January 24, 1997



All Fenced In

The north entrance to the Nebraska Union was closed Wednesday as construction on the Union expansion project moved into full swing. According to Larry Blake, project manager, both of the temporary west entrances are now open, and will remain in use during the duration of the 18-month construction and remodeling project.

Once the project is complete, the temporary west entrance to the bookstore will be closed up, and the temporary entrance to the upper level will be converted into a large window.

Work continues on sanitary sewer lines northwest of the building. Workers originally planned to bore under the 14th street mall, but later found it necessary to break up part of the sidewalk and dig a much larger trench. Blake said the trench should be filled and the walk replaced by Feb. 5. (Photo by Richard Wright)

Event to Highlight University's Teaching Accomplishments

'Celebration of Teaching' Begins Jan. 31


By Tom Simons
News and Information

Some 80 faculty members as well as university administrators, regents and state legislators have been invited to participate in a special "Celebration of Teaching" dinner and workshop Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at the Clifford Hardin Nebraska Center for Continuing Education.

The celebration will showcase the university's accomplishments in emphasizing the role of teaching over the last three years, said Al Kilgore, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Kilgore said the celebration will highlight individual faculty members and academic departments that have been recognized for outstanding teaching as well as various projects that the university has instituted to promote teaching.

The projects highlighted will include the institution of the general education program in the administration of former Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Joan Leitzel; the nationally recognized work of seven faculty members in an American Association for Higher Education project on peer review of teaching; and the nationally recognized success of the university's two FIPSE (Fund for Improvement of Post-Secondary Education) grants from the U.S. Department of Education.

"We want to bring all of these elements together so we can celebrate and showcase everything that is happening in at this university," Kilgore said. "We want to say, 'Hey, folks, look at what we've accomplished the past three years.'"

UNL was one of 12 institutions chosen to participate in the AAHE peer review project. In it, seven faculty members (Peg Kennedy and Pam Starr in music, Joy Ritchie and Charles Mignon in English, Steve Dunbar and Mel Thornton in mathematics and Dan Bernstein in psychology) attended a week-long workshop conducted by Lee Schulman, then of Stanford University and now president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Improvement of Teaching. They returned to work in their departments to develop strategies for enhancing instruction through peer review and now work as consultants at other universities around the country.

Kilgore said the goal is to extend the peer-review project universitywide.

"We hope to have peer review become another tool to help us continually improve our teaching and to stimulate conversations about teaching among the faculty," Kilgore said. "We need to talk about that as much as we talk about our research. We need to think about teaching as a scholarly activity, not as another task."

The FIPSE grants were coordinated by Robert "Bud" Narveson, recently retired English professor; Leverne Barrett, professor of agriculture leadership, education and communication; and Delivee Wright, director of the Teaching and Learning Center. The purpose of the first three-year grant in 1989 was find ways to ensure that teaching as well as research is rewarded at UNL. The project was so successful that the Department of Education gave the university a second three-year grant in 1992 to enable it to share its findings with other institutions.

Next weekend's agenda begins with a reception and dinner Friday night, when Pat Hutchings, director of the Teaching Initiative at AAHE, will deliver the keynote address. The agenda concludes Saturday morning with a series of seminars and discussions on teaching.

Committee Mulls Over Parking Options


By Kim Hachiya
News & Information

Parking Advisory Committee members began the process of decision making and policy development at their meeting January 21.

As an advisory committee, the group can recommend changes and help devise policies and plans governing campus parking. Tad McDowell, parking manager, asked the group last month to mull over some options, none of which are slated for immediate adoption. Nevertheless, input on these ideas is helpful and can spawn new ideas, he said.

Demand for parking exceeds supply, he noted, and chances are good that demand will increase should two surface lots southwest of the city campus, now controlled by the city, be dedicated to other uses. The city is considering options for Block 35, the surface lot bounded by 10 and 11th streets from P to Q streets; and the Lincoln Journal Star has an option to purchase the "Haymarket" lot, bounded by Ninth and 10th streets, Q to R streets.

UNL, McDowell said last month, has tended to rely upon city lots and city streets to absorb some of its parking. However, UNL would like to be more self-sufficient. Unfortunately, he said, because the university is land-locked, purchase of open land for surface parking is prohibitively expensive. And long-range plans for buildings or other uses within the campus core do not include conversion of space to parking.

Among options presented to the committee were: During discussion, members questioned whether the radius-limitation would affect employees as well or only apply to students. McDowell said that should this idea be adopted, extensive study would be necessary. This is an option used successfully by other universities, he said, but added that its impact at UNL is unknown because no one knows how many would be affected. And an exemptions policy, such as for those who need access to handicapped parking, would need to be developed.

McDowell said he disagrees with the concept of limiting groups such as freshmen from bringing cars and would rather set the limits by geography/proximity to campus.

"It doesn't matter how you do it, some group will be upset," he said. "Parking is a no-win situation. Whoever you limit will always be upset. I would prefer not to limit but to promote more use of alternative transportation."

