Section A·Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, February 7, 2001
KU opposes proposed $1.5 million budget cut
By Cassio Furtado
writer@kanson.com
Kansan staff writer
Gov. Bill Graves proposed a $1.5 million budget cut for the University of Kansas at the start of the year, but University officials said they would fight the reduction.
Chancellor Bob Hemenway expressed disappointment at the cut and described it as "a big surprise" in a Jan. 29 e-mail to faculty members.
"There is both good news and bad news in the recommendations, but I have some hope that the governor and the legislature will be open to alternative proposals," Hemenway stated.
Lindy Eakin, associate provost,
said Hemenway would speak to the
Kansas Senate Ways and Means
Committee Tuesday in an effort to
persuade the Legislature to block
the $1,551,129 proposed budget cut.
She said if the cut was approved by the Legislature, the chancellor and the provost would decide where to trim the University's expenses.
"But we hope they can restore it," Fakin said.
Hemenway said the Board of Regents was committed to improving salaries for faculty and also for unclassified employees.
He also said the Regents wanted to give unclassified employees — employees who work in administrative positions but don't teach — the same raises they give faculty.
Hemenway said Graves provided a 1.5 percent increase effective in July for both faculty and unclassified employees, followed by an
BUDGET CUT
What happened? Gov. Bill Graves proposed a $1.5 million budget cut for the University, to take effect in July.
What it means: If the backpack is approved by the Legislature, KU officials will decide where to cut the University's budget.
What's next: Chancellor Robert Hemenway will speak at the Kansas Senate Ways and Means Committee Tuesday in an effort to persuade the Legislature to block the cut.
additional 1.5 percent increase on Jan. 1.
But in his most recent proposal, Graves recommended an $8.4 million increase in state funds across the Regents system for faculty only. That increase is mandated by Kansas Senate Bill 345, passed in May 1999, which set aside $26 million to increase salaries for teaching faculty around the state. That money stands apart from the University's operating budget.
As a result, faculty salaries at the University will increase by an additional 3 percent, totaling an average increase of 6 percent by the close of fiscal year 2002, Hemenway said. But the salaries of unclassified employees will increase only 3 percent.
tenance or as custodians — Graves recommended 1.5 percent adjustment in July and again on Jan. 1.
"On balance, I believe the governor's proposal for faculty is positive, but I was disappointed that no special consideration was given to non-faculty unclassified employees." Hemenway said in the e-mail. For classified staff, which includes those who work in moths.
For classified staff — which includes those who work in main-
Mike Auchard, president of Classified Senate, which represents nonfaculty staff members in University government, said the raise wasn't enough.
"Just a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment is totally inadequate," he said. "There is a disparate treatment given to faculty in this institution."
Hemenway stated in the e-mail that the University had requested $321,807 to finance utilities and operating costs for operation of Joseph R. Pearson Hall, but the governor provided no funding for the request.
Hemenway also said the University had sought $1.18 million for costs resulting from natural gas price increases. Graves' budget recommendations didn't provide for that item either.
Jessica Bankston, Student Legislative Awareness Board legislative director and Albuquerque, N.M., junior, said the Regents universities' request for extra money to pay for utilities created a problem for Graves.
"Once you give extra money to one university, it is harder to justify not giving to other institutions," she said.
Hemenway said that overall, the recommendations had both good and bad news.
"It would be fair to characterize this budget proposal as positive in some ways, but as a major disappointment in other ways," Hemenway said.
- Edited by Leita Schultes
'Black gold' to help students
180-acre gift will be used for scholarships
By Cassio Furtado
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
A piece of land left to the University of Kansas will be transformed into scholarships, KU officials say.
Theresa Klinkenberg, University director, said the 180 acres in Pawnee County, left to the University by donor Dorris Fair Carey through an estate, wouldn't be used to supply oil and gas to the University.
LAND GIFT
She said the University had already taken bids and determined that Hutchinson-based J Fred Hambright, Inc., will explore the land.
Klinkenberg said the amount of the scholarships would be determined by Carey's will, and the total number would be linked to the money the University could get from leases and exploration of the land. Klinkenberg
What's happening? The University has decided to lease 180 acres of land in Pawnee County it had received through an estate
What it means: The University will give out scholarships from the money it gets by leasing the land and from possible oil and gas exploration.
What's next: If the company the University has leased the land to finds oil or gas, the University will get 12.5 percent of the money gained from the exploration.
said it had not been determined how the scholarships would be distributed.
Klinkenberg said the University would be compensated for 12.5 percent of any oil or natural gas found.
Lynn Watney, senior scientist at the Kansas Geological Services and executive director of the KU Energy Research Center, said that Pawnee County was a very productive area.
"That region has quite a bit of oil and gas," he said.
Watney said it would be a great opportunity if the University could receive funds coming from the exploration of oil and gas in the region, but added that not all regions of Pawnee County had the same levels of oil and gas productivity.
"It depends exactly where it is," he said.
In Texas, universities had a practice of exploring the land donated to them for supplying oil and gas to their campuses, Watney said.
"But this raises several legal and money issues," he said. He said he wasn't sure if that same kind of exploration could be done here.
Watney also said that the fact Pawnee County was located at a distance of 250 miles from Lawrence made it difficult for an exploration that would benefit the University in terms of oil and gas.
"Maybe it's just better to let a company explore," Watley said.
- Edited by Joy Pilgreen
Police search for felon's gun source
Loopholes in state federal gun laws exposed in killings
The Associated Press
MELROSE PARK, Ill. — A day after a factory rampage left five people dead, police spent yesterday trying to learn how the gunman, a convicted felon, was able to acquire the weapons he used.
ees, one of them critically.
William D. Baker, 66, killed four people at the International Truck and Engine Corp. plant Monday before committing suicide. The attack also wounded four employ-
Baker had been scheduled to report to prison yesterday for taking part in an engine-theft ring at the plant in 1993-94.
He used a .38-caliber pistol and an assault rifle in the attack, police Chief Vito Scavo said. Police said they didn't know how or when he got the weapons, though a shotgun and hunting rifle he also carried were bought legally in 1993.
Special Agent Thomas Ahern of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms said Baker's guns were being traced.
Kirsten Curley, representative for the Illinois Council Against
Handgun Violence, said the killings exposed the many loopholes in state and federal gun laws.
Convicted felons are not allowed to own firearms, but there is no mechanism for making sure they surrender their guns. State police usually send a letter telling felons with gun licenses to surrender the licenses, but that didn't happen in Baker's case, state police Capt. Dave Sanders said.
Baker was fired in 1995. He pleaded guilty to a federal theft conspiracy charge last June, admitting he helped steal diesel engines and components worth $195,400 from the plant.
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