WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6. 2002
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3A
College strains family relations
By Louise Stauffer
Istaurfer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Austin Walker says he doesn't have much time to talk to his parents. When he does, it is about an essential matter: money.
"It's never like a 'hi, what's up conversation," Walker, St. Louis sophomore said.
College can make or break relationships between students and their parents. A few simple tips can help keep ties between parent and child strong.
Dr. Dennis Karpowitz, psychology professor, said the key to a good relationship with one's parents was to simply keep the lines of communication open.
Becky Black said she was not
in the best graces with her parents. Black, St. Louis sophomore, said she talked to her parents on the phone about once a week.
"They always call me," she said.
"They always call me," she said. Karpowitz said if students found themselves disagreeing with their parents frequently, they should talk about issues that don't spark confrontation.
"Talk about things parents would enjoy knowing about," he said. "Tell them what you're doing."
Karpowitz suggested dis cussing topics such as majors, classes, and activities that interested both students and parents.
Dress and attitude patterns seen by some parents as non-conformist can create conflict.
Jake Yadrich, Kansas City,
Kansas sophomore, said his mom was upset about his tongue and eyebrow piercings and the tattoo he acquired while at college.
"Every time I see my mom she offers me money to take them out," he said.
For students who feel their parents call them too much, a straightforward, but gentle, suggestion to back off might be the most effective solution. Karpowitz said students should tell their parents how often they wanted to talk. Or, he said, just don't answer the phone.
"If you have an answering machine, let it ring," he said. He said students should call when it's convenient for them, so that they are not interrupted and have time to talk.
Jenny Ferns said she spoke to her mother every day. Ferns, Overland Park sophomore, said she and her mother were close because they through hard times together when Ferns was younger. She said they spoke of how the day went, future plans and other family members.
Even though Yadrich disagrees with his mom about his tattoos and piercings, he said he appreciated talking to them more now than when he was in high school. He said he had the typical teenage attitude that talking to parents was nothing but a hassle.
"It's reassuring to talk to them," he said.
Edited by Jessica Hood
'Professor' more than just a title
"How KU works" is an occasional series that explains how the University of Kansas operates. If you have a suggestion for a future installment, contact Kyle Ramsey at kramsey @kansan.com.
By Kyle Ramsey
kramsey@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The word "professor" is more than just a title preceding a teacher's name: it signifies hard work and recognition achieved through the tenure process.
Tenure status is awarded to faculty who have proven expertise in their field through their teaching and research. When faculty members receive tenure, their appointment at the University is renewed automatically every year. This essentially provides tenured faculty members with a life-long term at the University, as long as they continually meet the guidelines for sustaining tenure.
Associate and assistant professors are instructors who have not yet received tenure.
But receiving tenure does not grant immunity from being fired.
Faculty members whose performance is
in question enter a lengthy evaluation process, which could last for years, said Provost David Shulenburger.
He said most professors in danger of having their tenure revoked either retired or resigned from the University before the formal review process began.
"The consequence of the decision is great," Shulenburger said.
"Therefore we take great care in making that decision."
Only two tenured faculty members have been dismissed from the University since Shulenburger came here 28 years ago, he said.
The Tenure and Related Problems Committee, part of the University's Faculty Senate, would deal with revoking tenure status if the situation arose again.
Sandra Craig McKenzie, committee chairwoman, said the committee had not had to revoke a faculty member's tenure since she joined the committee three years ago.
"That's not something that has happened very often at the University," she said.
University officials over the years have created two general
guidelines — academic performance and competence — when evaluating tenured faculty 'tenured professors' teaching and research performance must meet guidelines set by tenure committees in the professors' respective departments.
Competence relates to professors' ability to do their jobs, as well as adhering to the University's rules and regulations as posted in the Handbook for Faculty and Unclassified Staff. The handbook is online at www.ukans.edu/%7Eunigov/fachand.html.
University officials granted tenure to 17 faculty members this year, bringing the number of fulltime faculty with tenure to 696. About 76 percent of the University's faculty is tenured.
Edited by Christine Grubbs
There's a 'fresh' way to eat 'hearty' meals
By Lindsay Hanson
lhanson@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Campus food providers are launching a campaign to trim the fat next week.
Dubbed "Fresh & Hearty," the program will provide patrons with alternative, healthier entrees at campus residence halls, Kansas and Burge Unions and Wescoe Terrace.
Each "Fresh & Hearty" entree will be marked and identified by the number of calories and fat grams it contains. The revised recipes will reduce sodium levels and eliminate cream and butter.
The program began brewing last year under the direction of Ann Chapman, coordinator of nutrition services at Watkins Memorial Health Center and registered dietitian.
"The whole gist is that students need to become more accepting toward their bodies," she said.
The media influence over body image had sparked the idea of offering healthier eating alternatives, she said. Taking a campus-wide approach with the Healthy Options for Movement, Exercise, Body Acceptance and Savvy Eating committee, or HOMEBASE, Chapman said the program would try to dispel myths about dieting and food restriction.
"If you are comfortable with your body, you'll want to put the right kind of food in it and nurture it with exercise," she said.
Chapman said she modeled "Fresh & Hearty" after a similar program in place that targets
local restaurants in the vicinity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Each "Fresh & Hearty" entree will follow American Heart Association guidelines, which specify a diet for a healthy heart consists of 2,000 calories per day and 65 grams of fat.
Chapman said the fat content of some of the featured entrees — which reaches 23 grams with some of the meals — might alarm students.
"What people don't understand is that a heart-healthy diet has up to 30 percent of its daily calories from fat," she said.
Jason Arnett, The Market supervisor, said he wanted students to know that healthy foods had always been available at the Kansas Union and that the stickers would just help identify what was healthy.
The program's deployment has been delayed because the "Fresh & Hearty" stickers have not arrived, Chapman said. She said she hoped to have things ready to present by Monday.
Chapman said HOMEBASE would apply the Fresh and Hearty program to campus vending machines in the future.
—Edited by Ryan Malashock