Section A · Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Tuesday, October 13, 1998
Low renovation bid benefits new building
By Jason Pearco Kansan staff writer
The University of Kansas will save nearly half a million dollars in its quest to move the School of Education from Bailey Hall to a renovated and expanded Joseph R. Pearson Hall.
This is an artist rendering of Joseph R. Pearson Hall, which will become the new School of Education home in the fall of 2000. Contributed art.
The building's general construction will cost $10,049,100, which is $461,900 less than anticipated.
University architect Warren Corman said the University previously
*W*俱 p pu t u a
c o n s p u t u a
estimale on the c
onstitute on the c
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could begin as early as Nov. 1, once the University is able to secure state bonds. The building is scheduled to open in the fall semester of 2000.
The total estimated construction cost — including architectural fees and a contingency fund for unknown costs — will be $13,783,229.
the safe way to be so you won't run out of money."
University officials selected Ferrell Construction of Topeka to head up the project last week after it submitted the lowest bid. Demolition work
"It looks the same from the outside, but the inside will not just be dorm rooms."
Corman said building contractors were asked to bid on six alternate construction plans at JRP, which included an additional wing of classrooms and complete renovation of the sixth and seventh floors into office space.
He said the University requested alternate bids so the final cost could
Tim Browder JRP project manager
be quickly
amended if the
total cost
became too
high.
But because the general and alternate bids were under budget, the University can afford to
make all its desired changes.
Money for the construction will come from a state-funded program called Crumbling Classrooms. This program gives Kansas' public universities money to repair and renovate older campus buildings.
Karen Gallagher, dean of education, said she was pleased with the construction costs.
"I am thrilled to be able to have all
of the alternate plans in the works." Gallagher said. "This is really going to be a wonderful facility."
The building will include 11 classrooms, a 125-person lecture room, a training and counseling center, faculty offices, a resource library, 11 seminar rooms and several instructional lab rooms.
One lab will be an instructional design lab to teach students how to incorporate Internet technology into their education.
To get ready for the move, Gallagher said education faculty members had formed a committee to begin working on the summer of 2000 transition.
Also, Gallagher and Chancellor
Robert Hemenway plan to ask for $1 million in contributions to furnish the renovated JRP.
Ferrell Construction has renovated Templin Hall and is now working on Lewis Hall renovations.
Tim Browder, project manager said the JRP project was not the same.
"This is a completely different building." Browder said. "It looks the same from the outside, but the inside will not just be dorm rooms."
Browder said the company would work through winter.
"The way the construction business is now, we have to work through the winter," he said. "You just battle the weather and get it done."
Unions are not always best solution, say GTAs
By Julie M. Sachs
Karen staff writer
Kansan staff writer
The Graduate Teaching Assistants Coalition prides itself in creating better conditions for all graduate teaching assistants, but some GTAs said the union only hurts their situations.
Mike Hancock, GTA in English, said it was frustrating when the union acquired health care for all GTAs because it came with a catch. By accepting the health care plan, graduate students relinquished their $90 waiver in semester fees.
"I really liked having fees covered, but I got health insurance instead," said Hancock, who is not a member of GTAC.
Problems with the union, Hancock said, extend beyond bad negotiations. He said he also thought the union could not represent all GTAs, because it did not know them well enough.
The acceptance of eliminating the fee waiver was the only way to receive a health care plan and originated from union bargaining, said Mark Horowitz, president of GTAC.
Wes Beal, GTAC organizer, said the union had several benefits.
"For me, it's right up there with going to the voting booth, but you don't just go every four years." Beal said. "You're able to have a voice when you see things you want to change. It's very good for people's self esteem."
Bael said he was aware of reasons why some GTAs did not join the union, such as the $12 monthly dues. He said disagreement with the union's ways also kept some GTAs from joining.
Hancock said some of the tactics used by the union bothered him, such as the group's visits to Chancellor Robert Henmey's office.
"They come in with a mass of people to confront one individual." Hancock said. "They try to show him up."
Chris Foster, a former GTA at the University, said he disagreed with the way unions operate in general.
Although Foster did eventually join GTAC, he said some aspects of union business always bothered him.
"I don't like a lot of the rhetoric making the employer look bad," he said. "It's this perspective of us against the employer. To me, they're doing their job, I'm doing mine."
Careless littering trashes campus grounds, sidewalks
By Liz Wristen
Kansan staff writer
Coke cans, cigarette butts and Kansan inserts are just a few of the items on a list of campus clutter that Victoria Silva saves students need to help clean up.
Silva, the University of Kansas' resource conservation manager, said she thought students needed to be more conscious about the effects of littering on campus.
Some areas on campus that Silva noticed had a lot of litter included the grounds and sidewalks along Jayhawk Boulevard, the sidewalks between Haworth and Summerfield halls and the south side of Wescoe Hall.
"One evening I went for a walk on campus, and I was just appalled at some of the trash that I saw," Silva said. "There were whole pizza boxes and Styrofoam containers, and just every kind of trash imaginable. I could not believe it."
Bence Williams, assistant director for facilities operations, said both the special services and landscape shop sections of facilities operations were responsible for keeping the campus clean.
pickup was not the only part of the job.
"I think that with the staff and resources that they have, they are doing an exceptional job with keeping the campus clean," Williams said.
Bob Porter, associate director of plant maintenance, said that facilities operations employees tried to focus on trash collection as much as possible but that garbage
pickup was not the only part of the job. Porter said the University focused more on trash collection when there were special events on campus.
"Usually, special events create more trash on campus, so we place more emphasis on pickup. We want the campus to look nice for our visitors." Porter said.
Last year, the University spent $7,500 to take trash from the brown concrete receptacles located throughout campus to the dump, Porter said. This cost included transporting to the dump trash picked up off the ground.
The university also spent $7,400 on trash pickup for 13 dumpsters on campus. Porter said the trash pickup costs have risen each year.
Cari Dillon, DeSoto freshman, said she thought careless smokers contributed to the campus litter.
"I think that the sidewalks on campus look dirty because students just flick their cigarettes on the ground when they are done with them," Dillon said. "I think that's just disgusting."
Todd Simmons, president of the Environmental Studies Student Association, said he might organize a campus-wide cleanup later this semester through the University's Department of Environment, Health & Safety. Anyone interested in volunteering to help with future campus cleanups may contact Silva at 864-2855.
THE DIRTY FACTS
- Victoria Silva, environmental specialist, said many campus areas had exceptional amounts of litter, including the grounds and sidewalks along Jayhawk Boulevard, the sidewalks between Haworth and Summerfield halls and the south side of Wescoe Hall.
- Special services and landscape shop sections of facilities operations are responsible for keeping the campus clean.
■ Last year the University spent $7,500 dumping brown concrete trash receptacles located on campus, and $7,400 on trash pick-up for 13 dumpsters on campus.
■ Costs for trash pick-up have risen each year per ton of trash, said Bob Porter, assistant director of plant maintenance.
IN CRIMSON
HOMECOMING PARADE
APPLICATIONS FOR FLOATS, BANNERS, AND MARCHING UNITS CAN BE PICKED UP AT THE SUA OFFICE LEVEL 4 OF THE KANSAS UNION.
DEADLINES FOR APPLICATIONS:
FLOATS-
WHEN: 4:30 P.M. TUESDAY,OCT.13 WHERE: INFORMATION MEETING IN ALDERSON AUDITORIUM LEVEL 4 OF THE KANSAS UNION
BANNERS & MARCHING UNITS
WHEN: 5 P.M. FRIDAY,OCT.21 WHERE: SUA OFFICE,LEVEL4 OF THE KANSAS UNION (864-3477)
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