KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2010 / NEWS
STATE
3A
Governor prevents further education cuts in proposal
BY ERIN BROWN
ebrown@kansan.com
In addressing a $106 million deficit in the state budget, Gov. Mark Parkinson maintained his pledge to prevent further cuts to education, but has called for a $28 million cut
in
in,
attiel,
edrick
o
e
News.
to the Kansas Department of Transportation
Transportation. The governor proposed further cuts in a speech Friday after seeing a $71 million revenue shortfall in February. The
Parkinson
cuts to transportation will result in the cancellation of nearly all highway maintenance projects for the remainder of the 2010 fiscal year, which ends June 30.
Eric Foss, president of College Republicans, said he supported the governor's proposal to cut transportation, effectively avoiding further education cuts.
"I think that at this point investment in education is probably more important than investment in infrastructure," said Foss, a senior from Overland Park. "You can always go back and repave roads a couple years from now, but those years are pretty critical in education terms."
The governor also called for the Legislature to pass a primary seat belt law, which vis expected to bring in $10 million to the state from federal funding. The primary seat belt law has already passed in the state senate, but not in the House.
Kathy Damron, the University's director of state government relations, said she was pleased that this round of cuts didn't include higher education, but said the governor was running out of options to fill the budget gap.
"There are just so few options to look at when there has already had been a series of six budget reductions over the last year and a half," Damron said.
State Sen. Marci Francisco (D-Lawrence) said the governor's
speech was "an appropriate way to raise the issue again for House members to consider it."
Although this new round of cuts will help the state balance its budget for the 2010 fiscal year, Francisco said more problems could be in store for the 2011 fiscal year.
"These are a good list of suggestions to get through balancing out the budget for the current year," she said. "But I think we are going to need to generate additional revenue for the coming year."
Damron said the state will experience more pressure to find additional revenue for the 2011 fiscal year, which is why students should pay attention to the state legislature.
"For students who are concerned about the quality of education they are getting and the ability to enroll in the classes that they need to graduate," she said. "It is really important that they check in with their elected officials."
Edited by Becky Howlett
Read a summary of the governor's plan for budget cuts at kansan.com
MASS (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
THE GAME PLAN
Although the city doesn't regulate the balance between retail and restaurant businesses, city officials are working on a strategy to help retail woes.
Tom Kern, president and CEO of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, said a retail task force has been created to study the issue and will report to the city commission by the end of 2010.
"There's been concern raised by retailers downtown about the conversion and out-migration of retail and its replacement by bars and restaurants," Kern said. "Those are some of the things that the retail task force will look at."
Zacharias was one of those retailers. He is on the board of directors for DLI and said they had a meeting with the city commission in October where they voiced their concerns.
"Originally they agreed to do a downtown task force but they dropped that and now they want to make it a general retail task force for all over the city," Zacharias said. "But, we obviously have problems down here and they need to address that."
Out of that $100 million, the state collects about $6 million in sales tax. In fiscal year 2009, accommodations and food services made up
Roger Zalneritis, economic development coordinator for the city, said downtown sales revenues are usually about $100 million a year. Citywide sales revenues were about $850 million in 2008 and the city saw a decrease in that number in 2009, he said.
BY THE NUMBERS
own businesses:160
Reel grants:46
Bars:10
Retail:72
Service (salons, banks, law offices, etc.:30
Music venues:2
Vacancies:6
Closings in the past 18 months:11
- The businesses counted were specifically those in business on Massachusetts Street. Some businesses incorporate a trio of restaurants, bars and music venues.
53 percent of that tax revenue.
Kern said the retail task force is considering ways to better promote Lawrence as a retail destination, not just for downtown but also the entire city.
"Downtown Lawrence is a great retail opportunity for individuals," he said. "But it also has to be marketed and I think that's one of the things that the task force will look at."
"Some cities don't have a downtown left," Zacharias said. "We've been doing well for years compared to others. We could have the only viable downtown in a city of our size."
Corporate chain stores on the edge of town undoubtedly compete with the city center, but downtown Lawrence is maintaining its steady pace, Zacharias said.
But even owners of food and drink establishments worry about variety on Massachusetts Street. Zacharias said many restaurants recognize that they need a balance of entertainment and retail.
Jim Bateman, who has owned the Yarn Barn since 1987, said he's concerned about the trend moving away from retail and heading more toward entertainment, particularly the bar crowds.
there's less of a slice of the pie to support those that are already in existence," Zacharias said.
