The University Daily
University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas
KANSAN
Monday, October 25, 1982 Vol.93, No.46 USPS 650-640
Design professor objects to reasons for dismissal
By DEBORAH BAER Staff Reporter
A KU professor whose contract will not be renewed next year said yesterday that she objected to a faculty committee's conclusion that the university was primarily for educational, not financial, reasons.
The decision was made during a closed session of the University Senate Executive Committee. Deanell Tacha, vice chancellor for academic affairs, and Robert Cobb, executive vice chancellor, were asked to attend the meeting so that they could out and whether Valerian Dearing, assistant professor of design, was being dismissed primarily because of budget reductions.
Dearing said she was told in a letter from Tacha that her dismissal was because of departmental educational plans and budgetary considerations.
She also said James Moeser, dean of the School of Fine Arts, told her that budget reductions were behind the administration's decision to dismiss her next year.
But SenEx members did not know about the wording in Tacha's letter when they decided the termination was "essentially an academic degree" because he had been a Seaver, Senex chairman, said after the meeting.
THAT NEWS disturbed Dearing, who said SenEx's decision was based on incomplete evidence.
Dearing said that either Tacha should have brought the letter to the meeting or SenEx had brought the letter.
"I think what they concluded was pretty off the wall," she said.
Administrators had said earlier that faculty already under contract this year would not be required to stay in the program.
Seaver, who learned about the contents of the letter after the SenEx meeting, said he had not seen the letter, because it was private. He said he would bring up the subject of Dearing's
dismissal again if she sent SenEx a copy of the letter, or if SenEx had additional information suggesting that the budget was a key factor in her termination.
HE SAID SenEx would also consider any similar cases brought to its attention.
Dearing said she would appeal her case (through normal University procedures). The first step is to bring her case to the University office on Tenure and Related Problems, she said.
Dearing said she was supposed to be considered for tenure this year, and her termination was especially unfair because it came just before that consideration.
In that sense, she said, the decision to dismiss her has affected the contract she has with the University for this year and breaks the administration's pledge not to allow budget reductions to interfere with faculty under contract for this year.
She said that she was not sure whether her dismissal would leave a black mark on her record but that she thought she would have a hard time finding another job.
"There are very few jobs somewhere else, anwav," she said.
SENEX MAY have recognized that fact also, for although the committee decided that the administration handled Dearing's termination in accordance with University rules and that the curriculum is semantic, SenEx will recommend that the University help Dearing in her search for another job.
"The ... hope is that the University will make every effort to assist Prof. Dearing in securing a new position as we would hope the University would do for every faculty member in a tenured or tenure track position who is terminated for financial rather than performance reasons." says a portion of a letter to be sent from SenEx to Cobb.
"Such good faith by the University will go a long way toward making a difficult situation, which we are likely to face more frequently in the future, somewhat more bearable."
Rowdy Wildcat fans pounce on KU band, injure member
From Staff Reports
Abusive Kansas State fans ran rampant during Saturday's football game, pelting the KU Marching Band with garbage, waylaying three band members and stealing band equipment,
One band member was treated at a Manhattan hospital for leg injuries suffered during the game.
"The fans were wild. It was terrible. They stole stuff from the band, threw stuff at the band and they didn't care who it hit," said Will Kearney. "I'd never seen anything like this before."
Every time the Wildcats scored, showers of grapefruits, oranges, bottles, toilet tissue and tennis balls rained heavily on the KU band members, Cooper said. After a scoring drive,
Wildcat fans demonstrated their spirit by taunting the band, he said.
The flying fruit could have caused concussions, broken bones and damaged instruments.
"We were sitting in a bad place," Foster said. "They put us in a corner where we could be reached by the K-State student body. We were supposed to be out of range."
A CLARINET player was walking on crutches
sunday because she injured her leg while
climbing stairs.
Eyra Webb, Kansas City. Ms. sophomore, said she had gone to a concession stand and was returning to her seat when a man grabbed her hat and ran into a nearby parking lot.
"My first instinct was just to run and go after him," she said.
As she pursued the thief, Webb said she ran
See EANS file
Today will be partly sunny with a high in the low 70s, according to the National Weather Service. Winds will be from the south at 10 to 20 mph.
Weather
Partly cloudy tonight with a low in the low in mid-60s. Tomorrow will be partly sunny and warm.
Rich Sugo/KANSAM
A crew member (above) from one of the 16 balloon teams that participated in last weekend's October Air Flesta at the Lawrence Municipal Airport peeks through the top of a balloon and lands it right at night, three balloons takeoff from a field east of Lawrence on their way to the airport.
The air fiesta helped to raise money for a transportation service for the handicapped. The fiesta followed the dedication of the airport's new 5,000-foot runway, which was officially opened after ribbon-cuttings by Mayor Marci Francisco and Lawrence pilot Delbo:rt Richardson, who flew through a ribbon spanning the runway.
See related story page 9
Balloon firm arises from lifestyle
By ROSE BLANCO Staff Reporter
Eighteen hot air balloons of different colors and sizes lined the eastern sky just after sunrise Sunday and headed toward the Lawrence Municipal Airport.
The flight to the airport was the climax of a weekend balloon rally held in conjunction with the Olympics.
