University of Nebraska Omaha - Tomahawk / Gateway Yearbook (Omaha, NE)

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From military assignment to academic refinement . . BOOTS BEING STEREOTYPED as a curve- breaking, grade-happy, profession- al student is nothing new to him. Oftentimes he's looked on as a foreign element by his civilian classmates. They see him as being degree- oriented, at the top of the grading curve and a dominant element in every class. To some he's a military-minded, professional student who always sits in the front row, spends his weekends studying and carries a portable library in his attache case. But in reality, he doesn't tote a loaded M-l, enjoy the agony of battle or de- liberately set out to put the civilian student down. He's a person over 21 re-entering the academic atmosphere and he's determined to earn a college degree. Under several varying programs, 801 military students now attend UNO. For the sa ke of simplicity, the College of Continuing Studies classifies them all as bootstrappers. The title is given to military personnel pursuing a college de- gree at a later age — to someone pulling himself up by his bootstraps. There is something about a boot the civilian student can readily identify. Eager and quiet, some would say shy, he may not contribute to campus activities, but he often makes his presence felt in classroom discussions. He has a career, has traveled the 48 contiguous states and gone the foreign route, too. He has a uniform at home in the closet, and is employed by the military, but that's of only nominal importance now. He's in marketing, accounting, psy- chology, political science, history and law enforcement. He's a determined student aggressively progressing along the final route toward a college degree. He's con- sidered special. He's a bootstrapper. He carries 15-18 hours a semester to his civilian classmates' 12-15. He spends his out-of-class hours in the library. He spends weekends at home with his family rather than twist and shout with the Marquee Review at the fall prom. According to Franklin J. Russell, Jr., director of UNO military programs, boots are very determined academically because they must complete their degree in a specified amount of time — from six months to two years. Asked about the attrition rate in the bootstrap program, Russell tabbed the percentage of boots successfully completing their academic pursuits as very good. He added, how- ever, there is no 100 percent guarantee, and a small number flunk. Russell said a serviceman is disgraced if he goes back to his military peers without a diploma, because he was given leave to obtain one. College of Continuing Studies (CCS) Dean William T. Utiey sees improved student response to the bootstrap pro- gram. With the exception of a few persons, I have the feeling that there is a much more favorable attitude toward

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Fraternity and sorority members participate in else really cares. That's not our fault. Eirenberg: I think powerful is the wrong word. In our society whether right or wrong the majority rules and has the right to change anything. Maybe Greeks are more organized, that's why we appear more powerful and are able to get things, done. Kniewel: The Greeks represent above five percent of the total student body. Anytime you have five percent which gets power or is able to elect any men to any position, I think it's a credit to them for being able to organize and to work together for a common goal. Tomahawk: Do you feel professors grade down because of Greek affiliation? Hawkinson: I don't think so. The faculty doesn't have any bias in grading. My grades are based on my performance and the expectations of my professors of what they wanted me to learn. Pedersen: I don't think so either. Take myself as an example. A student told me not to take a certain course because the professor didn't like Greeks. He told me not to wear my pin or jacket to class. I did anyway and got an A, so it didn't make any difference in spite of this. campus activities. Traditionally Greeks have Eirenberg: I doubt in a class of 250, unless you are a figurehead, if the pro- fessor knows who's Greek and who isn't. In a class of 25, if he does discriminate he is a poor teacher. Clark: Yes, I have seen low grades because of Greek affiliation, but not too much of it at UNO. I do know it exists on other campuses. To be on the safe side when I go to classes I don't wear my fraternity pin, just to be safe, because I know it happens. Tomahawk: Can you mention specific instances where it has happened on UNO campus? Clark: Ah, no. Tomahawk: In the past few years national trends indicate the Greek system is declining on college and university campuses. In view of this, UNO boasts a new colony. Can you explain this? Hawkinson: First, this is one person's view of the situation. I think the true picture is decrease in Greek involvement in activities on large campuses and the strengthening in the small college campuses nationwide. By the same com- parison you could say church member- ship has decreased in the past years, but a higher voter turn-out for all campus elections. because of that you can't say God is dead. The basic underlying precept of the fraternity system and Greeks in general is valid today and will be valid in the future. We are now encountering a change in the fabric of society, and this is represented by membership in fraternities being down in certain areas. Kniewel: You have radicals who want to tear down the system and the estab- lishment, and they are aiming it at the Greeks. Look at the men in Congress, one-third of them are Greeks. The presi- dents of Coca-Cola and General Motors are Greeks. 1 think the extreme radicals are out to get the establishment, and they hit hard where most of these leaders come from. Tomahawk: Are you familiar with any attacks on Greeks per se? Kniewel: Not off-hand. Clark: Our national probably has the largest expansion of chapters there is. Right now in Nebraska alone we have three colonies of affiliates, at JFK, Hiram Scott and Midland College. In the last two years we have installed 35 chapters. Now if this is decline, I don't know where it is happening. ■ 19

