CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Thursday. May 2.1996
3A
KU grade-appeals process lengthy
By Nicole Kennedy
Kansan staff writer
Students often disagree with professors about the quality of their work, but few actually make it all the way through the University of Kansas's grade appeal process.
Richard Levy, law professor, said that when he was chairman of the Judicial Board that hears student complaints about grades, only two or three student appeals were actually heard by the board.
"Only in the situation when you have an extreme problem is it appropriate to appeal a grade." Levy said. "I understand and sympathize with students. I think that it's a mistake to think about grades as rights and get overly litigious about them."
Robert Shelton, University Ombudsman, said that he handled complaints from students who wanted to appeal grades informally, but that he did not know how many students actually appealed grades.
Shelton said he did hear from
"What doesn't count as a valid basis for a grade appeal is a belief that their work is better than a faculty member thought it was," Levy said. "There's only certain narrow instances."
more students towards the end of the semester.
But students can't appeal grades for arbitrary reasons.
He said most grades were appealed because of procedural errors in the assignment of a grade.
curve would make an 85 percent an A, and then at the end of the semester the instructor decided a 90 percent would constitute an A, students would have legitimate reason to appeal their grades. Levy said.
For example, if an instructor's syllabus indicated that the class
Before beginning a formal appeals process, students should discuss their grade with their professor, he said. If the professor and student still disagree about the grade after having an informal talk, a department chairperson will try to work with them and reach an agreement.
In most schools and departments, if those three parties can't reach an agreement about the grade, the dean of the school or department will make the decision.
If the student still disagrees with the dean's decision, the University's Judicial Board will hold a hearing on the matter.
Levy said the appeals process could be lengthy.
"Under the current system, it's not unusual for a case to go 6 to 8 months or to drag on even into the next academic year," he said.
Overcooked beef may leave stomachs well done
Scientist skeptical of study that links red meat and cancer
Photo illustration by Brian Hott / KANSAN
People who eat their meat too well-done run the risk of National Cancer Institute. The study found that levels of stomach cancer, according to a recent study by the carcinogens increase the longer meat is cooked.
By Teresa Veazey Kansan staff writer
When cooking steaks for dinner,
KU students might want to take
them off the grill a little sooner.
Last week, researchers at the National Cancer Institute released preliminary results of a study on Nebraska farmers, showing the longer red meat is cooked the greater the risk of stomach cancer.
"Cooking meat causes compounds called heterocyclic amines, which are compounds formed when amino acids are cooked at a high temperature," said Rashmi Sinha, member of the senior staff at the National Cancer Institute and one of the study's researchers.
These compounds have been known to be animal carcinogens, which are cancer-causing agents. Sinha said she and her colleagues found a three-fold risk in stomach cancer for people who were eating well-done meat.
to find a higher risk of pancreas and colon cancer in people who ate well-done red meat.
"We discovered that 19 totally novel compounds are formed when you cook meat," Weisburger said. "Animal tests show that every one of these chemicals can cause cancer."
John Weisburger, a senior member of the American Health Foundation, which has done studies linking meat to cancer, said it was common
Studies in humans confirmed the animal research. Weisburger said that researchers can account for the reoccurrence of major cancers by what people eat and how they cook it.
However, Weisburger said he questioned the study's conclusion that well-done meat increased the risk of stomach cancer. The study's results could have been skewed if the Nebraska farmers also ate salted, pickled foods, which would confound the results, he said.
After hearing about the study, Tammy Davis, manager at Don's Steak House, 2176 East 23rd St., said she and other employees discussed the results. They weren't concerned, however, because 85 to 90 percent of their steak-eating customers don't like their meat cooked well-done, she said.
vor."
"Most of our customers like their meat cooked medium-rare to medium," Davis said. "When you've cooked out all the redness and juice, then there's not as much fla-
For people who are concerned about the study's preliminary findings, Weisburger recommended changing the way meat is cooked. To cook a hamburger patty, add 10
percent soy protein, which lessens the likelihood of the carcinogens, he said.
By removing or significantly reducing the amount of juice in a steak, Weisburger said the amount
of heterocyclic amines also would be reduced.
"Put the meat in the microwave for three to four minutes and let the juices run off, then fry the meat any way you want," he said.
ROTC salutes achievements at end of academic year
Guests and awards change of command celebrated at ceremony By David Terka
By David Teska Kansan staff writer
More than 100 family members and guests helped the Jayhawk Navy yesterday celebrate its 50th anniversary in a ceremony held in the Anschutz Sports Pavilion.