The advisory committee has in the past looked at, and rejected, options such as sector parking and no-ride area for bicycles. The committee also was instrumental in developing the policy leading to the building of the parking structure by Memorial Stadium; the Star-Tran contract for free use by UNL students, faculty and staff; and the current shuttle system.

The committee took no action on the discussion items.

The committee also is looking to schedule a spring "campus safety walk." Typically this walk begins at 4 a.m. when the campus is dark.

Chair Scott Swenseth said he will check with the chairs of a couple other campus committees to schedule a date.

Have Questions? Call NUFACTS for Instant Answers


By Mollie Klocksin
IANR Newswriter

Nebraskans who awaken at 3 a.m. wondering what food to pack for a long car trip don't have to wait until sunrise to find out.

Instead, they can call the University of Nebraska's Cooperative Extension Information Center toll free at 800-832-5441 outside Lincoln or 441-7188 in the Lincoln area and get an answer immediately.

Callers welcome the convenience of getting specific questions answered without having to call or visit their local extension office during the traditional work day, said Dave Varner, coordinator of the statewide NUFACTS program and a Lancaster County extension educator.

"In a sense, it opens our office 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said.

The center's 24-hour NUFACTS line offers callers two ways to get information: by phone or fax.

The service offers access to about 450 messages based on questions posed frequently at extension offices across Nebraska.

To request a brochure listing NUFACTS messages, call one of the NUFACTS numbers. The brochure lists additional numbers that callers need to punch to hear specific NUFACTS messages or request NUFACTS publications by fax.

There's no charge to use NUFACTS or receive one of the more than 400 extension publications by fax.

The brochure listing NUFACTS messages and copies of NUFACTS publications are also available at extension offices statewide.

NUFACTS began operating July 1, 1996. By the end of last year, 8,724 callers listened to 13,168 messages and requested 836 documents via fax, Varner said.

The popularity of topics varies by season, he said. For example, many callers requested information about lawn care and gardening during the summer and food safety during the holidays.

On Election Day, callers inquired about Nebraska's property tax structure and financing for public education, Varner said. Although NUFACTS' public policy messages didn't address specific issues on Nebraska's Nov. 5 ballot, callers apparently wanted some general tax information before heading for the polls, he said.

"They kept our (four) lines busy the entire day," Varner said.

Topics vary from traditional extension fare such as agriculture, nutrition and home maintenance to newer categories such as environmental stewardship, water quality and family life.

Although many people still prefer talking with a live person to punching numbers on a telephone menu, others may prefer the anonymity of using NUFACTS, Varner said.
When calling about sensitive topics such as parenting styles or the effects of divorce on children, "people are probably more likely to call the system anonymously rather than talk with a real person," he said.

Groundwater Cleanup Technique Developed at NU


By Steve Ress
IANR communications associate

An innovative, yet simple University of Nebraska-developed technique to clean contaminated groundwater using spray irrigation systems is getting recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

A two-page description of a sprinkler irrigation technique to clean up groundwater contamination, successfully field-tested by NU groundwater researchers, will be published in EPA's annual "Technology Profiles."

Nearly 25,000 copies of the publication are distributed nationally to "environmental decision makers and others interested in innovativetechnologies," said Paul McCauley of EPA's National Risk Management Research Laboratory in Cincinnati, Ohio. It also will be listed on EPA's Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation Internet site.

An NU Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources research team led by hydrochemist Roy Spalding field tested the technique at an EPA Superfund cleanup site near Hastings in 1994 and 1995.

"This is a very simple, cost effective and efficient technique that has a wide range of uses for cleaning up contaminated groundwater," said Spalding, who directs UNL's Water Sciences Laboratory.

Cost savings with this method can be significant.

"The average cleanup cost for a Superfund site can reach $27 millioni to $30 million. Using our sprinkler technique could reduce those costs to $500,000 or less," Spalding estimates.

Much of the savings stem from using off-the-shelf equipment and relatively simple technology.

Common irrigation systems, capped with off-the-shelf nozzles that produce a fine spray, allow contaminants in the water to be released harmlessly to the atmosphere. The water then irrigates crops normally.

Testing at the Hastings site confirmed the technique's ability to significantly reduce trace levels of solvents such as trichloroethylene, trichloroethane and tetrachloroethylene, as well as trace levels of fumigants carbon tetrachloride and ethylene dibromide, among others.

"The fine spray releases contaminants to the atmosphere, where they disperse and most rapidly degrade in sunlight. It's a very simple and effective technique," said Spalding.

New ETV Special Presents Cather, Sandoz Stories

Love and loneliness are two of the most popular themes in all of literature. The pioneers of the plains experienced both with a fierce intensity. A new Nebraska ETV Network special, Love And Loneliness On The Plains, presents sensitive and faithful adaptations of stories by Nebraska authors Willa Cather (shown at right) and Mari Sandoz. The stories are set against the austere landscape of the middle west in the late 1800s-a place where souls are tested but the strength of the human heart reveals itself in unexpected ways. The half-hour program airs at 8 p.m. Feb. 8, and repeats at 9:30 p.m. Feb. 24.

