[NHCOLL-L:1872] Fwd: Response from UNL Chancellor: Univ. of Nebraska State Museum

[Doug Yanega]

This does not sound good.

>From: "Harvey S Perlman" <hperlman at unlnotes.unl.edu>
>Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 16:48:46 -0600
>
>
>Thank you for your input to Chancellor Perlman regarding the proposals to
>eliminate the research divisions of the Nebraska State Museum and the
>masters degree in Museum Studies.  We are responding on behalf of
>Chancellor Perlman.
>
>As we know you will be pleased to learn, we have received a number of
>emails in response to this proposal and hope that you will understand our
>need to respond in a generic manner to the concerns that have been raised.
>
>To put this in perspective, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is now
>facing our fourth budget reduction in a year.  The total cumulative
>reductions we have made or are proposing to make will be nearly 19% of our
>state-aided budget.  In all previous cuts, with careful effort, we have
>been able to avoid significant reductions to any academic units, including
>the research divisions of the Museum.  However, that is no longer an option
>available to us.  All that is left, other than mandated services, are
>academic programs.  The question we now face is not whether to cut academic
>programs but rather what programs do we cut?  Clearly, these are choices
>that we would prefer not to have to make, but our Governor and Legislature
>seem determined to force us to make these decisions.
>
>There is no question that eliminating these programs is a tremendous loss
>to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the state and, indeed the nation.
>No one in campus leadership wishes to make these choices. Indeed, we
>recognize that we are proposing the elimination of preeminent programs, but
>unfortunately that is the case for whatever cuts are proposed.
>
>Several of you have expressed concern about the future of the
>scientifically invaluable collections held by the Museum.  We do appreciate
>their value to the future of scientific research and will make every effort
>to insure that those collections are maintained and available to the
>international scientific community.  Those collections we are not able to
>main will be responsibly transferred to other appropriate institutions.
>
>Another issue that has come to the fore in your messages has been to take
>the cuts out of our Intercollegiate Athletics.  We wish we could. However,
>the facts are that athletics receives zero financial support from the
>state-aided budget, zero support from tuition and zero support from student
>fees.  Athletics is not only totally self-supporting from ticket sales,
>advertising and designated gifts, but the University taxes the department
>$1.5 million a year to support academic programs.
>
>We will make every effort to find other faculty positions in existing
>departments for the many, highly talented faculty employed in the divisions
>affected by these proposed reductions.
>
>Let me add that we have had tremendous momentum across the University.  Our
>research grants are growing rapidly, our undergraduate educational program
>has been recognized as "innovative" by the American Association of Colleges
>and Universities, our Math Department has been included by the Carnegie
>Program on the Doctorate, etc.  Chancellor Perlman is committed to
>sustaining this momentum by reducing vertically but protecting the strength
>of those programs that remain.  Regrettably, we cannot maintain all of our
>good programs.
>
>Again, thank you for your input. We welcome any suggestions as to
>alternative approaches to resolving our serious budgetary problems.
>
>
>Prem Paul, D.V.M, Ph.D.
>Vice Chancellor for Research
>
>Herbert E. Howe, Jr, Ph.D.
>Associate to the Chancellor
-- 

Doug Yanega        Dept. of Entomology         Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
phone: (909) 787-4315 (standard disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
            http://entmuseum9.ucr.edu/staff/yanega.html
   "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
         is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82