The ceremony marked the end of the academic year for the students, said James Fightmaster, Lawrence senior, and master of ceremonies of the event.
The ceremony, which lasted almost two hours, consisted of an awards ceremony, change of command and pass in review, the ceremonial parade in which the battalion marches past the grandstands.
After the national anthem and invocation, Capt. Patrick Fagan, commanding officer of Naval ROTC, introduced the guest speaker, Bear
Adm. Lewis Felton, Felton, a Fort Scott native, graduated from the University of Kansas in 1966.
Retired Capt. Joseph Marzluff, who commanded Naval ROTC from 1969 to 1974, was also a guest.
Turning to the student formation, Felton said that he was there to honor the students who were about to embark on careers in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.
"You are leaving here as leaders," he said. "Your real job is to lead the people."
Before they could succeed as leaders, Felton said they must first learn to be followers. They also need to recognize that the people they lead are motivated by success and want to work, Felton said.
After Felton's remarks, 25 awards were presented. As each of the awards was read, the recipients came forward. Representatives from organizations such as the U.S. Naval Institute and Retired Officers
"They need someone to take the point and that will be your job," he said.
Association presented awards.
Charles and Carol Sawyer of Lenexa, parents of Tom Sawyer, Lenexa senior, were in the audience. Charles Sawyer said he was proud of his son, who will spend the summer aboard the USS Nassau, based out of Naples, Italy. But Sawyer said he was worried about his son's safety.
"You're always concerned with them being in areas where he may have to do something," he said.
In the simple act of exchanging the unit's guidon, or flag, command of the unit passed from Chris Doyle, Wichita senior, to Terrance O'Neill, Blair, Neb., senior. O'Neill said his unit's biggest challenge next fall would be the education of incoming freshman into military life.
"The biggest thing is teaching leaders and what it takes to be a leader," he said.
At a reception after the ceremony, Felton said naval officers faced the same challenges he did when he joined the Navy 30 years ago. The end of the Cold War hasn't really changed things for young officers.
Gina Thornburg / KANSAN
Midshipman 2nd Class Andrew W. Garlick gives the invocation at the Naval RCOT Awards Ceremony, Battailon Change of Command and Pass in Review at Anschutz Sports Pavilion. Yesterday's ceremony also celebrated the KU NROTOC unit's 50th anniversary before honored guests Capt. Patrick M. Fagan, Rear Adm. Lewis A. Felton and retired Capt. Joseph O. Marzluff.
Tenure review system debated
By Jason Strait
Kansan staff writer
A balance between academic freedom and holding tenured faculty accountable is being debated both by professors and politicians.
But for some KU professors, the elimination of tenure is a scary prospect.
"I've heard all sorts of things," said Sally Frost-Mason, dean of liberal arts and sciences. "I've heard by the year 2020, tenure won't even exist."
Under the system, professors would be reviewed every five or six years to see if they had retained their worth to the department, he said. Currently, professors are only subject to peer review, and the process of removing a tenured faculty member is difficult.
"I'm one of those people who is very concerned about tenure and academic freedom," said Robert Harrington, professor of educational psychology and research. "In a lot of ways, tenure is being insidiously attacked."
Harrington is also president of the KU chapter of the American Association of University Professors, a national organization concerned with faculty rights. He said throughout the nation and in the Kansas Board of Regents, talk of creating a "post-tenure review" system had many people concerned.
"What it's really saying is, 'No academic freedom,' Harrington said. "You begin to ask questions: 'Is this person a team player?'
Harrington said faculty are actually over-reviewed, and creating a system for further review would be self-defeating.
Harrington said if faculty members were reviewed every few years, they would be less likely to speak their mind or voice concerns, consequently eliminating academic freedom.
The reason for creating a new system is that some think when faculty members receive tenure, they become unaccountable for their actions.
Allan Ciglar, professor of political science and government, stressed that faculty should be held more accountable for their actions, but had reservations toward moving to a post-tenure review system.
"The buzzword is accountability in politics," he said. "But what concerns me is I don't think it's well intended. It's sort of an attempt to force accountability."
Frost-Mason said that academic freedom was an important function in a good university, but acknowledged that entrenched faculty with full tenure rights might be a thing of the past.
“It’s something that could even happen here,” she said.