Among the balloonists was Alan Miller, 34, of rural Lawrence, who organized the event
balloon for $9,600. Miller soon obtained his commercial pilot license for ballooning.
The balloon rally was not large in comparison to rallies held around the country, but its popularity is greater.
Six years ago Miller left a job as a commercial mortgage banker in the Kansas City area to start his own balloon business in Lawrence, the Lawrence BailoonPort, Route 2, which he operates from his home with his wife, Vickie, 29.
THE MILLERS were married in a bright orange hot air balloon 1,400 feet above Kansas City in 1976, and they used their wedding present money to buy a big, multi-colored
Miller, during a recent interview at his home, said that although he might be "struggling" financially, he liked the lifestyle he had created.
He said it was not a conventional life, but he considered himself a "non-conflict."
"Sometimes, I even work at it," he said. "I don't like the 9-to-5 routine.
may need a lot of money to do what I'm doing."
Miller's response, "do nothing."
Monday Morning
position was made shortly after his first experience in a hot air balloon.
MILER IS not interested in making a fortune with the BalloonPort, but when they first moved to Lawrence, the Millers thought the balloon business could be their livelihood.
Vickie Miller works full time at an insurance agency in downtown Lawrence, and Miller is
the kansas City area's Federal Aviation Administration Designated Flight Examiner for balloonists. As a designated examiner, Miller said, he is able to give written and oral testimony, as well as flight checks to those who visit their private or commercial pilot licenses.
Business has been down for about a year and a half, he said, but it is picking up. Miller organized the balloon rally this past month and several rides scheduled, which kept him busy.
THE MILLERS originally thought Lawrence would be a good location for business because of the University, but the business doesn't attract many KU students, Miller said. His passengers are usually older Lawrence townspeople.
Two passengers can ride in "Take Two." their seven-story hot air balloon. The standard ticket price is $195.
He said his customers seemed to enjoy their balloon trips.
"How many businesses are there in this world," he said, "where, to every single person
See BALLOON page 5
Kassebaum raps balanced budget amendment
Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan.), who was in Lawrence yesterday to campaign for Morris Kay, talks with Clarence and Juanita Hubbard, Lawrence, during a reception in the Kansas Union.
By BRUCE SCHREINER Staff Reporter
Kansas Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum, the latest political notice to appear with Republican can Morris Kay, yesterday levelled jaws at two Democratic Kay has taken during his congressional campaign.
Kassabeum, who visited with about 40 people during the two-hour reception at the Kansas Union, blasted the proposed constitutional amendment calling for a balanced budget and voiced hesitancy about maintaining next year's 10 percent income tax cut.
Kay, who is facing Democrat Jim Slattery in the 2nd District congressional race, has prescribed both the balanced budget amend-ment and year's tax cut as cures for several economic lilies.
Kassbaum, who has tended to differ with the Reagan administration more often than Kansas' other senator. Robert Dole, said she would have been more likely to resign before making a decision on the fate of the war.
President Reagan has said he would refuse to budge on next year's tax cut, but several congressmen have encouraged a delay in the legislation, in anticipation of record budget deficits.
IF NEXT year's tax cut is carried out, it will be the final segment of Rugas's new year, $25 million.
"I have supported it, but I will have to analyze
the third phase of the cuts in light of the budget deficits during March and April. "Kassbaum
Kassbaum refused to define exactly what would spur her to oppose the tax cut, but she said continued escalation of budget deficits would make her wary of any tax cut.
"Much is going to depend on the actual budget estimates," she said. "But right now there are so many unknown factors that it's really hard to say what will happen."
The state's junior senator then fired a few salvos at the balanced budget amendment, which she said was not the correct answer to rid the budget of skyrocketing deficits.
KAY HAS called the constitutional amendment a last resort now needed to harness the power of workers.
But Kassebum said that legislators favoring the amendment were troddon on sacred ground by trying to solve budgetary problems through the Constitution.
"By using the Constitution for something that is a legislative matter, what we are really doing is making it more difficult to enforce."
She also criticized some senators who donned the mask of fiscal responsibility by voting for the amendment but who later supported new spending measures.
"I found some of my colleagues had an easy time in voting for the amendment, but then they voted for something like the Lugar Amendment and have added $4 billion to the housing industry.
KASSEAU BEM ENCOURAGED close scrutiny of the defense budget to substantially reduce costs.
"Some of them fail to see that you can't have it both ways."
In response to Kassebaum's difference with him on the balanced budget amendment and her possible opposition to the tax cut, Kay said such discrepancies always arose in politics.
"We're not going to agree on everything, but on the issue of bringing the budget into balance."
"I think Sen. Kassebaum and I would agree on most of the basic economic issues."
Kay said the tax cut was already a part of the law, and he wove to fight against any attempts to block it.
"The third year is very important because that is the year most applicable to the low and middle income countries."
Kassahue, who will be campaigning for other Republicans this week, said double-digit unemployment might complicate the efforts of candidates but would not bury their chances.
"There is always, going to be a loss in a president's party in an off-year election," she said, "but I don't believe unemployment in and of itself will be an abatron."
"No one likes those figures, but I find people are willing to continue on in support of the president's direction."
n, who was elected in 1978, pointed See NANCY page 5