UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN.
Tuesday, October 22,1996
3
Advisees swamp Strong Hall
Center handles concerns about academic issues
By Eric Weslander
Kahsan staff writer
There is flooding in Strong Hall.
Students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences have poured into the College Undergraduate Services Center, 109 Strong Hall, since main advising began a week ago.
Richard Devinki / www.redbox.com
"The difference between last Monday and Tuesday was phenomenal," said Pam Houston, center director. "Tuesday we were just inundated with students."
ing.
Houston said the busiest times in the center were right after classes got out. At 1:30 p.m.yesterday, a line was backed up to the door as students getting out of class converged on the center to ask about requirements, degrees and enrollment times.
Students in the school of liberal arts and sciences wait in line for help from advisers outside the College Undergraduate Services center at 109 Strong Hall. Yesterday students received help with understanding graduation requirements, degrees and enrollment times.
"We don't have to look at the clock to know when classes are letting out," Houston said, laugh-
To deal with the onslaught of students, the center's advisers work five to 10 extra hours each week during main advising. In addition, the center remains open until 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
The Undergraduate Services staff members deal with a wide range of situations. Some students seek ARTS forms, whereas others want to schedule advising appointments or talk about degree requirements.
"I had to change my degree from a B.G.S. to a B.A.," said John Bills, Benton junior. "I've been putting it off for like two years."
Many students come in search of their permits to enroll.
"My permit to enroll was never sent to me," said Kara Fisher, Tulsa junior. "I think that's why a lot of people are here."
After a five-minute wait, the
patient is swallowed in her hand.
permit to enroll was in her hand. "I wonder where it got sent," she said.
The line of students, which streamed into the hallway, turned some would-be advisees away.
"I was about to go in here, but I don't think I am," said Crystal
Young, St. Louis sophomore.
"It's never this busy — just at enrollment time."
This is the first semester that advising has been in Strong Hall.
"It really is working well because we don't have to be sending students across the street to another office," Houston said.
College Undergraduate Services is a consolidation of the former College Undergraduate Center and the Advising Support Center, which was in Wescoe Hall.
Forum promises political responses
By Neal Shulenburger Karsan staff writer
Karjsan staff writer
Some of the most influential Kansans will travel from around the state and come together in the Kansas Union today for a mass political forum.
Fifteen candidates for political office at the local, state and national level will take part in "Candidate Forum" from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
"The reason we're doing this is to give the faculty, staff and students an opportunity to ask questions and get an immediate response," Carter said.
Gale Carter, secretary of Classified Senate, which represents KU staff members, said informing students, faculty and staff was the main reason for the forum.
Classified Senate, the Unclassified Professional Staff Association, Student Legislative Awareness Board, and the University Council will sponsor the event.
This will be the first time the board has helped organize and sponsor the same forums as KU employees. Similar forums were held in 1992 and 1994, but they were organized and sponsored by the Classified Senate and the Unclassified Professional Staff Association, which represents only the faculty.
Sandra Wick, assistant director of the honors program and a member of the planning committee, said she was pleased that students could help out this year.
"We'd been talking about including students in organizing
the event for a while." Wick said.
"The election affects them too."
Students and faculty will be allowed to write questions on note cards, and the questions will then be asked by a moderator. While the forum is not set up as a true debate, if political opponents are available, they will have the opportunity to respond to each others' speeches.
Wick said the timing for the event was good because it was close to the election, but the date did have at least one drawback.
"Unfortunately, we scheduled the debate the day after voter registration closes." Wick said. "We would have liked to have a voter registration table at the event."
Candidate Forum
Speakers at "Candidate Forum"
beginning at 11 a.m. today at
Alderson Auditorium in the
Kansas Union.
11-11:45 Local Candidates:
County Commission
Dean Nieder R-, 3rd seat
Bew Worster R-, 3rd seat
Jim Jesse D-, 2nd seat
Ton Tail R-, 2nd seat
Dan Owen-D
Christine Tonkovich-R
Martin Miller-I
District Attorney
Noon-12:45 Federal Candidates U.S. Congress
Judy Hancock-D
Vince Snowbarger - R
State Senate
1:00-2:00 State Candidates
Sandy Praeger - R 2nd district Joseph Ledbetter - R 19th district
State Representatives
Joann Wiley-R, 44th district
Barbara Ballard-D, 44th district
Tom Sloan-R, 45th district
Betsy Besser-R, 47th district
Evaluations can influence terminations
By Lindsey Henry Kansan staff writer
Confusion persists on campus as to exactly what constitutes grounds for faculty dismissal, despite the Board of Regents' recent approval of the University of Kansas' policy on faculty reviews.
Provost David Schulenburger said a Universitywide accepted definition of poor performance did not exist.
The University's policy states that a faculty member receiving three consecutive poor reviews will be subject to termination. At the Board's meeting in Wichita last week, Regent Tom Hammond criticized KU's policy for its ambiguity.
Shulenburger said that department representatives were in the process of defining the lowest acceptable level of instruction for each school.
In the meantime, KU students offered their advice on faculty termination.
Beth Brophy, Prairie Village sophomore, said she thought an instructor needed to show some concern in the classroom.
"They should definitely be dismissed if they aren't willing to explain things or offer help," Brophy said.
Scott Sullivan, student senator and Leawood junior, said he thought the future of faculty terminations was now in administrator's hands.
"It all comes down to administrative will," Sullivan said. "They'll do what they want. They can either take the information and lay back, or they can take action."
Sullivan, who has filed a lawsuit to make student evaluations public, said he thought students were the best source of information regarding instructors on campus.
"We have a voice, a limited one," Sullivan said. "It will be limited until student evaluations equal a larger part of faculty evaluations."
Amy Ochs, Lenexa sophomore, said, "I think three bad reviews is fair. But after one bad review, I think the teachers should start to make changes."
Ochs said she thought instructors that continually exhibited an obvious lack of concern for their students should be recommended for dismissal.
"If they dismiss all questions posed to them or are completely unfair with grading, I think they should be dismissed," Ochs said. "I believe since we are paying to go to this school, we should have a sav in those who stav at the University."
Laurence Draper, president of University Council and professor of microbiology, said student input plaved a role in dismissal procedures.
Draper said that besides student evaluations, an instructor's peer evaluations, accomplishments and productivity were considered for annual reviews.
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