Walsh Defends Regent Proposal Jackson,Udall Back in the Race Vet
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c,\ Gftmnerttritt Satlg GlamjMfi Serving Storrs Since 1896 VOL LXXIX NO 110 STORRS. CONNECTICUT WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1976 Walsh defends regent proposal By JOHN J. KWOLEK have voiced objections based on News Editor what he termed "personal priori- The chairman of the legisla- ties." ture's subcQmmittee on higher UConn Board of Trustees chair- education Tuesday refuted claims man Gordon W. Tasker said by top University officials that a Sunday a board of regents would bill which would pake all of hurt all public institutions. He Connecticut's state-supported expressed concern that the bill colleges under one board of "is being drawn up at the last regents is dangerous to public possible moment." higher education. President Ferguson Monday State Rep. Robert Walsh. attacked the bill, labeling it "a D-Coventry (53rd). said the pro- threat to the University of Con- posed board of regents would necticut and the future of higher provide a more adequate level of education in the state." education than the current gov- Ferguson and Tasker both criti- erning bodies. cized the bill as not providing The Commission for Higher substantial sa\ings for the state. Education (CHE) oversees all The) said this was a reason the activities by state-supported col- bill was originally drafted. leges, while four separate Boards Walsh termed the issue of of Trustees coordinate the poli- monetary savings a "tertiary cies of UConn. the four state issue at best. It is a nominal colleges, the two-year community consideration." He said about and technical colleges. $100,000 could be saved by Walsh, a 1961 UConn grad- combining staff and facilities at uate, said his committee's "top some community and technical priority" in drafting the bill was colleges, but said this was not the students. He said officials of the reason the bill was approved by various colleges, including the his committee. trustees, and CHE members. Ferguson said the bill creates BACK OVER -- An exotic dancer performs at the International Fair In the ROTC hangar Sunday. "an authority that cannot ade- quately reflect the problems and issues involved." He said UConn's administration has been accused of "not communicating with the students and faculty." Jackson,Udall back in the race but he said a board of regents would be less capable of provi- showing, "I think we did very By STEVE GERSTEL Udall claimed victory in Wis- Wisconsin campaign two weeks ding such communication. well, to come within 2 or 3 points United Press International consin with just over half the ago, appeared headed for a near He also said a board of regents of the mark (he had predicted 51 Morris Udall clung to a narrow votes counted. shutout in the selection of dele- would have difficulty dealing with per cent of the delegates ." lead over Jimmy Carter and "Oh, how sweet it is" he gates in the two states. the unique problems of the var- At 12:15 a.m. EST. with 66 per President Ford crushed Ronald jubilantly told his cheering sup- Jackson, keying his campaign ious institutions, such as UConn's cent of the vote tabulated, it was: Reagan in WisconsinTuesday porters in Milwaukee. to the industrial North, added graduate teaching assistant pro- Gerald Ford: 242. 211 or 55 per night. Henry Jackson won in New "I was supposed to go quietly New York to his earlier win in gram. cent and 45 delegates in Wiscon- York but fell far short of the off to the political mortuary Massachusetts. He picked up far Walsh said both statements sin for an overall delegate total of majority he had predicted. tonight, but now it's a real horse more delegates than any of the were inaccurate. He said the new Carter's relatively poor show- race, I've got a real shot at the other candidates but was falling 251. board would create "a centralized Ronald Reagan: 192.022 or 44 ing in New York, where he was nomination," said the Arizona far short of a clear-cut majority of graduate studies phenomena." per cent and 0 delegates in running well behind Jackson and congressman. the 274 Democratic convention Walsh said the consolidation of Wisconsin and 3 delegates in New Udall in the race for Democratic Carter refused to be glum delegates. the trustee boards and CHE Continued on Page 12 convention delegates, slowed the about the twin primariies. Udall was leading Carter for Continued on Page 5 Georgian's rush toward the nom- "If I come in first or second in second place in the New York ination. Wisconsin, I'll get about the same delegate race, and uncommitted In addition to Ford's victory in amount of delegates as Mr. delegates - many believed favor- Wisconsin, a machine slate ready Udall." he said, adding that he able to Hubert H. Humphrey - to back the President if there is a was doing better in New York were also running strongly. showdown with