Faculty

During the 1960s, the Nebraska legislature issued a study of higher education to be done on the education in Nebraska; it would hopefully prove to the public that a need for increased financial resources for the school. The study revealed that the University of Nebraska had an issue with “inbreeding”—most of the faculty had gotten their degrees from UNL (more than 40%) (Sawyer 217). “Most educators believe that an institution with inbred faculty usually lacks sufficient intellectual ferment necessary for excellence” (Sawyer 217). “To improve faculty morale and to increase the University’s power to hold faculty and attract new staff for the growing enrollment, the report recommended that ‘all institutions in the state attempt to effect a salary schedule which will allow a new inexperienced faculty member at least to triple his salary during the course of a life time career at the institution’” (Sawyer 217-218). Additionally, new programs such as the Distinguished Teachers awards were instituted in an attempt to reward the best professors at the University who were doing their job well. Chancellor Hardin believed that the most valuable asset of the University was it’s faculty: “The dollars required to attract and retain such a faculty remain our greatest need” (Sawyer 227).

Mary Mielenz, Cornhusker 1946

In 1963, Mary Mielenz became the first ever female faculty member to be awarded the Distinguished Teacher’s Award. The DTA’s were created to encourage the best performance possible out of the faculty at UNL during the 60s.

The Nebraska Regents approved 100 full-tuition scholarships for the best scores on the high school Regents examination. The new scholarship schedule is for those in high school to excel in order to get a scholarship to go to the University.