friday,may 7,2004
news
1
the university daily kansan 3A
Combined career program will help all undergraduates
By Anna Clovis
aclovi@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
The University Career and Employment Services office opened with a new name and a new area of service on Monday when it completed its merger with the Career Counseling and Planning Services.
The University Career Center is located at the 110 Burge Union office, and David Gaston, director of the University Career Center, said the center could now help students throughout their entire college careers.
Gaston said freshmen and sophomores who had previously used Career Counseling and Planning Services, as well as juniors and seniors in the college of liberal arts and sciences who had used University Career and Employment Services, can use the center for career and major planning as well as for resume and job search resources.
The center will also provide personalized career counseling and administer career interest tests such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
type indicators Dick Nelson, assistant director of counseling and psychological services, said between 2,500 and 3,000 students used the career counseling services in the past year.
Gaston said the office is planning to increase the number of students it sees.
Other programs would be added, he said, such as making student employment applications available online.
"The offices are very collaborative." Gaston said. "We're trying to make more opportunities available to students."
able to students. Gaston said the move and collaboration of services were great.
"We're organized in a logical manner," Gaston said. "When we're solidified we'll start working on plans that can be concrete."
Edited by Michelle Rodick
The University Career Center, which is a merger of the University Career and Employment Services and Career Counseling and Planning Services, opened on Monday at the 110 Burge Union office.
KU students take book buybacks to the Internet
By Judie Kraftt
jkrafft@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
As finals week approaches, students can choose among a variety of stores around town or a growing number of Internet exchange sites to trade in textbooks for quick cash.
During the past two years, two Web sites were created to accommodate students at the University of Kansas.
The University of Kansas Student Senate Student Book Exchange began in the spring of 2002 and BuyBlueBooks.com began last semester through the efforts of KU students.
euros of KO staffers. Senate's book exchange site began as a way to reduce the cost of textbooks for students, said Kyle Johnson, Wichita senior and outgoing executive committee chairman for Senate. Johnson said he thought of the idea,
and Senate now operates the site.
sit. "You can cut out the middleman — the bookstores — and save money on both sides," he said.
However, there are disadvantages to using an online exchange program, Johnson said, such as buying the wrong version of a text. Students who want to sell their books also have to take the time to register and post the necessary information such as prices and titles of the book.
After students find a buyer for their book online, they must arrange a meeting time with each to exchange the book for cash or check.
check.
"Maybe it's not for everyone,
but I think it's worth the time," Johnson said.
BuyBlueBooks.com also allows students to set their own prices for textbooks.
"We were tired of getting ripped off by the bookstores," said Tommy Mathew, Olathe senior and creator of BuyBlue-Books.com.
Mathew said 250 to 270 people were registered on the site, and the number of users typically increased at the beginning and end of each semester.
Mathew said he and 10 other students worked together to run the site and organization.
Like sites such as amazon.com, registered users on BuyBlueBooks.com can post books and other items they want to sell.
"After all of us graduate, it'll still be going." Matthew said.
sure be going. Matthew
Drew Farmer said he had
success with the exchange site
the last two semesters and
would continue to use it. The
Spring Hill junior said he went
to the bookstores on campus
during his first two years but realized he could earn extra money by using the exchange site.
"When I went to sell my books at the bookstore, the buyback was ridiculously low," Farmer said. "Saving money is the obvious advantage of the site, and you don't have to wait in line at the bookstore."
Bill Getz, textbook manager for the KU Bookstores at the Kansas and Burge Unions, said he liked the variety of competition in Lawrence and thought Web site exchange programs had little effect on his stores.
"You have no guarantee that you're going to get a customer for your book," Getz said. "I'm very confident you will find that book for book, the KU Bookstores will pay the highest prices."
For some groups, it can be difficult and expensive to gather information such as
books required for next semester's classes, said Kristin Vickers, manager of the University Book Shop, 1116 W. 23rd St.
2354 S.
Vickers said anyone could request that information from the University for a fee of about $1,000.
Despite new online options, students such as Matt Webb still prefer to sell their textbooks back to the campus bookstores.
"There's a lot to be said about not having the hassle of ordering online and not knowing what you're going to get," the Stilwell junior said.
Webb said he would consider using an online exchange site in the future, but for this semester. he would take his books to the first bookstore he walked by on campus.
Edited by Louise Stauffer
BOOKS AROUND TOWN
The new, used and buyback prices of textbooks can vary among Lawrence bookstores and Web sites. The following prices are for the required text Patterns with Readings Volume 1 for Western Civilization I. Locations/ New book price/ Used book price/ Buyback price KU Bookstores (Kansas and Burge Unions)/$48/$43.50/$29 Jayhawk Bookstore/$66/$42/$16 (will buy back unlimited copies) University Book
Shop/$58/$44.25/$29
Shop$55 $94.25
BuyBlueBooks.com/Book listed
for $25
Student Senate Student Book Exchange/Books listed from $15 to $35
Sources: KU Bookstores, Jayhawk bookstore, University
Book Shop.
www.buybluebooks.com,
Student Senate Book Exchange
Web site:
raven.cc.ku.edu/cgiwrap/book/i
ndax.php