THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
Vol. 85-No.74 Wednesday, January 22,1974
The University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas
KU attorney predicts failure for discrimination lawsuits
By DEBBIE GUMP Kansas Staff Reporter
Personal lawsuits charging discrimination in administration appointments probably wouldn't succeed, according to Michael Davis, University general counsel.
Two KU students, Muriel Paul, Lawrence graduate student, and Jerry Williams, Kansas City, Kan., senior, said recently they might file personal lawsuits against Del Shakel, executive vice chancellor, Ambrose Saricks, vice chancellor for academic affairs, and Chancellor Archie R. Dykes.
Paul and Williams filed one complaint with the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) last semester charging discrimination in the appointment of Edward Bassett as associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and Ralph Christofersen as assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs.
Williams and Paul said they might file another complaint with HEW asking for the removal of Bassett and Christoffersen. They said they would also ask for a cuff of
all federal funds to the University if appointers weren't removed.
Davis said the possibility of a successful lawsuit was minimal.
There are a number of problems that you can face if they filed individual auto's, but
Davis wouldn't name specific areas of possible complication but he said the involvement of both federal law and position could prevent plaintiff would raise questions of procedure.
"Some of the allegations apply only to the University Affirmative Action plan and not to any other."
"Not everyone can go into court and file a federal lawsuit," he said. "They have to be on trial."
Davis said that in some respects the university plan went beyond federal guidelines.
Paul and Williams said they would decide whether to file their second complaint after a meeting this afternoon with Davis. Davis was asked for the meeting, with Paul and Williams.
"I don't have the slightest idea what's going to happen," Davis said. "It seems to be heading to hearing."
"I haven't talked to a soul. Vicki Hamer (acting director of Affirmative Action) mentioned to me last week that these people might want to talk to me." Davis said. "But I don't have any power to make it all go away."
Davis said that if he was convinced of the validity of the complaint he would be able to act as an intermediary between University administrators and Paul and Williams.
"However, I doubt whether anyone's going to change their position," he said.
Both Sarris and Shankel declined to comment on the actions of Williams and
Bassett released a statement Tuesday that defended the hiring procedures used by the Office of Academic Affairs and said Action Guidelines had been followed.
"There were personnel changes in the Office of Affirmative Action while that search was in progress, which may provide evidence for the success of the present concern," Bassett said.
Copies of the statement were sent to Richard Van Ende, executive secretary to the President.
directory of University Relations; Shankel and Saricks.
Bassett said it might have been difficult to the job with one full-time appointment, as the managers could not afford it.
"Had the position not been divided into one for an associate vice chancellor and one for an assistant vice chancellor, each part-time, it is possible the present office holders must not have agreed to join the office," Bassett said.
"It cannot be ascertained how many persons might have been nominated had the position been advertised as two part-time employees. It would be ascertained how many of those nominated originally would have accepted a fulltime appointment, if that position had been nominated."
*Valid job requirements were established
  and were applied equally to all those
  requirements.*
Bassett said women and minorities had been included in the nemnions tool.
Bassett cited a 1974 HEW memo stating that a college or university, not the federal government, can determine what competitions qualifications for any particular position.
Parents cut from news
Like the first raindrops preceding a cloudburst, an announcement Tuesday by the University of Kansas News Bureau announces that the university's use of student records.
By BETTY HAEGELIN Kansan Staff Reporter
In accordance with an interpretation rendered Tuesday by Mike Davis, University general counsel, the News Bureau can no longer release the names of a student's parents without the student's written permission.
Previously, such interpretations were given little notice in the preparation of stories by the News Bureau for release in a student's hometown, but recent legislative developments have changed this position radically.
The change is in line with the University's attempt to comply with the provisions of the amended Buckley Amendment, which calls for free access to personal records by
students age 18 and over, and forbids the
writing without written permission from the student.
"I can't think of anything we've been doing other than the release of parents names that we can't do now, but if the original amendment had been enacted without change, I would have never said Larry Knup, director of the University's division of information.
