THURSDAY, APRIL 21. 2005
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
3A
▼ CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES
Salary boost will benefit public safety
Internal change could allow office to offer competitive wages
BY JOSHUA BICKEL
jbickel@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITE
Officers at the KU Public Safety Office may soon see an increase in their salaries.
"Compared to the private sector, our salaries in all three categories are below normal," Ralph Oliver, director of KU Public
If the Board of Regents allows classified employees to be removed from the State Civil Service, classified employees at the KU Public Safety Office would be governed by the University and eligible for salary and merit raises. Police officers, security officers and dispatchers are employees of the office.
"Then we'll be able to attract good quality people versus people who meet the minimum requirements."
Ralph Oliver
Director of the
KU Public Safety Office
Safety Office, said. "Especially for police officers."
a problem with retaining officers, Oliver said. Salaries for officers in surrounding areas are between 20 percent to 25 percent higher than the KU Public Safety Office.
These higher salaries attract younger officers away from the KU Public Safety Office, resulting in a high turnover rate, Oliver said.
The starting annual salary for an officer at the KU Public Safety Office, a classified state employee, is about $28,724.
Lower and non-competitive salaries are the main reasons the KU Public Safety Office has had
"To a young officer, an increase like that is attractive," he said.
Comparatively, the average starting salary for a police officer at the Lawrence Police Department is $36,670 per year. Sgt. Dan Ward of the Lawrence Police Department said that the department had hired a few officers in the past who came from the KU Public Safety Office, but
he didn't know if it was because of an increase in salary specifically.
To prevent such a high turnover rate, KU Public Safety officers are given a 5 percent incentive in addition to their salaries.
Hopefully Senate Bill 74 will eliminate this retention incentive and instead become part of the officers' salaries, Oliver said.
"Then we'll be able to attract good quality people versus people who meet the minimum requirements," he said.
Oliver wasn't sure if the bill would allow the Public Safety Office to hire more officers, but added that he was more concerned with hiring more dispatchers and security officers.
— Edited by Megan Claus
Decision CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
University officials said they would like to put the request on the June agenda and are hopeful it will pass, said Ola Faucher, director of human resources.
If approved, the law would go into effect on July 1, and employees could see the benefits as early as July 3, which is the start of a new pay period.
If the employees are removed from the civil service system, they would be in a category called University Support Staff.
"We would like to be able to provide for them the way we provide for our unclassified staff," Faucher said.
The University needs to do better than 2.5 percent so employees can be paid better,
Employees under the new system would be eligible to receive more than the 2.5 percent salary increase approved by the Legislature in January.
"F from a political
standpoint, we want to deliver."
Lindy Eakin Vice provost for administration and finance
said Lindy Eakin, vice provost for administration and finance.
"From a political standpoint, we want to deliver." Eakin said.
Increases from the University would come in two parts. Two-thirds of the money for increases would be used for all employees who have satisfactory performance. The remaining one-third of the money would be used for merit raises determined by evaluations within the departments and other factors such as skills or new responsibilities.
opens the door for favoritism.
Eakin said some are nervous about the new system because it
"It's a new thing," he said. "There has never been a performance component to their salary. There hasn't been any incentive, reward or punishment."
But separation from the state civil service system is something most University classified employees have been waiting for.
On Oct. 14, 2003, classified employees voted to withdraw from civil service. Bette Luther, an accountant, voted in favor of it.
"A lot of it had to do with the fact that our merit raises were frozen in February 2001," she said. "There were a lot of people who had to leave to go find work elsewhere."
Merit raises are given to employees based on the work they've done. Employees governed by the University and the Board of Regents, such as faculty, staff and administration, are eligible for these raises.
Employees removed from the
STATE
ON THE RECORD
civil service system would still be employees of the state. They would not lose any holidays or have a decrease in salary and they would still be under the state retirement system and state leave program. They would no longer be able to appeal demotion or suspension to the civil service appeals board.
As a result, Luther said classified employees were in the process of creating an appeals process for employees who felt they were wrongfully demoted, suspended or terminated.
