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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
Kansan
Mostly cloudy
Tuesday
March 9, 1999
Section:
A
Vol. 108 • No. 110
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Vol.109·No.110
The men's and women's basketball teams begin preparing for the NCAA Tournament.
SEE PAGE 1B
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Scholarship halls reconsider parking plan
(USPS 650-640)
By Nadia Mustafa
nmustafa@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Many scholarship hall residents are frustrated that their $75 parking permits do not guarantee them parking spaces in scholarship hall lots.
The parking lots behind Sellards Scholarship Hall are overcrowded because parking permits were oversold. Residents who have to park their vehicles late at night park on Ohio Street and walk to their hall. Photo by Konawee Na/KANSAN
The parking department sold permits to 274 residents this year, but the Alumni Place lots have only 246 spaces. Residents said that it was hard to find spaces during the week, especially late at night and early in the morning.
David Freeman, Hutchinson senior and chair of the All Scholarship Hall Council's parking task force, said that it was more difficult to find parking spaces this year.
He said that the task force would begin a petition drive next week, which would recognize residents' complaints about the lack of spaces and would request that the parking department be more flexible in providing spaces for loading.
"This effort is to open communication with the parking department and to change some policies." Freeman said.
Donna Hultine, assistant parking
director, said that she realized that parking was crowded in the Alumni Place lots. She said that the addition of Amini Scholarship Hall seven years ago exacerbated the situation.
Hultine said that ASHC denied the parking department's suggestion in 1995 that would limit the number of permits to the number of spaces available.
She said that if ASHC agreed, the department still would willing to restrict the number of permits, but that the parking board would not take any action without ASHC's consent.
"Changing the policy on how we issue permits is the only room we have to play," she said. "Otherwise, I think it will be the same situation next year."
would be aggravated by the construction of another scholarship hall north of Amini. The new hall, which will house 50 residents, is scheduled to open in fall 2000.
Freeman said that he thought ASHC's sentiments had changed and that he planned to conduct a survey or referendum to gauge residents' opinions.
Hultine said that the lots were oversold by 28 spaces this year because more residents had cars than in past years. She said the problem worsened when most residents were home and when students at neighborhood bars parked illegally in the lots.
Ken Stoner, director of the Department of Student Housing, said that he was reviewing plans for a parking lot to accompany the new hall but that he had not yet confirmed a specific plan.
She said that the parking problem also
Loyal Miles, Wichita junior and Amini resident, said that parking by Amini was congested. He said that many residents came home after 11 p.m. had to park on Ohio Street.
"It's gotten worse each year," Miles said. "But this is by far the worst year."
Robin Sullivan, Kansas City sophomore and Sellards resident, said that she often had to park several blocks away and walk home in the dark.
"If you ever get home after 9:30 or 10, there's never any parking," she said. "It doesn't make any sense to even buy a permit. It's a problem during the day too because if you leave you'll never get a parking space."
Hultine said that the parking department notified students who purchased permits that they would not be guaranteed spaces. She said that she thought that was unfair in resident lots and that she hoped that ASHC would agree to limit the number of permits sold.
Hultine said that the parking department would offer a pro-rated refund to residents who wanted to return their Alumni Place permits.
Faculty gets a lesson on skipping
By Chris Hopkins
chopkins@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Professors who want to know why their students sleep in — instead of coming to class — should look to their own syllabi.
A study conducted by Paul Friedman, associate professor of communications studies; Fred Rodriguez, director of the Center for Teaching Excellence, and Joe McComb, Lawrence graduate student, found that the No.1 reason students skip classes was because of the lack of attendance policies.
Stephanie Mariano, Lansing freshman, said that she skipped classes that she didn't think she needed to attend.
"That's like my Chemistry lecture," she said. "I've probably been four times all year."
The findings, which were presented yesterday to 10 professors at a CTE Lunch and Conversation session, were based upon surveys filled out by 350 KU students enrolled in 1,633 different courses.
Several other factors added to the problem of skipping in various classes.
Large classes, classes taught by professors and non-required courses were all more likely to be skipped, according to the survey results.
Students with lower grade point averages were also more likely to skip. McComb said that to keep students in
relationship with their students.
McComb said that to keep students in class, professors needed to develop a
"Students said they liked smaller classes because the teacher notices and cares that they're there," he said.
McComb said that the difference between the attendance rates in classes taught by professors and those taught by GTAs surprised him. GTAs' class attendance rates were consistently higher than those of professors.
The difference was true even when the class sizes were consistent. McComb said he thought it pointed to a problem within the policies.
"The GTAs take attendance whereas the professors usually don't," McComb said.
Another factor which affects attendance is the type of class.
Classes in professional schools and labs were skipped the least, while natural science courses were skipped the most. The other two categories, social sciences and humanities, fell in the middle.
Angela Giles, Towanda senior and business school student, said that the setup of her business classes necessitated attendance.
