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KANSAN.COM/SPORTS |MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017
Josh Jackson selected No. 4 overall by Phoenix Suns
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NEWS
FROM TEXTBOOKS
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they'll be able get a PDF of the book online, print it themselves or buy a printed version of it at the KU Bookstore. Any of those options would cause it to come out cheaper than a commercial book, according to James Rourke, the bookstore's assistant director for academic resources.
For example, in the fall of 2016, a large introductory physics course switched
from a traditional commercial book to an OpenStax book. The traditional one was $298 new for each of the 343 students who had been enrolled in the fall of 2015. The OpenStax book, if purchased at the bookstore, cost $48.50. However, of the 328 students enrolled the next fall, only 15 percent purchased the book.
"If you think about those numbers, I think it's a tremendous win for the institution, for that faculty
member or department that opted to go that route," Rourke said. "To see numbers like that, I think we want to do the best we can to promote that."
Rourke said a move toward open textbooks is something the bookstore (which is non-profit) is absolutely behind, since it contributes to student success. The bookstore will keep informing both faculty members and students about open textbooks and
their usage, Rourke said.
The partnership with OpenStax is still in the early stages, but, right now, Bolick expects it'll involve lots of conversations with other member institutions and OpenStax itself in furthering the movement for open educational resources.
"OpenStax is really high-profile and really at the center of the open educational movement, they're really a major player," Bolick said. "This gives
me direct access to a lot of expertise that they have in advocating for and implementing greater adoption of open educational resources and particularly, open textbooks."
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To do this, Bolick said, OpenStax will work with the University to create a strategic plan for expanding open educational practices into the future.
Looking forward, the libraries, bookstore and several other University offices will look to further the efforts to increase textbook affordability.
"We hope to grow the proportion of courses which you can take at KU in which the materials are free or open," Bolick said. "We're working hard to advocate for, and educate, and provide support for instructors who choose to adopt these materials instead of traditional ones."
Campus carry training to be optional
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As campus carry goes into effect at the University, many may have questions about this change. The University is now saying it will address these questions through an optional online training.
As of July 1, anyone 21 years old or older can carry a concealed weapon on campus grounds or inside campus buildings.
In mid-June, the provost's office had posted procedures for implementing concealed carry on campus. In these procedures, all students, staff and faculty were to receive training in the safety information regarding campus carry, like how to report violations and what the potential sanctions were. Now, the University is saying the training will be optional.
Jill Hummels, the communications manager in the provost's office, told the Kansan via email on Monday that the earlier procedures had been posted by mistake. She said they were a previous draft of the procedures and that the final draft had been posted once the mistake was realized.
The training on campus carry will focus on the University's policies and procedures surrounding guns on campus. It's currently under development and will be offered online. Hummels could not say for sure when the training would be available, though she said the start of the fall semester would be ideal.
Because the University is not legally mandated to do the training, Hummels said, administration decided not to make it mandatory for anyone in the University community to take the training.
"While it is important that citizens, residents and visitors are aware of and familiar with this particular law, that responsibility always rests with the individual," she said via email.
Information on concealed carry as also been available for months in the form of the University's concealed carry website and various information sessions.
Beside the change in the training, the final procedures also do not exempt the Watkins Health Center and law enforcement training center in Yoder from concealed carry.
Hummels said concealed weapons will generally be permitted at the Yoder campus, but administrators there will be able to make some activities or spaces gun-free if deemed necessary.
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ternoons have been spent cheering for the Jayhawks through thick and, unfortunately, a lot of thin moments. But, it's impossible to argue that the stadium doesn't need improvements.
It's the seventh-oldest stadium still used by an FBS team. It shows signs of wear across its exterior. It's severely outdated by contemporary standards.
Kansas Athletics announced that a $300 million renovation will be coming to Memorial Stadium, which will include an indoor practice facility and infrastructure upgrades.
It's undoubtedly time for an upgrade.
This is a great move for all interested parties. For the fans, it's going to enhance the game-day experience for the die hards who trek down the hill to see the Jayhawks play. For the players, specifically future recruits, it becomes a more inviting and
MIRANDA ANAQUY KANSAN
or proactice facility and
thing else at the University.
Discussing college athletics finances is a great way to find out that someone has absolutely no idea what they're talking about. Kansas football isn't going to use $300 million that otherwise would have gone to improving the School of Education or updating equipment in the School of Journalism or whichever department you feel is underfunded.
Things like the Williams Fund and private donors are main sources of income for supporting Kansas Athletics projects. It's understandable that seeing a huge sum of money being spent on football facilities could cause a stir, considering the financial straits the University might be facing in some areas. The reality, though, is that this money will be completely disconnected from the rest of the University.
Football is a massive tool for recruiting (both athletically and for general students), alumni relations and income, and if you don't see that then you simply aren't paying attention.
Alabama is a perfect case study for this. A gold standard for college football, the Crimson Tide's on-field success has generated an unconscionable amount of money
and publicity for that school. It's unrealistic for Kansas, or really any program, to think it can reach Alabama's level of success, but it's clear that improving football will improve the University in other areas.
Again, you need to spend money in order to make it. Putting money into the program now, or at least in the near future, will show dedication to the program and is going to help bring in more high-level recruits over time. The football team needs to get better, and this move will
help in that pursuit.
And if your argument is based around asking why you would spend $300 million to help a football team that won two games in the last two seasons combined, take a moment and think critically.
Most of the arguments against the spending come up baseless and sound unintelligent. The money isn't being stolen from other University programs. Memorial Stadium is nearly 100 years old — it needs to be repaired and updated.
Why wouldn't you spend money to try to improve the program? What else would you do, just ignore the disaster and let the team fall into irreparable ruin? That notion is ridiculous and poorly thought out at best.
The cost of this project is a small price to pay for improving the team, and subsequently the University, over time. Don't get caught up in the price tag or the view from your ivory tower. Trying to better the football team is better for all of us who support the University.
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