Moeser says task force
will reinforce programs
By Jessica Fargen
and Lindsay Young
Staff writers
The recently announced Future
Nebraska task force is an opportunity
Mi to forge new paths in graduate and
v research studies, not a remedy to any
deficiencies in those programs, UNL
administrators said this week.
The 29-member task force, which
was appointed last week, will be an
instrument in the next two years for
n University of Nebraska-Lincoln to
allocate funding in a way that improves
i * the university, Chancellor James
Moeser said.
“We don’t want to miss the oppor
tunity to make a quantum jump,” he
said.
“Even our stronger programs could
be better.”
A share of the Mildred Topp
Othmer $125 million donation was too
much opportunity to pass up. That will
give die university about $5.5 million
in accrued interest to work with.
reamer man aistnoute me money
.l , over all of the programs or replace state
v funding, the task force wants to target
certain vital programs to boost their
funding and bring the university to
world pre-eminence in some areas.
. n Rick Edwards, senior vice chancel
lor for academic affairs, said UNL
.,already ranks high among research uni
, versities and is a member of the
. Association of American Universities,
but improvement and evaluation is
always welcome.
“We cannot rest on our laurels,”
Edwards said. “We know that other uni
versities are engaged with very ambi
tious plans to organize their research
and other activities. We have to com
0 pete with those universities.”
&lH . Suzanne Ortega, associate dean of
.Graduate Studies, said UNUs graduate
program was also one of 15 graduate
colleges that participates in a Preparing
. Future Faculty project.
“The graduate program has a lot of
dynamic and positive things going on,”
', she said. “This (task force) may help it
happen faster mid in ways we haven’t
,. already seen”
One of the areas the task force may
choose to look at is adding more inter
disciplinary programs, she said.
For example, instead of having the
current gerontology master’s program,
a program could be created that would
combine gerontology with sociology,
psychology and biology, which are all
vital aspects of studying the process of
growing older.
“It’s these sort of niches between
out different programs where we could
do something interesting and exciting,”
she said.
But the task force will not pick at
problems in specific programs, instead
it will evaluate them as a whole,
Edwards said.
“It’s not just a question of individ
ual programs,” he said. “It’s a question
of what kind of research university do
we want to be.
“What kind of institutional culture
do we want to create?”
Just as the Preliminary Campus
Master Plan may move UNIi exterior
forward, the task force will focus on
improving the work that goes on inside
buildings, Edwards said.
But change often comes with a
price tag.
The more than $ 155 million donat
ed to UNL this year has provided funds
for things such as an honors residence
hall, building construction and scholar
ships, he said. Research is an area that
can benefit from more funding,
Edwards said.
i oeneve me chancellor relt this
(research and graduate programs) was
die highest priority application for this
source of funds,” he said.
The task force, which represents
several departments and colleges, will
decide how to spend some of the.
endowment money, Edwards said.
Members were not chosen as mem
bers of individual departments, Moeser
said, but as “citizens of the university”
Along with Edwards and Irv
Omtvedt, vice chancellor for extended
education and for the Institute of
Agriculture and Natural Resources,
Moeser said he looked for faculty
members who had the ability to see the
big picture - what would be best for the
university, not .gist their own depart
ments.Not all of the members were
tenured, Moeser said, but the non
tenured, newer faculty will bring the
task force vitality and a fresh perspec
tive.
The two community members on
the task force are Helen Raikes, a
researcher who splits her time working
at the Gallup Organization and the fed
eral department of health and human
services researching children, youth
and families; and John Angle, former
CEO of the Guardian Life Insurance
Co., in New York. Angle, who lives in
Lincoln, was chairman of an NU com
mittee examining expenses and is a
past president of the Friends of UNL
Libraries.
Correction_
The Daily Nebraskan incorrectly reported Wednesday the results of the
race for the District 30 seat in the state Legislature. Dennis Byars won the race
with 54 percent of the unofficial final vote over Stan Matzke Jr., who had 46
percent.
* * • \ - ■■
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Tpj 13th and R, for starters. You’re looking to pad your book. The Daily Nebraskan
is looking for creatives. Seems like a match made in heaven—and you haven’t even
left Lincoln. For more information, call 472-2589.
Nebraskan
DISPLAY ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT
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\ i
By Adam Klinker
Staff writer
Anti-abortion rights activists
will get their day in court after a fed
eral judge extended an injunction
against the City of Lincoln on
Wednesday.
The initial injunction, granted
Sept. 30, disallowed the enforce
ment of an ordinance against picket
ing on religious premises.
Wednesday’s ruling extends that
injunction indefinitely, pending a
trial or possible appeals.
For the past 21 months, members
of Rescue die Heartland, an Omaha
based anti-abortion rights group,
have been picketing outside of the
Westminster Presbyterian Church,
2110 Sheridan Blvd.
They are picketing because Dr.
Winston Crabb, an elder at the
church, performs abortions.
The Lincoln City Council voted
to restrict picketing on religious
premises Sept. 14. The ordinance
was vetoed by Mayor Mike Johanns
but was overturned by the council
Sept. 21.
Four members of Rescue the
Heartland then filed a suit in U.S.
District Court on Sept. 23. They
challenged that the ordinance was
unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf
granted the first injunction for 10
jdays, but while Kopf was out of
town, a hearing for an extension was
postponed and the primary injunc
tion stood. *
On Wednesday, Kopf wrote that
the ordinance is indeed unconstitu
tional and granted a.preliminary
injunction to replace the temporary
order handed down Sept. 30.
The case will be going to trial,
but no date has been set.
“The ordinance is not narrowly
tailored to serve the government
interest that prompted the ordi
nance,” Kopf wrote in his decision.
Under the First Amendment, a
law that limits expression must be
narrowly tailored, meaning it can
target only the problem it seeks to
remedy.
Kopf wrote that the same ordi
nance that stops protesters from
frightening children also would limit
people from displaying signs that
have non-threatening messages.
Therefore, although Kopf said he
had concern for the children being
exposed to the graphic images of
bloody fetuses on the picket signs,
the ordinance’s language was too
broad.
Gene Summerlin, the attorney
for the four Rescue the Heartland
members, said he was pleased with
Kopf’s decision and awaited the
city’s next move.
“The ball is in the city’s court
now,” Summerlin said. “They have a
lot of different options at this point.”
Among the city’s options is
appealing Kopf’s decision. The
council will meet Monday to discuss
that option and also will take into
consideration others, which could
include settling with K0pf’s deci
sion, not enforcing the ordinance
and dropping the issue.
Dan Klaus, attorney for the city,
said he was unsure what course of
action the city would take.
Klaus said he would remain in
contact with council members and
advise them at pre-council meetings.
But ultimately, the decision rests
with the council, he said.
Council Chairman Curt
Donaldson said he would vote to
appeal the injunction, but he was
unsure as to the opinions of other
council members.
Donaldson said the city will con
tinue to fight for the enforcement of
the ordinance.
“It’s a very important issue,” he
said. “The problem is still out there,
and we have not yet exhausted the
legal process.”
Summerlin said an appeal on
behalf of the city would not bother
him, though it would cost the city
time and money.
“We don’t care if the city appeals
or not,” Summerlin said. “Either
way, the preliminary injunction
stands, and the ordinance cannot be
enforced.”
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