Affirmative Action endures amid controversy, criticism
(Editor's note: This is the first part of a two-part story on the history of affirmative action.)
Kansan Staff Reporter
On the night of Feb. 4, 1972, about 20 angry women, later known as the February Sisters, took over the East Asian Studies Building and barricaded themselves inside for more than 24 hours.
Outside, members of the administration tried to work out a settlement to the Sisters' demands, which included a day care center in the occupied city, and the Student Senate and a women's health center.
Their third demand, the only one to be met, was for the creation of an affirmative action program for African Americans.
The building has since been torn down, but its takeover resulted in a makehift office at three nearby buildings.
Now every administrator reckons with affirmative action guidelines when he sends his appointments to the Office of Academic Affairs for confirmation, because every appointment must first be cleared by the affirmative action director, Bonnie Ritter Patton.
One administrator, Paul Mostert, resigned as curator of the department of mathematics in protein biology.
To some administrators, the creation of an affirmative action program has been a progressive step toward racial and sexual equality. To others, it extends tape and bureaucratic heavy-handedness.
Provisions of the plan that Mostert objected to include one that forbids KU from transacting business with organizations that discriminate, another that requires each budgetary unit to keep records of everything that occurs during the hiring procedure and another that forbids the use of the words "man," "the" and "his" in the generic sense in all University publications and correspondence.
Although the spirit of affirmative action now is accepted by practically all administrators, many companies do not.
According to Thomas Gorton, retiring dean of the School of Fine Arts, affirmative action isn't worth it.
"I'm not antifimmish," Gorton said, "I like girls. It's heavy-handed bureaucracy that drives me up a m
Gorton compared the threat of withholding federal funds if affirmative action goals weren't met.
wall. I think it's incompatible with the educational mission of this University and other schools."
"This is government by threat," said. "You don't get anything in writing but it's nevertheless
Gordon also objected to the amount of time and money spent in complying with the hiring guidelines.
"Many of the reports that have to be made are very time consuming and frivolous," be said.
"Advertising is costly and takes money away from newroars that really need it."
when the plan was formulated, Raymond Nichols, then chairman of SenEx and now chancellor emeritus, said, there was an effort made to keep the language loose and unrestricted. Nichols said he wanted the word "shall" removed in favor of "all possible means" to allow flexibility in procedure. However, "shall" remains the dominant verb in the plan's vocabulary.
While there's been no rebellion to the plan at KU, there has been some dissatisfaction expressed by department chairmen and deans at the amount of time and money spent to implement the plan.
too rigid and mandatory, they can cause harm.
People rebel if there is too much rigidity."
The Office of Affirmative Action has compiled a handbook of regulations for all personnel hiring at KU. Although the office can't say who a department should hire, it does have a great deal to say in how a team works.
When there is a job opening, the department must furnish to the office a job description and requisite qualifications, which the office will check for discriminatory language or requirements. If the description is approved, the department may then go ahead and recruit applicants.
The guidelines require that if a job is to be filled by someone outside the University, the job should be advertised in the Chronicle of Higher Education. Advertising must be widespread enough to insure a broad labor pool containing a sufficient number of women and minorities, and it is strongly urged that any position be publicized "by means designed to reach women and minorities."
When the pool is large enough, the department must then keep a folder containing copies of every communication made during the course of the search.
Before a department can offer the job to a candidate, it must submit its nominee and a summary of the recruitment procedure to the office for approval. If the office finds what it considers discriminatory procedures, or a labor pool that was lacking in women and minority candidates, it may request the department. Otherwise, the office forwardes the nominee to the appropriate vice chancellor for approval.
No one involved in the affirmative action process has said they would hire an unqualified woman or minority over a qualified white male just to get a woman or minority on their staff.
However, Ray Iwatoch, chairman of the Affirmative Action Board, said that if an equally qualified man and a woman were under conditions that required them to be the affirmative action goals of the University.
