CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, August 24, 1994
3A
Increased library fines await students
Change in code prompted by more offenses
By Shannon Newton Kansan staff writer
Joe Lewis has been inconvenienced more than once during his years at the University of Kansas when he hasn't been able to find books he needed at campus libraries.
"I wanted to check out a book that wasn't returned," said Lewis, Ottawa senior. "Then at the last minute I had to get another reference."
But library officials say they hope
new policies enacted Aug. 1 will help students such as Lewis get the materials they need. Under the new code, students who return library materials such as books and reserve items late or not at all will face steeper fines.
"If we had a choice, we would not give anyone fines," said Kendall Simmons, head of circulation at Watson Library. "But we have to make sure that borrowers have some sort of incentive to return their materials."
"They were not returning books on their own good will." she said.
Simmons said the library changed the previous policy, which had been in effect since 1979, because borrowers were not responding to it.
The process of establishing the new lending code policies began a few years ago when a committee consisting of staff from different KU libraries was formed. This committee looked at problems and concerns regarding the previous lending code.
The committee made recommendations to the Senate Libraries Committee. The 15-member committee, which included students and faculty, reviewed the first committee's recommendations and made changes it felt necessary.
People who have a history of returning library materials late may actually benefit from the change, Simmons said.
The library normally allows students who rack up extensive library fines one chance in four years to have their fines reduced by half.
"In the past, students could only get their fines reduced once in a four-year
period," Simmons said "But on Aug. 1, the records of students who have had their fines reduced were wiped out."
"Anyone can avoid fines as long as they bring their books back," Simmons said.
This will give students who have already used their chances a clean slate, Simmons said. But she said she hoped habitual offenders would be affected by the new code.
But some students said they didn't understand why people had such a hard time returning their library materials.
"It is not that big of a deal," said Travis Buzzell, Manhattan sophomore. "I check books all of the time that I only use for a couple of days. Then I return them."
Revised Library Policies
- Overdue notices will be issued 10 days after the book is late.
- Overdue long-term materials will have a $5 fine after 30 days, followed by a 50 cent charge per day, with a maximum charge of $15.
- If the library is closed on the last day of the grace period and the book is returned, the borrower is not fined.
The maximum fine for overdue long-term, short-term and recalled books will be $15.
■ Fines on reserve books borrowed less than a week will be $1 per hour, per item.
Late returns of reserves on loan for a week or longer will be result in a $2-per-day fine.
Borrowers can recall a book when the item has been on loan for one week
Two women report rapes over weekend
PROFILE
By Carlos Tejada
Kansan staff writer
Two unrelated rapes - one of a KU student, the other of a Lawrence resident - were reported to Lawrence police over the weekend.
The first rape occurred sometime late Saturday night in Burcham Park, police said. They said an 18-year-old Lawrence resident was walking alone in the park after spending the day with an acquaintance. As she was walking down a trail near the Kansas River to exit the park, an unknown male drove up to her in a van. The woman told police the male exited the van through the side door, grabbed her and pulled her inside. He drove her back to the park, where he dragged her out of the van and raped her.
Police said she then ran home and called police. She was taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital for treatment and released.
Although the woman told police she did not know what park she was in, police assume from the woman's description of the park that she was in Burcham Park. Police estimated the time of the rape between 11 p.m. Saturday and 1 a.m. Sunday.
Police have no suspects and still are investigating the case.
Police said the student filed the report but didn't want to press charges.
The second rape occurred sometime between 3:15 and 4:15 a.m. Sunday, police said. They said an 18-year-old KU student was out drinking with friends Saturday night. Afterwards, a male acquaintance drove her home to Olver Hall. But, police said, he then drove the student, who was intoxicated, to his residence on the 400 block of Graystone Drive. He took her to his apartment and raped her, police said.
Neither rape is connected to the two July raps on the northwest side of Lawrence, said Sgt. Rick Nickell of the lawrence police. He also said a total of 18 rapes had been reported in Lawrence in 1994 so far.
Nickell said students could take steps to avoid becoming a rape victim.
"If you're going to go out and party, you need to go out with a group," he said. "And if you're going to drink, you need to be careful you're not going to drink in excess. It wouldn't hurt to have a person in the group make sure everybody gets home, either."
Jennie Zeiner / KANSAN
The new dean of the law school, Michael Hoeflich, began his job at KU on July 1.
Law dean to promote positive aspects
Editor's note: This is the third of five stories that will appear this week profiling KU's five new deans.
By Colleen McCain
Kansanstaffwriter
Michael Hoeflich believes the University of Kansas law school is on the right track.
Hoeflich says the tough times have passed, and the law school should only improve in the coming years.
Hoehfilf became dean of the law school July 1 after former dean Robert Jerry became the Herbert Herrch Staff of Excellence in Law at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at Memphis State University.
"The school has been through hard times in recent years, but I think we have put them behind us," Hoefflich said. "I think my job is to make a good school even better."
Hoeffle, who was offered the dean's position after a five-month selection process, previously
served as dean of the law school at Syracuse University for six years. Prior to that, the Yale law school graduate worked on Wall Street as an attorney.
"He is the first dean to be hired from outside the University in more than 50 years," Meyer said. "I'm glad that he doesn't bring with him the baggage associated with the law school's past problems."
Keith Meyer, associate dean for academic affairs, served as the chairman of the dean search committee. He said that Hoeflich brought a fresh perspective to the law school.
