Everything from housing to hospitals
Balfour's 'clients' are students
By MINA RELPH
Kansan Staff Writer
Remove all identification signs from the Chancellor's office, and Dean of Student Affairs William Balfour could be just another businessman going about his routine.
Balfour is unique, however Student clients
His clients are KU students, his concerns are for the student's welfare and his commodity is guidance.
William Balfour
Although his official role with KU is administrative, students are all important to him.
A professor of biochemistry and physiology for 10 years, he became Dean of Student Affairs in February, 1968.
The job is time-consuming and often discouraging, Balfour said. Contact with students often results in delicate and complex problems.
"In a guidance role, it is frustrating to understand a student's problems, but to be unable to offer any tangible assistance," Balfour said.
One of his major areas of concern, he said, is the black student on campus.
"What we are trying to do," Balfour explained, "is to make the University helpful to the black student, not merely academically, but in all phases of student life. We try to make the University relevant, not only to the balck students, but to all students.
Policy not guidance
Technically, Balfour's job is not guidance. It is a policy-making position encompassing the offices of the dean of men, the dean of women, the dean of foreign students, admissions, student financial aid, guidance and counseling and housing, plus the
New counselors will be selected
Juniors and seniors wanting to counsel in the freshman halls next semester should obtain applications in the Dean of Women's office before April 1, said Mrs. Frances Ricks, assistant to the dean of women.
Students working for careers in teaching, counseling, or sociology field work should seriously consider this tremendous contact with younger students, said Mrs. Ricks.
The job includes a broad range of experiences as: group advising, working with individual students, staff membership, and assuming administrative responsibilities.
Applicants are screened on available evidence of academic proficiency, group experience, leadership qualities, ability to communicate with others.
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1969 KANSAN 9
Kansas Union and the student health service.
But his administrative duties reflect a concern for the student and his interests.
Balfour spoke of changes in the student body in his more than 10 years at KU.
Students change
Students today are better-educated before they reach the University, Balfour said. He said well-informed students tend to be more sensitive to current events, more understanding in national and international affairs and more responsible.
Even more apparent in the area of student change is the recent push to overthrow conventional roles and to assume more responsible administrative positions, Balfour said.
"The big push of last spring toward student government at the University is continuing," Balfour said, "and the recently approved Senate Code will help students accomplish this goal." Balfour disagrees with arguments that student government of universities would tend to be irresponsible. "As students serve on university committees, they will understand the restraints under which universities must operate," he said. He said today's better-info student is
He said today's better-informed student is capable of handling administrative responsibilities.
Many responsibilities
As Dean of Student Affairs, Balfour is responsible for many aspects of student life, including student health.
In the past, Balfour said, there has been much controversy about the efficiency and effectiveness of the student health service.
Recently it has become apparent that there is a need to remodel and enlarge the hospital he said. The money to make these changes must come from student fees, Balfour said.
"This year there has been a $1.50 increase in student fees to cover the bond issue on the necessary remodeling," Balfour said.
Housing concern
Balfour said another area of concern is off-campus housing. At present, all men and junior and senior women may elect to live off campus; sophomore women may live in University-approved housing.
Balfour said the University
wants to educate students about off-campus housing.
Other problems
"Students today are demanding they be taught how to learn, rather than being taught innumerable facts.
"The university of the future must be able to mesh specialized and broad-scope education, and to understand the process by which a student learns."
Balfour faces other problems, but says he enjoys this association with students. That association has given him insight to problems and pressures which students face.
"It seems to me that we are heading toward a type of university in which a student may specialize in his area of interest, or obtain a broad education if he has no special interest.
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