See AFFIRMATIVE Page 2
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
Professorships urged as awards
By JIM BATES Kansan Staff Reporter
The establishment of five specially endowed professorships is needed to provide truly substantial reward for the University's outstanding teachers, according to Chris Lipp, chairman of the Commission on Classroom Teaching.
Lliff said Sunday that the commission would spend the summer attempting to build support for the professorships, which were the first of seven proposals in the commission's preliminary report to the Student Senate.
THE COMMISSION'S seventh proposal, asking the Senate for money for a summer research assistant, already has been passed by the Senate.
"INCREASING SALARIES would make the awards more significant by allowing lastward reward for individual's efforts," he said.
liff said Chancellor Archie Dykes had recently proposed a similar 5 per cent increase. He said the administration now was looking for funds.
The commission also has proposed the abolishment of the Chancellor's Teaching Awards, a written report by the vice chancellor for academic affairs on the teaching programs of departments and schools, the institution of mandatory training courses for and a University-wide policy on the hiring of teaching assistants (TAs) and assistant instructors (AIs), and a University symposium on teachers from around the country.
The Senate voted Wednesday to give the commission $750 to pay for a half-time research assistant. The University ad- dopts also has granted $750 to the commission.
The commission also has proposed a 5 to 10 per cent increase in the salaries of all past award winning teachers. Hliff said this, "We have increased our salary and would increase the rewards for good teaching.
Vol. 85-No.140 Monday, May 5, 1975
Lliff said the Chancellor's Teaching Awards should be abolished because there were too many teaching awards. He said the number of awards, plus that most awards could be won only once, made the awards insignificant in the long run.
The University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas
"THEE ARE MANY very good
touch he said, but "not that many
good touch."
Hiff said that the vice chancellor for academic affairs decided how faculty positions were distributed among the various University departments and university as a whole should know how and why faculty positions are allotted, he said.
There should be mandatory training courses running concurrently with TA and SEN.
The commission also called for University-wide assurance of minimum quality in the implementation.
The main job the commission's research assistants are to investigate the impact of grading in studying into grading.
There is a need to know what, if any, concern is shown for teaching of high quality in the alloting of these positions, he said.
ROTC course credit status to be studied by Assembly
"The absence of a mandate makes it important that the service ROTC departments reassure the College Assembly that they are academically viable." Jones said.
CAPT. RAYE JONES, professor of naval aviation, was surprised at the closeness of the vote
THE COMMISSION WAS originally supposed to make its final report May 17, but has received an extension until fall from the Senate. Iliff said he didn't think the commission would have any trouble meeting its new deadline.
Hff said the research might come up with something completely different from the ones already tried.
By PAUL SHERBO Kansan Staff Reporter
"It now gives us a chance to have our
Col. Joe G. Mears, professor of military science, said he welcomed the decision.
He said that the freshman and junior Navy ROTC courses carried credit and that a review of the sophomore and senior students would prove they were academically xible.
"It doesn't have immediate effect," he said.
A motion to allow the College Assembly to review the academic status of ROTC classes passed by a vote of 237 to 230, according to a mail ballot counted Friday.
The decision, which had been put to a mail ballot at the March 18 meeting of the assembly, overturns an assembly decision of 1970 which stated that only those ROTC courses which were team-taught with other departments could carry credit.
The latest decision allows the Educational Policies and Procedures Committee (EPC) to review the courses one by one make recommendations to the assembly.
It is unlikely further action on the decision will be taken until next fall, Robert P. Cobb, president of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court,
ROTC COURSES WERE given full credit until the 1970 decision of the assembly. As a result of that decision, only four ROTC students were by the Navy carried credit in the College.
"It's certainly a giant step forward," he said.
A motion to reverse the 1976 decision was defeated at the March 19, 1974, meeting of the Republican National Committee.
COL. WATER ROC, WONDRACK, professor of Air Force ROTC, said he was surprised at the fact that he had been an Army officer.
