Monday, February 2, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 3
GTAs indifferent on proposal
Intellectual property proposal scheduled for May presentation
By Susie Gura
Kansan staff writer
At the University of Kansas, information about intellectual property has not reached nor concerned many graduate teaching assistants or research assistants.
The Board of Regents task force will formulate a system-wide policy for intellectual property stating that property of students employed by a university likely will be owned by that university. Concern was expressed for the need for joint ownership of the products of many academic works, such as journal articles
Some GTAs aren't worried about the issue of copyrights.
and artwork.
"I don't work too much on research with professors, so I am not too concerned with it," said Stephen Mathis, Western Civilization GTA.
Laurence Draper, University Senate president, said that student input was considered in the creation of the task force. The task force will present a draft policy to the Regents in May.
"All students and graduate students will be included," Draper said. "We don't know the part they will play yet."
The Graduate Teaching Assistants Coalition has found that not many GTAs are concerned about their rights on research, said Mathis, chairman of the GTA negotiating committee.
"People in the science department might have more concern, but we are under-represented in
Intellectual property rights appears to be something that everyone has heard about but do not know too much information.
Robert McColl, professor of geography, said that he has heard of no one in his department being affected by intellectual property
"I got some information about a Web site on it, but since it didn't concern me I threw it away," McColl said.
James Ashe, professor of entomology and systematics, said his department was interested in intellectual property rights, but didn't know exactly how it affected them.
"I don't work too much on research with professors, so I am not concerned with it."
"I know it is something that we all are concerned with, but no one has really looked into it," said James Ashe, professor of entomology and systematics.
Robert Zerwek, associate vice chancellor, said that GTAs don't need to be concerned because the
Stephen Mathis Western Civilization graduate teaching assistant
University would be fair.
"It won't be substantially different than now." Zerwekh said.
Some GTAs think that their field of study somewhat determines how intellectual property concerns them.
"I don't know a whole lot about it because I am a U.S. historian, and it doesn't really touch my field," said Kip Curtis, history GTA.
Delta Force charts safe course for students
Campus escort service plan strives to protect lone late-night walkers
By Marc Sheforgen
msheforgen @kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Members of Delta Force are working to implement a campus escort service that aims to increase students' safety.
The escort service idea was part of Delta Force's platform during last year's Student Senate campaign. Emily Heath, Delta Force president, said the service plan probably would be an issue in this year’s elections.
Heath, Oskaloosa senior, said that a plan to employ three pairs of escorts to accompany students walking at night was in the beginning stages. The group plans to meet with administration officials next Wednesday. No escort service is likely to go into effect until next fall at the earliest.
Heath said she knew of many students who worried about walking alone on campus at night.
"You know there aren't a lot of lights, and you're by yourself," she said. "If you scream, nobody's going to hear you."
Ballard: Has some questions about an escort service
Barbara Ballard, associate dean of student life and director of the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center, said she was in favor of anything that increased campus safety, but that questions needed to be answered before an escort service would be practical.
Ballard said an escort service could be effective in reducing the number of stranger
rapes, but she said most rapes involved a victim and an assailant who knew each another. Those crimes usually occur in private and are not likely to be prevented by an escort service.
Ballard said that the safety and integrity of the escorts needed to be ensured for a such a service to become a reality. She said that having a male in each escort pair may make some feel safe, but was not a safety guarantee.
"You can not just assume that because an escort is a man that they are safe," she said. According to the KU police department, three rapes were reported by KU students in 1996. Ballard said that because rape was
"You know there aren't a lot of lights, and you're by yourself. If you scream, nobody's going to hear you."
Emily Heath Delta Force president
known to be one of the most under-reported crimes, it was likely that more than three rapes occurred. The 1997 statistics are not yet available.
Jason Fitzell, Delta Force member and Student Senate student rights committee member, said that the service would aim to work as a complement to Saferide and to provide accompaniment for students who were only walking short distances.
"Saferide won't take you from the library to your car or from library to library," Fizell said.
Fitzell said that the service has been implemented successfully at several other universities, including Kansas State University. In many cases, the program was funded jointly by the administration and the students, he said.
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