University Daily Kansan / Thursday, January 28, 1988
Campus/Area
3
Regents push next part of Margin plan
By loel Zeff
Kansan staff writer
TOPEKA - Stanley Kopik, Board of Regents executive director, told legislators yesterday that the second part of the Margin of Excellence plan, the mission-related program enhancements, was as important as faculty salaries and should not be overlooked.
Koplik spoke to the House Approprials for the first time this season.
The mission-related enhancements total about $6 million and would be used for the individual mission of each Regents school. For instance, KU's Margin of Excellence mission
enhancement would replace some graduate teaching assistants with regular tenure professors, Koplik said.
Judith Ramaley, KU executive vice chancellor, said that KU had a dual mission, to be a comprehensive graduate and research university while maintaining a strong undergraduate program.
Gov. Mike Hayden's annual budget request did not include mission enhancements, except for $1.7 million for program enhancements at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Koplik and the Regents, however,
are not backing down. "We're not
removing mission-related enhancements from our request. It was logical 30 days ago, it's logical now," Koplik said.
State Rep. Wanda Fuller, R-Wichita, said she was disappointed that Hayden didn't recommend money for her trip to Alaska where he do you go from here," she said.
See related story p. 11.
But State Rep. Jack Shriver, D-Akansas City, said he had a problem with the mission enhancements.
"Those things should be funded within the university," he said. "They have the authority to set their own priorities."
Kopik also emphasized faculty salaries during the meeting.
He said that in order to become competitive with the best universities in the country, the principal priority was to become more competitive in attracting faculty.
"The Margin of Excellence plan is driven by desire to, frankly, get our institutions back into the competitive game," Koplik said. "We need to remove ourselves from the spectator status and get into the game."
In the Margin of Excellence, the Regents have proposed that every unclassified category of the budget.
including teachers and instructors receive a five percent salary increase.
In addition, the Regents have proposed an additional increase to bring everyone to 100 percent parity with peer schools. The salary increases, however, are up to the individual institutions, said Ray Hauke, director of planning and budget for the Regents.
Kopilik said that the next step for the Regents would be to press further with the individuals of the committee appropriations Committee next week.
Stanley Koplik
Poetry sessions give unrecognized talent chance for spotlight
Bv Iulie Adam
Kansan staff writer
While many KU students were sitting around the television watching basketball last night, about 30 people were sitting around a small, dimly lit room listening to poetry.
Jon Bell, organizer of the poetry reading session and a graduate teaching assistant in English, said he wanted to organize the reading session because he thought that many people in Lawrence possessed talents for poetry though most of their work was going unnoticed. He said he wanted to give people a chance to display their work.
Lawrence and KU poets gathered at the Sunflower House, 1406 Tennessee St., to read and discuss poems, short stories and music.
Doug Heller, Lawrence resident, plays guitar at a poetry-reading session and music jam. About 30 people gathered last night at the Sunflower House, 1406 Tennessee St., to exchange poems and stories.
Bell said he organized the reading session to bring poetry outside of the classroom so it would not be viewed as a form of art only for intellectuals. He said he wanted to teach them that he were not enrolled in classes at the University of Kansas and those who work nine-to-five jobs.
Bell said he was pleased with the attendance and the quality of the poems. Long and short English poems were read, but French, Chinese and Arabic poems were also recited.
He said he was glad the poems from different cultures were read so that people could concentrate on them, the poems of the poems, not only the words.
He said, "In good poetry, the words rub up against you like a lover."
Brad Rischer, Lawrence resident, said he had been going to poetry readings in Topeka. When he heard about last night's meeting, he brought his poetry.
Rischer said he had been writing poetry since he was 9 years old, and he decided to come to the reading to meet other poets and read his own poetry.
"It's always good to know your own kind." he said.
But not only poets showed up to
participate. Musicians also expressed their talents. Two men played guitars and sang, and one man played the piano while singing "Danny Boy."
John Gardner, Lincoln, Neb,
graduate student, read a five-
minute excerpt from a short story
about Beaver Cleaver getting
caught by his dad in the bathroom
with a Playboy magazine.
Order limit raised to speed deliveries
By Elaine Woodford
Kansan staff writer
University departments can make purchases of more than $500 more quickly under a new law that went into effect Dec. 1.
The KU purchasing office now can award purchases of up to $10,000. The old limit was $2,000.