"It is a benefit for us that we have an opportunity to get an increase in salary from the University and be rewarded for the work that we do," Luther said.
Gov. Sebelius will be on campus today for a ceremonial signing of Senate Bill 74 at 4 p.m. at Alderson Auditorium in the Kansas Union.
Committee allows BTK defense fund
TOPEKA — The BTK serial killings in Wichita became an issue yesterday for legislators, with a House committee endorsing a proposal to spend $405,000 to help the defense of the man accused of the crimes.
Edited by Megan Claus
The Appropriations Committee decided to allocate $80,573 in the current budget for Dennis Rader's defense and an additional $324,126 in the spending plan for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius recommended spending the money.
Rader faces 10 counts of first-degree murder in Sedgwick County in the strangling and torture killings that began in 1974 and continued for 17 years. BTK is the nickname the killer gave himself, meaning "Bind, Torture, Kill."
The Associated Press
♦ A 19-year-old KU student reported her wallet, bus pass and keys missing to the KU Public Safety Office around 4 p.m. on April 14. The items are valued at $30.
ON CAMPUS
- A-19-year-old KU student reported his 1988 Isuzu Trooper stolen to Lawrence police between 6 p.m. April 17 and 5:30 p.m. April 18 from the 400 block of West 11th Street. The car is valued at $1,200.
The 70th Annual Kansas Relays will take place from 10 a.m to 9 p.m. today and from 8 a.m to 9 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday. Tickets are $5 for students. Call 864-3486 for more information.
◆ Ecumenical Christian Ministries will sponsor a Veggie Lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at the ECM, 1204 Oread Ave, Contact Sarah Dees at 856-2957.
- The Center of Latin American Studies will sponsor a Merienda Brown Bag Lecture by Charles Exdell on "The Genesis of a New Cuban Image: Documentary Realism in Cuban Photography, 1933-1959" at noon today in 318 Bailey Hall. Call 864-4213 for more information.
- Tamar Garb of the University College of London will give a Murphy Lecture on "The Body in Time: Degas and the Dance" at 5:30 p.m. today at the Spencer Museum of Art auditorium. Call 864-4713 for more information.
- Student Union Activities will sponsor a screening of the film "Meet the Fockers" at 7 and 9:30 p.m. today and tomorrow at Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union. Tickets are $2 or free with SUA Movie Card. Call 864-SHOW for more information.
THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS April 21, 2005 STUDENT SENATE
AASU PRESENTS TASTE OF ASIA Friday Saturday April 22nd April 23rd
"Taste of Asia Dinner 7pm at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries (ECM)
$7 per person
$12 per couple
prizes wil be raffled off
"Come out for traditional food from all over Asia"
"Taste of Asia Dinner"
7:30 pm, Woodruff Auditorium Free Admission
"Come out for a night of fun,
excitement, and performances including
-dances
-cultural fashion show
-and much much more...
for more info, e-mail piny@ku.edu or visit our website www.ku.edu/~asu
Interested in PR?
Jayhawk Communications
is the student run public relations firm.
You can have the opportunity to
work for real companies & gain valuable experience.
Next meeting: Tuesday April 26 @ 8pm in room 100 Stauffer Flint
Queers & Allies
Liberty and Justice for All? WEEK 2005 April18-23
Kristie Stremel Concert 4/21 @ 7 pm Hawk's Nest, KS Union www.kristiestremel.com www.ku.edu/~qanda/pride part of Queers & Allies Pride Week
Join us for a Benefit Concert
Little Indian Nations Academy
Where: ABE & JAKES When: April 28 6:30-9:30pm
With performances by:
New Dawn Native Dancers @ 7:00pm
Followed by:
In Your Absence @ 8:15
RSSA
Meeting Tues April 26th @ 7pm room 100 Stauffer-Flint Topics Sports PR
$5 do at the door
Silent Auction featuring;
Artwork by Haskell Students & more
Cash Bar
Delicious Indian Tacos
Ashanti Alston May 5th @ 7:00pm in Alderson Auditorium
He will be speaking on the political climate of the GO's what it was like being a political prisoner and his recent trip to Chiapas, Mexico.
FREE!