THE UNIVERSITY OF DARY KANSAN
THURSDAY MAY 3, 2007
NEWS
》 STUDENT SENATE
3A
Platforms earn scores for successes, failures
BY ASHLEE KIELER
Students will receive their final grades in a few weeks, but student body president Jason Boots, Plano, Texas, senior, and vice president Melissa Horen, Overland Park senior, received their final grades for the platforms they ran during elections last spring. Boots, Horen and the rest of Student Senate worked throughout the year trying to accomplish the platforms.
ADVISING
rework the ARTS form.
Boots and Horen focused their advising platform on revamping the ARTS form and the availability of advisers. They suggested changes to the advising and information services staff.
"It is an extensive system with many access points across campus," Lopez said.
Kim McNeyle, assistant dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said new advising specialists were added after being approved in last year's budget cycle.
The platform called to increase advising for juniors and seniors with undeclared majors. Juniors and seniors are not required to see an adviser as freshmen and sophomores must do. Juniors and seniors receive a hold on their accounts until they declare majors and meet with advisers.
Lopez expects the task force to present its report to Denise Stephens, vice provost for information services, by the end of the semester.
An advising subcommittee of faculty, staff and students continually talk about advising issues," McNeley said.
SAFEBUS
Allison Lopez, public relations and marketing manager for information services, said a task force was charged with evaluating what was needed to
The increase in advisers and revamped ARTS forms were not Senate initiatives, but Senators provided their input.
SafeBus was a contested issue in Student Senate this semester. A bill to place a referendum on the April election ballot failed in senate committees. The bill asked students if they would approve a $4 increase per semester to the SafeRide fee to create SafeBus. Enough students signed a petition to get the referendum on the ballot. The SafeBus referendum passed at elections.
A subcommittee of the transportation board will work through the summer to make SafeBus a reality in the fall.
Tom Cox, Shawnee junior and head of the subcommittee; said the summer work would revolve around purchasing cameras and contracting security officers for the buses.
"We have heard from a few contract providers to run the buses," Cox said.
Cox said SafeBus should be running within the first few weeks of school in the fall.
FINANCIAL AID
Senate also worked on cleaning up the financial aid Web site to make it easier to navigate.
Boots said two ideas were stressed most when looking at revamping the site.
"We stressed the searchability of scholarships and grants and the access to other financial aid options." Boots said.
Boots said the Senate looked at other schools' financial aid Web sites as models, including Iowa State University.
Ian Staples, Student Legislative Awareness Board director, helped write a bill for the State Legislature to provide tuition assistance for veterans.
The bill was not seen by the Legislature. Boots said he was optimistic it would pass next year.
BIKE LANES
Boots and Horen ran on a platform focused on putting a bike lane down the center of Jayhawk Boulevard.
In early November the parking commission approved Professional Engineering Consultants P.A. to study traffic and parking on Jayhawk Boulevard.
The parking commission met to hear the results and recommendations of the survey.
Mike Beery, PEC consultant, did not recommend placing a bike lane down the middle of jayhawk Boulevard even if parking is removed from the street.
Beery's report recommended removing parking from the boulevard, restricting driving to transit, service and deliveries vehicles and allowing bicycles to travel down the boulevard without restrictions.
Donna Hultine, director of parking and transit, said the recommendation came as a long-term possibility.
"The commission is looking to the future, but nothing will be changing for next year," Hultine said.
TECHNOLOGY BORROWING
The technology borrowing platform would enable students to check out laptops with a variety of software and digital and video cameras to complete course work. Students would be able check out the electronics during the day and overnight.
The funding to provide the electronics was secured by the Parents Campaign, a fundraising group.
Kent Miller, assistant dean of libraries, said a location where the electronics would be available has not been decided, but technology staff will be available at the location for help students.
Miller said the technology borrowing would start in the fall, as long as all the specifications for equipment were made. He hopes to begin buying equipment in July.
"We'll start with small amounts and add based on demand," Miller said.
WIRELESS INTERNET
Expanding wireless Internet for campus passed through Senate on Jan. 31. Funding was secured in the form of a student fee increase of $5 per semester for the next five years. The University agreed to match student funding and pay for maintenance and operations.
