2C
Monday, August 18, 1997
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Commuting students raise questions of travel
University organizations provide information for Lawrence-bound drivers
By Graham K. Johnson Kansan staff writer
Beverly Chang wouldn't commute 35 miles to school every day if she could afford to live in Lawrence again.
"I wouldn't do it if I were a freshman, but I am trying to save money," said Chang, a second-year law student, who lives with her parents in Overland Park.
Chang is part of a growing number of KU students who commute to school. While their reasons for commuting vary, these students share similar concerns and experiences.
According to Housing Department reports, 1,733 students, or 7.5 percent of the student body, commuted to school in the fall of 1996.
Bob Nunley, professor of geography, who has studied Lawrence extensively, said this percentage had grown from less than five percent when he first arrived in 1962.
"If you look at the total increase in the last 35 years, you find a slight increase every year," Nunley said.
The reasons for this increase vary among individuals, but there are general patterns.
Chang cited the cost of housing in Lawrence as her main reason for commuting.
"I don't have to pay rent living in my parents' house," Chang said.
However, people commute for other reasons. Shawna Rosen, a computer systems specialist with the University Affiliated Program, has commuted since her student days at the University. Rosen said her decision to live in Kansas City was more a choice than a necessity.
"Everything I want to do is in Kansas City," Rosen said. "I suppose if I ever get tired of the commute then maybe I'll get another job."
Despite their differing motives for commuting, most commuters share similar experiences and problems. Chief among these is the cost and drudgery of the long daily drives.
"That's why I am trying to car-pool," Chang said, referring to her daily 70-mile round trip.
Both Chang and Rosen said that, even with the help
Student assistance
The Student Assistance Center refers commuters to services on and off campus:
A commuter board in the Kansas Union lists the names of others seeking to car-pool.
A program in Kansas City called Ride Share helps coordinate car pools for Kansas City residents.
A phone number is available to Kansas City residents, allowing students to call the Lawrence campus toll-free.
OAKS, a nontraditional students organization, offers services for its commuter members. Information is available in the OAKS office in the Kansas Union.
of the commuter board in the Kansas Union, they were having trouble finding people who would share a ride.
Neither was aware that the Student Assistance Center, which established the board to help commuters, has other information and forms of assistance available in its office.
"We try to make sure that commuters have information on the various programs that they can take advantage of," said Marshall Jackson, administrative associate at the SAC.
Jan Bosco, an Organization of Adult Knowledge Seekers board member, said commuters are a significant portion of that organization. Bosco said OAKS tried to offer as much help as possible to their members, ranging from commuter lists to special luncheons where commuters may meet one another.
"That's what commuters really need. They need to know that there are other people like them out there," said Bosco.
In addition to car-pooling problems, Bosco said commuters have trouble dealing with the long days. Commuters often have hours between classes and no place to go. She encouraged commuters to come to the OAKS office in the Union to rest or to use the office computer for studying during breaks.
"That's what the OAKS office is for," Bosco said.
If the number of student commuters grows, as Nunley suggest it will, there will continue to be students with these special needs and a need for programs to help them.
However, this doesn't mean the University is likely to become a university of commuters. Nunley said students would still prefer to live in Lawrence.
"Most of our student body will remain a residential student body for a long time," Nunley said. "We are clearly not a sidewalk college."
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Massachusetts
By Una Hart
Once a Jayhawk, always a Jayhawk.
Kansan staff writer
Recent poll shows graduates are happy with college choice
The survey rated student satisfaction in overall quality of education, level of challenge experienced in major courses, instructor availability, career and educational plans, student services, and academic experiences.
It has been conducted five times since 1977 and originally was developed to determine the level of student satisfaction with the college experience.
That's how almost 87 percent of the 1996 University of Kansas graduates responded when asked if they would choose the University again.
Overall, 1996 graduates gave the University high marks because of intellectually challenging instructors, the opportunity to meet diverse groups of people, and extracurricular opportunities at the University.
Students also said they would choose the University again for its affordability, the selection of major courses of study, and the general atmosphere of the school and Lawrence.
In a recently released survey conducted by the Office of Institutional Research and Planning during the spring of 1996, nearly 77 percent also said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their education at the University.
Although respondents to the survey gave the University high marks in some categories, there remained room for improvement in others.
Topping the KU report card was the graduates' rating of how well they understood a particular field of knowledge. Almost 91 percent said they had made considerable progress in that area.
However, less than three-fourths of the students indicated they were adequately prepared for employment. Ninety-three percent said they felt preparation for employment was an important goal. However, only about 71 percent said they had made significant progress toward that goal.
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Many students also indicated that they had made very little progress in becoming aware of and appreciating cultural events. That was, however, the goal respondents considered least important.
Development of personal values was the graduates' most important goal. About 96 percent of respondents rated it as very important.
Faculty advising and student services were significant areas where students indicated improvements could be made. Respondents said that they were the least satisfied with the following points and gave them either a neutral, unsatisfied, or very unsatisfied rating:
- the helpfulness of their advisors in resolving academic questions 54%
computer availability and access to them on campus 65%
Senior survey
Among the survey responses:
76 percent said they were satisfied with the intellectual challenge offered by courses in their first major field of study
68 percent said they were satisfied with course availability in their major fields of study.
84 percent said they had progressed in understanding and relating to people and their views
88 percent said they had progressed in developing personal values
84 percent said they had progressed in understanding concepts from several broad areas of learning
campus recreational facilities and equipment 44%
Also, statistics collected since 1977 indicate that students' satisfaction with employment services, job placement services, and the University orientation program has declined.
Even though respondents to the survey rated student financial aid services higher in 1996 than in 1995, the department's rating is still below 1897 levels.
Residence and scholarship hall services didn't fare well either. They received a 45-percent satisfaction rating, and the number of respondents using the services decreased by 12 percent since 1993.
The results of the survey are used to make future administrative decisions.
"The senior survey assists KU faculty and administrators in better understanding the perspective and concerns of students," Provost David Shulenburger said. "Ultimately, it helps us better meet student needs."
a total of 958 students, or 47 percent of the 2,044 polled, responded to the 140-question written survey.
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