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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PUBLISHED SINCE 1889 BY THE STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
(USPS 650-640)
THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1989
Key testimony begins KU policeman's trial
VOL.99, NO.134
Kansan staff writer
by Angela Clark
LYNDON — The trial of a KU police officer and an Osage County sheriff's deputy began yesterday with the defense focusing on discrepancies in the testimony of the prosecution's key witness.
James Michael Hough, KU police officer, and David Linton, Osage County sheriff's deputy, were arrested Feb. 22 on charges of battery, conspiracy and aggravated intimidation of a witness.
The battery and intimidation charges stem from statements by the key witness involved with the case, Lisa K. Sloop, Osage City resident. Sloop said yesterday that the two police officers arrested January or early February to stop her from giving information to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The KBI was investigating allegations that five law enforcement officers, including Hough and Linton, had marijuana at an October 1967 party.
In the trial, Sloop testified that Hough and Linton had hit and threatened her.
"He (Hought) said 'I'd better keep my mouth shut about a certain night.' Sloop said. "I said I didn't know what night. He pushed me against the wall. He said, 'Do you know what happens to people like you?'
Sloop did not notify police immediately after the incident, she said.
after after the meeting, she said.
"I didn't report it because I was scared," she said.
She reported the incident later to two law enforcement agencies. She told Dave Christy, KBI agent, that the incident had occurred Jan. 31. That later day, she spoke to Douglas Mathey, Osage County policeman, who was on the scene of a district attorney, and told them that it had occurred Feb. 8.
Later in the trial, in response to questions from Stewart, Sloop said her two daughters had been present earlier that afternoon when Hough had stopped by. But in response to questioning by Rie Goddah, Ms. Linton, she testified that no one else had been present during the first visit.
Joseph G. Taylor and Timothy Sloop, Osage City residents and Sloop's brothers, testified separately about the part they played the night of the incident. James Joseph Yetti Sr., Osage City resident and owner of Sloop's apartment complex, also testified.
Mark R. Plettner, acting assistant district attorney, said that today's court session would consist of testimony from more prosecution witness
If convicted of the felony charges of conspiracy and aggravated intimidation, Hough and Linton could face up to 10 years in prison. Stewart said.
from Ahlschweid, Lincoln, Neb., freshman, relaxes at Memorial Stadium. Although a large attendance was expected for the
Fair-weather fan
opening of the Kansas Relays yesterday. Ahlschweed was part of a sparse crowd.
Assessment team to help University set goals
Editor's note: This is the second of three stories dealing with the process of assessment at the University of Kansas.
by Candy Niemann
Kansan staff writer
It is a matter of putting the cart before the horse.
That pitfall, said Ray Hiner, professor of history and former chairman of the University assessment committee, is exactly what Mr. Merrick said in implementing an assessment program.
"You have to decide what your goals are before you can evaluate how well you are doing."
University Assessment
And defining those goals will be the first step for KU in carrying out a four-year, University-wide program designed to weed out the weaknesses and to praise the positive.
"... exploring the world's social and cultural heritage, conducting advanced, basic and applied research and providing service to society, industry and government."
The missions statement of the University, set forth by the Board of Regents, states that "the University will work to promote
KU's report card
specific goals is long and complex, officials said.
With such a tail order, the process to define
"Some people say being able to point out Japan on a map is a good way to measure what you've learned. Others say it is a type of logical thinking, while still others say it is analytical and communications skills," said Marianne Schroeder, professor of educational policy and administration.
"Who knows?" To some extent, they all may be right. The question, then, is what to ask?
A portion of KU's assessment program will be devoted to conducting a goal-attainment program.
The survey will ask KU's constituents to rank the importance of educational goals and practices in their schools.
University is accomplishing those goals.
Starting this summer, a task team will gather literature and interview constituents to determine what goals will be listed on the survey. Examples of goals might be teaching the ability to read and write competently, teaching a foreign language, or teaching the ability to perform critical thinking and problem solving.
The survey will be sent out in the winter of 1990-91, and a study on the data it produces will be published the following fall. People who might participate in the survey include faculty members, students, staff, legislators, alumni, employers of alumni and others.
"A discrepancy score is calculated for each goal. The greater the discrepancy between importance and extent of attainment, the poorer the goal is being achieved." said Howard Baumgartel, former associate psychologist and retired professor of psychology.
Baugartmacher conducted a study of goal attainment surveys in India and is an expert on the subject.
He said that a survey conducted by the Yale University School of Business Management indicated that respondents did not think that math and operational skills were of
significant importance to a business degree.
Subsequently, Yale reduced its emphasis on
studying law.
At KU, in addition to conducting the goal-attainment survey, each professional school and department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will establish a committee to identify goals. A University-wide assessment committee will then convene next fall to determine the extent to which the schools and departments have agree on common goals.
If the goals are similar, assessment of general education will begin on a University-wide basis. If not, an alternative form of assessment will be found.
In assessing general education, approaches have varied widely.
Northeast Missouri State University, considered to be one of the national pioneers in educational assessment, started its program in 1973.
At Northeast Missouri State, students are tested at the beginning of their freshman year and at the end of their sophomore year to measure improvement. A standardized test in one major field must be passed to graduate and student opinion is selected regularly.
Margarita Heisser, assistant to the vice president for academic affairs. "It has enhanced this institution tremendously. I don't know how we ever got along without it."
But some faculty members and administrators at KU are critical of the use of
"It can be an entrapment to get hung up on numbers," said Judith Ramalley, executive vice chancellor. "If we generate data in front of it into information, it helps us at all."
