Friday, April 3.1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 7
GTAs' days numbered with new semester rule
By Susie Gura
sgura@kansan.com
Kanson staff writer
Graduate teaching assistants from now on will have a limited stay at the University of Kansas.
The University is establishing a 10-sester limit on graduate teaching assistantships. With the limit, the University only will pay a GTA's tuition and salary for 10 semesters. The proposal began and was passed in the Office of the Provost.
"A final draft of the document has been circulated to the heads of the departments," Provost David Shulenburger said. "It would have to take a lot of convincing to change it."
The limit will affect first-year GTAs who began teaching in the fall of 1997.
Contracts signed by veteran GTAs in the fall of 1997 recognized the University's right to enforce terms of employment, which included implementing the 10-semester plan if necessary.
"The memorandum of agreement that was signed recognizes our right to do it," said Jeannette Johnson, assistant to the provost.
However, a grandfather clause added to the contract exempts those GTAs who were not in the first year of their assistantships in Fall 1997.
"This really won't affect anyone for four-and-a-half years, so it is nothing to be too concerned about." Johnson said.
Ann Cudd, director of graduate studies in philosophy, said she was sorry to see this policy established.
"I think it is horrible," Cudd said. "It guarantees that less experienced GTAs will be teaching courses, and we will be getting rid of people just when they start getting good."
Shulenburger said departments should focus on redesigning their programs to allow students to finish in five years.
"It is not good to have students in programs for eight to 10 years,"he said.
Several brown bag lunches have been held this year with department chairmen to discuss this issue.
"We hope that department heads do not stand for this," said Stephen Mathis, GTA in Western Civilization. "It undermines the
Other GTAs said they thought issues of tuition funding also should be left to the departments.
department autonomy."
Kevin Armitage, GTA in Western Civilization, said the departments knew the students and their work, and therefore they should be the ones making the decision.
"It should not be decided in Strong Hall but in each individual department." Armitage said.
Some GTAs said they thought this policy would not only hurt them but also the University.
"This will affect the University's ability to attract graduate students," Armitage said. "The lack of funding is a severe hurdle to attract students."
Mathis said the University gave GTAs higher teaching loads than peer institutions, and GTAs were not able to get through graduate programs as quickly.
Shulenburger has discussed the limits with deans during the last eight months.
Johnson said, "A draft document has been discussed with the chairs of departments, and modifications may be made."
KUIDs needed to elect senators
By Melissa Ngo
mmo@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Students will need their KUIDs, not their smart cards, to vote in this month's Student Senate elections, said Nancy Miles, campus card manager.
"Students will need to keep both their KUIDs and smart cards throughout the semester and summer because KUIDs might be required for certain services until they get changed over," Miles said.
A student may vote only after enrollment status is confirmed by both a KUID and an enrollment roster, said Audrey Nogle, Elections Commissioner.
Poll workers are hired through Addeco, an employment agency, and could be paid as much as $7.83 per hour, Nogle said.
The Elections Commission pays for poll workers and other elections costs with money from Student Senate funds, said Brad Finkeldei, Elections Commission chair.
Adecco may give the commission a discount because of the large number of workers hired, Nogle said.
"The only qualification that the workers have to meet is that they
BALLOT SORTERS
Susan Buehler
Sarah Deer
Ann Eversale
Brad Finkeldei
Rich Helfrich
Danny Kaiser
Michael Kaufman
Jennifer Kinney
Jim Kitchen
Ryan Laughen
Mary Myers
Audrey Nogle
Ruth Stoner
can't be a KU student," Finkeldei said.
Ballot sorters, unpaid workers who verify the ballots, have to be approved by the candidates, Nogle said. Candidates have until April 14 to object to any ballot sorters.
The elections will be held April 15 and 16 with polling sites at the Burge Union, the Kansas Union, Haworth Hall, Strong Hall, Wescoh Hall, Ekdahl Dining Center, Gertrude Sellards-Pearson Hall and Oliver Hall.
"The candidates are being cordial to each other and there have been no problems so far," Finkeldei said.
Finkeldei said the elections process had been running smoothly.
Pi Phis plan weekend bash for 125th birthday
Bv Carl Kaminski
Kansan staff writer
Pi Beta Phi sorority will celebrate its 125th year at the University of Kansas this weekend.
The sorority has distributed about 1,000 invitations to its alumni, and expects about 545 to attend a dinner and reception at the Holiday Inn tomorrow night, said Linzi Oliver, sorority president and Topeka junior.
Beginning at 10 a.m. tomorrow,
the sorority will offer campus bus
tours for alumni. At 2 p.m., the sorority will open the doors of its old home, the "Pea Green Lodge" at 1246 Mississippi St., for tours.
for more than 20 years before finally buying its first house in 1896. Twenty years later it moved into the "Pea Green Lodge," which has since been painted pink.
Ellen Williams, a Pi Beta Phi alumnus who organized the Holiday Inn program, said while the lodge had been altered for use by the Continuing Education department, members who lived there probably still would like to see it and find their old rooms one last time before it is demolished in the fall.
The lodge has housed the Continuing Education Department since the sorority left in 1961. It will be replaced by a parking garage.
The program at the Holiday Inn will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will feature the sorority's International Grand President, Beat Bethy, and
The sorority's current house at 1612 W. 15th St. will be open to alumni all day.
talks from other alumni on behalf of their pledge classes said Holly Millede, the sorority's adviser.
ment about what occurred during the cookie shine because it was a secret known only to members.
Oliver said other highlights during the evening would focus on the past, present and future of the sorority and would end with a cookie shine, which is a tradition that began in the 1950s.
Williams said one of the program's highlights would be the presentation of a founding member's yearbook by the member's great grandson, Gerald Dickey, a Sigma Chi alumnus.
Oliver said she could not com-
The Pi Beta Phi chapter began at the University with only eight women in 1873. Those women were members of the co-ed Oread Literary Society. That same year, the men in the society started the first chapter of the University's oldest fraternity, Beta Theta Pi.
Beta Theta Pi, although slightly older than Pi Beta Phi, will have its 125 year celebration next fall, said Bill Nelson, Greek Programs Coordinator.
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