University Daily Kansan, September 15, 1982
Page 9
Views on probation's usefulness differ
By VERONICA JONGENELEN Staff Reporter
Academic probation hit almost 12 percent of the students in the College liberal Arts and Sciences last spring, figures the college office released with
A total of 1,169 students were placed on probation at the end of the 1883 spring semester, and 1,461 more, or 12.7 percent, were placed on probation in the following year, the semester, said Teri Carswell, assistant dean of liberal arts and sciences.
"What we're trying to do is inform them that they are not making matters their own, which rest of their peer group," she said. "We need information on places they can go to."
get help so they can bring their grades up."
THAT INFORMATION, however,
may not provide enough help for the
students, said David Ambler, vice
chancellor for student affairs.
"Probation ought not just be a slap on the hands," he said. "It should be a positive set of instructions to get the person in good slanding as quickly as possible."
"Then, if they don't perform, the ax is going to fall," he said. "Being placed on probation not just be a way the University says to the
Such instruction could include diagnosing the students' problems that led to probation, he said. After the problems are identified, the students can work with the University on resolving them.
student that they'd better shape up."
Carswell said she thought the program was very effective.
"We've made a lot of changes. I think that communication has gotten a lot better between what's expected on the part of the student," she said.
CARSWELL SAID she thought the standards used to decide who would be put on probation were not too high.
However, one student who is on probation said that the difficulty of class work was not always taken into consideration by the college.
"You can be in an extremely hard major and it may take a while for you to get your bearings," said James
Minor, Harvey, Ill., special student
"When you slip, when you fall, you think about, 'Is college for me?'" he said.
ALTHOUGH THE COLLEGE put 2,630 students on probation last fall and spring, it also readmitted 454 since the beginning of the year. Then readmitted petitioned to the college to be admitted on probation and had their petitions approved, Carswell said.
Not all those students had been previously dismissed by KU, she said. Some students transferred from colleges with less than a 2.0 grade point average to a 2.5 grade point average others may have been gone from the University for a number of years.
Sellers join to fight tax
Local merchants have banded together to protest a proposed tax on video games, a Lawrence businessman video game distributor said yesterday.
The Lawrence City Commission was to have discussed the proposed tax at its meeting last week, but it delayed action on the tax until next Tuesday's request of some local merchants who have videogames in their businesses.
The businessman, Bob Schumm, owner of Schumm Food Co., said the group of merchants met yesterday to ask if they would protest the proposed tax.
THE MERCHANTS will try to convince the commissioners that video games not be taxed because the government would impose other taxes and because a large
number of people are employed by businesses involved with the games.
Schumm said the businesses already paid sales, property and state and federal income taxes. He did not have exact figures on the number of people employed in local businesses because of video games but said such figures probably would be compiled by next Tuesday's commission meeting.
Many competing businesses have banded together against the tax, Schumm said.
He said about 30 merchants attended the meeting, which was the group's second.
"It's kind of unique in that there has been a close bond struck because we feel threatened by the situation at home and I feel very threatened economically."
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