CAMPUS AND AREA
University Daily Kansan, November 17, 1983
Page 6
Grads continued from p. 1
tolerant say that meager financial support undermines otherwise healthy graduate programs.
"THIS UNIVERSITY DOES not provide an acceptable program to support graduate students," Gerald Mikkelson, chairman of the department of Slavic languages, said recently.
University officials agree that it to attract and retain students. KU must be able to offer increased tuition fee waivers, higher graduate teaching assistant stipends, state-supported assistants, assistantships and more fellowships.
George Woodyard, associate dean of the graduate school, said program quality was the prime consideration of graduate students when they decided where to go to school. But, he said, the college plays an important role in the decision.
"It was a very hard decision," Nelson said of her choice to attend Illinois. "I can't say that money was the only say, but it certainly played a large part.
"If I would have gone strictly on quality, I would have picked KU."
THE KU SPANISH department was able to offer a half-time graduate teaching assistant position to Nelson. But that user not grown up.
Somewhat reluctantly, Nelson said, she chose to attend Illinois after the department there told her it would be able to offer a full fellowship and a teaching assistant position for the second semester.
Robert Spires, chairman of the KU Spanish department, said the department was losing students to uni- ties and would have to provide greater financial support.
"We feel that we are attracting highly qualified students, but not the highest. On a long term basis, it is a threat to the quality of the program," Spires said.
THE INABILITY TO attract the foremost students not only threatens the quality of the graduate program, he requires the quality of under-graduate instruction.
Woodyard explained that attracting qualified senior faculty members was difficult if the faculty members would not be able to instruct adept graduate students and to engage in active research.
"It's possible to just have a good undergraduate program, but it won't last long because it will become stagnant," he said.
Despite the important role that graduate students play at KU, he said, and the subsequent need to attract highly qualified graduate students, the University does not offer a competitive financial aid package.
A study conducted by the American Association of Universities showed that compared to 10 other Midwestern universities UU was $545 below the average UU cost. The package. The package included tuition fee waivers and stipends for TAs.
MIKKELSON SAID THAT the University's compensation package was especially bleak in comparison to Ivy League schools and several Big Ten
woodyard said that one of KU's most pressing needs was to increase the tuition fee waiver A fee waiver covering all fees paying the full cost of incident fees.
Regents schools now offer a 60 percent fee waiver to TAS with a 40 percent or greater work load, based on a 40-hour work week.
universities.
The Regents this year approved a request for a 75 percent tuition fee waiver and forwarded that request to Gov. John Carlin.
The 75 percent fee waiver proposal, which would cost the state $248,000 more than this year's 60 percent fee, was presented during the 1984 legislative session.
Graduate students and department chairmen also say that stipend levels need to be increased and that TA given a higher priority in the budget.
THE AVERAGE STIPEND at KU for a nine-month, half-time appointment is $5,300. The average salary will be increased to about $5,560 next year.
"Gradeable students are getting paid $2,500 a semester. That's not very much money for the amount of teaching they do. They're like Cheeky Pyles, Lawrence graduate student."
"It's just not viable. You can't live on less than $500 a month when you're paying for tuition, books and the costs of research. We're not trying to make
money at this. We're just trying to eat well."
Lester Mitscher, chairman of the department of medicinal chemistry, said that graduate students made a trade-off when they decided to go to college and could not expect to earn as much as they would in the private sector.
"YOU KNOW THAT when garbage excretes it takes more times than you do and are hurting."
But he agreed that graduate stipends should be higher.
Robert Cobb, executive vice chancellor, said that stipend levels were below average, but that the problem was not unique to graduate students.
"We have the same problem with faculty salaries," he said. "It is not that our graduate students are the particular victims. It is a shared problem."
However, Don Watkins, chairman of the department of Germanic languages, said that the way TA positions are limited support for graduate students.
Departments and schools across campus determine the number of TA positions that will be offered, the level of stipends that will be offered.
BECAUSE DEPARTMENTS OR schools have flexibility in determining how to allocate resources for their TA programs, Watkins said, the programs generally are the most susceptible to being cut when budget shortfalls occur.
"Our priorities don't really reflect the importance of the teaching assistant if in fact that is the very first item
that can be scrutinized in the budget,' Watkins said.
In the fiscal 1985 budget, the University is seeking $225,000 to restore 4 halftime equivalent positions that meet its instructional missions in this year's operating budget.
Another consequence of allowing departments to determine the stipend levels for their TAs, Pyles said, is that financially strapped departments might not be paying TAs the proper amount for the services they provide.
