University Daily Kansan/Tuesday, September 24, 1991
CAMPUS / AREA
3
Best graduate students and GTAs not attracted to KU
By Jennifer Bach Kansan staff writer
Despite repeated efforts to bring top- notch graduate students and graduate teaching assistants to KU, they are being lost to other universities.
Of about 2,600 applicants, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences usually selects from 800 to 900 graduate and GTAS every fall semester and all are in the spring, said Ruth Hillers, assistant director of the college.
Administrator says higher salaries, full tuition waivers needed for cream of the crop
However, about 100 of the top graduate students and GTAs admitted to the University of Kansas each year choose to attend other schools, Hillers
said.
To be considered a top graduate student or GTA, the student needs an outstanding graduate record exam score, letters of recommendation and an outstanding grade point average, she said.
GTAs at KU are paid $7,800 a year and receive a 75 percent fee waiver.
Money was the main fact that deterred graduate students from
"But Iowa's legislature supports their schools more than KU's does."
"At the University of Iowa, the TAs are paid $10,000 and receive a 100 percent tuition reduction," Hillers said.
Hillers said the solution to attracting top GTAs to the University was chosen.
"We want a 100 percent tuition reduction," she said. "I imagine we'll have a ghost of a chance in hell of getting back to school if it's a good idea, but there's no money."
Hillers said the University as well as the college would continue to push the Legislature for an increase in GTAs' pay.
Anne Dennis, GTA in English, said she resented having to get financial aid to earn a degree while working.
"It's a vital necessity," Hillers said.
"Until I got married, I couldn't on what made me," she said. "The money is a problem, and I know it makes things very difficult.
"I don't know how much can be done. I'd sure like a pay raise. I'm hoping lobbying will be successful in itself because even some graduate students are having to take out financial aid to go to school."
She said one benefit to GTAs at KU was that they all pay in-state tuition.
Virginia Sayler, office specialist of research graduate studies and public service, said the University student council coordinator lobbed every year for a 100 percent fee waiver.
"Last year the governor supported
it, but the Legislature did not," she
said.
For the past few years, the University has asked the Legislature to pay GTAsmore. Hillers said.
"This year they were going to raise
the tuition reduction to 80 percent, but
it will not be done."
college is not attracting top graduate students, college administrators sent questionnaires to students who did not have a degree and then them why they chose other schools.
In an attempt to determine why the
However, Hillers said the questionaire was too vague and did not offer any useful data.
College administrators plan to develop a more focused questionnaire for the graduate students who apply to KU but choose to go elsewhere.
The survey will ask whether KU tuition was too high and what factors, if any, deterred the students from attending KU.
New student award recognizes leadership, achievements
By Alexander Bloemhof Kansan staff writer
The E.X.C.E.L. Award for excellence in community service, academics and leadership will go to one female and one male student, said Dean Newton, Kansas City, Kan., senior and president of Student Union Activities.
A new award will be presented to two KU students during this year's homecoming parade Oct. 19.
SUA and the Board of Class Officers established the award to recognize students for their achievements rather than for mere popularity, as is often the case with homecoming queens and kings, Newton said.
"Popularity is not really a tangle thing," Newton said. "This award recognizes students for their achievements and abilities. In our schools, there are many campuses, and there are not many opportunities for recognition."
semester.
Julie Bahr, senior class president from Leawood, said the Board of Class Officers financed a 100 cash award for both recipients.
The award winners can spend the money any way they want to, Bahr said. But they will have to work with the Student Leadership Program at the Organizations and Activities Center to schedule and promote student leadership opportunities during the fall
Candidates for the award must be nominated by Friday. Nomination forms are available at and OAC offices in the Kansas Union.
Each candidate must be a full-time undergraduate student and have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Students can be nominated for organization, living group or induction, they also can nominate themselves.
After being nominated, candidates must submit applications that will be reviewed by a screening committee. The screening committee will select 10 candidates who will be interviewed by a selection committee during the
week before homecoming.
Criteria for election are leader skills abilities, communication skills, involvement in the University and academic scholarship.
Kelly Zuel, assistant director of the Student Leadership Programs, will work with the award winners during the fall.
"I don't see it as a burden at all," Zuel said. "I think it's a great idea. The award will recognize student leaders and give them great experiences in public relations and leadership work."
Newton and Bahr both said similar awards had been successful at other universities.
She said the work would give the students opportunities to develop their leadership qualities.
Kansas State University replaced its homecoming queen and king with two ambassadors, said Amy Renz, associated director of the Alumni Association at K-State.
She said the program identified students who were knowledgeable about the university and had good communication skills.
The ambassadors represent K-State for one year after they receive the award.
"We have been able to utilize these two students in a way that that's hard to duplicate by anyone else." Rendy said. "It's a very popular aid."
The KU debate program and the department of communications are sponsoring a forum tonight concerning the status of student-body president Darren Fulcher.
The forum, which will be at 7:30 p.m. at the Frontier Room in the Burge Union, is open to the public and will be moderated by Brent Brossmann, a KU professor and a doctoral student in communication studies.
Brossmann said the forum was part of a series called the Audience Debate Forum, which allows students to discuss controversial issues.
He said forum representatives had contacted members of Students Against Violence Against Womyn, Women's Student Union, Black Student Union and other students. Students For Justice about appearing at the forum.
New Secure Cab plan saves Senate money
He did not yet know last night who had responded.
Revised service responds faster
By Blaine Kimrey Kansan staff writer
This year, Senate's payment to the company is based on the number of employees.
Last year, Senate paid a set price for the service to A-1 City Cab, the company that provides the cabs.
Student Senate could save about $15,000 this year on Secure Cab, a taxi service designed to give students safe and free rides home.
If ridership from Aug. 19 to Sep. 14 holds true the rest of this school year, Senate will spend about $15,000 less than it spent on the service last year.
("Last year"), if we paid $20 an hour and had four riders during that hour, the cost would be $5 per rider," said Stuart Comfort, student body treasurer. "Now the established rate is $3.75 a rider."
Mary Ellen Henderson, coordinator of the Student Senate Transportation Board, said that if Secure Cabridorship increased 50 percent, which would be unlikely, the cost of the service would surpass last year's cost by $3,000.
Senate spent $34,000 on the service last year and has tentatively allocated a maximum of $37,000 to the program this year from the non-allocated account, which is financed by student fees.
through Thursday. Nevertheless, Senate was paying to have the cabs on reserve during the week.
Cabs are available to KU students daily from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., and students must present their KUIDs to receive the ride. The service is intended to provide students with a safe ride home and to reduce drunken driving.
Because of the inefficiency, the contract was changed to a per-rier basis. C
Comfort said that last year the service often went unused Sunday
Henderson said the cabs also could,
reach their destinations more quickly.
Last year, Senate had only a few cabs on reserve for the service, Henderson said. This year, the whole fleet of Cabs is at the student body's disposal.
More cabs mean quicker pickups, Henderson said.
She said the rate of $3.75 per rider was just a base rate. Additional riders bound for the same destination as the first rider cost Senate $1 each.
"So if there are four people going to
the same place, cost to Senate
town will be $24," she said.
The telephone number for Secure Cab is 864-SAFE or 842-2432.
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Seeing bubbles
Blowing bubbles entertains Alyson Brody, Buffalo Grove, Ill., senior, and one of the 18 children of EduCare, a day care based in Haworth Hall for children ages 21/2 to 6. Brody, the children and two other KU students who work at the day care were playing on the soccer field east of Robinson Center yesterday afternoon.
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