Wednesday. Dec. 16. 1959 University Daily Kansan
Page 3
An Open Letter
December 16, 1959
Dear Fellow Jayhawker,
We are concerned about the future of higher education in Kansas and we hope that we can do something to help.
We are concerned because the 1960 session of the Kansas legislature will determine the budget of the University and this in turn will determine what happens to the University and to us.
We're concerned because some of our favorite faculty people are going to take better-paying jobs. Since K.U. is below the national average in faculty salaries, we can't really blame them. Others are turning down better offers to stay here because of loyalty — but we don't know how long they can afford to do this. A salary raise and an adequate faculty retirement plan would keep them at the University.
We're concerned because these things — inadequate facilities and underpaid faculty members — mean that within the next few years the University of Kansas may not be the quality of school it is today. We're concerned because if the University is forced to lower its standards, our degrees from K.U. will mean less.
We're concerned because we're attending classes in barracks buildings and quonset huts which were temporary 15 years ago. Engineers are required to try to learn space-age science in a building and laboratories built 50 years ago. Aeronautical engineers crawl up under the stadium to make use of an out-of-date wind tunnel. Soon, some of us may have to go down to the stadium for library books because there just isn't enough space in Watson anymore.
We're concerned because, compounding the other problems mentioned, thousands more people like us are going to be wanting to go to college in Kansas in the years ahead. Since 1940, the birth rate has increased 80% and the percentage seeking college training has raised almost 25%. This means that, based on conservative predictions, the K.U. enrollment will be at least 12,618 in 1964; 16,657 in 1970; and will go on even higher. Our younger brothers and sisters, and our children, may not have a chance for the education we've received.
Because we're worried about the future of higher education in Kansas, this is what we're going to do. When we go home Christmas vacation, we're going to talk to people—our parents and neighbors and aunts and uncles—about the University and what it needs. Some of us are going to talk with our State Legislators at home, before they go to Topeka on January 12. We're going to get as many people at home as possible interested in the problems of higher education in Kansas.
Then, we're going to try to get other concerned people to talk or write to their State Legislators. The Legislators may understand the problems and may be concerned too, but they are reluctant to do anything without support and encouragement from the people who vote for them. We're going to try to make them conscious of the support and encouragement they have.
We feel that we as students must try to help and we think we can accomplish something. We hope other students will do the same.
Lance Johnson
Bill Kane
Andy J. Toudrouche
Very Sincerely Yours,
Kendell Koerner
Mary Cainel Stephenson
Rick Barnes
Alice should Jane Crow
Tom Van Dyke
Tiny Davis
Jann Cameron.
Jo Austin