Other schools allowed varying amounts of credit for ROTC classes.
Jones said, "The emotion that used to surround the issue has died down."
"if anything I'm a little disappointed that in 1975 there are still that many people that feel that way," Wondrack said. "I thought a lot of that feeling had eroded."
Wandrack said that despite the closeness of the vote he was pleased with the decision.
"I think it was the end of the Vietnam war" he said.
The latest decision was first moved at the March 18 meeting of the assembly by James Carothers, chairman of the EPPC subcommittee to study ROTC credit hours. The motion was put to a mail ballot by a vote of 25 of the members present.
Jones, Mears and Wondrack said they wouldn't expect any changes until next fall.
courses considered on their merits," Mears said, "and we expect them to stand on our shoulders."
While Carlton Erickson, professor of pharmacology, checks a painting Sunday at Lawrence's Art in the Park, son Steig seems to be more interested in going back to bed.
Park art
Dogs, kids highlight Art in Park exhibit
By JOHN JOHNSTON
Kansan Staff Reporter
Several of the young waders weren't satisfied with just wading, so they scaled the fountain and made faces at the lion's head that was spitting a continuous stream of water into the pool the little boy jerked out and kicked in. The dog yelled "fetch" to his dog. The dog waded into the fountain and enjoyed the water, but he wasn't very interested in the stick.
Photographers dream of scenes like those found in Lawrence's South Park on Sunday. The park was the site of the 14th annual "Art in the Park" exhibit. And as one lady said, "There are all kinds and types here, that's for sure."
Most of the art was 'n't the kind you would see in the Nelson Gallery in Kansas City, Ms. Mansfield's paintings and pottery to oil paintings and hand woven rugs. There was even glass work and painted eggs. These exhibits were displayed outdoors in the courtyards that wavered hazardously in the wind.
Much of the work was excellent. Most of the exhibits were good. Some of them were rotten. But the artwork was actually secondary. The people, the dogs and the balloons were what made "Art in the Park" an event.
THE WEATHER WAS INVITING, so several thousand people gathered together their dogs and their kids and headed for the park. There was much looking and not much buying, but there was a feeling that this was happening. Sundays were back in the good old days.
There was a feeling of mutual enjoyment between artists and browsers. One young artist hung a sign with his paintings. It said, "I believe that if a person really enjoys one my pieces, they should have it. Prices are low." He also bartered. Don't be afraid to ask."
Most of the kids, and quite a few dogs, eventually spent some time wading, flopping or parading through the park's fountain. The fountain was donated by the National Humane Alliance in 1910. The treatment it got Sandy was anything but humane.
The art was interesting, but the dogs and kids stole the show. After warmup up for about 45 minutes, the first of three bands that performed opened its show with the Stang Spalled Banner. Just after the "rockets red plate" and before the "bombs white plate," it wasn't hard. And although it would have been fitting, this dogfighter didn't involve biplanes.
If the exhibit hadn't been billed as "Art in the Park," it could easily have been mistaken for a dog show. There were big ones, small ones short ones and tall ones. There was a pair of Russian wolf hounds and a team of police dogs. There were skimmy street dogs and a fat goyzer boxer. The display also featured a cat. He had a red ribbon on his neck
JUST IN CASE you didn't like dogs, someone hand a box of kittens they were treating.
One little boy was walking around yelling "Daddy," but he didn't look too upset. A little four-year-old had back-breaking laughs, and then a ridiculous-oild sister, but she managed to smile, to me.
MUSIC WAS IMPORTANT in contributing to the festive atmosphere. Three groups played from the bandstand. There were those who played guitars and harmonicas for their own enjoyment. And then there was the nerve-shattering repetition of the Dairy Queen jingle emerging from the kitchen, which was parked on a neighbor's street.
