Bv DEB RIECHMANN
Staff Reporter
Tina Rajala, a teacher's assistant, was forced to take out a loan to pay for tuition this semester because she was never paid in full for work she did at the University of Kansas last July.
Tim Miller, professor of religious studies,
hoping to receive this money the money KU owes
them.
These are not isolated cases. About 20 to 30 employees each month do not receive their paychecks on vacation.
James Feldstein, director of personnel, said recently that the payment system at KU was so complicated it was inevitable some teachers and students would be laid late.
THE PERSONEL and payroll divisions at KU provide information to state departmentals that issue payroll data.
"It's like we work a miraculous down here every week, but I do to that people still deserve to get the job."
He said the payroll system was being evaluated in hopes of making it more efficient. A new system, however, would not be in operation for about three years be said.
Rajal, who works in the political science department, said her payment problem might be related to a computer bug.
In July Rajala was listed on the payroll as being paid by the hour. In June she began her political
science job, for which she was to receive a salary. Her status on the payroll, however, was not changed before she was put on salary and the system was disrupted.
"I SHOULD be getting my last supplemental check in the middle of October for something I did last July," she said. "It's just a really screwy system. I can't believe the runaround you go through."
Rajala said that the check, which she should receive this month, would go toward repaying a loan she took out so that she could enroll. She received her loan from the office of financial aid.
'My last supplement is going to end up paying for
too long I to get to make up for not getting the check in
with my parents.'
Wait, it's `too long`. The 'l' in 'loan' is a long tail.
Let's look at the word 'supplement'. It ends with an 'u'.
The word 'payment'. It ends with an 'p'.
The word 'check'. It ends with an 'c'.
The word 'loan'. It ends with an 'a
If a KU employee does not get paid on time, he can go to the Kansas University Endowment Association and receive an interest free loan for 70 percent of his pay.
Rajala said, however, that this was inconvenient.
"In order to get that you have to go from your department over to Strong, then over to Carruth O'Leary and then to West Campus," she said. "You have to go through some unbelievable things just to get there."
MILLER SAID that he did not have to take out a loan but that the late paychecks were inconvenient.
He said that several times he had not received a check on time. He described one incident two summers ago when he taught summer school but didn't receive any pay until the semester was over.
"I was scheduled to teach a summer school course and the first payday came and nothing happened," Miller said. "Eventually summer was over and I hadn't got anything. Not only did I begin, but I was
"I didn't know what to do. I felt if I went ahead and finished up the semester I wouldn't have any leverage left so withheld my grades until they finally gave me my first navcheck."
Miller said he thought that his employee was not a special case and that many KU workers were having difficulty with it.
The process begins at the departmental level where secretaries form out forms for each employee and distribute them.
THE INFORMATION is checked and if it is correct the form moves to the payroll department, where the employee's name, wage and number of hours worked are calculated by computers.
a concern here. About the person or the company we get from the departments have errors in them. About six of every 10 we have to try to chase down ourselves."
There are about 3,500 students on the payroll during any academic year and about 1,600 students on the payroll in the previous year.
"Every single department, every person, every position and every single dollar is pengaged with a small amount of money."
IF THE state payroll or personnel departments, which process about 150,000 transactions for all state employees, have information that does not match employee information that an employee's information is taken out of the process.
"If you get a mismatch, chances are you won't get paid on time," Feldenstein said. "The pay will come two weeks later or in the middle of the month on a supplemental paycheck."
Miller said he thought that if the system were simplified, there would not be so many places where it worked.
“There’s something terribly ironic in computerizing things,” he said. “On the basis of my observation, I say take it off the computers and cut the staff. That ought to speed things up.”
Feldstein said there were three areas where errors commonly occur: an employee's information could be mismatched with Topeka's the data could come in from departments or the form could contain errors.
"WERE I in the process of completely dumping the whole system and starting a new one," he said.
A study is being made on the operation, in an attempt to find flaws that could be corrected to make the system work better until a new system can be installed.
Susan Walker, internal auditor, Sherry Kopf, compruer supervisor, and Jan Chapman, a computer systems analyst, are making an evaluation of the system.