Reagam at the than he had expected. Carter was not dejected by his GOP national convention, swept Reagan, who made no effort in failure in Wisconsin. to victory in New York. New York and abandoned his Jackson said of his New York Vet school plan backed The legislature's Joint Education Committee UConn's estimate. Monday passed a bill that would appropriate If passed by the General Assembly and signed $50,000 to plan a school of veterinary medicine at by the Governor, the bill would give UConn the the University. only veterinary school in New England. The plan would be handled by a special advisory Klebanoff said precise costs could not be commission and UConn. The bill, which now goes determined until the preliminary study had been to the appropriations committee, calls for the completed. school to open in 1977. At hearings on the bill last month, UConn The proposed school would have 24 students in officials gave the proposal qualified support, each entering class. Education committee co- saying they would welcome a veterinary school so chairman State Rep. Howard Klebanoff, D-Hart- long as it did not mean cuts in present UConn ford (8th). said the state could raise money by budget programs. selling spaces in the school to other states. The state is rpesently sponsoring three students The school, which a UConn report estimated attending the University of Pennsylvania veterin- would cost $8 million a year and $45 million in ary school. State Sen. Mary Martin D-Groton., construction, would require three new buildings (18th). estimated that supporting the three over the next fiv years, according to UConn Vice students at Pennsylvania is costing the state about President for Academic Affairs Kenneth G. $24,000 per year. The committee also passed a bill that would Wilson. Ptioto by Dave Lae UConn's report was not discussed by the require local schools to teach environmental DECISIONS, DECISIONS -- A student takes time out to look at committee. Veterinarians have estimated the cost sciences, and require schools to give tests in basic records during Tuesday's record sale at the Student Union. of building the school to be much lower, than the reading and writing skills. Comment Board of Regents hurts UConn The University and the 20 other state which will in reality seriously hinder every of all the individual schools and their different higher education institutions are one step school's operation. needs now held by members of individual closer to losing their separate identities and The bill replaces all earlier proposals from Boards? philosophies with the passage of the latest bill the committee to re-organize public higher In its move to reorganize higher education, by the General Assembly's Education Com- education, including one to consolidate U- the committee's ulterior motive is money. A Board of Regents, the Education Committee's mittee. Conn's five branches with state community The bill, overwhelmingly passed by the and technical colleges. UConn does not have chairman claims, would eliminate the need for committee Monday, calls for the creation of a to worry about losing its branches now, but its (and cost of) the Commission of Higher superboard of regents which would govern identity and its flexibility for policy making Education (CHE) originally set up to coordin- UConn and its branches. 12 community now held by the Board of Trustees. ate higher education. The Education Commit- colleges, four technical colleges and four state The other colleges have the same worries. tee evidently regards the CHE as a failure colleges. The Boards of Trustees make major decisions without strong decision making power. Yet Despite vehement protest from many for their schools, including fee changes, this cannot justify the certain delays in schools, most members of the committee, tenure, by-law changes and major appoint- resolving issues and the accompanying frus- believe they can better re-organize and ments. How can the proposed single 20- tration of countless school officials answer- coordinate higher education with one board, member board possess adequate knowledge able to one governing board. Students can view this latest legislative move as a threat to their governing influence over UConn. The student-Trustee campaign ending with next week's elections is finally gaining momentum here, but the winner may not find a Board of Trustees to serve on next year. This year's two student-Trustees have only begun to inform their fellow board members of student needs and life at UConn; in future years the Board's increased aware- ness provided by student Trustees could have more of an impact on decisions than in the first years. Yet, how influential can students be if their voices must be channeled not only through the administration here, but to a board which will have countless concerns with other schools? The student voice at UConn and elsewhere will be reduced significantly.