Wednesday, October 7, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
Town Peterson, far right, curator of orthinology at the Natural History Museum, and Dave Vieglais, associate research scientist of the Natural History Museum, far left, make a presentation about a new computer database to Board of Regents executive director Tom Bryant, right, and chairman Bill Docking, left. The new database allows the museum to access information from other research institutions across the globe. Photo by Matt J. Daugherty/KANSAN
Regent visits University
Campus concerns:
fall break, faculty pay
By Jason Pearce
Kansan staff writer
The Board of Regents chairman Bill Docking received a firsthand account of the issues facing students and faculty yesterday at the University of Kansas.
Tom Bryant, Regents' executive director, accompanied Docking to various meetings across campus, which included visits with Chancellor Robert Hemenway, Provost David Shulenburger, Natural History Museum faculty and University Senate Executive Committee members.
During the chairman's yearly trip, he also met with honors students for lunch at Nunemaker Hall. Topics discussed at the lunch included a proposed fall break, faculty salary increases and educational governance issues.
"I am on a fact-finding mission to hear
the interests and concerns of different constituencies on campus," Docking said.
he said the opinions that he heard from University students were beneficial to his work.
"It was helpful to hear their explanation of why they would like to see a fall break." Docking said.
Holly Krebs, McLouth junior, attended the luncheon and said that she was excited about the opportunity for students to tell the Regents their views on the issues.
"We talked about the proposed fall break for quite a while." she said.
Krebs said that the discussion then focused on Kansas' Task Force on Higher Education Structure for Excellence, which will recommend possible changes in the governance of higher education to the Legislature in January.
"It seems like they are trying to coordinate state universities and community colleges together without abolishing the Board of Regents," she said.
Krebs said the conversation also covered Regents' efforts to increase faculty salary by 7.6 percent for three consecutive years.
"Currently, faculty pay does not live up to the standard, and some people are leaving for higher-paying jobs," she said. "They want the quality of Kansas educators to remain as good as possible."
According to the Regents, the increase is necessary to bring the salaries to a comparable level with other universities.
Mark Bradshaw, Walnut junior, said that he was impressed by the Regent's visit.
"I see a lot of value with Regents getting some student input," he said. "This was one of the only times that students get to ask a lot of questions of the people who are representing us at the state level."
Bradshaw said that students did not understand the role that the Regents and Legislature play in the daily lives of students.
"The fact that faculty salaries are too low has a direct effect on the quality of education at the University," Bradshaw said.
Diversity requirement sent back to committee
By Carolyn Mollett Kansan staff writer
The College Assembly voted to send a proposed U.S. diversity requirement back to a committee for revisions yesterday.
rne Committee on Undergraduate Studies and Advising will discuss and revise the requirement proposal at its next meeting.
"I'm happy that it's not killed," said Rochelle Votaw, Lawrence graduate student.
Votaw, committee member, proposed the concept of a U.S. diversity requirement when she was an undergraduate student and has continued to push for the require ment for two years.
The intent behind the proposal is to require students to take a course that would expose them to varying elements of diversity in the United States. Elements discussed include race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, class, ability and age.
The College Assembly is the governing
body of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and is composed of more than 100 members.
Cody Johnson, member of the assembly, said he was opposed to the underlying principle of the requirement.
"I believe the diverse education we are receiving in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is sufficient in exposing students to the points proposed," Johnson said. "It would be redundant to implement this requirement."
Under the tentative proposal, all students in the college seeking bachelor of science and bachelor of general studies degrees would have to take the course. Students could satisfy the requirement with courses that also satisfy other requirements.
Students in the college seeking degrees already are required to take two Western Civilization courses and one Non-Western Culture course, which the Assembly compared to the proposed diversity requirement.
Fund request would use up 12 percent of annual budget
Continued from page 1A
of the school year," he said. "And it includes the entire KU community to help us celebrate."
Elyse Towey, treasurer of First Nations Student Association, said people didn't understand how entrenched a powwow was.
"They take a lot of money," she said. "Last year, Senate gave us a big chunk of money, and that enabled us to do a lot more than previously."
Towey said that after Senate decided to fund First Nations Student Association last year, some of the senators attended the powwow.
"I think they were surprised with two things," she said. "A: the amount of money that goes to pay for a powwow; and B: the time we invest in putting it on."
Student Senate money
"I want them to put on the best powwow they can do," he said. "I understand the dancers are performing for a fraction of what they usually do as a service to KU. We
Maxwell thought the large amount of money was not important.
Korb Maxwell, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences senator, is one of the senators submitting the bill to Senate.
"they're using the money for a worthy cause; they've been around for a while; it's an excellent function on campus; and it's not duplicated by any other group. So, we should give them what they want," he said
=199)
65,000 $62,175 $60,439
60,000 $60,089 $56,486
55,000 $52,475
50,000
0 beginning balance first meeting second meeting
Date Description Balance
7/1/97 Beginning Balance $62,175
8/11/98 Organizational Telephone $1,736
9/9/98 Habitat for Humanity $250
Academy of Students of Pharmacy $719
KU Gamers and Role Players $297
Center for Community Outreach $620
Student Union Activities $1,000
Red Cross Blood Drive $785
9/23/98 Psychology Club $282
Current Balance $56,486
shouldn't undercut them any more."
Angie Kuhn/KANSAN
If Senate chooses to finance First Nations Student Association, about 12 percent of the budget would be spent.
"It is a personal goal of mine that we don't run out of money this year," Reynoldsson said.