Tomorrow's weather
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
CHILLY
ansan
mostly sunny and cool
Inside today
Daemon K. Hatfield and Elizabeth Taylor perform in the sold-out "Zara Spook and Other Lures" at the Inge Theatre in Murphy Hall.
Thursday
December 4, 1997
Section:
A
Vol. 108 • No. 73
Sports today
SEE PAGE 6A
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Forward Raef LaFrentz will pace Kansas against Emporia State University at 7:07 tonight. LaFrentz scored 32 — a career-high — on Tuesday.
SEE PAGE 1B
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
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Operation faculty
Schools differ in full-time minority professorships
By Ryan Koerner, Gwen Olson and Jennifer A. Yeoman
rkoerner@kansan.com,
golson@kansan.com
jyeeman@kansan.com
Kansas staff writers
As part of his mission to diversify the University of Kansas, Chancellor Robert Hemenway wants to focus on faculty.
Hemenay, during his first year at the University in 1995, set a goal to increase the number of minority faculty from 125 to 200 by the year 2000.
Since Hemenway's speech, the number of minority faculty has increased by nine to 134. The number has not increased in the last year.
The University would have to hire 66 minority faculty members in the next three years to reach Hemenway's goal.
Jim Kitchen, dean of students, said he thought that a diverse faculty was important for the University and that the chancellor's goal of 200 faculty minority members by the year 2000 was achievable.
The University's nine professional schools and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences have said that they are trying to diversify their faculty members.
"I like hearing him say that because I am one of those who strongly believes that it starts at the top and works down," Kitchen said. "Too often you hear people say 'Well, let's try to make it happen.' Down in the trenches, you can't make it happen if you don't have the support at the top. If you've got the support at the top working down, it is going to happen."
The nine professional schools include the schools of business, journalism, engineering, architecture and urban design, fine arts, pharmacy, social welfare, education and law.
None of the nine schools or the College have deans who are members of one of the University's defined minority groups, although five of them have deans or associate deans who are women.
Minority faculty
Ethnic or racial minority classifications recorded by the University are African American, Native American, Asian American and Hispanic.
School Minority percentage Minority faculty Total faculty
Architecture/Urban Design 4.3% 1 23
Business 0.0% 0 47
Education 6.8% 5 74
Engineering 0.0% 0 100
Fine Arts 8.9% 8 90
Journalism 15.0% 3 20
Law 13.8% 4 29
Pharmacy 6.0% 3 50
Social Welfare 19.2% 5 26
**Note:** College of Liberal Arts & Sciences numbers were not available because of the size of the college. All numbers include full-time faculty members. Minority refers to the University's four classifications of ethnicity: African American, Asian American, Native American, and Hispanic.
Source: Schools 'Dean' Offices,
Office of Institutional Research &
Planning
M. D. Bradshaw/KANSAN
The School of Engineering and School of business do not have any faculty members who are classified as minorities.
INSIDE
Multicultural Resource Center strives to respect and appreciate diversity.
President Bill Clinton held a dialogue on race yesterday on the campus of the University of Akron.
Overall, 10 percent of faculty at the University are members of an ethnic or racial minority, while 16 percent of the classified staff, including secretaries and other support personnel, are members of an ethnic or racial minority, according to the Office of Institutional Research and Planning.
Sandy Williams, assistant dean of business, said the school had about 47 full-time faculty members, none of whom are minorities. The school does have seven international and 11 female faculty members. However, the University does not include international faculty or women in its classification of minorities.
See CHANCELLOR'S on page 2A
Office pushes diversity, not quotas
Fair opportunity is goal
By Tim Harrington and Ryan Koerner
tharrington@kansan.com
rkoerer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writers
Since July 1, 1986, the University of Kansas' Office of Affirmative Action ceased to exist.
The Office of Equal Opportunity, formerly known as the Office of Affirmative Action, works to diversify the campus from the highest levels of the administration down.
"We believe that equal opportunity is the ultimate goal. Affirmative action is just one way to get there," said Maurice Bryan, office director. "We also changed the name to be sensitive to the fact that many people misunderstood the role of affirmative action."
Kansan staff writers
"It's never been about hiring someone that's unqualified," Bryan said. "It's about giving people a reasonable opportunity to succeed."
Aside from being inaccurate, having an office called the Office of Affirmative Action could incite protest from those who feel that affirmative action is inherently discriminatory, Bryan said.
Also, having affirmative action in the office's name insufficiently represents the responsibilities of the office, Bryan said. The office's responsibilities include investigating and resolving possible incidents of discrimination or harassment.
Earlier this year, movements to repeal affirmative action laws in California and Texas have arisen. In the case of Proposition 209 in California, the state supreme court upheld a decision to abolish affirmative action. In Texas, the anti-affirmative action proposition was defeated.
"Diversity will sometimes bring conflict," Bryan said. "The question is how do we deal with that conflict in a civil manner that respects everyone's rights as human beings."
Bryan said that a decision made in California did not necessarily have relevance in Kansas because the geographic and demographic differences between the states were so great.
In recent months, the term "affirmative action" has become more divisive than ever.
"It worries me," Bryan said. "These decisions have the potential of spreading."
See NAME on page 2A
diversity on campus
Last in a series
of three
The "Kansan" hape this series of stories about diversity at the University of Kansas will spark discussion about the issue.
What can the University do to build a more diverse campus? What are the advantages of having a diverse campus? And what can students do to make the University appealing to minorities?
Daisy Hill polling site creates Senate drama
Your ideas, questions, comments and concerns are welcome and appreciated.
Write us at 111
Staffer-Fillit Hall,
University of
Kansas, Lawrence
KS, 66044. Or
email us at
editor@tansan.com
Committees will review bill during next semester
By Tim Harrington tharrington@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
All hell broke loose last night at Student Senate.
