THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2005
VOL.115 ISSUE 151
UNIVERSITY
10 more years
Commission accreditis University for maximum years; criteria met
BY DANI LITT
dlitti@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITE
A report released by the Higher Learning Commission yesterday recommended the University of Kansas receive accreditation for the maximum of 10 years.
Universities must undergo accreditation every 10 years in order for its students to receive federal financial aid and for its faculty to be eligible for federal research grants.
Accreditation is scheduled to be finalized by June 13.
"The big deal is we got the accreditation, which is an essential requirement," said Barbara Romzek, chair of the steering committee and associate dean of social sciences. "And the second piece is that they have faith they don't have to come back for 10 years."
The University clearly meets all the criteria required for continued accreditation, according to the report:
"The University has an appropriately articulated mission: Faculty and administrative expertise to deliver high quality academic programs and services, effective executive level leadership and regent support and the University has the necessary resources to continue fulfilling its mission."
A group of 12 people comprised of outside academics from other research universities visited in Jan. 30 through Feb. 2. Charlie Nelms, vice president for institutional development and student affairs from Indiana University, led the group.
Members of the learning commission had no formal concerns to report, unlike in 1994 when nine concerns were addressed. Among those concerns were inadequate space in the libraries, a need to improve graduate teaching and research assistant salaries and benefits and a need for stricter admissions policy.
During its three-day visit, the team met with more than 150 faculty, staff, students and city and state officials at the Lawrence campus, Edwards Campus and University of Kansas Medical Center.
It also reviewed publications, documents, budgets and Web sites, as well as the Self Study report put out by the University before the members' arrival.
Romzek wasn't surprised the University was regarded highly.
"We thought we were doing good enough that our accreditation was not at risk," she said.
Before it left, the team gave a short summary of what was found.
"They basically said we need to get the word out more of what we're doing." Romzok said. "The team came in, did a thorough investigation and left with a very favorable impression of the University."
A focus on repair and renovation was one of the team's suggestions. A continuations of a more strict admissions policy and management of state funds were also suggested.
"It is a chance to tap into their expertise," Romzek said. "We don't have to do it, but they are suggestions to what we might do to do even better."
Chancellor Robert Hemenway received the report April 15.
"The chancellor chose to send it to a Readers Panel, which signals we are happy with the report as a draft and are happy for it to go forward," Romzek said.
The chancellor was given the opportunity to have the University investigated further through an accreditation policy. His approval of the report meant that it was passed on to continue in the finalization process.
- Edited by Nikola Rowe
FACILITIES
Austin Gilmore/KANSAN
State budget allocations fail to cover needed repairs
Robert Smith, professor emeritus of anthropology, does not mind the rain, unless he happens to be in his office.
Smith's office is in the basement of Spooner Hall, which is not only the oldest building on campus, but has the honor of being listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Smith's office does not have much of an office feeling to it, but then again, most offices do not leak abundant amounts of water. Whenever a heavy rain falls, water comes in through his office window, splashing all over his neatly stacked files of anthropology research.
"I really should consider moving my computer," Smith said. Jerry Phillips, facility director for the sports and exercise science department, prefers to keep his door open while working in his office inside Robinson Center.
Phillips' door remains open because the floor has shifted, making it impossible to open the door from the inside.
"One time, I was trapped inside for about thirty minutes," Phillips said.
A fellow professor eventually bailed him out.
Smith and Phillips are not the only ones on campus waiting for maintenance work. The University has a deferred backlog of $24 maintenance projects that would cost $133 million to repair. It receives only $3 million in state funds each year to make such repairs.
There are leaky roofs and deteriorating utility tunnels. There is inadequate ventilation in chemistry labs and buildings with wild animals and shifting foundations. The University's campus is in desperate need of repairs.
The Kansas Board of Regents Educational Building Fund produces a total of $10 million for deferred maintenance for seven state schools each year. That money is supposed to be sufficient, but in reality it is just enough money to keep school buildings from crumbling.
According to a 2004 Kansas Board of Regents study on deferred maintenance, the Legislature would need to generate $74 million per year to "adequately maintain the universities campuses."
racinity directors must spend their funds as judiciously as possible, which means Smith might think about keeping an umbrella handy in his office and Phillips' office door will not be shutting anytime soon.
In crisis mode
Jim Modig, director of design and construction management, has the overwhelming task of overseeing the University's campus facilities.
Stories like Smith's waterlogged office in Spooner Hall are not lost on Modig. He sympathizes, but he says there is only so much money to go around.
"We are sitting here in an awkward position, and it's just the nature of our business." Modig said. "I have to be an advocate for the University as a whole."
If anyone would be able to appreciate how large a problem the University's deferred maintenance backlog really is, it would be Modig.
But even Modig admits he does not know what the real
SEE COLLAPSING ON PAGE 6A
The University has a deferred backlog of 524 maintenance projects that would cost $133 million to repair. It receives $3 million in state funds each year to make such repairs:
ACADEMICS
University women's GPAs exceed men's
AVERAGE MALE/FEMALE G P A.
FROM 1894 - 2004
BY ERIC SORRENTINO
esrententino@hansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Cameron Monken/KANSAN
Women at the University of Kansas might be pleased to know they have a mental edge over their male counterparts.
The grade point average for University women for Fall 2004 was a 3.04, compared to a 2.81 for University men, according to the Office of Institutional Research and Planning.
Some, such as Ann Cudd, director of women's studies, said reasons for the difference could include women's commitment to academics, the attendance of more women than men at University programs or the
sorority population at the University.
A wage gap between men and women still exists, and women must perform better than men in school to get a fair shot in the work world, Cudd said. Women earn about 72 percent of what men earn, as opposed to 30 years ago when women earned 59 percent of what men earned.
"I think it's clear we've come a long ways, but we still have a long ways to go." Cudd said.
This includes more men working as nurses or women working as engineers, helping to integrate the work force, Cudd said.
Cudd said she noticed that men tend to underperform in school as opposed to standardized testing. She said that women were the opposite and overperformed in school compared to standardized testing.
"My opinion is that scholarships are based too often on standardized test scores," she said.
Women's success in school could be a result of their attendance at leadership programs at the University, said Rueben Perez, assistant dean of students and student involvement and leadership director.
Women outnumbered men almost every fall at the student leadership institute, which helped students develop skills in leadership, communication and organization, Perez said.
The institute attracted 100
applicants. Student involvement and leadership did not count males versus females, but Perez said it was obvious that more women than men attended.
The presence of more sorority women than fraternity men contributed to high expectations of women to excel in school, said Debra Patterson, Garnett freshman.
"A lot of my friends thought about rushing because it would help them do better in classes," she said. "That's probably not the whole reason, but I think being in something structured would help them do better."
SEE GPAS ON PAGE 7A
All contents, unless stated otherwise,
© 2005 The University Daily Kansan
KULTURE:
Students and Lawrence residents find comfort in gathering together to share meditation and potluck dinners. Some enjoy communing with others so much they decide to live in housing co-ops. PACE10A
Cyclist gears up for championship
A sophomore from Denmark will compete in a race for a top spot this weekend downtown. The race will be host to more than 450 cyclists. PAGE 5A
Baylor still atop Big 12 Conference Catch up on this week's Big 12 Conference baseball standings from sportswriters Matt Wilson and Alyssa Bauer. Texas remains in the No.3 after its series loss to Kansas last weekend. PAGE 2B
1
Eldridge revisited
Downtown Lawrence's landmark, the Eldridge Hotel, has been refurbished, along with its restaurant and bar. This is but the latest of many renovations the building has seen since 1855.
PAGE 2A
1. What is the relationship between stress and strain?