CAMPUS / AREA University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, January 15, 1992 3 KU's handling of harassment cases examined By Jenny Martin Kansan staff writer The U.S. Department of Education is investigating KU's handling of the sexual harassment charges filed against KU law school faculty members by four law students last year. Charles Nowell, acting regional civil rights director for the Department of Education, said yesterday that a complaint had been received near the end of November about the University's handling of sexual harassment charges in the law school. Nowell would not say who filed the complaint. The complaint alleges that the University had failed to respond properly to the incident. "The purpose of the investigation is to decide first, if the sexual harassment did occur, and if it did, if the University took appropriate action to correct the problems," Nowell said in a telephone interview from the department's regional office in Kansas City, Mo. As a recipient of Department of Education funds, KU is required to comply with its regulations, he said. "The University is liable for insuring that sexual harassment does not occur, or if it does, for taking appropriate action against it," he said. Nowell said the department was conducting an investigation that should be finished by late March or early April. If the University is found to have resolved the problem inadequately, the University will be asked to submit a report to the Department of Education describing how it plans to solve the problem, Nowell said. If the University failed to do this, it would be tried by the department. If the University were found guilty, it would lose its funding from the department. "This rarely happens, and we aren't anticipating this to be the outcome of the situation," Nowell said. "Our history of dealings with the University has been good. KU has always been very willing to come into compliance with our regulations." Twoformer and twocurrent law students filed complaints of sexual harassment against law school faculty members last year. One complaint was resolved by the office of affirmative action in early October. Two other complaints have been dismissed. The remaining complaint was appealed by a law professor, whose appeal is being reviewed by the Faculty Committee on Tenure and Related Problems. The Lawrence Journal World, using anonymous sources, has reported that KU ordered a one-year suspension with pay for a law professor in one complaint, but that the sanction had been stayed until the professor's appeal was resolved. Del Shankel, interim executive vice chancellor, said he did not know whether the appeal by the law professor had been resolved. Rutherford Turnbull, who heads the committee reviewing the appeal, could not be reached for comment. Shankel said the University would cooperate fully with the Department of Education's investigation. He said he was surprised by the department's involvement because he thought the University had handled the allegations correctly. "Although universities often act slowly and carefully in these situations, we feel that the University has addressed the issues appropriately," he said. Shankel said of the University's actions, "We have always acted and will always act in good faith." Julie Jacobson/KANSAN Back in the books Before getting caught up in a 15-hour class schedule, Thad Beck uses his last few vacation hours to do some pleasure reading. The Overland Park freshman was reading *Literary Character of Genius* by Isaac Diascari yesterday afternoon in the west stacks of Watson Library. Student Senate will elect new vice president By Jay Williams Kansan staff writer Student Senate will elect one of its own to the vacant position of student body vice president Jan. 22. Former student body vice president and current president Alan Lowden said the vacant office would be filled by a current senator. Fulcher said yesterday that he had not filed an appeal. Former student body president Darren Fulcher has not appealed the KU Judicial Board's recommendation to oust him as president. He has until Feb. 21 to file an appeal. When asked if he would file one, he said, "I am not going to discuss anything about it. "I am not the student body president anymore. The story is not relevant." James LaSalle, Fulcher's Judicial Board representative at the hearings, After the Judicial Board's decision last semester, LaSalle had said Fulcherprobablywouldnotappealthe decision. Eric Strauss, Judicial board chairperson, said Fulcher only could appeal the board's decision on procedural grounds. "Procedural grounds means he wasn't given a fair opportunity for a hearing when he came before the board," Strauss said. LaSalle said after the hearing last semester that Fulcher might file a lawsuit. Inearly September, Senate voted 42-19 to remove Fulcher. Senators questioned his credibility after a battery charge against him was made public. Rose Marino, University associate general counsel, said she did not know if Fulcher had filed a suit. Fulcher was charged with battery for hitting his ex-girlfriend during a domestic dispute in February, according to Lawrence police and court reports. "I have not heard of that," she said. Based on its findings, the Judicial Board advised the KU administration to remove Fulcher from office. The administration accepted the recommendation Dec. 4. Campus fee finances several student services By Erik Bauer Kansan staff writer Students who paid fees this week know their wallets or checkbooks are lighter today, but not everyone realizes where their money goes — especially the $169 campus fee. Student tuition money goes directly to the state. The Legislature then decides the budget of the University of Kansas and other Board of Regents schools. Gov. Joan Finney yesterday announced her budget proposals to the Legislature for fiscal year 1993. Where your money goes "Few people outside the Student Senate Finance Committee know where their student dollars are going," said Alan Lowden, student body president. "It's not very publicized." The following is how KU students' money, excluding tuition, is spent However, another fee — the campus fee — is included in total cost of education at KU. It pays for a number of services for students. Most of the money goes to Watkins Memorial Health Center.
