Friday, September 25, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
Fine Arts enrollment increase high
By Jason Pearce
Kansan staff writer
Although the total University of Kansas enrollment remained steady, enrollment in the School of Fine Arts has increased 12 percent since last fall.
The increase was the largest of The Lawrence campus' nine professional schools and the college of liberal arts and sciences.
The fine arts enrollment increased from 1,430 students in Fall 1997 to 1,602 this fall. Since 1993, it has increased enrollment by 315 students, an overall rise of 24.5 percent.
Peter Thompson, dean of fine arts, said that the increase was extremely unusual for the school.
"Our enrollment usually goes up or down steadily each year, Thompson said. "I don't know which parts of the school have seen the larger increases."
He said that visual communication majors — including graphics
design — had been popular during the last several years and that the school added a few class sections to handle the additional students in that area.
"I think the increase is a combination of strong retention numbers and new admissions," Thompson said. "Fine arts classes are usually small, and it takes a lot to increase enrollment by that much."
He said that the increase would effect the school for the next four to five years.
"This can be very stressful, but we see it as good news for us and the University." Thompson said.
Enrollment in the School of Architecture and Urban Design increased for the third consecutive year. The school's enrollment increased by 36 students to 788, which was a 4.8 percent increase from last fall.
"We know that young people coming out of high school have interests in architecture, engineering and planning." Gaunt said.
John Gaunt, dean of architecture, said it was difficult to identify a specific reason for the growth, but it reaffirmed that students continued to be interested in the school.
But the school has a limit of growth it can handle, he said.
Jason Benavides/KANSAN
"We don't have too much extra space," Gaunt said. "We always struggle to accommodate more students, but this amount of growth we can handle."
The School of Education had a 4.1 percent decrease in enrollment from last year, which continued its downward trend during the last few years. This fall, 2,227 students enrolled in the school, which is down 111 students from last fall.
"When the economy is healthy, fewer students come back to get a graduate degree," Symms Gallagher said.
Karen Symms Gallagher, dean of education, said that several factors had contributed to the decline, including the economy.
"When the economy is healthy, fewer students come back to get a graduate degree."
Karen Simms Gallagher
Karen Simms Outlay
dept of education
Of the 111-student decrease,58 were graduate students.
She said that this decrease was a trend at education schools across the nation.
The second-largest decrease in enrollment was the School of Social Welfare. Its enrollment decreased by 6.4 percent, or 43 students.
New bus passes to arrive next week
New bus passes have arrived and will be distributed next week, said Nicole Skalla, transportation coordinator.
The passes look similar to the smart card but will not have the magnetic strip or the computer chip and will have stickers distinguishing the type of bus pass they have, she said.
Skalla said KU on Wheels decided to revert to the old system because of problems using the smart cards as bus passes. The electronic card readers malfunctioned and caused delays.
Students must have their new passes to get on the bus by Monday, Oct. 1. Skalla said students would have to pay the $1 I see to ride the bus if they did not have a new pass.
Passes also will be available from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday evening at Oliver Hall and from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Gertrude Sellards Pearson-Corbin Hall Hall.
Monday and Tuesday passes will be distributed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in front of Wescoe Hall and from 5:15 to 7:30 p.m. at ekdhal Dining Commons. Wednesday and Thursday, the passes will be distributed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the lobby at the Kansas Union.
— By Seth Jones
New calender proposal to offer fall break, intersession period
Plan not finalized should not effect pre-planned dates
By Jason Pearce
Kansan staff writer
Bill Tsutsui, chairman of the Calendar Committee, believes a new school calendar can be created that pleases all University factions.
Presenting his new ideas to University Council yesterday afternoon, Tsutsui, assistant professor of history, said it would be possible for a new school-year calendar to include a fall break and an intersession period, an extended winter break that would give students the opportunity to take study abroad trips or short courses. The calendar would not omit stop day or shorten spring break.
"And we can get graduation in before Memorial Day." he said.
Tsutsui did not share definite ideas with the council, but he said the Calendar Committee would need to do more research.
Earlier this month, the committee worked on a similar calendar
proposed by Provost David Shulenburger. The committee concluded that it was unworkable because it would have forced graduation onto Memorial Day weekend in two out of the next five years.
Tsutsui said the committee did not fully investigate issues such as benefits of an intersession versus a shorter summer, the effects a new calendar would have on faculty contracts or the effect on summer-school schedules.
Shulenburger said he would like to see intersession begin Jan. 2 and last for two and a half weeks.
"What I had requested the calendar committee to consider to start the spring semester after Martin Luther King Day," Shulenburger said. "That moves the semester back one day and doesn't change graduation Sunday."
Shulenburger said that he did not want the new calendar to push the semester later into the school year.
"As a campus, we ought to think about this well and come up with a good calendar," he said.
CALENDAR OPTIONS
Fall break: a four-day weekend in October
Shulenburger said that the current calendar did not allow for short study-abroad trips or research classes during the winter break.
- Intersession period: extended winter break that would allow students to take study abroad trips or short courses
"Also, that is off-season travel time, and students can travel cheaper, he said.
Tsutsui cautioned the council that any new calendar proposal would take time to develop.
"There are a number of constituencies both on and off campus with deep investments in the academic calendar, and we should move deliberately to ensure that all interested parties are adequately consulted," he said.
Ryan Oelkers, Dodge, Neb., freshman, said a school calendar that included an intersession period would be beneficial to some students.
"It would be great for people who want to study abroad, but other people may not like that if the school year starts earlier," he said.
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