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Friday, October 8, 1976
University Daily Kansan
KANS-A-N may have its hang-ups
Staff Writer
By BRYANT GRIGGS
Since the installation of the KANS-A-N telephone system last April, users of the system at the University of Kansas have become aware of the system's usefulness and savings.
In interviews last week with secretaries and department heads familiar with the KANS-AN system, uncertainty was exasperated. The KANS-AN was all it wanted to be.
The system was installed to provide lower costs for long distance phone calls for state agencies throughout Kansas. The State Telecommunication Department predicted the system would save nearly $250,000 a year in telephone costs.
SINCE THE installment of KANS-A-N
in April, the state has saved about $17,000 in
telephone costs. In April the state has
saved about $138,000. This Septem-
ber it was $121,700.
Since April the state cost-per-minute charge has been reduced from 11.5 cents to 8 cents.
"Based on estimates, the more we use the KANSA-N system, the less it will cost per minute on long distance calls." Lawrence Kunkel, director of state telecommunications, said. "Since April, the amount of time used on long distance calls has increased from 900,000 minutes to one million minutes."
Kunkel said that the KANS-A-N system had been successful since its installation and had received wide approval from state agencies.
"It has improved communication between state agencies considerably," he said.
According to KU's Office of Business Affairs, it's too early to tell whether the University's telephone cost has been reduced.
HOWEVER, LARRY KNUPP, director of the Division of Information, said, "It's more expensive for our use. We make most of our calls to Kansas City and Topeka. We used to get these calls free of charge on the Wideband Network service (WATS) Line. Now we have to pay.
"However, it is cheaper to make calls in places other than the Kansas City and St. Louis areas."
Ermer Morgan, admission supervisor for Watkins Memorial Hospital, said that the KANS-A-N system worked fairly well, but that hospital staff members had difficulty in completing calls and that the system had them no more money than the WATS line.
"I don't believe I've ever heard anybody said that the KANS-AN was better than the KANS-BA."
A SECRETARY in Central Personnel Services said the new system "was good and extensive, but it was a bit more expensive than the other system."
"Right now we’re paying triple the amount we paid on the WATS line because
Organization to recognize top teachers
Students who wish to honor their favorite professors may do so by nominating them for the Mortar Board Outstanding Educator awards. Nominating forms are available in the Office of the Dean of Women, 220 Strong Hall.
Brad Max, Overland Park senior and chairman of the selection committee, said yesterday that 10 educators are honored each year by Mortar Board, a national honorary society. Five educators will be invited this semester and five next semester.
Max said the information necessary for filling out the forms could be obtained from the Office of University Relations, 135 Carruth-O'Leary. The forms must be returned to the dean of women's office by 5 p.m. Oct. 15.
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"We had no way of keeping up with long distance calls made by each individual department," Greeson said. "There was no one who could talk to me spoken, as the KANS-A N system can."
now we have to pay for Kansas City and Tooeka calls."
TOM GREESON, associate vice chancellor for business affairs, said that under the WATS system University departments didn't have to pay for Topeka and Kansas City calls because the University paid for the bills centrally.
"Right now it's a nuisance. It's extra trouble looking up new numbers."
Warner Ferguson, associate director of the Kansas Union, said the Kansas-A-N system was "one of those systems that once you set used to. it will be alright."
A SPECIAL KANS-A-N telephone number is assigned to each state office telephone connected to the KANS-A-N Agency Net-connects. The KANS-A-N connects more than 500 state offices.
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Besides the problems of increased paperwork and difficult billing procedures, an administration secretary, who asked not to be identified, said that she had heard complaints from other secretaries about the inability to make proper connections.
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"I heard from other secretaries of a few kinks the system had, but personally I haven't experienced them," she said. "Some said they had been cut off a couple of times and that connections between Kansas City and Topeka were poor."
KARRON FERGUSON, office manager of the Education Placement Bureau, said she had no problems with the KANS-A-N system. He talked about the system's billing procedure.
when they send the bill, they only give
us the date and the telephone number,' she
said. 'The bank will tell you how to pay.
difficult to determine where the calls come from."
James Collier, director of University Relations, said, "Now we have to make detailed records of each call, plus the time spent on that call, the person asked to and the purpose of the call. All this is required on a special computer print-out form."
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Now comes Miller time.
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