Questions arise over diversity data DIVERSITY from page 1 racial minorities, not just women. Neither set of data could provide a 100 percent accurate comparison between peer institutions, Benson said. “Even though they’re peer insti tutions, those that have different programs are being compared against each other,” he said. Benson said six of UNL’s peer institutions include librarians in fac ulty counts; three do not. The university’s report, which was required by LB389, passed last year, includes both the percentage of minority and women faculty and plans to increase faculty diversity on all four NU campuses. State senators threatened to withhold 1 percent-about $3.5 mil lion - of the university’s budget with the passage of LB389 if NU failed to meet certain goals in hiring of women and minority faculty. Although there is disagreement regarding the data, Sen. Don Wesley of Lincoln said he did not think NU would face the budget-cut penalty this year. Despite the education depart ment numbers, Wesley and Beck agreed the report was an adequate step towards gender equity. “I would be willing to live with this first-year report,” Beck said. “Some effort has been made, and there are signs around that there is at least good faith to do some things.” I * Beck said she would work with other women faculty to persuade the NU system and the Legislature to use the more accurate AAUP num bers. “Historically, we haven’t done enough (to enhance gender equity), but I’m willing to give it a little more time.” -1 5 FREE HOURS OF ONLINE TIME EVERY MONTH WITH ANY OF THESE NAVDTUNL PLANS. That’s right! If you’re a UNL student, faculty of staff member, you will receive 5 FREE hours of Internet access every month when you sign up for one of these economical Navix plans: Low Usage Plan: Get 15 hours of online time for JUST $6.50 A MONTH. (With your 5 FREE hours, it’s like 20 hours for the price of 15.) 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Chapter closes doors to Kappa Sigma house FRATERNITY from page 1 Kirkland said the chapter was unable to meet “standards held by local alumni and the national fraterni ty.” UNL Kappa Sigma President Adam Miller said he was unaware of any specific standards the chapter did not meet. “It was more like ‘keep your noses clean’,” Miller said. “It was kind of a gray area.” Reiner said although the fraternity had disciplinary problems in the past, members had “cleaned up their act” and were in no trouble during the fall semester. He said members had planned to appeal to the UNL office of Greek Affairs this semester to have their dis ciplinary probation reconsidered. Director of Greek Affairs Linda Schwartzkopf was unavailable for comment. Although Kappa Sigma members said no disciplinary violations were logged during the fall semester, Kirkland said violations, which he would not specify, did occur in the fall. Financially, Kirkland said, the fra ternity also could not survive. “We had a large physical plant (the house) to support,” Kirkland said. “Financially, we could not support that.” Miller said if financial reasons were behind the closing, the fraternity should have been shut down last semester before it borrowed $80,000 from the national fraternity to keep the house open. Reiner said a capital campaign to build a new house had begun, and if the house was closed during the fall when many alumni were on campus, no alumni would have contributed to the campaign. “A lot of people think (the alumni board) kept us around this semester because a lot of alumni were coming in,” Reiner said. “(Members) feel used - like they just wanted to show us off to the alumni to make money.” Kirkland said those allegations were unfounded. “The only thing we did was bor row $80,000,” he said. “We would not have done that without die belief that the chapter, at that time, was a viable entity.” Members also said finances were under the alumni board’s control, so if money was a problem, it was die alum ni’s fault. “If they had to close it because of financial reasons, they’re kind of lean ing it on us,” Miller said. “They’re the 66- | We had three weeks to find places to live over Christmas break” Kevin Reiner Kappa Sigma member ones that probably screwed up.” Whatever the real reason for the closing, about 40 people are out of a place to live, and new pledges will not have the opportunity to go through ini tiation. Reiner said members who lived in the house had to scraipble to find a place to live over winter break. “We had three weeks to find places to live over Christmas break,” Reiner said. “Some people got stuck in dorms when they’re seniors.” He said others were not returning to school this semester because they could not find places to live. nappa aigma iormer President Paul West said members were more upset at the lack of notice | than the actual closing. Kirkland said he checked with the UNL housing office to make sure enough rooms were available in the residence halls for displaced mem- | bers. He said although members wouTd no longer have a house, if they were in good standing they would not forego their eligibility for alumni status, as long as their behavior was acceptable. Reiner said he felt the alumni had left members out in the cold. “I feel really betrayed by our alum ni,” Reiner said. “They’re supposed to support members in the house. “We were trying to improve, and they just stabbed us in the back.” ; Kirkland and the alumni board plan to re-open the house in 2000, ip order to “recolonize” by getting a fresh group of faces in the fraternity. Members will have the opportuni ty to appeal the suspension of their house charter at a meeting ip Tennessee in March, West said. West said a group of younger members was planning to fight the suspension, and some were also talk ing about starting a group off campus. But, without a house, he said, it would be close to impossible. ‘To me, it feels like 3lA years went down the drain,” West said. “All my work just wait for nothing.” ' ' * ' j ' | I-,---1----.---a, From staff reports Burglaries plague building * A rash of burglaries was report ed last week, all in the same apart ment building. Five burglaries took place last week, three on Monday and two Wednesday at 942 Foxcroft Court. JliPbtl