Before the act was amended, Knapp said, the News Bureau couldn't have legally released information such as whether a student was on the football team or had received any awards or recognition. This would have eliminated the compilation of an honor roll, he said.
From now on, the News Bureau will only be allowed to give local newspapers directory information, such as name, address, major, participation in officially recognized activities and awards received, Knapp said. Most other information can be
released only if a student signa s waiver giving his permission, he said.
"There are going to be some editors who are going to howl," Knapp said, "but if a student doesn't want to give out a piece of information, that's his right."
Davis is presently compiling a set of procedures for the University to follow that will be derived from U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare guidelines. He also has been involved in many briefings on health issues to be affected by provisions of the act.
"I don't really know how greatly the final HEW guidelines will affect the University because I'm still working on them in their lab and they are doing it, then we get it all, put them we'll see."
"It's my opinion that Ralph Christofersen is the best qualified person for the work he is now assigned," Bussett said. "I would have to measure my qualifications."
By Chief Photographer GEORGE MILLENER III
Limited Lanes
Davis said the entire area of job recommendation records and references would be affected, and gave an example of what would have to transpose if a student asked for Davis's recommendation for a job.
to avoid wear on the heavily used inside lanes, joggers at Allen Field House have been asked to use only the two outside lanes. See story on page 9.
"There are a tremendous number of implications for the University resulting from this act," Del Shankel, executive vice chancellor said. "The main area to be affected will probably be student personal information given to the office, but we're all waiting for the guidelines Mike Davis is working on to see exactly what this means."
"First, if I'm going to include any private information in my letter, such as a student's grade average, I have to get his written permission," Davis said. "Then if I don't want the student to see the letter, a practice which I personally don't follow, I would probably not receive right of access. Finally I would have to inform the third party that in no way could they use any of this information without the student's written permission."
School officials and teachers would be exempt from these limitations, but the act, originally intended for primary and secondary schools, is providing some anxious moments for university administrators.
Christoffersen said he had no comment to make on Basset's statement.
"I don't think that I have any additional information or insights to offer," he said.
Kala Mays Stroup
Student needs 1st priority for new dean of women
By SHANNON GREENE
Kansan Staff Reporter
University of Kansas students need more services and closer rapport with the University, according to a woman who says she has been abusive by former Student Union President Steven Stone, who becomes dean of women Jan. 18.
The dean of women's office should be a
student at the University. Groups said reimbursed
"We deal mainly with their out-of-classe life," she said. "We want students to feel free to talk to us, especially if their needs haven't been met."
"I don't think there is a co-ed organization on this campus that has a woman president, but I'm not going to say so."
Stroup said her office would reasess its present selections and determine what should be done. "The idea was the one."
“Changes will be made according to the goals of the institution and the needs of the students, which constantly fluctuate,” she said. “We maintain a commitment to keep our staff well equipped to find out what’s going on. This staff is involved at the state and national levels.”
Although it offers services to all students, dean of women's office concentrates on the students.
"KU has kept abreast, active and knowledgeable of the women's rights movements," she said. "However, there is still more work to be done. I don't believe there has ever been a woman as student body president nor as editor of the Kansan.
ministrators. We are interested in having more women faculty and staff positions. Universities
Stroup said women needed to be more actively involved and to seek higher-pricer opportunities.
"I don't, know whether they just don't want these positions or whether they just don't want them," she said. "Are women today setting their goals as high as their qualifications of do they just want them?"
"We try to raise the sights of women, their ambitions and their goals. However, we try to be supportive of any decision they make."
Stroup said the dean of women's offices helped women become more aware of their needs.
"We want them to be aware of the social blocks that may be keeping them from interacting with others. Women were brought up to believe they could only fulfill certain roles. We want to help them consider other possibilities that may have been overlooked in their training."
She said it was more difficult to understand and cope with women's problems because of her gender.
"We're making progress, though," she said. "Here at KU we now have a women's intercollegiate program. It's important to include women in the support from all students, especially women."