The group began in September and will investigate problems at each stage in the payment process.
At the beginning stage where information is typed in each of the 222 department on campus, secretaries enter their names and addresses.
Ruth Stoland, a secretary in the School of Education, said. "You can imagine the tons of books she read."
SHERRY BUTTER, administrative assistant in the division of biological sciences, said, "There was one person who processed in April that didn't even get paid in September."
Kim Lewis, a clerk in the microbiology department, said that the forensis, although complicated at first, is now standard.
Pam Morris, an account clerk in political science, also said the forms were simple. But, she said, "Sometimes the paperwork sits on the desk too long for the person who started it ends up doing more paperwork."
FELDSTEIN SAID changes had been made recently to re-route some information so that it had to be cleared by only one office in Topeka instead of two. Once implemented, he said, about a week of time will
"The objective is to be able to run our own payrolls and write our own cheques under the state's authority." Feldstein said. "If we can get to that, then we can computer a system that will get you paid on time."
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
Vol. 89, No.31
The University of Kansas—Lawrence, Kansas
Monday, October 9, 1978
Buffaloes dash KU hopes 17-7
See page six
Med students must pay now; suit continues
Staff Renorter
Smoldering fields
By DEB RIECHMANN
Students at the University of Kansas Medical Center still hope to block a tuition increase of about 300 percent, but for now, they will have to pay the higher fees.
Shawnee County District Judge William carpenter, dismissed two fights. Court ordered two fights but sent court the second count, which questions the Kansas Board of Regents reasons for the fights.
Since May, more than 200 second- and third-year medical students have been fighting the tuition increase, which is said to be the highest of any state-supported school
Tution for in-state students in the traditional four-year degree program was raised from $125 to $3,000. Non-residents must pay $185 for the tuition of $250. For a $7.50 last year's tuition of $250.
Two farmers burned the remains of milo fields harvested last week. The fires, pushed by a south wind, created a haze over southern Lawrence.
FOR STUDENTS in the accelerated three-year program, tuition rose from $1,500 to $4,000 for Kansas residents and from $3,000 to $8,000 for non-residents.
While Carpenter reviewed the suit, students involved in the case did not have to pay the increased tuition. Instead, they received the Med Center last year, paying last year's fees.
The judge's ruler, however, lifted the restraining order and the students will be billed immediately for the difference. Mike Davis, University general counsel, said
"The important thing right now is that we
need AWSTROK now."
See LAWSUIT back page
By CAROLINE TROWBRIDGE
Staff Reporter
Despite petitions against a decision to divide the KU art library, faculty and student opinion will not affect the University's faculty position, executive vice chancellor, said yesterday.
The art library will be divided between its present location, Watson Library, and the Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art, he said.
George Worth, chairman of the department of English, said that he had circulated a letter to Mr. Baird asking if he was interested.
library to chairman of departments in the humanities. Another petition is being cited.
Despite these protests, however, Shankel said that the University had made a commitment to the department of art history at the university. Stephen museum for a divided art library.
"WERE NOT sure yet exactly what that split will involve," he said. "But we know there must be an art library in the Spencer Museum."
"These arrangements were made before I was on campus," Ranz said. "I'm not at all sure there were any firm commitments made."
the university's agreement concerning the split of the art library.
Rahz said he did not think a division of the
school in the best interest of students or faculty.
However, James Ranz, dean of libraries, said he did not have much information on
Worth said the faculty who signed his petition thought the art library belonged in
He said that he had nine signatures and that he soon would send the petition to
Committee trims groups' requests
By TAMMY TIERNEY
The Black Student Union last night was tentatively allocated $2.475 by the Student Senate budget committee—more than any other group thus far.
Staff Reporter
Group representatives told committee members that $1,200 would be needed to sponsor and publicize Black Awareness Month in February. The month would be dedicated to cultural programs designed to educate the campus about minorities, they
The group's request also included $550 for office supplies and telephone calls, $990 for printing expenses, $450 for Kansan advertising and $350 for film and music rental.
The organization, which said it has 300 members, asked the Senate for $7,765.
BSU REPRESENTATIVES said the $900
printing allocation would be used to establish a newspaper for the group.
