Friday, August 28, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 3
Regents may increase faculty salary
By Jason Poarco Kansan staff writer
The University of Kansas pays its faculty members less than most Big 12 schools, which has caused them to seek better paying jobs elsewhere, said Chancellor Robert Hemenway.
The average salary for University of Kansas faculty currently stands at $55,818, which ranks 9th in the Big 12 Conference. Other institutions of higher learning comparable in size to the University of Kansas average more than $70,000 a year.
"Almost everybody who leaves us does it for more money," Hemenway said. "If we are going to maintain our best people, we have to make sure they are paid enough to stay here."
To prevent more faculty from leaving, the Board of Regents will request that the Legislature pass a 3-year plan that would bring salaries up to a comparable level with other universities across the
nation, said Barb Conant, director of communications for the board. But faculty would not see any increases until 2000.
The board, which governs the six public universities in the state, will submit the request in September for a 7.6 percent salary increase during three consecutive years.
The increase includes two components — a 3.6 percent increase aimed at matching yearly increases of peer institutions and a 4-percent increase that would close the gap in salaries after three years.
"We feel over a three-year period this would get us on the same level with our peers," said Tom Bryant, Regents interim executive director. "The point that really concerns us is that our investment in state faculty is eroding and has reached a point that is somewhat scary."
Conant said that salaries at Regents' schools were 11 percent to 12 percent behind peer institutions.
Peer institutions have similar student and faculty sizes with comparable programs of study. The University of Kansas' peer institutions include the University of Colorado, University of Iowa and University of North Carolina.
Conant said the Regents had seen an increase in the number of faculty members who have resigned recently from state universities.
"If this erosion continues, Kansas universities will have a lack of our excellent teachers in the state," she said. "The higher salaries would help to retain the good employees so they are not tempted to leave."
The lower wages also hurt recruitment efforts to hire new faculty at the Regents schools, Conant said.
William Comer, assistant professor of Slavic languages and literatures, also thought higher wages would help to keep current faculty in place and to attract new faculty to the University.
Jason Benavides /KANSAN
"If KU can raise salaries, it would make the University more attractive as a place to work. Comer said.
He said that most professors weighed multiple factors when choosing a university but that money did help hire and keep good faculty.
"If the University, the Board of Regents, and the Legislature can make it clear that these salary increases are forthcoming, maybe it will help people to make the decision to stay at KU," Comer said.
Business students charged with misconduct
By Carolyn Mollott Kansan staff writer
Janet Lindsay received two items in the mail from the University of Kansas on the same day this summer: her grades and a letter accusing her of academic misconduct.
one was shocked by both. Lindsay had expected a C in Business 241: Managerial Accounting I. Instead she received an F.
"I was completely and totally upset. You go from expecting a decent grade in a class to totally failing it, and it's shocking," said Lindsay, Larury junior.
The letter said many Business 241 students submitted term projects that were exact copies of, or bore significant resemblance to, the work of another student.
Sandi Williams, assistant dean in the School of Business, said she thought more than 100 of the more than 400 students in the course received the letter.
Lindsay appealed the charge this summer, but students have until
This week, Lindsay met with Williams, whose role is to assist students in the appeals process. Williams told Lindsay that the process had begun and that Lindsay would be informed soon of her hearing date. The Business School Honor Court will hear Lindsay's appeal.
The Honor Court is composed of five business school students; two undergraduate, two graduate and one doctorate candidate. A faculty member facilitates the hearings but does not vote.
Tom Sarowski, dean of the School of Business, said he hoped students didn't think they were already considered guilty.
"I hope that after everything is said and done that people will feel the due process was performed," Sarowski said.
the letter Lindsay received explained that she had received a zero on her term project. After her grade was figured with a zero on the term project, it was dropped
one letter grade for academic misconduct. The letter said the result was a drop of two letter grades for most students.
"I spent probably 40 hours working on it total." Lindsay said.
She said she spent at least half that time working alone.
The course syllabus said: "While it is acceptable for you to discuss your work with a friend, the work you turn in must be your own. In most cases, it should not bear significant resemblance to someone else's work."
Lindsay said that she did the work on her own but that she and a friend worked together to put the data into the computer. She said she didn't think that was cheating.
Lindsay and her friend came out with the same answers. But, Lindsay said, the correct answers to the project were posted for the whole class to see on the first floor of Summerfield Hall.
Frank Schaffer, Joplin, Mo., junior, also received the letter. He also said he did not cheat. Schaffer has appealed the charge.
The full text of the University policy can be found:
www.university.edu/history/univinc
ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
www.cu.ukans.edu/history/unigov/
text/users97.html
On page A23 in the Fall 1998 timetable of classes.
texts/usr97/.html
*On Page A23 in the Fall 1998*
timetable of classes.
He said he went through each phase of the project with other members of his fraternity who were in the class.
Schaffer said the instructors told the class it would be helpful to know other students in the class.
"They had actually stated that it was a long project, and if we worked together it wouldn't be a problem," Schaffer said. "I didn't think it would be a big issue."
The letter Lindsay and Schaffer received was signed by Beverley Wilson, the former assistant professor of business who taught the course. Wilson, who retired after the spring 1998 semester, did not return phone calls from the Kansan.
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