per semester
Health fee$69.50
Health Fac., Maint., Rep., and Equip. fee$1.50
Union building fee$22.50
Union renovation fee$18.50
Senate activity fee$25.00
Media fee$3.00
Women's and non revenue intercollegiate sports$14.00
Educational opportunity fee$6.00
Recreational services fee$9.00
Student Senate finances several projects through the Student Senate activity fee, which is part of the campus fee. It supports everything from KU on Wheels to Associated Students of Kansas, a student lobbying group. Source: Office of the University Registrar Aimee Brainard, Daily Kansan The Education Opportunity Fee, also part of the campus fee, provides monetary assistance in the form of student scholarships and need-based grants. The fee also helps finance special expenses like child care and some student salaries. If Senate passes a proposal, it is sent for review to David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affairs, she said. The proposal is then approved by the Board of Regents. The entire process lasts almost a year. Linda Mullens, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, said University departments requested money from the fee and submitted requests to Senate, which researches them and decides their fate. City Commission advances ordinance on bars' liability Neighborhood residents call for greater owner responsibility but bar owners say the proposal asks for the impossible By Andy Taylor Kansan staff writer The Lawrence City Commission last night continued to rework a proposed ordinance that would give it the authority to revoke a bar or club's operating license because of rowdy customers and overcrowding. After some alterations and rewording, the commission unanimously approved the third revision of the proposed ordinance. The ordinance will be voted on for publication next week and be opened to public comment. Under the current version of the proposal, city commissioners could revoke or suspend the license of a private club or bar if it operates in a manner that "habitually harms the public health, safety or welfare of the general public, neighboring properties or occupants of neighboring properties or patrons." The commission will consider revoking or suspending a license once the bar has three municipal violations in a year. ness establishment," said David Corliss, a city management analyst. "But this provides a workable mechanism to address the problems." George Hackman, Old West Lawrence Neighborhood Association representative, said the problems with rowdy customers arose from poor supervision. "Sometimes bad owners compound the situation," he said. "The problem is complex." "it's a very serious undertaking to revoke the operating license of a busi- Another Lawrence resident, Sue Kapfer of 921 Illinois St., said she thought the ordinance was the first step in dealing with problem patrons. "There haven't been the laws in place to help us," she said. "Maybe this is a tool to help us." Some bar owners at last night's meeting said they thought the ordinance's terms were too vague. "I perceive this as a piece of legislation that has the ability to be abused," said Rick McNeely, owner of the Jazzhaus, 926/1 Massachusetts. "I don't like to see legislation that has definitions so vague. What is public safety? What is habitual? Are two fire occur pancy violations 'habitual?'" Though McNeely questioned the commission's action, he said the draft ordinance would not hurt his clientele. Lance Burr, a Lawrence attorney who represents the Jazzhaus, said local police and bar owners should cooperate more to see that more unruly customers did not violate local laws. He said he thought the ordinance puts bar owners in a "police" role. Another Lawrence bar owner said he thought the ordinance might dissolve cooperation "If we had problems in the past, we would work with the city commission and police department to work out our differences," said Ken Wallace, owner of the Jayhawk Cafe, 1340 Ohio St. "I hope this legislation doesn't move informal cooperation to formal confrontation."