news
friday, November 14,2003
6A the university daily kansan
ADD/DROP: 'W' worries students
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
said.
Tim Miller, professor of religious studies, said students on waiting lists missing out on getting into the classes they want is such a problem every semester that 10 percent of his seats are empty.
Further discussion at the meeting centered around the weight of a "W" on a record.
right of way and one professor said that in the
"I don't want to feel limited because I'm afraid to get 'Ws'"
law school, he had never even noticed a "won" on a transcript.
"I don't want to feel limited because I'm afraid to get 'Ws," she said. "People do worry how this affects grad school."
more that could blight her record.
Ellingson already has one "W" on her record from early in her academic career, and is worried about the possibility of getting
Now that the proposal made it through University Council, it will be sent on to Chancellor Robert Hemenway and Provost David Shulenburger for final approval.
Edited by Ashley Marriott
Local Police sponsor auction benefiting city, Kansas
Christmastime is approaching and those short on cash can do their shopping at the Evidence and Found Property Auction. The Lawrence Police Department's event will be tomorrow at the Traffic Division garage, Fifth and Mississippi streets.
Bidders can begin viewing the items at 8 a.m. tomorrow, and selling will begin at 10 a.m.
Sgt. Mike Patrick said the police department usually held two auctions a year. The evidence and found property items had to be kept for six months before they are auctioned tomorrow, Patrick said. The six-month period allowed owners to retrieve their belongings.
The money raised from the auction will go to the city's general fund and the state of Kansas, Pattrick said.
Here is a partial list of the items:
about 50 bicycles
Ford hubcaps
Converse Radiant, size 10.5
social psychology books
situation Mirore 2 wheel scooter
silver Micro 2-wheel scooter
roll of duct tape
Ebonite bowling bag with two bowling balls
chrome Polo Italia men's watch
Synergy fishing pole
Futuro wheelchair
Synergy fishing pole
Dire Straits, Eagles and Crue
CDs
Tascam portable studio recorder system
Kodak Advantix 4900 35mm camera
--Amanda Kim Stairrett
A complete list of items can be found at the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St.
Nurse receives jail time for bilking local family
LAWRENCE — A nurse was sentenced to four years in jail for biking more than $70,000 from a retired University of Kansas professor and his wife
before they died.
Melody G. McKenzie, 43, of Lawrence, pleaded guilty earlier this year to fleeing William J. Griffith, and his wife, Shirley Griffith, after McKenzie worked as their in-home caregiver beginning in 2001.
"Your actions were despicable," Douglas County District Judge Paula Martin said.
Deputy District Attorney Shelley Diehl said when the Griffiths moved from their home to Pioneer Ridge Retirement Community in spring 2002, McKenzie convinced them to keep paying her $6,000 per week for "bogus companion care."
Officials said about $300,000 in checks was paid to McKenzie from the Griffiths' account, but the restitution amount was $70,817.
William Griffith died in July at age 94; Shirley Griffith died in August 2002 at age 81.
kansas State
Senate chairwoman decides to retire from post
Nation Witness in sniper case made prior racial slurs
TOPEKA — The chairwoman of the Kansas Senate committee that handles contentious social issues such as gambling and liquor plans to resign from the Legislature on Dec. 6.
Sen. Nancey Harrington (R-Goddard) sent a brief letter to the secretary of state's office, which released it yesterday. The letter did not say why Harrington planned to resign, and messages left at her home or business were not returned.
Harrington has served three years as chairwoman of the Federal and State Affairs Committee, one of the Senate's most visible positions because of the legislation that comes before the panel.
Issues considered by the committee have included expanding gambling, permitting Sunday liquor sales and proposed regulations for abortion clinics. Harrington opposes now gambling and Sunday liquor sales and holds strong anti-abortion views.
WASHINGTON - A government chemist who testified in the Washington sniper case kept a "sloppy" office that raised concerns of contaminated evidence and has made numerous racially insensitive remarks, according to evidence the government has had for more than a decade.
The Virginia prosecution handling the trial of sniper defendant John Muhammad said yesterday he wasn't aware of the information, obtained by The Associated Press, before he put government chemist Edward Bender on the witness stand last week. "And I'm not aware of it today," Paul Ebert said.
