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Friday, October 14, 1977
University Daily Kansan
Senate interest a freshmen fancy
Bright-eyed freshmen with lots of respect and enthusiasm for University of Kansas student government apparently lose interest in it the longer they remain at KU.
A telephone survey taken this week by the Senate indicated that trust in the Senate's effectiveness, the frequency of voting and the desire to get involved in Senate activities among freshmen and dropped to a low among seniors and graduate students.
The poll received answers from 387 students in three days, with 68 other students refusing to answer the 37 question about online classwork by a computer from KU enrollment lists.
The poll results, according to Steve Leben, student body president, will be used to make plans to find more Senate candidates and develop interest in active student groups. This was the first of a two-part roll.
THE SECOND PART, mailed to 800 students, requested opinions about a proposed prepaid legal aid service for students.
The results of that survey are due in about three weeks.
Leben said that freshmen and sophomores seemed to have the highest trust in student government and had the greatest desire to enter it.
Fifty-three per cent of the freshmen and 58 per cent of the sophomores said the
Senate effectively represented the student body. Agreeing with them were 44 per cent of the juniors, 43 per cent of the seniors and 31 per cent of the juniors.
The percentage of graduate students who said the Senate was ineffective, 35 per cent, was more than four times that of the Senate had substantial or some influence on University policies, according to 63 per cent of the students; however, 25 per cent thought it was too.
Nearly 43 per cent of the freshmen said they wanted to participate in student government, but only 12 per cent of the seniors and graduate students did.
LEBEN SAID 60 per cent of all those interviewed had no interest in participating
"If we want to get more people involved, we're going to have to go to the freshman and sophomore residence halls," Leben said.
The Greek system houses, where most of the student senators come from, indicated the greatest interest in the Senate and in voting.
Going to the polls at least occasionally was done by 87 per cent of the sorority members and by 70 per cent of the fraternity members interviewed.
Forty-five per cent of apartment dwellers voted at least occasionally and 29 per cent of those not.
Leben said graduate students and some apartment residents were at a disadvantage in Senate representation because can- palities made reason to visit them and make promises.
More than 57 per cent of the graduate students said they had never voted in KU elections.
Students who know a senator or a member of a senate committee are more likely to vote for them.
About 37 per cent of the students knew someone who was a member of the Senate or of a senate committee, he said. And of 64 per cent of the students it was effective and 35 per cent it was not.
Students apparently do not have a good understanding of how their activity fee funds are divided up during Senate budget hearings. Almost 60 per cent said they did not know how that was done, and 89 per cent said they would like to see a breakdown.
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