"I definitely think the issues of bar hours, number of bars and related nuisances need to be addressed," Bateman said. "The fights and the trash give the downtown a poor image."
Nancy Longhurst, general manager of The Olivia Collection, which includes The Eldridge, The Eldridge Extended and The Oread, said she doesn't see the surplus of downtown restaurants and bars as competition for their establishments.
"With every new restaurant
"I think it does get to a point where there is an over-saturation," Longhurst said. "I would certainly like to see more retail stores downtown but I think the bars and restaurants are a nice attraction for Lawrence."
Edited by Kristen Liszewski
SURVEY (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
to the survey and he said he was sick of the follow-up e-mails.
"It was relentless," he said. "I received way too many that I just deleted. It's annoying."
Paul Klute, research analyst for the University's Office of Institutional Research and Planning, said the office is working with the NSE administration team, which is housed with Indiana University at Bloomington, to prepare and send reminders.
NSSE is only allowed to send five direct e-mails to a group of about 7.000 freshman and seniors, Klute said.
"As soon as a student completes the survey he or she will not receive any subsequent e-mails," he said.
Glute said each reminder that is sent promotes more responses, which in turn provides the University with a higher response rate. Higher response rates provide more reliable results.
"The reminder e-mails do provide students with an opportunity to revisit an item that may have gotten overlooked or lost in their e-mail box," Klute said. "We have not received any complaints about the reminders."
But Jonathan Daniels, a senior from Shawnee, won't be responding to those reminders.
"I don't really use my KU e-mail," Daniels said. "I only really respond to my professors and I didn't want to take the survey."
Barbara Romzek, interim vice provost for academic affairs, said she hoped the e-mails were working. She said the University is looking at students' feedback on elements of college life, such as the large classroom experience, first-
"Surveys are always better the more respondents you have and we always are trying to encourage student response," Romzek said. "The more students who do respond to the survey, the more information we as a University have and the more valid the information is."
"As soon as a student completes the survey he or she will not receive any subsequent e-mail."
spring 2001, 2004 and 2007. In 2007 the University had 601 freshman respondents and 658 senior respondents, which was about a 31 percent response rate. Officials say the survey's answers reveal that KU students consistently take advantage of the five "benchmarks of educational practice," which are academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, enriching edu-
Romzek said the University uses the NSSE results to help make operating changes, she said.
PAUL KLUTE Research analyst
2,950 freshmen and seniors took the survey, according to the NSSE reports for the University during
2007.
cationalexperiences, student-faculty interactions and a supportive campus environment.
When compared to similar universities and schools, KU freshmen and seniors described having a more significant amount of communication with staff in 2004 and
"Academic leaders were pleased to find out that students at KU seemed more engaged than average for schools our size," said Dan Bernstein, director of the Center for Teaching Excellence.
Edited by Ashley Montgomery
SAMPLE QUESTIONS:
1.) How many hours do you spend in a typical 7-day week doing each of the following?
(Choose 0 hours per week,
1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-
25, 26-30 or more than 30)
Relaxing and socializing (watching TV, partying, etc.)
Providing care for dependents living with you (parents, children, spouse, etc.)
Commuting to class (driving, walking, etc.)
2.) To what extent does your institution emphasize each of the following?
(Choose very much, quite a bit, some, or very little.)
Spending significant
amounts of time studying and on academic work
Providing the support you need to help you succeed academically
Encouraging contact among students from different economic, social and racial or ethnic backgrounds
O Helping you cope with your non-academic responsibilities (work, family, etc.)
Providing the support you need to thrive socially
$\bigcirc$ Attending campus events and activities (special speakers, cultural performances, athletic events, etc.)
Using computers in academic work
3.) Select the circle that best represents the quality of your relationships with people at your institution:
Relationships with other students, select a number 1-7,
1 being unfriendly, unsupportive, sense of alienation
and 7 being friendly, supportive and a sense of belonging.
- Relationships with faculty members, select a number 1-7, 1 being unavailable, unhelpful and unsympathetic and 7 being available, helpful and sympathetic.
Relationships with administrative personnel and offices, select a number 1-7, 1 being unhelpful, inconsiderate and rigid and 7 being helpful, considerate and flexible.
SPRING BREAK 2010 B.Y.O.B.*
Get 10% OFF and FREE 2nd-Day Shipping Coupon Code: KU
Check out our Bikini Builder and mix and match from hundreds of suits and styles.
Featuring Hurley, Guess, Reef, Ella Moss and Splendid, there's nothing stopping you from standing out this Spring Break.
swim spot.com
Designer Swimwear. Better Suited