University Daily Kansan / Thursday, November 14, 1991
CAMPUS / AREA
3
Students say racism hinders progress
Representatives suggest changes
Lawrence Thomas, Chicago graduate student, and other representatives of African-American groups discuss racism at KU and solutions to the problems. The representatives met last night at Alcove B in the Kansas Union.
By Jennifer Bach Kansan staff writer
Several African-American students voiced their concerns about racism on the KU campus last night and suggested possible solutions to abate it.
Nine representatives from Black Men of Today, Black Student Union, UJIMA and other students met at Alcove B in the Kansas Union to discuss improving communication between white and minority students.
Carlos Fleming, Cleveland, Ohio, junior, said the definition of racism for most students at the University of Missouri and people nationwide was not clear.
"You may not necessarily consider yourself a racist, but you can be raised or programmed with racist beliefs newspapers or watching TV," he said.
He said most people had racist beliefs in one form or another regardless of race.
The media also perpetuates unfair myths of American-Americans, the sentimentalists, and
They said they thought the University Daily Kaanen often made poor news judgments concerning the placement of stories about minorities in the newspaper.
Fleming cited the front-page placement of Oct. 23 stories about student body president Darren Fulcher and former affirmative action director
Turner resigned Nov. 5 after the Kansan reported that he had used the terms "fat Indian chick" and "faggot" during an interview.
defend themselves every day." Fleming said.
"Darren and Skip Turner have to
Fulcher has received considerable media attention this semester because of the disclosure of a battery charge against him.
Lawrence Thomas, member of the African-American Graduate Student Association, said KU distributed brochures to potential students that included information about African-American students, making the University appear very diverse.
The opposite is true—KU is not at all diverse, he said.
The administration's lack of action and commitment to improving University relations for minorities is where the problem begins, said James Baucom, executive board member of Black Men of Today.
"While claiming diversity, the University is scaring them (African-Americans) away." Fleming said. "Bards are getting scared away from white institutions like KU because it doesn't offer what they need to get a good education."
Baucom said the office of minority affairis should rank higher in the Ui-
versity's power structure.
If it was, more money would be dissipated into that office, giving KU minority students the same benefits that white students receive, he said.
"Minorities should be able to go plea to the minorities affairs office," Fleming said. "But our plea to minority officials should be that they have to give to someone else."
Baucom said minorities needed to be better represented in the media and in the administration.
"The University needs to set up something to provide continuity for other people's viewpoints," he said. "They need to implement recommendations that will last — not make superficial ones."
Baucom said the University needed a cultural center for minority students that would offer reference materials specifically about minorities to other students giving them the opportunity to learn more about other cultures.
A minority center also would make the University more attractive to possible applicants.
Fleming said, "Our cultural center right now is the Union. It would be nice if there was an area we could feel at home."
Med Center may open cancer care center in March
From staff and wire reports
An outpatient cancer center that would provide 24-hour service to patients at the University of Kansas center may begin operation by March.
According to an agreement announced Tuesday, KU and Salick Health Care Inc. of Beverly Hills, Calif., may establish the cancer care center. The plan still must be approved by the Board of Regents.
Chancellor Gene Budig said the agreement was part of a five-year goal to make the medical center designate a primary cancer center by the National Cancer Institute.
Chris Spinella, Salak assistant vice president for development, said the company planned to spend between $1 million and $15 million on the outpatient center.
"There is no one else in the Kansas
that offers such a program," he said.
Spinella said the cancer center would act as a regional facility, with services including radiation therapy, diagnostic radiology, chemotherapy, surgical procedures and laboratory and pharmacy services.
Faculty credited for jump in grants
By Alexander Bloemhof Kansan staff writer
KU research in 1991 has received more support from federal, state and private sources than ever before.
Grants awarded last year to the Lawrence campus and the University of Kansas Medical Center amounted to almost $70 million.
A. L. Chapman, dean of graduate studies and research at the Med Center, said grants had been made to efforts by faculty members.
Kim Moreland, director of research support and grants administration for the Lawrence campus. agreed.
"For us, recruitment of good faculty and the continuing efforts of older faculty have really been successful," they have done the hard work."
Support comes from public and private sources, universities, foundations and state and federal agencies, according to statistics from the office of research support and grants administration.