Strong Hall, Wescoe Hall and Fraser Hall are expected to be the first buildings to receive wireless expansion.
Back work for the expansion began this spring. The expansion, with a price tag of $2.6 million, has an estimated completion date of December 2008.
STUDENT WEB SITES
The redevelopment of the student organizations' Web site included online registration for student groups and an easier way to access organizations.
Earlier in the semester Aaron Quisenberry, associate director of the Student Involvement and Leadership Center, said online registration was not a Senate initiative, but their input was helpful.
Senate proposed a resources page on the center's Web site. The resources page would help groups learn about obtaining a bank account, funding and how to reserve a room in
the Kansas Union. The site remains under construction.
AFFORDABLE TEXTBOOKS
Creating affordable textbooks started out as a strong campaign platforms but faltered toward the end of the semester.
Staples authored a bill for tax-free textbooks that was introduced to the Kansas Legislature.
The bill did not make it out of the committees.
Boots said legislation was unwilling to give many tax exemptions this year, but there was a possibility the bill would be seen during the next legislative cycle.
A textbook task force, made up of students, faculty and staff from the University, looked at ways to decrease textbook costs on campus.
The task force worked on getting instructors to declare their book choices early so that more used books could be purchased. Declaring choices early would also increase the amount of money students receive for books during buy-back.
Hannah Love, Dodge City junior and textbook task force member, said the task force launched a large public relations campaign to get the word out to instructors.
Love also authored a bill for funding from Student Senate to create a textbook library where students could check-out textbooks for shortterm use. The bill did not go through Senate.
Kansan staff writer Ashlee Kieler can be contacted at akieler@kansan.com.
— Edited by Jyl Unruh
THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS
UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS COUNCIL
Google
Come listen to Google's Senior International Marketing Manager, Katchen Gerig, talk about the future of e-marketing and her professional success. Friday, May 11th at 11am Place: Summerfield RM.428 Sponsored by the GBC and UBC
KU ROTARACT
KU Rotarac is a nice club on campus interested in personal and community development through community service! This club gives you an opportunity to get involved in the KU andence communities as well as network with those who are part of the tional Rotary organization.
If you are interested or would like more information, please e-mail KUtorareg@gmail.com
KU YOUNG DEMOCRATS End of the Year Meeting
We're hosting Dennis Moore at the ECM Sunday, May 6th 3-5 pm! Student Tickets will be $5 at the event!
A CCO Music Mentors Fundraiser
Presented by KK'Ψ & TBΣ
KU FILMWORKS
Film Festival May 6th at Oldfather Studios located at 9th and Avalon.
Films are DUE Friday May 4th at Oldfather Studios They can be no longer than 10min. The theme is relationships.
Free concessions sponsored by Coca-Cola
Friday, May 4 2007
Kansas Union Ballroom
On the campus of
The University of Kansas
6:00pm-10:00pm
$3 with student ID
$5 without ID
tickets available at the door
doors open at 5:15pm
reserve tickets at
oreadmusicfest@hotmail.com
KU
THE UNIVERSITY OF
KANSAS
at University of Kansas
Attention Student Groups:
If your student organization is registered with the Student Involvement and Leadership Ceneter, you may get FREE ADVERTISING here in the Kansan through Student Senate!
May 3rd, 2007
Email rachhawk@ku.edu for more information!
Because everyone has the potential to be sexual...
Three Performances:
May 4th and 5th, 7:30 p.m.
& May 6th at 3:00p.m
Alderson Auditorium
PAID FOR BY KU
If you liked
A Queens and Allies & Amnesty International production
The Vagina Monologues, you'll like Q.
An evening of theatre that explores the various angles and issues regarding the gay and transgender community. The evening of theatre will consist of various theatrical pieces written by renowned playwrights and compelling original work by KU Students.
Q is brought to you by the same Director of the 2007 Vagina Monologues Production.
All performances will be held in Alderson Auditorium, in the Kansas Union and are FREE to the public.
Donations will be kindly accepted.
WANNA GO RIDING?
Motorcycle Info Fair Licensing, classes, & more info + pizza!
Thurs, May 3, 6-8pm Big 12 Rm.,KS Union