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

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directed toward the report and the 20 recommendations it resulted in. Critics saw the recommendations as too loosely drawn and not well defined. In addition, priorities were not outlined in the report; none of the recommendations was given any more weight than the others. Gradu- ate College Dean Elton Carter approved of the loose structuring of the commis- sion's recommendations. Dean Carter says, It was beneficial to learn what people throughout the community and state feel the university should be doing, and what they feel the university's strength and weaknesses are. However, they were in no position to tell the university what to do in detail. We would have been foolish had we let the Regents' Commission commit the university to a political position where specific recom- mendations had to be precisely imple- mented within a certain time period. It is our job to assign priorities and to decide how we will deal with the 20 recom- mendations. Dean Carter partially explains why there was no provision for implemen- tation in the Regents' Commission report, another area of heavy criticism. Funding was not discussed in the report, nor was there any mandate that the report ever be Dean of Graduate College Dr. Elton Carter implemented. Dr. Paul Kennedy, dean of the College of Education, sees no danger that the report will not be implemented. He is confident that certain aspects of the report will be implemented in the very near future, while others might take quite some time. The newly formed steering committee adds weight to Kennedy's comments. Funding of the report is still to be determined, both how much and by whom. UNO President Kirk Naylor feels, If we really let our imaginations run wild, the funding of the Regents' Com- mission report could break the state of Nebraska, since there is no limit on how far we can go with the report. Naylor foresees a supplementary budget request or a readjustment of the present request as a means of funding the report. We will probably ask for around one million dollars to initiate implementation. Chancellor Durward Varner agrees on a first-year figure of one million dollars for implementation, but says, The funds will probably have to come from within our present budget askings. Varner also feels, Some of the recommendations could easily lend themselves to private funding, foundation grants and assistance from the federal government. Dean of College of Education Dr. Paul Kennedy The Board of Regents has tentatively agreed to finance the report by borrowing from funds requested for other programs in the university's budget proposal. The regents appear to be leaning toward an initial $338,000 figure. Before funding, the steering com- mittee will have to decide how the recommendations are to be implemented. The Regents' Commission outlined the broad dimensions of an urban university of the 70s; it will be up to the steering committee to draw up the blueprints and do the general contracting for such a university. Director of Black Studies Melvin Wade, one of the steering com- mittee members, describes the task facing the steering committee as taking a clear, long look at each of the recommenda- tions and what each one encompasses. Then we will have to establish priorities and choose the most effective means of implementing the recommendations. So while the work of the Regents' Commission is over, the fruits of their report are yet to be realized. It will be difficult to determine how successfully the report is implemented. Perhaps the best way of evaluating the Regents' Commission report will be to take a clear, long look at UNO in 1980. ■ Dean of College of Bus. Ad. Dr. George Heather

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Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. William Gaines Director of Black Studies Melvin Wade Dean of College of Arts and Sciences Dr. John Blackwell Regents' Commission AWAITING ANOTHER ROAR LIKE A lion that roars twice, the Regents' Commission on the Urban University was front page news at its inception in June and again in Sep- I tember, when its report was made public. The report itself has lain like a lamb until recently, when a steering committee was formed for its imple- mentation. The interval between the release of the report and the formulation of the steering committee has allowed time for some of the key participants on the commission to reflect on the report's significance and answer some of the criticism directed at the report. The purpose of the Regents' Com- mission was to examine the role of UNO as an urban university in the decade of the 1970s. The commission was made up of more than 140 Nebraska residents under the chairmanship of Willis Strauss, president of Northern Natural Gas, and the consultation of Dr. Kenneth Roose, vice-president of the American Council of Education. Their examination resulted in 20 recommendations which are designed to guide the university through the 70s. From the beginning there was op- position to the commission's objective. There were those who hesitated to open the university's doors to such thorough public scrutiny. The very suggestion that the university's mission needed reviewing was a concern to many. But Dr. George Heather, dean of the College of Business Administration feels, Any institution in a position where change can be rapid and extreme needs to take a periodic look at itself. The report has pointed a direction for the university to provide and create services for the community, which it might not otherwise have thought of. iVIany who agreed with the commis- sion's objective questioned the validity of having the 140-plus persons from all parts and professions of Nebraska doing the scrutinizing. To them, if the university was to be looked at, it should be looked at by the university community. UNO students, faculty and administrators were adequately represented on the commis- sion, but it was also composed of city government officials, state legislators, re- gents, representatives of business, agri- culture and commerce, as well as Omaha minority group representatives. Dr. William Gaines, dean of Academic Affairs, believes, The composition of the commission was very healthy. The in- clusion of persons outside the university gave the report a tremendous perspective. It didn't include just Omaha, but people all over the state, and this is important because the university is here to serve the entire state. The commission's member- ship afforded an opportunity for input from all professional climates and seemingly had a good balance. State-wide participation on the com- mission and the heavy news media cover- age at the outset led to speculation that the true function of the Regents' Com- mission was one of public relations. Dr. John Blackwell, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, dismisses public re- lations as one of the main objectives of the commission. He insists, The Regents' Commission was not put on as a publicity stunt. One of the by-products of the commission was good public relations, but this wasn't considered a major func- tion of the commission. Probably the greatest criticism was 30

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- f Storz House A move in the right direction [HEN HORACE Greeley advised Americans to go west during the 1800s, land was plentiful and there for the asking. But today when every square inch of land is someone's property, it becomes nearly impossible to expand a mid-town campus in any direction. Westward expansion for the University of Nebraska at Omaha has been a fervent hope of many students, administrators and university supporters for some time. Since becoming a member of the Uni- versity of Nebraska system, the university has increased its enrollment substantially, parking has become exceedingly scarce; classroom space has become significantly strained, and overall tensions have mount- ed considerably. The early August purchase of the Adolf Storz property at 6625 Dodge gave visible proof that promised expansion would become a reality. University Presi- dent Kirk E. Naylor commented that the Storz purchase finally determined the direction of expansion. Most of the general public and indeed most of the student body seemed pleased with the purchase, especially with the land price at less than one dollar per square foot. Cries contrary to this pleased attitude, however, seemed to stem from residents living nearby those few, fair acres. But Naylor quickly responded to quell their doubts. It is important the community know that UNO will be a good neighbor. We must give careful consideration to what uses we make of the property and what effect those uses will have on our neighbors, he reassured the home owners. The total cost of the prize package amounted to $190,000 paid by the Uni- versity of Nebraska Foundation. UNO will lease the property from the foun- dation with funds financed by revolving accounts of the university, not by general operating funds. Robert L. Raun, president of the NU Regents, cited parking as a major con- sideration in the decision to buy. Three of the six acres will be used for parking with minimal changes. Dr. Rex Engebretson, director of campus development and planning, said because of vast daily turnovers in student parking and the traffic hazards en- countered while entering and leaving Dodge Street, only faculty and staff spaces will be available on the Storz property. The 20-room house, which also in- cludes a basement, will be kept intact for the time being. Partitioning will probably be used in the larger rooms to afford workable office facilities. It will hold 32