Page 4 University Daily Kansan Thursday, Feb. 28, 1967
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YR Poll Reveals Eurich Plan Favored
If a slight plurality of 475 college students have their way, the University of Wichita will enter the state school system as a State Universities Center.
In a poll conducted by Young Republicans this week at Emporia State and Fort Hays State, and last week at Kansas State University and KU, 172 of 475 persons, or 36 percent, said they advocated the university center plan.
THIRTY PER CENT (143 students) indicated in random telephone sampling that WU should become a state university like KU and K-State.
Twenty-six per cent (125 students) said WU should remain a municipal school and eight per cent (35 students) expressed no opinion.
Results from polls at the four state colleges on the WU issue were almost identical to figures disclosed from sampling of 89 KU students.
The poll, conducted here by KU Young Republicans, originators of the statewide poll, showed that 36 per cent supported the entrance of WU into the state system as a university center, a proposal in the Eurich Report.
Thirty-one per cent preferred that WU remain a municipal school and 27 per cent advocated a change in WU's present status to a full, independent state university.
THE POLL, designed primarily to test student opinion on the status of Wichita U., also included four general questions on higher education in Kansas.
Results of the poll at Pittsburg State and Wichita U have not yet been received.
THE BIGGEST split of difference on the Wichita question in the poll was between Fort Hays and Emporia.
Reuben McCornack, president of KU Young Republicans, said he talked to Merle Gates, YR president at Wichita, last night and that it will be two days or more before Wichita opinion is known on the poll.
Seventy-five of 105 students ( $71\%$ ) at Fort Hays said WU should become a state university center. Fifty-six per cent of 100 students interviewed at Emporia said KU should gain equal status with KU and K-State.
"I'm eager to receive the results from Wichita itself," McCormack said. "I don't think we have failed to receive the results so far because of any political reasons.
"I think it's mainly because of inefficiency, and the same goes for Pittsburg State."
AT KANSAS STATE, 60 of 181 interviewed felt Wichita should remain a municipal school. Fifty-four preferred the school's admission as an independent state university and 46 supported the university center plan.
On the question of increased teachers' salaries sixty-five students (62%) at Fort Hays said they preferred expenditures for facilities instead of salaries. Thirty-five students (33%) favored a salary increase.
Every other school besides Fort Hays advocated an increase in teachers' pay. The most marked support for the increase was at KU where 65 per cent of those interviewed indicated that higher teachers' salaries are needed.
★ ★ ★
The Young Republican Poll
Percentages are based on a total of 475 persons contacted.
a. State universities and colleges in Kansas should become more selective and admit only students who have high aptitudes for college work $ - 36 \% $
b. State universities should accept the "Open Door Policy" of admitting any high school graduate and seek to eliminate poor students by failing them early in their training- 54%
c. No opinion—10%
2. Which of the following courses of action with respect to higher education in the State of Kansas do you feel is more important:
a. Increase the teachers' salaries
b. Increase expenditures for additional classroom facilities and buildings-36%
3. Which of the following policies for higher education in the State of Kansas would you favor:
c. No opinion—13%
a. Increase the teachers' salaries 51%
a. Kansas institutions of higher education should be largely independent with the right to undertake any program that they deem feasible $ - 41 \% $
b. Kansas' entire system of higher education should be more closely coordinated to avoid duplication of education program-overlapping of expenditures in research and facilities- 51%
c. No opinion-8%
4. There has been much discussion currently over the status to be given the University of Wichita in the state system of higher education. One recommendation is that the University of Wichita be made a separate state university. As such it would receive state financial support and would have independent programs of education in much the same way that the University of Kansas and Kansas State University have programs of education. Another idea is to make the University of Wichia a state university center. The educational programs of the university center would support and augment those of KU and Kansas State. Tuition at Wichia would be the same as at the other state schools. However, degrees would be granted either by the University of Kansas or Kansas State University. Under such a program Wichita would be a center providing distinctive educational programs that would be integrated into those at Kansas and Kansas State. Both recommendations would provide Wichita with state funds.
Would you prefer that Wichita U would:
a. Remain a municipal university as it now is—26%
b. Become a full independent state-supported university—30%
c. Become a state university center--36%
d. No opinion----8%
ROCK CHALK REVUE
MARCH 1 and 2
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