"It is our vehicle for quality control," said
Twobbly said that a test standardized for the whole nation might not necessarily mean something.
"If we were to rate well on tests, it would be flashy and dramatic. It would serve us politically," she said. "But ethically, it might not."
Twombly said that an assessment technique she thought had great potential for KU was focus group interviews. With this technology, students can choose the best ones and meets with faculty regularly.
Assessment techniques number as many as schools involved.
The techniques KU will use will depend on what the University names as its goals.
Ship's gun blows up, killing 47
The Associated Press
NORFOLK, Va. — A huge gun turret packed with gunpowder exploded in flames on the battleship USS Iowa near Pueblo Rico yesterday, killing at least 74 sailors in one of the most violent disasters since the Vietnam War.
The explosion occurred while the ship was taking part in a gunnery exercise about 330 miles northeast of Puerto Rico. Burnett said.
The death toll in the accident could go higher, said Lt. Dr. Steve Burnett, a spokesman for the Atlantic Fleet, based in Norfolk.
Two ships participating in the same exercise collided yesterday afternoon about 500 miles east of Jacksonville. Flight 128 minor injury, said Archie Galloway, an public affairs officer at Norfolk
He said the number of crewmen injured had not been determined.
Iowa crewmen put out a fire inside the forward, turret, which supports three of the ship's nine 16-inch guns. As a precaution, they flooded several compartments holding explosives, and declared the ship's danger, said Lt. Cntr. Chris Baumstein, another spokesman for the crew.
Neither the USP Platt, a fleet oiler, nor the frigate USS Tripp was in danger of sinking, Galloway said. The ships were not in the same area
How 16-inch guns work
Vehicle Dashboard Tire Marker / DAIRL SCOUTAR and RAIL BAKE
Displacement: 58,000 tons (full load) Speed: 35 knots
Length: 887 ft. Width: 108 ft. Crew: Approx. 1,600
Commissioning dates: Feb. 22, 1943, recommissioned April 28, 1984
SOURCES: U.S. Navy, AP, Jane's Fighting Ships
get.
The Iowa rendezvoused at midaf.
ternero with the nearby aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea, which carries three doctors and has full medical facilities, Baumann said. Helicopters from the Coral Sea took medical equipment to the Iowa and transferred some of the injured to the carrier.
The lows will proceed on Thursday to Roosevelt road, a Navy base in Puerto Rico, said Cmdr. Robert Franzmann of the Atlantic Fleet. The year-old ship, one of the four largest in the fleet, is based at Norfolk.
Navy officials were notifying family members personally of the deaths, Baumann said.
The ship's guns were being test fired and the turret was "full of gunpowder," Baumann said.
A gun turret is normally occupied by 27 people but can hold up to 60 or 70 people. Baumann said.
The training exercise to improve fleet readiness began April 13 and involved 19,000 people boarded 28 U.S. ships in a seven-hour basis based aircraft, Baumann said.
Winners spend most in Senate campaign
Losers say larger groups had advantage
by Stan Diel
Kenson staff writer
Kansan staff writer
Student Senate records show the Common Cause, which swept the Senate elections last week and was the largest coalition running, spent $1,499 on its campaign. That is $631 more than its closest competition.
Brian Wika, the only independent candidate running for president, spent the least amount: $25.
Some of the candidates who ran for Senate office said they thought that because coalition size determined their level, large coalitions had an advantage.
"I think it's hard to get your message out when you don't have that pool to draw from," said Bryan Swan, presidential candidate for the Progressive Idealist coalition, which had two people.
"I think it gives a definite advantage to bigger coalitions."
Coalitions are allowed to spend $200 each for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates and about $35 for each senator. According to Senate rules, Common Cause, the largest coalition running, could have
See WINNERS, p. 6, col 5
Minors who drink face real penalties, DA says
by Steven Wolcott
Kansan staff writer
Although Lawrence bar owners want law enforcement officials to take a tougher stance on underage drinking, district attorney Jim Flory thinks that his punishments are appropriate.
"I don't see many people who walk in and plead guilty to an alcohol offense seeing it as a joke, or a anything else but as serious as it is," the story said. "I might say a mere inconvenience, viality or a mere inconvenience, would take a longer stand."
He said that alcohol-related cases
He said that on a first offense for a minor in possession of alcohol, a diversion was almost automatically available.
Flory said the requirements of a
See PENALTIES, p. 6, col. 1
did not go to trial very often and that most people pleaded guilty or no contest and went into a diversion agreement.
"The diversion agreement is such that at the end of six months, if they've stayed out of trouble, I drop them." No, don't have a record. "Floy said."
Senate bill requires S&L owners to put money at risk
The 684-page bill was approved on a 91.8 vote two months after President Bush called for emergency legislation to stop the hemorrhaging of the federal S&L insurance fund from the failure of 500 thrifts, more than 200 of them in 1988, and another 500 at or near insolvency.
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday approved a record $157 billion bailout and reform bill for the savings and loan industry after toughening provisions that would require S&L owners to put more of their own money at risk to stay in business.
The Associated Press
Similar $&L legislation is moving through the house but at a slower pace. Final congressional action is expected before July.
Sen. Howard Meitenbaum, D-Ohio, had threatened to delay passage and force the Senate to cut short its 11-day recess for Passover if it did not adopt a tough capital standard and mandate that banks and S&Ls provide a series of free and low-cost consumer services.
After lengthy negotiations, members of the Senate Banking Committee agreed to make S&Ls have at least 1.5 percent so-called 'tangible' capital in relation to their funds before the future federal insurance funds are tapped to pay off depositors in failed thrifts.