"A lot of the classes that I take require a lot of participation," she said. Participation was one of the things that the researchers suggested to increase attendance. Several studies by other researchers have shown that requesting student feedback would make them feel noticed and cared for and would increase attendance.
Illustration by Jason Williams
See NON-POLICY on page 2A
"A lot of the classes that I take requiring a lot of participation," she said.
Hemenway ignites major fund-raising campaign
By Kristi Reimer
Similar to the way a thirsty student with empty pockets collects change from friends for a soda on a hot afternoon, the University of Kansas is considering asking its friends for money to support its needs.
By Krish Keimer
kreimer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Kansan staff writer
But the KU Endowment Association would amass hundreds of millions of dollars, not nickels, dimes and quarters.
The association has assembled a committee to examine the possibility of a major fund-raising campaign, only its third in recent history. The committee met for the first time late last month.
"First you form an exploratory committee to find out what you need to do to
Chancellor Robert Hemenway likened the fund drive at this point to running for president.
The University raised $265.3 million in a capital campaign that lasted from 1988 to 1992 and $21 million in a fund drive in the late '60s. Both campaigns exceeded organizers' initial goals.
create a successful campaign, " Hemenway said.
Before a target
Hemenway: is one of 13 committee members orizing
amount can be determined for this effort, committee members will interview alumni and corporate leaders,
work with Hemenway to create a priority list of needs, audit University programs and recruit volunteers.
"There will be hundreds of people involved." Hemenway said.
He said students would play an important role when organizers met with them to get their input about what they thought the University needed.
Forrest Hoglund, CEO of Enron Oil & Gas Co. of Houston and Hoglund Ballpark's nameakes, will be chairman of the committee. In addition to Hemenway, other members include Dolph Simons Jr., Endowment Association chairman; Nancy Kassebaum Baker, former U.S. senator; and David Dillon, president of Kroger Co. in Cincinnati. There are 13 members total.
Hemenway said that although specific needs had not been identified, funds
Student scholarships and fellowships
would go toward projects in four broad categories:
New buildings and renovations
- Faculty teaching and research support
- Other service and research programs
John Scarffe, director of communications for the Endowment Association, said a campaign was getting off the ground for two reasons: the University's need for funds and Hemenway's length of service at KU.
"We have a chancellor in place who's been here long enough so that we believe he can do an effective job in fund-raising." Scarlett said.
Edited by Tara Hinkhouse
Survey reflects public's want for bus system
By Heather Woodward
woodward@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Public transportation advocates are getting the community support they always have wished for.
In the 1998 Lawrence Citizen Survey, which will be presented to the Lawrence City Commission tomorrow night, 78 percent of respondents said they were in favor of a citywide bus system, a 20 percent increase from 1996.
Holly Krebs, holdover senator, said she thought the increased support for public transportation could be attributed to the city's population growth.
Quality of City Services Survey
"I think there is a growing sentiment, especially as the community expands, that we need to be doing something about our current transportation network," Krebs said.
Krebs said she thought Lawrence residents saw how the KU bus system worked and wanted something on a larger scale.
"Right now, students are the largest beneficiaries of public transportation," Krebs said. "But it doesn't serve enough areas, and it doesn't run at enough times. Those gaps and holes could be filled by a city-wide bus system."
The survey included questions about 29 city services, 20 of which improved their ratings from last year. Public transportation received its lowest rating since the survey started
Graduate students in the public administration class Quantitative Analysis conducted a random sampling of 490 Lawrence residents between October and November of last year.
"Lawrence definitely has a traffic problem, especially during the school year," Guerry said. "Public transportation could help. I think it is always a good idea. But it would depend on how accessible it was."
Bill Guerry, Shawnee sophmore, does not have a car in Lawrence. He said he would use public transportation if it were convenient.
Jason Williams/KANSAM
Quality or Other Percent responding Good or Very Good Parks 83 Arts and cultural activities 78 Libraries 71 Museums 70 Police protection 69 Recreation programs 63 Travel by car 54 Economic development 51 Yard waste pick-up 47 Travel by foot 46 Water quality 45 Youth services 44 Traffic law enforcement 48 Services for the disabled 42 Public parking 24 Travel by bicycle 20 Public transportation 18 Traffic flow on major streets 16 25% 50% 75%
in 1992. This year's rating was 18 percent compared with a consistent 23 percent rating in past years.
"We have believed for a long time that Lawrence needs public transportation, but the public had not favored it," Michener said. "We've been busy creating public awareness."
Mary Michener, chair of Citizens for Public Transportation, said she was pleased with the survey's results.
Michener said that Citizens for Public Transportation had gone to the commission last June with 4,000 signatures in favor of a citywide system.
"It didn't seem to make an impression," Michener said. "We need public transportation because students are living so far out, and there are so many new neighborhoods. Lawrence is so spread out now that even the bus system we proposed in past years would no longer serve."
—Edited by Juan H. Heath