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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 1996)
WEDNESDAY WEATHER: Today - Mostly cloudy and cooler. Northwest wind 15 to 25 mph. Tonight - Clearing and . ..«>.. cooler. Low 25 to 30. April 3, 1996 Senate endorses benefits for partners By Julie Sobczyk Senior Reporter Domestic partners of faculty mem bers at UNL are one step closer to re ceiving insurance benefits. In a 30-26 vote Tuesday, the Aca demic Senate ap proved a motion in support of extend ing insurance ben efits to domestic partners of UNL faculty. The Uni versity-Wide Em ployee Fringe Ben efits Committee will formulate the details of the plan. Domestic partners are individuals in an intimate, long-term, exclusive, committed relationship similar to mar riage. Both heterosexuals and homo sexuals are included in the definition. Leo Sartori, professor of physics and astronomy, said he was in full sup port of the idea, although the concept was controversial. “We must keep in mind that this is a matter of economic equity,” Sartori said. But Jim Goedert, associate profes sor of construction systems technol ogy, said the senate would be making a mistake by supporting the domestic partners concept. “It’s time to look for family values,” Goedert said. “Let’s support that in stead. There is no need for heterosexu als living together to have benefits.” Instead, he said, money should be put into making family life better and helping families work out difficulties. Darryll Pederson, professor of ge ology, said domestic partners shouldn’t be singled out. Others living together, such as siblings or mothers and daugh ters, don’t receive benefits and aren’t provided for under the concept. “I don’t think we should look only at the one issue of domestic partners,” Pederson said. Gargi Roysircar Sodowsky, associ ate professor of educational psychol ogy, said the concept should be thought of in an economic sense, not a moral one. “I’m confused here,” she said dur ing debate. “I didn’t know if this was a religious gathering or a group of aca demic intellectuals. “I support this on the grounds of economic equity of all communities.” In other business, Chancellor James Moeser told the senate an interim vice chancellor for academic affairs would be chosen within the next few days. Joan Leitzel, who holds that posi tion, accepted the presidency at the University of New Hampshire in Durham last week. She will leave UNL in June. The search for her permanent re placement will begin quickly, Moeser said. The senate also heard annual re ports from the graduate council com mittee and the academic freedom com mittee. It also voted for the recipient of the James A. Lake Academic Free dom Award. Matt Miller/DN Joan Mendoza-Gorham sits in front of the quilt her students made for her in 1992. Two thirds of the students that participated in Upward Bound each made a square. Helping Hand Education specialist receives Tidball award By Todd Anderson Staff Reporter Joan Mendoza-Gorham could not have received a more fitting award. Through her work with Upward Bound and the Educational Talent Search program, the Sue Tidball Award for Creative Humanity win ner says she has followed in the footsteps of the person for which her award is named. The award is given to students, faculty and staff who contribute extra time to the building of a just and humane campus. When Mendoza-Gorham, an education specialist in the office of multicultural affairs, was notified of the award, she said she remembered the time she attended classes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and worked with people who knew Sue Tidball. “I knew who she was and what she represented,” she said. “That meant the most to me. It was a time when changes were happening for students, and I think that’s happen ing again.” Mendoza-Gorham worked as academic counselor for Upward Bound until August 1995, when the program’s funding was cut by the Department of Education. Because of her experience with students in the Upward Bound pro gram, she then filled the position of educational specialist with the Educational Talent Search program at UNL. Both programs provide aca demic assistance to students to help them move on to the next level of school, and then on to college, she See TIDBALL on 6 Property tax relief bills pass By Ted Taylor Senior Reporter Most of the Nebraska Legislature’s package of property tax measures sur vived another round of debate Tues - day, with one bill Leqislature an^ a constitutional amendment going /m on to the final stage or legislation. LB1085 and LR29CA cleared the second hurdle on their way to Gov. Ben Nelson’s desk. Debate on an other bill, LB 1114, was stopped Tuesday evening. Nelson has said he supports the entire pack age. Debate during the afternoon cen tered on an amendment to LR292CA, which would allow the Legislature to provide for the merger or consolida tion of local governments and would provide for different tax rates on dif ferent classes of property. Sen. Ed Schrock of Elm Creek tried to add an amendment to LR292C A that said property used for farm or ranch purposes could not be taxed at more than 80 percent of its market value. The Schrock amendment said taxes on real or commercial property also could not exceed 100 percent of its market value. Senators initially adopted the amendment, but Speaker Ron Withem of Papillion asked the body to recon sider because he believed the adoption of the Schrock amendment would, in effect, kill the resolution. Withem also said a “yes” vote for the Schrock amendment “put the en tire property tax package in jeopardy.” Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha was outraged that a motion to reconsider was granted. “It ought to be as we have done it,” he said. Chambers said if some of the rural senators changed their votes, they would be playing into the hands of the majority urban senators. “We’re playing hardball now,” he warned senators. Sen. Don Wesely of Lincoln, who opposed the amendment, said now wasn’t the time for senators to be “jockeying for a little advantage.” But senators supporting the amend ment said it gave farmers no advan tage and would change nothing in the resolution. “I ask you to consider what you are doing,” Stanton Sen. Stan Schellpeper See PROPERTY on 3 Two finalists will vie for arts dean By Julie Sobczyk Senior Reporter After more than a semester, the search for a new dean of the UNL Col lege of Fine and Performing Arts is al most complete. Cecil Steward, the search committee’s chairman, said two final ists from more than 40 applicants had been chosen and would visit campus this month. “The chancellor would like to have this person by the end of July,” Stew ard said. The finalists are: 1 Richard Durst, dean of the fine arts Chancellor wants selection in office by the end of July school at the University of Minnesota in Duluth. He will visit UNL April 8 10. 1 Sue Ann Martin, dean of arts at the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. She will visit April 21-23. The new dean will replace Larry Lusk, who is retiring this summer. Steward said the committee was es pecially looking for someone with ex perience in a high administrative po sition related to fine and performing arts. “We spent a lot of time talking about the need to find an individual who re spects faculty and staff,” he said. Steward said the new dean also should be able to establish a strong relationship between the cdllege and the community. Good fiscal management and fund raising skills are also necessary, he said. “I hope the individual will promote international programs and relation ships with the arts,” he said. Another must, Steward said, is an awareness of changing technology and how it applies to the arts. Instead of voting, each member of the search committee will make his or her recommendation to Joan Leitzel, senior vice chancellor for academic af fairs. Leitzel then will make a recommen dation to Chancellor James Moeser, and he will appoint the new dean. Moeser’s choice must be approved by the NU Board of Regents.
