Tuesday, February 24, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 3
Higher-education reformers to present funding proposal
Governor says plan would be too costly
By Brandon Coplep
bcoplep@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Kansas legislators working toward higher education reform expressed confidence yesterday that their plan could be financed despite skepticism from Gov. Bill Graves.
Rep. David Adkins, R-Leawood, chairman of the House Select Committee on Higher Education, said the plan would be in bill form this week and said its spending provisions would be provided for in the tax package sent to a conference committee.
Graves said last week that he did not think the state could afford the plan, which would increase funding for higher education by $80 million during the next four years.
Adkins said 1998 was a better year because in 1999 the state would have to pay for a new highway program. He also said that the select committee represents diverse interests in the House and that he thought the plan had a good chance of passing in that chamber.
"If it passes the House, it's in play." he said. "We've obviously got a lot to overcome. The governor's support will be absolutely essential."
House Taxation Committee Chairman Phill Kline, R-Shawnee, said he had met with members of the select committee and Speaker Tim Shallenburger, who supports the plan. Kline said that to pay for the plan, the House would scale back the $226 million in tax cuts passed last week.
Senate President Dick Bond, R-Overland Park, also has said that 1999 is the year for higher-education reform.
"This reform package can be easily funded," Kline said. "We have the money now, and we're going to have the money in the near future. Statements about the lack of money are simply a red herring."
Meanwhile, Samantha Bowman,
Student Legislative Awareness
Board director, testified to a House
committee yesterday about the governor's recommended funding for Regents institutions.
Bowman, appearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education and Legislative Operations, testified in support of increased funding for University technology, echoing last week's remarks to the committee by Student Body President Sullivan.
KU students can log off for now
Theses, dissertations go on paper, not 'Net
By Susie Gura
gskon@sunan.ca
Kansan staff writer
Unlike other universities, graduate students at the University of Kansas will not have to worry about transferring these to digital form because the University only will accept theses on paper.
For the past year, Virginia Tech has required graduate students to submit their theses and dissertations in digital form. The argument is that graduate students can enhance their work electronically using sound and images that would be impossible on paper.
"Some disciplines are delighted that dissertations will be available online because they are hard to get a hold of," said John Broholm, associate professor of journalism.
Critics argue that the requirement affects graduate students because it forces them to learn technological skills that are irrelevant to their research. Electronic publication also may make it harder for students to publish their theses in books or journals, critics say.
Broholm said that one problem with putting theses on the Web was that some publications would not accept the theses as originals because the theses are considered already published.
All graduate students are required to submit their theses on paper. Students must submit two unbound copies, and one copy is then sent to the library to keep.
According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, 21 universities have promised to participate in the digital project but none have made electronic submission a requirement.
"KU is nowhere near doing anything like that," Broholm said.
Sara Martin, assistant dean of the graduate school, said the University
had no intention of moving from paper copies of theses.
"I have not heard this discussed at KU." Martin said.
Graduate administrators have discussed the site of citing Web sites because the sites can disappear, Martin said.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is trying to figure out how to handle the citation of Web pages in a thesis, Broholm said.
The University did not accept theses in digital form but still faced the problem of dissertations and theses on Web sites.
"It causes a problem because you might not be able to get at the information later," she said.
"Right now, there are no changes," Sibely said. "But if there are, all schools would change."
Carmela Sibley, electrical engineering and computer science office assistant, said that all professional schools followed the same format and requirements for dissertations and theses.
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