After a shouting match between Jason Fizell, rights committee member and supporter of the Daisy Hill bill and Mike Walden, student body vice president, the bill was sent back for debate to the Finance and Rights committees at their next meetings, which won't be until next semester.
At press time, senators were still debating the issue.
The issue began heating up earlier in the evening. In the StudEx meeting prior to Senate, Pat Mazumdar, graduate senator, made a motion to bring the Daisy Hill polling bill off the floor.
Bills usually go through one of the standing committees, but this one did not. StudEx can act as a standing committee but usually does not. StudEx voted not to bring the bill off the floor.
The purpose of the committees is for the bill to be heard by more people.
"This issue comes up every few years but it always gets put off until later." Mazumdar said. "Then it gets closer to the election and Senate becomes so divided on the issue that nothing gets done."
Walden objected to the bill on the grounds that it went against Senate's rules and regulations for the body to become involved in the business of the elections commission.
Later in Senate, Seth Hoffman, All-Scholarship Hall Council senator who did most of the leg work on the bill, appealed Walden's ruling.
"It gets closer to the election and Senate becomes so divided on the issue that nothing gets done."
Pat Mazumdar
Senate voted on the ruling and it was upheld.
Hoffman made the motion again and was ruled out of order.
Fizell took the floor and began to accuse Walden of using his office to keep Senate from hearing the legislation.
After repeatedly calling Fizell out of order, which Fizell ignored, Walden called a ten-minute recess.
"I followed Robert's rules of parliamentary procedure," Walden said. "If that doesn't meet with some people's political agenda, then that's too bad."
When Senate reconvened, Whitney Black, off-campus senator, made a motion for Walden to step down from his chair because he had been quoted in yesterday's "Kansan" as having a bias on the subject.
Walden stepped down for the night.
Senate then voted to bring up the bill for debate.
Kelly Huffman, StudEx chair, became chairman and ruled that Senate could put the matter of whether Senate would debate the bill to a vote.
Dave Stras, graduate senator, made a motion that the bill was unconstitutional. To use the proposed polling site, certain students would have to pay for the proper parking pass on Daisy Hill, or pay for bus fare to get up there.
After some debate, Senate overruled Stras' objection and moved that the bill be brought up next semester in the Finance and Rights committees.
Browsing at the bazaar
Marla Herron, Mustang, Okla., graduate student, browses through some glass ornaments at the Arts and Crafts Bazaar sale on the fourth floor of the Kansas Union. Today is the last day for the sale, and the booths will be set up from 7 a.m. to about 5 p.m. Items for sale include jewelry, candles, sweaters, pottery and glassware. Photo by Geoff Krieger/KANSAN
Firing of 'Kansan' editor raises legal questions
The news-editorial department shall be headed by the editor, who shall be elected for a tenure of one semester by The University Daily Kansan Board and serve at the pleasure of the board. The editor shall choose a staff subject to approval by the Board.
According to the Constitution of "The University Daily Kansan," Article IV, Section 2, b:
"Kansan" Constitution
And Article III, Section 3, b, among the board's duties is:
To dismiss, or receive notice of dismissal of, any staff member who is not performing satisfactorily.
The recent firing of Spencer Duncan as editor of "The University Daily Kansan" has shed light on the gray area that exists between the newspaper's role as a teaching tool and that of a forum for free speech.
By Tim Harrington tharrington@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Robert Duncan, attorney and father of the recently fired editor sent a letter Monday addressed to the "Kansan" board, James Gentry, dean of journalism and Chancellor Robert Hemenway condemning the board for firing his son.
The letter claims that the board violated either, if not both, the student code of rights and responsibilities
and the University Senate code, specifically the part dealing with due process in firing an employee.
Though Duncan is an hourly-paid employee, it is unclear who exactly his employer is and what right to due process he had. The "Kansan" receives funding from the state of Kansas and from student fees, but student paychecks come from the University.
Ann Hartley, associate director of the University Placement and Employment Center, said that prior to firing an employee, the person should be notified in writing.
"In most cases you'll have some kind of warning unless it's highly unusual." Hartley said.
"The he's not just some kid filing books
in the library," said Rick Musser, professor of journalism. "He's got more protection and, some would say, more responsibility."
The Constitution of the "Kansan," which describes the lines of responsibility and authority for governing, producing and determining the procedure and policies of the paper, clearly describes the board's power over Duncan as editor.
According to the newspaper's constitution, the editor serves at the pleasure of the board, allowing the board to fire an editor for any reason it chooses.
"The School of Journalism has always walked a fine line between preserving the First Amendment rights of the 'Kansan' and at the same time maintaining academic professionalism," said Ted Frederickson, professor of journalism and an attorney. "I don't sense a desire by the board to censor 'Kansan' free speech. I think they saw it as a performance issue."
Mark Goodman, executive director of the Student Press Law Center in Arlington, Va., said that whether it was intended, Goodman believed there was a First Amendment violation.
The letter sent to the board by Duncan's father advised that if the board issued additional statements regarding his son, it would violate state laws regarding closed personnel records.
John Ginn, board chairman and Knight distinguished professor of journalism, said that he and the rest of the board had been advised by their attorney not to discuss Duncan's firing.
The alleged violation
According to the Student Rights and Responsibilities, Publications section. Article 16:
The student press must be free of censorship. Its editors, managers and contributors must be protected from arbitrary sanctions (Article 22-E) originating outside the student press. Similar freedom must be assured for the oral statement of views on all University-controlled radio or television stations.
Robert Duncan, Spencer Duncan's father, claims in a letter to the "Kansan" Board that the Board is in violation of Article 16.