Wednesday, November 15, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
Senate has influence on academic issues
By Kursten Phelps writer@kanson.com Kanson staff writer
Editor's note: This is the third in a series of five stories examining Student Senate's impact on students.
Student Senate candidates annually campaign to implement online enrollment to ease the pain of enrolling for students. But students still deal with long lines, permits to enroll and dean stamps.
Senators also have said they wanted to give students who give a less-than-starlar performance in a class a second chance to salvage their grade point averages. But the old system of averaging the high and low grades of a retaken course is still in place.
Ben Walker, student body president, said although students couldn't yet see the results of Senate's efforts, it had made an impact on academic issues that affect students.
"I think sometimes people look at it wrong," Walker said. "They look at the final authority, and Student Senate honestly doesn't have much final authority. We do have significant influence as far as being a
voice to the administration, a voice to the state legislature and to the Board of Regents to act on behalf of students. There aren't very many things in the world that you don't have to get others to agree on before it happens."
Plans to implement an online enrollment system have been in the works since 1997, when the University purchased PeopleSoft, a software program capable of handling online enrollment, said Richard Morrell, university registrar.
Problems with the software and budgetary concerns have caused delays in the debut of online enrollment. The system had been set to launch next fall, but that is not certain, Morrell said.
"It's probably the biggest information technology project the University has ever taken on," Morrell said. "When I know when the budget is settled, I'll know when the deadlines are."
Walker said Senate had played a role in the issue even though it didn't take any direct action.
"Clearly, it's an administrative issue," Walker said. "The student government is not going to program computers or do anything logistically. At the same time, it's a
STUDENT SENATE'S IMPACT Online Enrollment
What Student Senate did: Voiced student concern about delays in the implementation of an online enrollment system to the administration.
What does it mean for students: Senate has had little direct involvement in the implementation of the system.
Revised course retake policy
What Senate did: Passed a petition last year to change the current policy, which averages the grades earned for a class taken twice. The proposed policy would only figure the highest grade into a student's grade point average.
What's next: The proposal was not approved by the administration, but was sent back to the University Council for more revisions.
very important issue for students, and Senate has continually expressed that to the administration. There's a lot to be said about that kind of power — expressing an opinion even though we can't actually take action."
Morrell agreed.
"It's important to know that student leaders see this as a critical issue," Murrell said. "The fiscal resources involved in this are out of the realm of student government to help."
Revising the course retake policy is an issue that Senate has had a more direct impact on. Walker said.
"Senate was pretty much exclusively responsible for beginning the discussion," Walker said.
Now, the University averages the two grades received if a student retakes a course. Last year, Senate passed a petition to change the policy so that the highest grade earned would be figured into the student's GPA, instead of the average.
The proposal passed through University governance, but the administration was concerned that it would allow students who had committed academic misconduct to retake a class to earn a better grade and sent the proposal back to University Council for revision.
Walker said a final decision on the course retake policy probably would not be made until the end of the school year.
"It's disappointing that it didn't make it all the way through, but I'd rather take our time and get it right and work out all the kinks," Walker said. "A lot of students will benefit from it. It helps those students who have a bad semester. It lets them fix those mistakes and prevents one semester from ruining their college career."
— Edited by Brandon Stinnett
Business school adds Internet emphasis
Jumping on the information superhighway is about to get easier for University of Kansas business students.
By Brandon Stinnett Special to the Kansan
Because of a new Internet business concentration offered by the School of Business, graduate students now will have the opportunity to take classes at KU's Lawrence and Edwards campuses that will be geared toward using and understanding new technology in the business world.
Doug Houston, director of the KU master of business administration program, said the school decided to add the concentration to help students keep up with the ever-changing business world.
"As the Internet exploded a few years ago, it changed the way you do business." Houston said. "Nothing stays the same anymore."
The school has been working to add technology-based courses to its curriculum during the past two years, and more Internetbusiness courses are in developmental stages.
Houston said the school planned to offer eight courses for graduate students who wanted the Internet business concentration. Not all courses will be available when the concentration is first offered this spring, though. Students will be required to complete 12 hours for the concentration.
"This is a work in progress, and it will probably remain a work in progress." Houston said. "The world is always changing."
The school is looking to outside companies to help develop courses for the concentration. Houston said the school wanted to develop a program with area businesses that allowed students to work with them to gain experience using technology in the business world.
"We hope to have much input from the
companies that are involved with (e-business)," Houston said. "Those people are the ones we will depend on to develop new curriculum."
Abbishek Saraff, a Madris, India graduate student, said he wished the school would have instituted an Internet business concentration a long time ago. Saraff graduates in December, so he won't be able to take advantage of the new concentration.
As Internet businesses continue to develop, Sarafa thinks it's important for students to learn how technology affects business.
"There are some courses I've taken that should have gone toward e-business," Saraff said. "I think it is a good idea. I think it should have been done much earlier."
"With the new economy, almost every business is developing an e-business strategy," Saraff said. "It's not just a separate industry. It's entering into every industry." — Edited by Amy Rondahl
City searches for solution to traffic flow
By Matt Merkel-Hess
Kansan staff writer
With the demise of the South Lawrence Trafficway, city and county commissioners are looking at other alternatives to improving traffic flow on 31st Street.
At last night's city commission meeting, commissioners approved a request for an engineering study that would evaluate intersection improvements, widening the road and possibly making an eastern extension from Haskell Avenue to Kansas Highway 10.
Mike Wildgen, city manager, said traffic was increasing, and that something needed to be done.
"There's still major issues in terms of traffic volume and traffic intensity on the southern parts of town," he said. "We're looking at other ways to try and deal with that problem."
The City Commission is studying ways to improve traffic on 31st Street. One proposal would widen the road and create an extension from Haskell Avenue to Kansas Highway 10
David Geyer, chairman of the Indian Hills Neighborhood Association, said he was worried that a wider, more developed 31st Street would increase traffic and encourage commercial growth on Louisiana Street.
The city will receive bids and decide on an engineering firm in December.
"The biggest problem we have is if we expand it and make it bigger, it's going to turn into another 23rd Street," Geyer said.
The neighborhood association sent a letter to the city requesting a moratorium on development from 31st Street south to the Wakarusa River until a comprehensive plan was created.
Melissa Carr/KANSAN
The study will cover 31st Street from Iowa Street to K-10 and include:
Studies of intersections and projected traffic volumes.
Environmental impact of the improvement.
Impact on neighborhood traffic.
Preliminary estimate of construction cost.
What options are available to reduce traffic if 31st Street is not improved or extended.
City Commissioner Marty Kennedy said any expansion would not widen the right-of-way or infringe upon the wetlands between Louisiana Street and Haskell Avenue.
"It's a major east-west access road," he said. "It needs to be improved for safety factors for the community to travel on it." In other action:
The commission approved relocation of Fire & Medical Station No. 2 from 1941 Haskell St. to 21st and Harper streets. The project cost is $2 million and the new station is being built to adjust and increase the present fire and medical service, said Jim McSwain, fire chief. The last fire station was built in 1962. The relocation is the first in a three-phase plan, which includes the relocation of Station 4 from 2819 Stonebarn Terrace, to 21st Street and Wakaraura, and the construction of Station 5 at 21st and Iowa streets.
■ The commission approved city acquisition of 40 acres southeast of the city for future park land. The land costs $11,100 per acre for a total cost of $484,000 and is located at the northeast intersection of East 1700 and North 1300 roads, about one mile east of the Prairie Park Elementary School.
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Edited by Amy Randolph
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