FOR EXAMPLE, she said, a TA position might have been reduced from a half-time appointment to a 30 percent appointment, but the graduate student would teach the same number of students.
Graduate students are not in a position to protest, she said, because they need the job and other graduate students would readily fill an empty spot.
In determining salaries, the University needs to establish minimal standards for departments to follow, she said, which would consider the number of hours, the number of students and the type of responsibility given to the TA.
Pyles said that results of the study showed that TA salaries for a half-time, nine-month appointment varied from as little as $595 to $10,800. The average monthly pay is between $400 and $650, she said
Woodyard agreed that the potential for abuse existed and said that a graduate task force was studying the variance levels in TA stenoids.
A SAMPLING OF 53 departments showed that the average salary for a half-time, nine-month appointment ranged from $7,791 in the department of Human Development and Life Family to $6,750 in the School of Social Welfare.
Janet Riley, assistant to the vice chancellor of academic affairs, said TA salaries varied not only because of a department's budgetary restrictions, but because some fields are students from other universities or the private sector.
Tom Berger, former executive director of the Graduate Student Council, said that salaries also varied because TAS assumed different responsibilities.
Some departments also have money from external sources to support a TA position and can afford to pay more, he said.
BERGER AGREED, however, that graduate students in some departments might be shouldered with a disproportionate burden without receiving commensurate pay.
Besides the need to increase the tuition fee waiver and stipend levels at KU, Woodyard said, the University is working to assist students with assistance to graduate students.
KU does not presently offer state-supported RA positions. The Regents have requested $100,000 to finance 100 RA positions in the 1984-1985 school year that must be approved during the 1984 legislative session.
Faculty members who receive external funds for research projects are often able to offer research assistantship positions to graduate students.
ALVAMAR RACQUET CLUB
4120 Clinton Parkway
Lawrence, Kansas 66044
ALVAMAR
ANNOUNCING the START of the FALL JAYHAWK TEAM TENNIS LEAGUE
Lighten' up the Holidays at THE LIGHTHOUSE
CALL ALVAMAR RACQUET
CLUB to SIGN UP
Phone 842.7766 or 842.7767
JANUARY 12, 1984
through February 16, 1984
Thursday Nights 8:00 P.M.
to 10:00 P.M.
to people—call immediately
Cost $45.00 per person
MONDAYS:
TUESDAYS:
WEDNESDAYS:
THURSDAYS:
Football night- 50c draws 95c well drinks, 75c chili
LADIES NIGHT- Your first 3 drinks are free from 8-11 p.m.
Happy hour all night!
LADIES NIGHT- Your first
3 drinks are free from
8-11 p.m.
FRIDAYS &
SATURDAYS: $1.00 well drinks all night!
FRIDAYS &
SUNDAYS: Happy hour all night!
Fun • Food • Games • Dancing
OPEN THANKSGIVING
(LADIES NIGHT)
Metcalf 103 Center-Overland Park, KS
UPCOMING FILMS AT SUA:
Friday & Saturday,
November 18th & 19th
Spectacular foreign film
THE NIGHT OF THE
SHooting STARS.
30 p.m. 7:00 p.m., & 9:30 p.m.
Woodruff Aud.
AND
Futuristic fun
DEATH RACE 2000
12:00 Midnight
Woodruff Aud. $2.00
Sunday, November 20th
Sexual decisions with
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DONA FLOR AND HER TWO HUSBANDS.
19. 95
Jordache
FRAME SALE
Hutton Optical can fill your new prescription or duplicate your present one and fit you with a new frame that is just right for your face. Come in and select from:
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Get the Frames You Want for the Lenses You Need
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Boutique frames excluded from sale. Please no special order frames. Can not be used in conjunction with any other sale.
Offer good through Nov. 19
SPECIAL!
$15.00 Off 10 K Gold Rings
$30.00 Off 14 K Gold Rings
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Date: Nov. 17, 18, and 19
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: Kansas Union Bookstore
Trail Room Lobby Level 2
The Islamic Center of Lawrence
In Collaboration With The Department of Economics
Presents
Mahmoud Abusaud
Professor of Economics (Retired), consultant and planning in economics
In A Lecture Titled:
A WORKABLE ECONOMIC SYSTEM: AN ISLAMIC PROPOSAL
People interested in world trade, interest rates counter inflationary measures, comparative economics, unemployment. etc. are all invited.
Date: Fri., Nov. 18
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Jayhawk Room, Kansas Union
REFRESHMENTS ARE PROVIDED