Acclaimed actress Julie Harris hosts the program and narrates, with actor E.G. Marshall providing additional narration. Two stories by Willa Cather are dramatized-"The Sentimentality of William Tavener" and an excerpt from O Pioneers! called "Winter Memories." Also excerpted is the "Mirage" chapter from Mari Sandoz's most famous work Old Jules.

"The Sentimentality of William Tavener" tells the story of a homesteading couple whose love, consumed by the hardships of their lives, is reawakened by shared memories. "Mirage," from Old Jules, presents Jules as a young Swiss man, newly arrived in the remote Sandhills, who finds the reality very different from what he had imagined. "Winter Memories" from O Pioneers! features one of the most discussed passages in all of Cather's works, in which Alexandra Bergson, late in her unmarried life, is haunted by a recurring dream of a powerful man carrying her swiftly across the fields. She says, "...and he was yellow like the sunlight and there was the smell of ripe cornfields about him."

The dramatizations are intended to "celebrate the language" of both distinguished writers, according to producer-director Joel Geyer. Unlike many dramatizations, which freely "fill in the blanks" between the written word and visual representation with newly created dialogue, Geyer believes that what makes this production unique is that the stories are conveyed "using the words of the authors and only the words of the authors."

Geyer believes that in addition to the general public, the program will be of particular interest to educators, and notes that it has educational rights "in perpetuity," meaning that educational institutions can tape the program off-air and use it in classrooms for an unlimited amount of time.

The program was videotaped at a variety of Nebraska locations including Willa Cather's home in Red Cloud and the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island. Current and former Nebraska actors featured in the program include Cork Ramer and Peg Sheldrick ("The Sentimentality of William Tavener), Steve Shields ("Mirage") and Constance McCord ("Winter Memories).

Love And Loneliness On The Plains is a production of the University ofNebraska-Lincoln Cultural Affairs Unit for broadcast on the Nebraska ETV Network. Joel Geyer produced and directed. Jim Underwood and Terry Hatch were directors of photography, with Alexandru Moscu and Jim Underwood as editors.

The program was underwritten in part by the Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial and Education Foundation in association with the Nebraska State Historical Society, the Nebraska Arts Council and Nebraskans for Public Television.

Global View

Fulbright Program Undergoes Funding Cuts . . . Again


By Renae Wotipka
International Affairs Office

The Fulbright Exchange Program, falling victim to the political struggle over the federal budget, has been hit with significant reductions in funding for Fiscal Year 1997. This represents the second consecutive cut in appropriations on the part of the U.S. government.

The Fulbright Program was established by Congress in 1946 "to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries" through educational exchange. Grants are awarded to U.S. students, teachers, and scholars to study, teach, lecture and conduct research abroad, and for foreign nationals to do likewise in the United States.

With the passage of the omnibus appropriations bill on Sept. 30, 1996, Fulbright funding was set at $98 million for 1997. This represents the second reduction in appropriations in as many years. In fiscal 1996, U.S. government support totaled $102.5 million, while fiscal 1995 funding stood at $118 million.

One reason for the cut in U.S. support for the Fulbright Program is the proliferation of exchange programs. According to Ralph Vogel, staff director of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, there are a growing number of small, targeted exchange programs that are receiving a larger share of federal funds going to support exchanges.

More importantly, however, is pressure to reduce overall government spending. "They (legislators) are not saying the Fulbright is not a worthy program. But something must be cut," says Vogel. Indeed, the Fulbright Program is just one of the educational and cultural exchange programs administered by the United States Information Agency that has seen budget reductions in the past two years.

Although the Fulbright Program's primary source of funding is U.S. congressional appropriations, it also receives support from foreign governments and the private sector. Currently, there are 13 partner nations whose annual government contribution equals or exceeds that of the United States, including Germany and Japan.

Cuts in U.S. support for the Fulbright threaten foreign support and the program itself.

According to Barbara Ischinger, executive director of the German-U.S. Fulbright Commission, "It is dramatic how cuts on one side are instantly followed by cuts on the other side. If this trend continues, the program will have a hard time to survive."

In an effort to preempt future budget reductions, the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board has prepared a Fulbright National Interest Statement to highlight the importance of the program to the United States. The statement emphasizes that the Fulbright Program is based on a relatively small taxpayer investment and has been very cost-effective.

According to the statement, the Fulbright Program "has produced major dividends by advancing American interests in the world, by strengthening the ability of Americans to compete more effectively in a global economy, and by contributing to better understanding between the United States and other countries."

The survival of the Fulbright Program depends on grassroots support. According to Jane Anderson, executive director of the U.S. Fulbright Association, "Particularly in the U.S., we need to be talking about the impact of the Fulbright program on our communities. That's what legislators listen to."

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