Wednesday, July 1, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 3
Changes to work regulations to help some Asian students
By Beth Janes Kansan staff writer
When Erlinda Tjhai goes grocery shopping she compares prices carefully. She buys only essential items, but it was not always this way.
Tjhal, a senior from Indonesia, is one of many students at the University of Kansas affected by the Asian economic crisis. On June 10, the Immigration and Naturalization Service announced that it was relaxing employment regulations for eligible students from five countries hit hardest by the crisis: Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.
"This is a huge step," said Daphne Johnston, associate director of International Student Services. "I'm somewhat surprised that the Immigration Service even went this far, because they have opened the door to accommodate other groups that are having economic problems."
Previously, international students
with F-1 status, those who receive financial support from private sources such as parents, could work only on campus and no more than 20 hours a week while school was in session.
Now students from the five countries who can prove they have been affected by the crisis can work more than 20 hours per week, either on or off campus.
The INS also reduced the minimum number of hours students must be enrolled from 12 to 6 for undergraduates and from 6 to 3 for graduate students.
The benefits, however, only are available to students who came to the United States on or before June 10, 1998 and who follow proper procedures.
Since the beginning of the crisis late last summer, Asian currencies, especially those from the five countries targeted by the INS, have lost significant value compared to the U.S. dollar. Thajai said that before the crisis, 2,500 Indonesian rupiah equaled one dollar. Today, 15,000 rupiah equals a dollar.
Johnston said that students must make an appointment with an adviser from International Students Services and follow the proper steps to receive the new benefits. She said that many students had assumed that the new rules were automatic and that all students were eligible.
"I'm fearful that a large percentage of students from these countries will start working without authorization and reduce their course load without prior approval," she said. "If they do this it will create problems in the long run."
Johnston said that enrollment of students from the five countries had decreased since the crisis began.
"It's a loss to the University not to have any group of international students here," she said. "They contribute so much to the environment."
For Tjhai, whose parents sell mopeds, the regulation change is good news. Business has not been good during the crisis, and her parents cannot afford to provide the same level of support. Two
weeks ago, she received special permission from the INS to work off campus.
She took a job at Perkins, 1711 W. 23rd St., but was worried that come fall she would not be able to support herself and to pay tuition working 20 hours a week. Now she will be able to work 40 hours a week while school is in session.
"I think the new rules will help a lot," she said. "My parents just can't support me here and let my brothers and sisters starve at home."
Fabian Dharmawan, a sophomore from Indonesia, also has experienced financial problems during the crisis. He said that his parents were not wealthy before the crisis. He plans to reduce his course load and apply for off-campus work so that he can continue his studies and help his parents.
"This program will help students survive and continue studying here," he said. "Studying here is an investment, because you get paid more with a degree from here. This education will pay off later."
Faculty salary increase is suggested
Regents propose 7.6 percent boost to begin in 1999
By Duane Wagler
Kansan staff writer
The Board of Regents voted Thursday to recommend a 7.6 percent salary increase for faculty during the Fall 1999 and Spring 2000 semesters.
The recommendation includes all unclassified employees—those who are not covered by the state Civil Service pay plan—the majority of whom are faculty.
The recommended increase will go to the governor and the Legislature. It then
will be discussed in January's legislative session, after which the Legislature will determine the actual increase. The Regents proposed a 5 percent increase last year, although the Legislature agreed to a 4 percent increase.
Chancellor Robert Hemenway said that he thought the request was a step in the right direction to remedy lagging salaries.
"I think it's a good recommendation," he said. "It shows the Board is concerned about faculty salaries."
Ken Havner, chairman of the Regents fiscal affairs committee, said that the move to increase faculty salaries had a sense of urgency.
"We really think it's vital that the gap of salaries be narrowed," he said. "We're going to lose the best and brightest of our faculty."
Sandra Gautt, assistant provost, has
tracked faculty members' reasons for leaving the University of Kansas from 1990 through 1996. Out of 123 faculty members who left during that period, roughly half cited salary as a reason for leaving, she said.
