WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2003
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3A
Classified staff recommends the University handle payroll
By Kellany Weiss
kweiss@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Money left over from tuition increases may be used to raise the pay for classified staff at the University of Kansas.
Five members of the University Classified Senate Committee proposed a plan to classified employees yesterday to break away from the state pay scale system and move the responsibility to the University.
A portion of the $8.7 million in tuition enhancement funds would be used to increase classified staff's salaries. Classified employees are considered civil servants of the state and some of their jobs include secretaries, custodians, librarians, maintenance workers and administrative assistants.
Kathy Jansen, president of the Classified Senate Committee, said the classified employees had not received a raise in the last three years.
With the tight state budget and general lack of concern for state employees by the Legislature, Jansen said, it would be better for classified staff's payrolls to be determined by the University.
Because classified staff are employed by the state they cannot accept money from anywhere but the state, Jansen said. If the classified staff does not become independent of the state's civil service board, it cannot accept the tuition enhancement money, Jansen said.
The biggest change for classified staff would be how the University administered the pay system, Jansen said.
Bette Luther, Classified Senate member and office manager of the Center for Russian and East European Studies, said the University needed to take action to bring about change.
"We're at a point where if we don't start helping ourselves no one else will," Luther said. "We have to pay out-of-pocket insurance, worry about our retirement and how to send our kids to college. The cost of living has gone up, but we have not been compensated."
Luther said many classified employees had to work two jobs — or more — because it wasn't possible to support a family with the wages and benefits the state of Kansas gave its civil servants.
"Classified employees were created with secretaries making coffee and typing on a manual typewriter," Luther said. "The Legislature is not doing anything for University employees who are doing more."
The current step pay matrix based system, which eventually reaches a capped rate based on longevity and performance, would change to a broadband system within two to four years.
Two-thirds of any money used for pay increases would go to all employees with satisfactory evaluation under the new broadband system; the other third would be given to department heads.
The department heads would then give the remaining money for raises to employees with excellent evaluations. Jansen
said she had mixed feelings about the use of the remaining one-third of money. Some people could view it as an incentive and others might look at it pessimistically, she said.
Filling classified staff positions is difficult, Jansen said. Many of the entry-level jobs are below the poverty level and it is hard to find people to take those jobs, she said. If University administrators are able to increase salaries for classified staff it would help fill jobs and also retain them, Jansen said.
Jonathan Ng, student body president, said the students were supportive of the classified staff.
"Iam reluctant to support the use of student tuition money to go for salary increases for classified staff since that clearly should be something the state should cover," Ng said.
The classified staff employees seem to be evenly divided between being in favor for or against moving pay system responsibilities from the state to the University, Jansen said. One of the major issues the Classified Senate encountered was having the trust of the classified employees.
Tommee Sherwood, custodial crew leader, said breaking away from the state was a matter of trust.
"The way they framed it, it was like who do you not trust the most," Sherwood said. "I tend to not trust the Legislature."
- Edited by Christy Dendurent
Speaker provides porn insight
By Nicole Roche
nroche@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
It's "the apple pie of America," but it's not baseball or family picnics — it's pornography.
Lastnight,former sexaddict and pastor Gene McConnell spoke to approximately 500 students in Budig Hall about the negative effects of pornography. The event was sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ and Student Senate.
"My goal is not to be a parent and say, 'No, no, no.' "McConnell said. "You are adults, and you have the right to consume — as long as it doesn't hurt others."
McConnell described addiction as using an object to replace a relationship. Porn addiction usually occurred when someone felt
Dan Nelson/Kansan
McConnell said porn had devastating repercussions on his relationships with his wife, daughter and sister. He became so obsessed with the images of a perfect woman from pornography that when he thought he saw a beautiful woman who fit the image, he almost raped her.
Gene McConnell speaks during his Power of Porn presentation at Budig Hall last night. "Pornography is empty; it exists because we live empty lives," he said.
Kimberly Drake, former exotic dancer, told how her husband's obsession with porn led her to a world of porn re-enactment, stripping and eventually cocaine abuse.
"I thought if I could be like those women, then my husband would value me," Drake said. "Then I would be the centerfold of his life."
"It was like a drug injected in my veins," McConnell said of his first experience with porn at age 12. "I was hooked."
Americans spend $10 billion to $14 billion on porn each year, McConnell said, which makes the porn industry larger than professional football, basketball and baseball combined. McConnell also said more strip clubs exist in the United States than McDonald's.
lonely and tried to escape the pain, he said.
"I could have the greatest orgasm viewing that material, but I walk away and guess what. There's still no one in my world," McConnell said.
Glenn Baughman, Wichita sophomore, was curious to hear what viewpoints it would present.
"I understand porn can be incredibly powerful, good or bad," he said. "I just thought both
Baughman said he was interested in exploring both sides of the issue. He said some major issues were ignored in the presentation.
of these people needed a good relationship workshop."
Baughman said masturbation within a relationship can have its positive aspects.
"Why should you have to rely on one person to fulfill all of your sexual needs?" Baughman said.
McConnell said he gave his presentation because college students were at a turning point in their lives.
"If someone would have given me this information when I was 21 or 22, it would have saved me a lot of pain," McConnell said.
- Edited by Jason Elliott
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A discussion of the pros, the cons and safety tips.
Wednesday, February 26th 7pm
Walnut Rm., Kansas Union
Sponsored by the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center and Counseling & Psychological Services. Call 864-3552 for more information.
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Make your lunch a classic. Please join the School of Fine Arts for free noon-time performances. Just bring your lunch because the drinks are on the Kansas Union.
School of Fine Arts
TODAY'S PERFORMER: KELLY SCHELLMAN, SOPRANO
(ALDERSON AUDITORIUM, 4TH FLOOR)