The newspaper is necessary, they said, because they think the Kansan does not accurately reflect the views of black students on campus and because it will give black students in journalism an opportunity to write.
The committee also voted to cut a $680 request by the Arabian Peninsula Student Club completely, but then decided to table the request until tonight, so that group members could be present to answer questions.
More than $32,000 is available from Senate unallocated funds, and $6,833 is available from a controlled reserve fund if the Student Senate Executive committee agrees to
THE COMMITTEE will make final recommendations tonight.
The committee also made tentative recommendations on the supplemental drug regimen.
Members discussed possible reconsideration of their decision to table deliberation of a $9,000 request by the University Daily Kansan.
The Kansan's request, the largest during budget hearings last week, was to be used to make up an unbudgeted $30,000 increase in the annual budget to Don Green. Kansan business manager.
Committee members decided last week to table the Kansan's request in response to a suggestion from Mike Harper, student body president of the Senate look into the Kansan's finances.
Winter said that although the Senate was tabeling, the Kansas's request, sending an
There were 20 signatures on the English department petition Friday. There are about 125 faculty members in the English department.
IN ADDITION to Worth's petition, a petition is being circulated in the English department by Richard Hardin, professor of English.
Shankel, Worth said there were about 15 chairmen of departments in the humanities. He would not say which department chairmen had signed the petition.
See BUDGET back page
Hardin said he was concerned with accessibility to the art library would be ensured.
"We need to keep everything in a central area as much as possible." Hardin said. "I think the policy ought to be to keep everything in a central library."
Peter Casagrande, associate professor of English, who is helping Hardin circulate the petition, said he thought it was wrong to split material on the humanities.
"It is just a disruption of the whole scholarly effort." Casagrande said.
HE ALSO said he was not aware that the University administration had made any library division agreement with the department of health; the people were there at a医务馆 museum.
"Any agreement of that kind ought to include the full faculty. Canaadise said he would."
JAMES SEAVER, chairman of the Western civilization department, said he signed the Worth petition because he was against dividing the art library.
"There are obvious reasons on both sides," Seaver said. "But there are all kinds of people who would need to go all over the camouflage to do research if it were split."
Staff Reporter
FCC studies KJHK slip; station license is at stake
By LORI LINENBERGERB
The future of JKHK-FM. a University of Kansas student-operated radio station, may depend on action taken by the Federal Communications Commission, following its investigation of a false news story broadcast by the station Thursday
Dale Gadd, KJHK faculty adviser and associate professor of journalism, said that during the 5 p.m. news program on FOX Monday the town of Waterloo, Iowa, had been destroyed by an explosion at a nuclear power plant there and that 15,000 people
REPORTEDLY, the facts surrounding the counterfeit story were to be filled with the FCC in Washington, D.C., that same day.
ACCORDING TO Gadd, the student who read the news story thought it was legitimate. However, the story had been typed as a knap by another student. It was thrown into a wristband and was then jeweled and mixed with valid news stories.
J. KHK's license is up for renewal this fall, and the investigation by the FCC may result in either a denial of a new license or a written reprimand. Gadd
Aside from owning KJHK, the University also owns KANU-FM.
The matter of the station's license renewal was previously being handled by a company, ruling that forbids single ownership of more than one radio station in a market
A representative from the FCC's district office in Kansas City, Mo. visited the radio station Friday for what Gadget News investigation, but a fast-finding team was.
"The mistake was not a deliberate prank by the two announcers," he said.
"After it was thrown in the trash, a chain of events, unknown to me right now, resulted in the story's being put on the news desk."
The student who wrote the buggy story and the two students who were anchors of the news program have been suspended indefinitely from the station.
"Whether they are allowed to come back depends mostly on what the FCC does," Gadd said. "It could very easily be a permanent suspension."
Bri Brinkman, dean of the School of Journalism, said he was expecting from Gadd today a thorough report of the circumstances surrounding the broad-
"I'M NOT sure what needs to be done, if anything, until I see the report," he said.
The station received a wave of phone calls after the broadcast from people who asked whether the story was true.
The Associated Press and other radio stations from around the country also called to find out how KJHK got the story.