Mohammad's attorneyys declined comment. A lawyer for the other sniper defendant, Lee Boyd Malvo, said he too was unaware of the information. Malvo prosecutor Robert Horan said he also was unaware of the information and was uncertain if he would call Bender to testify.
The government and prosecutors are required under a Supreme Court ruling known as Brady v. Maryland to provide defendants with all "material" information affecting their case, including derogatory information that could impact the credibility of prosecution witnesses.
U.S. Senate filibuster continues into today
WASHINGTON - Saying 30 straight hours isn't enough, Republicans vowed to keep the Senate open overnight again yesterday in an attempt to pry conservative jurists loose from Democratic filibusters. President Bush, lending his voice to the effort, accused Democrats of "shameful" inaction on his judicial nominees.
The Senate talkathon was supposed to end at midnight yesterday. But Republicans added nine more hours to take them through 9 a.m. today, when they scheduled filibuster votes on three female nominees.
The Associated Press
Flags honor victims
Megan True/Kansan
Santos Nunez, director of the Multicultural Resource Center, spoke yesterday afternoon in front of Stauffer-Flint Hall about hate crimes. Many students wrote names of hate-crime victims on white flags yesterday afternoon to support Hate- Out Week.
Program offers students long-distance learning
By Zack Hemenway
zhemenway@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Andrew Kasselman has been taking his English class for close to a year. Now it's time to finish up, take his final and meet his teacher for the first time.
Kasselman, Overland Park junior, is taking his class as an independent study through the University of Kansas Continuing Education program. Kasselman, who does most of his coursework during weekend free time, said he liked the alternative format of the course.
"I was already taking 15 hours, and I thought I could contribute more to a class if I didn't have to get up and go somewhere," he said.
The program's catalog includes 160 courses, mostly undergraduate. All are independent study, also known as distance learning versions of conventional campus classes.
Sharon Graham, associate dean for academic and distance education outreach, said the program served a variety of students, but the students had some common characteristics.
"Most of our students are very goal-oriented," Graham said. "They make a commitment, and they want to get everything they can out of it."
Graham said there was a stereotype that distance learning meant online learning. Only 20 of the courses the program offers have exclusively online workloads. Most of the courses are what Graham calls "hybrids": courses with a mix of online
"Most of our students are very goal-oriented. They make a commitment, and they want to get everything they can out of it."
Sharon Graham Associate dean for academic and distance education outreach
learning, assigned papers and proctored exams.
Exams in distance learning courses are taken with the supervision of a University representative, often at the Continuing Education building. Students who are not on campus or enrolled at the University may take tests under the supervision of a high school teacher, a teacher from another university or a military education officer.
Graham said independent study courses offered students much more versatility than conventional classes. Besides the obvious, not having to regularly attend a course, the distance learning courses give students flexibility between semesters. Students are given nine months from their date of enrollment to complete a course.
Ted Wilson, professor of history, has taught an independent study version of his World War II History class for more than 30 years.
Wilson said he wasn't a big advocate of the so-called virtual classroom, but that he understood some students' situations
made classroom learning impossible.
"As long as the quality is monitored, it's an appropriate compromise." Wilson said.
One student in Wilson's class this fall is a soldier stationed in Bosnia. Wilson said the compromise of the program served this student well.
"He wouldn't be able to take my class any other way," Wilson said.
Professors have utilized many techniques to teach their independent study classes. One of the most cutting-edge concepts used by the program is compressed video.
This technology allows a teacher to deliver a videotaped lecture onto a student's computer screen. Graham encourages instructors to use the new techniques prudently.
"Our mantra with technology is 'make it appropriate to the subject,' Graham said. "Just because you can doesn't mean you should."
Chico Herbison, instructor of African-American studies, said that offering his classes through independent study helped make them available to all kinds of students.
"I'm a firm believer in educational access," Herbison said. "These courses allow access to coursework that traditional means don't."
Kasselman said he learned a lot in his course, but that it was easy in one respect.
"I didn't even have to leave the house," he said.
— Edited by Jonathan Reeder
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Attention!! Faculty, Staff and Students.
Who: The Parking Commission
What: Public Hearing
Where: Alderson Auditorium, Kansas Union
When: 3:00p.m., Wednesday, November 19th
Why: To hear your comments on the Parking Department's policies, rules, or fees.
(Individuals may speak at the meeting or send written comments to the chair, Prof. Allen Ford at 315 Summerfield or aford@ku.edu.)
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