the university an nounces $2.5 million in academic cuts?” he asked. J.B. Milliken, corporation secretary to the NU Board of Regents, confirmed that the re gents approved Friday a $1,297,000 bid for renovation of Mabel Lee Hall. The renovations are the third phase of a program begun in 1987. More than anything, Ansorge said, he is concerned for the students who would be af fected by the cuts. “We were hit hard,” he said. “(The cuts) represents about 25 percent of the entire budget of the Teachers College. “My greatest concern is that options to stu dents are being limited.” Sally Shepherd, a senior physical education and English major, said she thinks UNL’s administration hasn’t done enough to help the students who will be affected by the proposed cuts. , . “I’m very upset about it,” she said. “The university — the chancellor and the president — are not working hard enough to pul pressure on the Legislature to get more funding for the university.” She said she thought administrators were sending a message that they did not feel stu dents were important. “The whole system isn’t taking into account the students,” she said. “We start out in these programs and then they cut our funding.” Lied Continued from Page 1 to effect change as reasons for his resignation. Johnson said he also felt pressure to resign from Robert Chumbley, Lied Center director. Attempts to reach Chumbley failed. How ever, in the Sept. 11 edition of The Lincoln Star, Chumbley said Johnson was not forced to resign. The newspaper also reported that Chum bley said recent resignations have allowed for consolidation and restructuring of the Lied Center staff. Leslie also attributed his resignation to “philosophical differences” with Chumbley. Both Johnson and Leslie say Chumbley did not lake time to learn how the Lied Center operates. “Mr. Chumbley is very inexperienced in managing people. All the resignations point to that, Johnson said. But not all who resigned were unhappy with Chumbley’s leadership. Griffin said she resigned to pursue other opportunities, and she “was a very happy employee” at the Lied Center. Griffin said she has a “wonderful relation ship” with Chumbley and added that he's an effective director. George said all the officials who resigned had made valuable contributions to the Lied Center and would be missed. “Under the circumstances, I feel (Chum bley) is doing his best as director,” she said. “It’s my opinion that he is doing a fine job.” Adverse circumstances include a deficit in the operating budget that has forced personnel cuts, George said. Johnson will not be replaced, she said. Because of budget cuts, several positions already have been eliminated. „ d ' “"r * ' Take Your Pick! Our Back To School Prices Are Good Until October 11th Hurry In and Save! Macintosh Bundles Available Mac Classic, LC and Ilsi I Mac Bundle #1 Classic 2/40 with Stylewriter Bundlelncludes theMacintosh Classic 2/40 CPU and the StyleWriter Printer w/Accessory Kit* $1,366 Savings $140 Mac Bundle #3 Macintosh LC 2/40 (W/VRAM) With Stylewriter Bundle Includes the Macintosh LC 2/40 CPU and the StyleWriter Printer w/Accessory Kit* $1,585 Savings $389 Keyboard and Monitor Not Included. 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