Tuesday, November 10, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A • Page 3
"We have fallen behind other universities in the competition for labor in the university market. We must increase salaries ... between now and the end of the century. That is an achievable goal."
Chancellor Robert
Hemenway
Chancellor working to increase salaries of underpaid professors
1995 Faculty Convocation address
By Jason Pearce
Kansan staff writer
Faculty salary levels at the University of Kansas have fallen behind national and Big 12 averages, but administrators and state officials want to reverse the trend.
University administrators and Kansas Board of Regents members are looking to the future in an attempt to stop faculty and staff members throughout the Regents system from seeking better-paying jobs elsewhere.
The Regents recently submitted a request to the Legislature that would increase faculty salaries at Regents' institutions by 7.6 percent during a three-year period. The legislature and Gov. Bill Graves will have to approve the request, which is part of the Regents' yearly budget, next year for the pay hike to begin in the fall of 1999.
As part of his 10 characteristics of a great university, Chancellor Robert Hemenway said in his 1995 Faculty Convocation speech that the University must increase faculty salaries by a least 25 percent by the end of this century.
"We can reach this goal if the Legislature and Governor get behind this issue and approve the Regents' proposal." Menewwav said.
Since 1996, salaries for faculty members at the University have increased by 10 percent. And if the current proposal is adopted, the levels would have increased by 25.2 percent by the end of the 2000-2001 school year.
Hemenway said the University was paying about 12 percent or $7,500 less than peer institutions of comparable size.
"We've fallen behind, and I think it is time to invest in highly-productive faculty that currently work in the Regents' system," he said.
Tom Bryant, Regents interim executive director, said the salary-increase proposal was one of this year's Regents' main initiatives.
"KU, like other Regents' institutions, is feeling the effects of salaries being considerably lower than peer institutions," Bryant said. "It is clear that the Chancellor is concerned, and is working on the complete system to solve that problem."
Bryant said Hemenway's work had provided a leadership role to the Reegens' institutions.
"The Chancellor has been a major player," he said.
Bryant also said the Regents developed a document that
would be given to state Legislators and to the organizations in order to point out the problems with current salary levels and how it has become difficult to replace faculty members who leave the state system.
Hemenway said the University would work to convince Legislators of the proposal's validity.
"Each one of the universities is taking that document and will try to put together a network with the idea of garnering support for the Regents' initiative to improve salaries," he said.
"The Regents have indicated that this is very important, Hemenway said." We hope that this request can be treated favorably."
Recreation task force unsure what students want
By Seth Jones
Kansan staff writer
The recreation task force wants to know if junior-high length basketball courts in Robinson Center are good enough for the University that started basketball.
The task force was set up by Kevin Yoder, student body president, to determine what students want to do with the recreation situation on campus. The group held a "town hall" meeting last night at the Kansas Union to ask students in attendance about the condition of recreation at the University of Kansas. About 15 students attended the meeting.
The 10 members of the task force
presented statistics comparing Robinson with other Big 12 schools.
The University of Kabulianas and the smallest recreational facility.
Yoder said he wanted to know what students wanted before any action was taken.
"We obviously have the worst facility in the Big 12," he said. "But it's not an issue unless students want it to be."
Clark Langemeier, Manhattan junior, said he was shocked with the difference in facilities at Kansas State University and the University.
"When I came from KSU, I asked someone what the recreation center was here," he said. "Someone said it
was Robinson. I went in, and I thought that this couldn't possibly be it, but I asked around and it was."
Langemeier said he thought a new facility was needed.
"If we want to leave a legacy here, this is a big part," he said.
Mark Bradshaw, fine arts senator,
said he thought the University did
not need a new recreation center.
He said students who shared his
view were not represented at the
meetings.
“It's the same thing if you have a recycling meeting,” he said. “Only people who are interested in recycling show up.”
Karl Law, intermural program assistant, said any improvement to Robinson was needed.
"I've seen students walk in, and then just turn around and leave," he said. "It's because the place is so overcrowded."
Allison McCallie, task force member, said the group could not yet come to a decision because they did not know what the students wanted.
"I if had to go talk to Chancellor Hemenway today, I couldn't tell him anything," she said. "We haven't gotten together as a group, we haven't tallied the results of the surveys and we haven't completed the phone survey. Once we take a stance, we have to commit to it, we want to be sure we know what students want before we make a decision."
A snowplow clears the sidewalk after a winter storm last winter. Today is Winter Awareness Day, a day to remind people how to prepare for the oncoming winter weather. Kansan staff photo
Decisions to cancel classes made by University officials
Continued from page 1A
someone know their travel schedule and not travel alone.
Students can check road conditions before driving by calling 600-585-ROAD in Kansas.
"People should also check the weather forecast for the day through their local media," Akulow said. "And then use a little common sense."
The University of Kansas has historically been conservative in canceling classes due to inclement weather. Todd Cohen, a spokesman from University Relations, said his records indicated classes had only been canceled for weather six times since 1972. The most recent cancellation was in January 1997, when afternoon classes were canceled.
Provost David Shulenburger, in consultation with Chancellor Robert Hemenway, makes the final decision about whether to cancel classes.
Jeannette Johnson, assistant to the provost, said the decision was made after several steps had been taken to assess the situation. Those steps include gathering information from KU Police and several other organizations, getting a report from facilities operations about parking lot conditions and
receiving input from the associate provost for support services.
Johnson said even when classes were canceled, the University attempted to maintain library operations for students.
The number for students to call to check on cancellations is 864-SNOW.
FORECAST
Phillip Bills, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Topeka, said the average high temperature for this time in November is 55 degrees. The average low is 33 degrees.
Bills predicted that today's weather would be colder than average, with a high around 40 degrees. The evening low is expected to be around 25 degrees and the season's first freeze. There is a chance for early morning snow flurries.
The extended forecast from the National Weather Service:
National Weather Service:
Wednesday: Milder and mostly sunny with the high 50 to 55 degrees.
Thursday: Dry with a low of 30 to 35 degrees and a high in the middle 40 dearest.
Friday; A chance for rain. Low in the middle 30 degrees and high in the 40 degrees.
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