"At this University, it has been the willingness by faculty to take more action with students will enhance the administration to emphasize research," she said.
Both Chapman and Moreland said that most of the grants were
federal and came from the National Institutes of Health.
Moreland said external research support was vital to a comprehensive university such as KU.
"It enables the University to attract the highest level of faculty and buy state-of-the-art equipment for research," she said.
Increased research, better faculty and modern equipment benefit the students and the University as a whole. she said.
"The knowledge is transferred into the classroom," Moreland said. "And it increases the visibility of the institution. KU has long been regarded as a major institute, and it is the Midwest and nationally."
However, Barbara Armbrister, associate director of the Center for Research Inc., said she had not noticed an increase in research proposals for engineering and geology.
"The proposal generation is up, but the number of grants awarded is pretty much steady," she said.
Research support on the rise
Terry Faddis, associate professor and chairperson of mechanical engineering, agreed.
External research support in 1991 reached an all-time high both for the Lawrence campus and the University of Kansas Medical Center. Figures represent dollar amounts in millions
Faddis said he was supported by two grants, one from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and another from NASA.
"I don't think there is an increase," Faddis said. "I think there is an increase in the effort to meet with proposals and their quality."
Funding sources for University of Kansas Medical Center
• National Institutes of Health
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Wiley Foundation
• Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Source: Office of Research and Grants Admission
Funding sources for University of Kansas, Lawrence
• Foundations
• Federal agencies
• State of Kansas agencies
• Other universities
• Non-profit agencies
• Profit agency
Office of Institutional Research and
Source. Office of Research and Grants Administration / O
Planning at the Medical Center
But it is difficult to get grants, he
said.
Melissa Unterberg / KANSAN
- "Things are pretty tight in the federal government right now," he said.
He stressed the benefits of research for education.
"I think it's extremely important to our undergraduate education," Faddis said. "It also provides employment for graduate
students and opportunities to participate in research."
Moreland said research and graduate education depended on each other and were growing side by side at KU.
She said she did not know how KU compared to universities nationally in external research support.
Mark Rowlands/KANSAN
Paper savers
Landscapers Don Reed, left, and Sam Hall place unread Kansans in a recycling bin to prevent them from blowing across campus.
KU professor says colleges must maintain quality despite growth
By Alexander Bloemhof
Kansan staff writer
The biggest challenge for institutions of higher education is to maintain quality while accommodating an increasing number of students, the president of Johnson County Community College said yesterday.
Charles Carlsen, who also is professor of educational policy and administration at the University of Kansas, spoke about "The Role of Undergraduate Education in the Community College" to about 70 people at the Malott
Room in the Kansas Union
Carlsen, JCCC president since 1981,
said there were six important issues in
their plan.
- Insuring quality of academic programs.
Maintaining a proper level of financial aid.
*Insuring access for students of diverse socioeconomic statuses.
JCCC, which is the third largest institution of higher education in Kansas, will have 84,000 students by 2025. Carlson said.
Recruiting social and ethnic minority students and faculty.
Increasing state appropriations
Attracting qualified faculty.
Due to space constraints, the
It now has more than 30,000 students.
"We have to watch ourselves in terms of this growth," Carlsen said. "We have to make sure that we have the resources to maintain our quality."
To get those resources, universities and colleges have to put pressure on the Legislature to provide financial
support,he said.
"We've got to push and push and push," Carlsen said. "I've made the terrible mistake — I felt sorry for our legislators. What we need to do is tell them what we need, we need it, and why they are responsible for it."
He said that institutions of higher education would face an exodus of faculty because a large number of teachers would retire at the same time.
"For years we've been cloning ourselves," he said. "We hired people with
the same backgrounds, the same interests and the same age."
Schools also have to do a better job of hiring social and ethnic minority students.
Schools should establish private foundations to generate money for scholarships and loans for students, he said.
He said that federal and state governments could not be counted on to provide sufficient financial aid.
David Ambler, vice chancellor for academic affairs, said an increasing
He agreed with Carlsen that KU and JCCC should maintain close contact.
number of students started their college careers at community colleges before transferring to KU.
After Carlsen's speech and a question-and-answer period, Ambler presented a plaque to Carlsen recognizing his achievements.
"We look forward to many more years of our association with you," Ambler said.
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