2D
Wednesday, August 16, 1995
KUADMINISTRATION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Hemenway meets chancellor challenges
Budget cuts hiring hassles greet KU's boss
By Kimberly Crabtree
Kansan staff writer
As Cancellor Robert Hemenway puts it, he has been earning his money this summer.
With problems such as budget reductions waiting for him, KU's chancellor has had little time to get used to his job before tackling major troubles.
"He has jumped right in," said David Shuilenburger, vice chancellor for academic affairs.
On June 1, the day Hemenway officially became chancellor, the University implemented a hiring freeze. During the hiring freeze, the University's ability to fill new or existing positions as been severely limited.
The hiring freeze is one way the University is meeting budget reductions imposed by the Legislature for 1995-96.
Now, Hemenway and other administrators are concentrating on finding ways to permanently reduce the University's operating budget by $3 million for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 1996.
In July, Hemenway announced budget cuts in each of the University's four main departments.
Academic affairs will lose $1.6 million, a 1.5 percent reduction in that department's budget. Administration and support services will lose $925,000, a 3 percent reduction. Research and graduate studies will sustain a 1.6 percent loss, cutting $295,000 from that budget. Finally, student affairs
will lose $97,000, a 1.7 percent loss.
Hemenway said cuts in each school would be determined by department representatives working together with the schools' deans. Next, proposals will be submitted to the vice chancellors, who will examine and refine the ideas. Finally, Hemenway said, the vice chancellors will make recommendations to him for cuts.
"I will reserve the right to make changes
I will reserve the rig to these proposals, but I will expect their recommendations to be in pretty final form." Hemenay said.
In September, Hemenway intends to appoint a task force to examine ways of streamlining KU's organization, thus cutting costs.
"A good university constantly examines its administrative structure and tries to find everything it can to make it as lean as possible," Hemenway said. "It's the nature of large organizations that the administrative structure gets
were yet in the works.
Despite the pressing problems of local budget restrictions, Hemenway has made several trips to western Kansas, representing KU to taxpayers and recruiting potential Jawahaws.
"I'm not ready to make wholesale changes just yet," he said.
"it's a way for me to learn the state," he said. "I think there's a lot of admiration and
encrusted with combinations that can cause costs to rise. It will be interesting to see the task force's recommendations."
"I think there's a lot of admiration and support for KU. But KU is the type of university to command
Shulenburger agreed that a task force was a good way to accomplish this goal.
support."
Hemenway, though, said no plans to restructure KU's organizational hierarchy
"The chancellor knows if he makes decisions without community voices, those decisions won't necessarily be as accepted and probably won't have a fundamental impact on the University," Shulenburger said.
Robert Homenway University of Kansas chancellor
support for KU. But KU is the type of university to command support." As a native Nebraskan, Hemenway is no stranger to the Midwest. That is one aspect Wil Linkugel saw as a strength of Hemenway's. Linkugel, professor of communications studies, was chairman of University Senate Executive Committee when Hemenway was selected as chancellor. "He understands the Midwest," Linkugel said.
greet the full student body during the Opening Convocation on Aug. 20.
As the fall semester approaches, Hemenway is preparing to
But some students already have gotten acquainted with Hemenway.
"I'm incredibly excited about him," said Kim Cocks, student body president. "He's up-front and honest. I feel he's concerned with students."
This fall, students can expect to see a renewed emphasis upon KU being a student-centered university, Hemenway said. "We definitely think about the student before we act."
Chancellor Robert Hemenway has remained busy since officially taking the position on June 1. One of the chancellor's goals this year is to appoint a task force to study ways to streamline KU's organization. Kathleen Driscoll/KANSAN
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