Most notable among the law school's past problems was the firing of tenured professor Emil Tonkovich for sexual harassment and moral turpitude. However, Meyer said that problems such as those associated with Tonkovich were in the past.
"We can't change the past, but we can focus on the future," Meyer said.
"There's been more emphasis in the press on the problems that we've had, and it's time to change that," he said.
Hoefflich said he would move beyond past problems by promoting the positive aspects of the school.
Among Hoeflich's goals are increasing diversity in the student body and faculty and expanding programs in international trade law.
"I don't see any major structural problems within the school," Hoefflich said. "I just want to see the
school continue to improve."
Likewise, Meyer said that he didn't expect Hoeflich to make any major changes.
"I don't think that he comes here with an agenda." Meyer said. "I think his job requires more fine-tuning than revamping."
Hoefflich said he planned to improve the law school's fund-raising process.
"I want to bring more alumni back to the school and get them involved," Hoeflich said. "I also will work hard to make graduates feel happy with the school when they leave so that they will support us in the future."
Hoefflich, who originally is from New York, said he planned to remain at KU to see the results of these changes.
"This is my first time in Kansas,
but I hope I'm here to stay," Hoeflich said.
"I don't plan on moving again."
Fiske Guide gives KU four stars yet again
By David Wilson
Kansan staffwriter
For the 10th year in a row, KU has received a four-star rating for its aca demic programs from the 1995 Fisk Guide to Colleges.
And KU's party crown remains just as polished: Below the four five-point stars next to to the word "academics" are four little telephones next to the word "social."
Our priorities, it would seem, are exactly where they should be.
"Kansas students know how to study and know how to have fun," editors of the guide say in their introduction to the section on KU.
KU administrators say the rating was just what they had expected.
But, Ambler said, the evaluation of KU in the Fiske guide was more important than the stars.
"I'm not surprised that we retained that rating," said David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affairs.
"The Fiske guide is used by lots of students looking for a college," he said. Rather than just glance at the stars, he said, "They're going to read the narrative. And I'm really pleased about what they said about KU."
Chancellor Del Shankel said the four-star rating was a tribute to faculty, staff and students.
"I was very pleased," he said. "It's nice to see that the University hasn't fallen apart since I took over."
Not only has it not fallen apart, but it remains at the top of the Big Eight. No other school in the Big Eight received a four-star rating for academics. Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Colorado received three-star ratings.
Editors of the guide say standout programs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are English, history, foreign languages, chemistry and philosophy. Lower-rated programs listed were economics, HPER (Health, Physical Education and Recreation), math and Western Civilization.
The evaluation is peppered with quotes from students identified only by grade. One student said Lawrence was the "liberal intellectual hot-spot of the Midwest."
Athletics at KU aren't bad either, the guide says.
"In the 1992-93 season, Kansas became the only university in NCAA history to win a major college bowl game, play in the College World Series and appear in the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament."
Five-year trend continues; fewer students choose life in residence halls
Renovations to help attract upperclass students to halls
The number of students living in the residence halls has decreased again this year.
By Ashley Miller Kansan staff writer
It's dropped by about 300 people, said,Fred McElhenie, assistant director of student housing.
However, McElhenie said that the Jayhawker Towers and scholarship halls, also in the Department of Student Housing, were full. The towers have 792 residents, while the scholarship halls have about 450 residents. There is awaiting list for both hasaid.
The final numbers for 1994 are not available yet because students are still signing housing contracts, he said.
"The number of freshmen has increasingly declined even though enrollment in general has increased," he said.
McElhenie said there were a number of reasons for the migration from the residence halls.
McElheneil said this created a problem because the target market for the residence halls was the freshman class. Upperclassmen, transfer students and graduate students do not want to live in the residence halls
because the system does not meet their needs, he said.
"That's why the towers are popular," McEhlenie said.
Mike White, Overland Park junior agreed that the residence halls were not adapted to upperclassmen life.
"After a while, it gets to be a cramped space," White said. "In many cases, it's noisy from all of the different people living there. Sometimes the people that live there don't have respect for the property that everyone shares."
McElhenie said the buildings themselves were another reason students did not want to live in the residence halls.
Since most of the residence halls were built in the early 1950s, McElhre
he said they were not modern enough for students.
Brian Kruse, Rose Hill junior, said expenses kept him from living in the residence halls this year. Room and board costs were $3,384 for the 1994-1995 school year, up about 3.2 percent from last year.
"By choosing an apartment over a dorm, I've found that I'm able to save money," Kruse said.
Frances Pickett, St. Louis. Mo., freshman, said she liked residence
Mel Sandfort, complex director of Lewis and Templin Halls, said the second floor of Lewis had been closed to accommodate the decrease in residents. She said the decrease gave the staff a chance to create a stronger, closer-knit community.
hall life.
"We will have to renovate to maintain our base." McElhene said.
McEllenie said Lewis, Templein and McColm Halls were not full.
McElhenie said no dates had been set to begin renovations because a bond issue had not been raised.
He said the department was planning to renovate the residence halls in hopes of attracting students to the residence halls. Renovations would include turning the rooms into two or three bedroom suites with a private bath for each suite.
"I like the people on the floor, meeting people from different parts of the country and meeting people with different majors," she said.
More vacancy
The following is a list of numbers of students living in the residence halls for the past five years:
1990—3,900 residents
1991-3,650 residents
1992-3.350 residents
1993-3,350 residents
1994 — 3,050 residents (approx.)
Source: Department of Student Housing
KANSAN