Stroup assumed her post Jan. 18, succeeding Emily Taylor, who became director of the Office of Women in Higher Education of the American Council on Education (ACE) in Washington, D.C.
Before her appointment, Stroup was assistant dean of women from 1960 to 1964 and associate dean of women from 1964 to 1971.
"Iapplied for the position of dean because I had been in personnel work since 1960," Stroup said. "I enjoy working with college men and I like KU. I'm motivated to do a good job and I want to distinguish myself as Mattea Peterson and Emily Taylor did."
Stroup is a member of Phil Beta Kappa and Mortar Board. In 1973, she received the E.C. Buehler Award for outstanding speech teaching.
She is the current nominee of the University for the Academic Administration Internship Program of the American Council on Education.
Stroup said she preferred to use "Ms." with her name even though she was
"I started using Ms. when I was applying for higher administrative jobs," Stroup said "People reading my resume had a question about what I found out I had a husband and two children. I think there needs to be a change in the form of women's titles in order to change how they are treated, so I think there must be something wrong with her when they see the use of 'Miss.'"
By MARK EKLUND
KU computer maze grows
Kansan Staff Reporter
The world of computers is becoming more complex each day.
Computers that were initially designed for mere computational exercises are now being used to help students review math concepts in the structure, analyze data and solve equations.
Charles Neuringer, professor of psychology, said Tuesday that KU's computer could act as a therapist to help students learn the various techniques of psychological analysis.
Neuringer said a typical therapeutic session with a computer might be:
Computer: "What's your problem?"
Student: "Your notebook."
Computer: "That's a bad problem. Can you tell me more?"
Student: "I hate my teachers."
Computer: "sympazitate with you, but tell me more about the problem."
What the computer does in these kinds of psychological exercises may seem complex, Neuringer said, but actually it's a simple mechanical process.
"It's amazing how people will often get
KU's main computer is a Honeywell model 633, which is capable of handling 27 terminals at one time, according to Jerry Magnuson, associate director of administrative production systems. Magnuson said the computer was designed to support the Center located in Summerfield Hall. The Center began operation in 1958.
involved with a computer like it's another person," he said. "They sometimes forget that it's just a machine that has been created and that's being to respond in a certain way."
Students in a variety of schools and departments, including psychology, chemistry, business, mathematics and political science, use the computer, John Bangert, supervisor for the center's consulting staff, said.
He said the computer also was utilized for playing simulated games and creating
KU is well known for doing computer art, Bangert said. Computer art involves the process of programming the computer artist to create images that said in this the artist used the
computer like a fantastically complex paintbrush.
Bangert said Beloit (Wisconsin) College had a computer that was designed to run a country. He said the purpose of the computer was to encourage students to start thinking about economics and solutions to social problems.
The School of Business uses the computer simulator similar to John Toulson, gossiper and secretary.
"For the fifteenth century, the primary means of instruction was the book," Lata
In the past, students have worked in teams to solve various economic problems posed by the computer, he said. In addition, Tolleson said business students use the computer to do research on certain concepts and in coordination with class lectures and their homework.
Chemistry students often find the computer a useful aid in reviewing their classwork, Alfred Lata, professor of chemistry said.
He said students could select from a variety of programs for naming and writing chemical equations, molecular calculations or drills in balancing equations.
said "But for the twentieth century, I believe that the computer will prove to be a powerful tool."
Lata said a computer enabled more individualized instruction for the student. The computer also reduces the need for training sessions conducted by the instructor, he said.
Ralph Christofferson, coordinator for computational planning, said the 10-year-old computer presently used at KU was overloaded.
He said that in addition to student classwork the computer handled student grades, faculty research, undergraduate courses and payroll billings and payroll and budgeting.
The University plans to receive two new computers by summer 1976, Christofferson said. The capacity of KU's computer systems is the acquisition of the new computers. he said.
Christofferson said KU received $30,000 last July from the Kansas Legislature for planning of a new Computation Center. The facility will be built east of Robinson Gymnasium where a women's athletic field is now.