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bootstrappers today than in the past. He cited bootstrap involvement in campus activities as evidence. With bootstrappers currently on the Student Senate and others making contributions to student publications and university committees, Utiey feels perhaps boots are making a stronger effort to be identified Vk'ith the totality of the student body. UtIey cited a changeover of leadership at the Pen and Sword Society and the younger age of incoming bootstrappers as being possible reasons. He also noted more and more boots are coming to UNO for two years rather than six months and this gives them time to mix and mingle. They are constantly establishing more rapport with the regular student body, he added. George G. Thompson, assistant dean of CCS, said business is the undisputed area of major concentration for the boots currently attending UNO classes. Law enforcement and correction, history, political science and psychology follow in descending order. Urban studies, philoso- phy and music harbor only one boot- strapper each this semester. The entire concept of the bootstrap program has changed over the last two years. Originally the program was a six- month degree program, Russell ex- plained. Active-duty military students are re- quired to take at least 15 hours, and a man on the six-month program must take 18 hours of upper division classroom work a semester. We try to watch this very closely, said Russell, while ad- mitting some get by with 13 hours. We are trying to give them a sound, basic and quality education, he added. Electives taken by boots must be at the upper division 300-400 level. Russell said he tries to dissuade boots from taking courses such as driver's education and first aid which fall into the upper category. Boots are professional stu- dents, and we expect them to attempt more academically challenging courses, he explained. About three-fourths of the CCS stu- dents graduating with the Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) degree are boot- strappers. Russell emphasized that this degree is not exclusively for boot- strappers as is generally rumored. Any adult can qualify for the BGS degree, he said. Qualifications for the degree include: missing a regular opportunity to go to college, leaving home and being self- supporting, or having made a significant contribution on your own. Determin- ation of a person's qualifications to pur- sue the BGS degree is left to the dis- cretion of CCS, Russell said. Once a boot qualifies for the BGS program, he can receive credit for pre- vious training or education. The granting of credit for military work, service and academic work is described as a hell of a fruitful concept by Thompson. Enlisted men enrolling under the bootstrap pro- gram get 12 hours credit for military service. This includes 4 hours physical education and 8 hours lower division ROTC credit. Does the military service training equal that taught in physical education and ROTC classes at UNO? I'm not trying to tell you they get the same thing, Thompson said, but basically the training is similar. The commissioned officer entering CCS is given 30 hours credit for his military experience. He gets the same 12 hours credit as the enlisted man, that is, advanced ROTC credit totalling 12 hours, 3 hours of military leadership and exer- cise of command credit and 3 hours of speech credit. It takes a minimum of three to six months to become an officer, and it's a program that makes the under- graduate college program look like a picnic, Thompson said. To qualify for his 30 hours an active duty serviceman must have seen duty for a minimum of one year. Military Programs Director Russell said, One of the basic parts of our degree program is to give lower-level Boots spend many hours studying in the library. These two students ponder over notes from class. 21