The recommended increase was the first stage of a three-year plan to bring salaries at Regents schools in line with peer institutions, said Marlin Rein, University director of budget and governmental relations. He said that faculty salaries at the University lagged 11 to 12 percent behind peer institutions.
Regional peer institutions are the University of Iowa, the University of Colorado and the University of Oklahoma.
The average faculty salary at the University of Colorado was $60,848, the University of Iowa's was $65,981 and the University of Oklahoma's was $54,037.
The average University of Kansas faculty salary was $55,618 for fiscal year 1998, 13.3 percent less than faculty salaries at peer institutions, which averaged $63,287.
In other business, the Regents approved the recommended 2.4 percent tuition increase for fiscal year 2000, the smallest general tuition increase in the last 15 years.
Tuition at the law school also will increase $100 per credit hour for the classes of 2001 and 2002. A $55 per credit hour charge will be added to a special master's program in business administration beginning in fiscal year 2000.
The Regents also voted to increase the salaries of the CEOs of the six Regents institutions for fiscal year 1999, which begins today. Chancellor Hemenway's salary will rise from $173,840 to $182,532, an increase of 5 percent.
City task force to stop Y2K bug problems
By Jenny Oakson Kansan staff writer
On Jan. 1, 2000, computers and machines with embedded microchips may fail or malfunction because of the manner in which data is stored in them.
With the birth of the new millennium, Lawrence locals anticipate parties, resolutions and a new year to write on their checks, not computer malfunctions and automated machinery failure.
In the early days of computing, holes were punched into cards as a method of providing instructions. Each card had a limited number of spaces and room for information. To save space, programmers truncated years to two digits like 65 or 99 instead of 1965 or 1999. When the year 2000 rings in, some computers will not be able to make sense of 2000 and will malfunction or possibly crash.
"This is serious, but fixable," said Peter Garrett, computer programmer. "There is a global race to fix these programs and replace the embedded chips."
The Lawrence City Commission has
established a community information task force to handle the "millennium bug" or the Year 2000 problem (Y2K).
"Since the extent of local computer malfunctions are unknown, the Y2K task force must identify and rectify the flawed programs in Lawrence," said Commissioner Bonnie Augustine.
Nationally, the potential effects of the Y2K bug are malfunctions of automated jail cells, banks and safes, elevators, microwave ovens, signal lights, scoreboards, credit card authorization for fuel pumps, satellites controlling travel, clocks and alarm systems, telephone operations and electrical service.
Along with recognizing which computer programs are likely to fail in Lawrence, another Y2K task force objective will be to establish a multimedia public awareness and education campaign to alert citizens of potential problems.
"I want the city to understand how it will be affected and support community-wide partnerships to develop and test new strategies for a successful year 2000," Augustine said.
JULY 1998
SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT
1 2 3 4
SPIRIT OF KANSAS LAKE SHAWNEE TOPEKA.
WATCH FIRE WORKS FROM JOHNNY'S
5 SPIRIT OF KANSAS LAKE SHAWNEE TOPEKA.
6 7 8 9 10 11
Party
12 13 14 SPECIALIZED SUMMER SALE AT SUNFLOWER OUTDOOR AND BIKE SHOP. 15 16 DOWNTOWN LAWRENCE ANNUAL SIDEWALK SALE FROM SUN UP TO SUN DOWN 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 KU CREDIT UNION HOT DEALS. 9-2 P.M. AT CREDIT UNION
26 27 28 29 30 31
July 4 - Spirit of Kansas at Lake Shawnee, Topeka
July 4 - Come watch the city fireworks at Johnny's and enjoy great food and fun
July 5 - Spirit of Kansas at Lake Shawnee,Topeka
July 14 - Specialized Bicycle Sale at Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop
July 16 - Downtown Lawrence Annual Sidewalk Sale From Sunup to Sundown
July 25 - KU Credit Union/Laird Noller Hot Wheels & Cool Deals. 9 a.m.to 2 p.m.at KU Credit Union
July Calendar of Events