Those who didn't purchase refreshments from the dilly wagon, could buy 10-cent ice cream cones and five-cent glasses of punch at a booth in the park. The reasonable prices were another reminder of years gone by.
Balloons were free. And balloons were everywhere. They were tied to children's wrists, shoes and dogs. Several were stuck in trees, and there were always a few heading for the open sky. And what's a festival without water balloons?
ONE LETTLE BOY with long blond hair didn't find the fountain or the balloons. But he wasn't disappointed. He found the flower beds in front of the bandstand. He started by building a small mound of dirt. Then he began digging a mine. He ground the dirt into the soil, then finally was stuffing it in his mouth. It was as if he was making a Tire commercial.
He stomped across the bed leaving his footprints deeply entrenched. That wasn't quite satisfying enough so he finished his work and headed back to the other side velling "yikes."
Then there were the people with the Instatamics. One lady was snapping away like a professional until the camera just wouldn't shoot another picture. She screamed, "Ooooh, it won't go anymore. It X'd out."
So "Art in the Park" provided more subjects than photographers could handle. They clicked expensive cameras with wide angle and telephoto lenses all afternoon.
Lewis convicted of misdemeanor
By BILL GRAY AND YAEL ABOURALKAH
Kansas State University
A University of Kansas assistant professor of social welfare was convicted of misdemeanor battery Friday in connection with an incident involving a Security and Parking patrolman on Feb. 6 in front of Twente Hall.
the professor, Steven Lewis, 11th and Missouri, said in an interview after the trial that he had never been involved with the case.
Lewis was convicted of the misdemeasure battery of William Morrill, a Security and Parking officer. Morrill testified that he attempted to escape but he attempted to leave Lewis a traffic ticket.
Before Mike Elwell, Douglas County Court judge, sentenced him, Lewis told the court that he had lost his job at the law firm because of the court action against him.
But in an interview after the trial, Lewis said that David Hardcastle, acting dean of
the School of Social Welfare, told him that he won't be rehinged because of a decision by the social welfare school's personnel committee.
Lewis said he had signed a petition that was to be part of a complaint against the personnel committee concerning breaches of the school's bylaws by the committee.
However, the action is independent of his court case, he said. The complaint is the result of long-standing differences within the school, he said.
Hardcastle said he hadn't informed Lewis that Lewis would lose his job because of the court action. He said he had a conference with Lewis but only informed Lewis that his
He said Hardcaste has implied that he wouldn't have rehired him if the decision had been left to Hardcaste. Lewis said Hardcaste cited the case against Lewis concerning the incident in front of Twente Hall as the reason he wouldn't rehire him.
nine-month contract was about to expire.
Lewis added in a telephone interview Sunday that students from his classes had petitioned for his rehiring, and that the students would meet with the vice chancellors at 5 p.m. today to discuss his dismissal.
It isn't the dean's decision whether to retain faculty, Hardcaskle said, but is the responsibility of the school's personnel committee.
An appeal bond for Lewis was set at $500.
Elwell sentenced Leon to 90 days in jail and offered him $150 plus court costs for the mutilation.
The office of Chancellor Archie R. Dykes said that a meeting between a group of social welfare students and Del Shankel, executive vice chancellor, and Ambrose Brosnan, vice chancellor for academic affairs, had been scheduled for 5 p.m. today.
A charge of aggravated battery against Lewis in connection with the incident was dismissed March 28 by Elwell at a preliminary hearing. He ruled that the prosecution had failed to show probable cause on the part of Lewis that he had sufficient intent to commit aggravated battery.
The Douglas County attorney's office then
the misdemeanor battery charge
against the
Testimony from Lewis and Merrill from a preliminary hearing March 28 on the aggregated battery charge was admitted as evidence for the midmeasurement battery charge. Written testimony from two student witnesses also was admitted as evidence.
Wesley Norwood, Lewis' attorney, said in his closing argument that Lewis could have avoided hitting Morrill because the driver had stepped in front of his moving vehicle.
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