KU was the first Regents school to receive the higher buying authority. According to the Regents budget department, the University of Kansas Medical Center and Wichita State University also have received permission to increase their purchasing limits to $10,000.
The purchasing office handles department requests for goods and equipment that total more than $500. Formerly, any request larger than $2,000 had to be approved by the state Division of Purchasing in Topeka.
Gene Puckett, KU director of purchasing, said the higher limit would decrease the average wait for equipment from 53 days to 19 days.
"It also means we have a lot more work to do," he said.
Keith Nitcher, University director of business affairs, said that departments would have to be careful not to overload the KU purchasing office, or delays eventually would develop there, too.
Jack Rose, director of lab chemistry, said that although the department hadn't made any large purchases yet, he thought the new limit would help the department.
"It will make the process significant anly faster," he said.
Nitcher said the higher purchasing limit would not necessarily mean more purchases, but would help to speed much-needed supplies and equipment to the departments.
"Purchasing is a function of how much money departments have in their budgets," he said. "They have been under budget constraints, and when money does become available, they usually have an immediate need for the equipment or supplies."
Stansifer says aid may threaten peace
Ruth Jacobson/KANSAN
Charles Stansifer
KU Latin American Studies director says Guatemala Accord peace plan has promise
By Christine Martin Kansan staff writer
- Charles Stansifer
The threat of outside aid to the Nicaraguan contras may hurt the Central American peace plan, the director of the KU Center of Latin American Studies said yesterday.
Director Charles Stansifer was the chairman of the Commission on Compliance with the Central American Peace Accord. The 17-member committee was approved by a unanimous review of compliance with the treaty in Central America on Jan. 15-22.
"I believe that the Guatemala Accord peace plan is a rare moment in history," Stansifer told about 50 people at Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave. "Central America has often dreamed of restoring union and the record is full of failures."
I believe that the Guatemala Accord peace plan is a rare moment in history. Central America has often dreamed of restoring union and the record is full of failures.'
The presidents of Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras signed the treaty on Aug. 7 in Esquipules, Guatemala. Costa Rican president Oscar Arias' peace initiatives led to the signing of the
director of the KU Center of Latin American Studies
"I believe that the Guatemala Accord peace plan is a rare moment in history," Stansifer told about 50 people at Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave. "Central America has often dreamed of restoring union and the record is full of failures."
treaty, which also is called the Guatemala Accord.
Stansifer reported the commission's findings in a speech titled, "The Guatemala Accord in Crisis." The commission compiled a 32-page report to distribute to the media and Congress, Stansifer said.
He said he wanted every member of Congress to have a copy of the report before the vote she submitted Feb. 3 on giving aid to the contras.
Stansifer said that El Salvador president Jose Duarte called the accord a second declaration of independence.
He said that the peace accord failed to persuade outside governments to cease all assistance to Central America.
"They believe they have seized the initiative." Stansfer said. "They want to solve the problem themselves without outside interference.
"It is an unusual status of United
Stansfer said the commission first met with scholars, diplomats and government officials for three days in San Jose, Costa Rica.
States-Central America relations. Before the treaty, Central America reacted to U.S. policy. In this case the U.S. is reacting to Central American policy."
At the same time, the presidents of the five countries also met in San Jose. This is the third time the presidents have met in compliance with the accord.
The commission broke into small groups that went to the five different countries to get personal evaluations of the peace process, Stansifer said.
He said that although the five countries signed the accord, "None of them have complied completely."
He said the accord called for a time for talks on compliance, which was Jan. 15-22. The accord also called for
The accord exhorted the governments to negotiate for a cease-fire. The presidents also agreed to give amnesty to political prisoners, to take responsibility for refugees and to set up a committee for international verification.
setting up national reconciliation commissions in each country, steps for democratization and the freedom of elections, and freedom of the press.
Stansifer said that Nicaragua had taken steps to comply with the accord by freeing 98 political prisoners and allowing a radio station and the opposition paper, La Prensa, to operate again.
All five countries have set up national reconciliation commissions, which were designed to represent the governments, churches, opposition groups and distinguished citizens.
Stanssifer said that even though the countries were moving toward compliance, there were signs of backtracking as well.
The level of violence in Central America has increased since the signing of the accord, he said, especially in Honduras.
"If it is a step forward, it must be considered a very small step." Stansifer said.
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