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3937 IN 08 0.328 F001 1 F00T = 3.048 DECIMETERS - 1 YARD = 0.9144 METER MAYES BROTHERS TOOL MFG. COMPANY means quality JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE MADE IN U.S.A.
THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
937 IN OR 0.328 F00T
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19,2010
WWW.KANSAN.COM
TICKET TRIALS
VOLUME 123 ISSUE 65
Charges filed after investigation
BY NICOLAS ROESLER
droesler.akansi.com
The former director of ticket operations, Kassie Liebsch, resigned Thursday after the U.S. Attorney General's Office federally charged her and four other former Kansas Athletic officials with the "misappropriation" of tickets valued from $3 million to $5 million.
Liebsch remained on ticket office staff after the University of Kansas commissioned an independent investigation last spring into fraudulent ticket sales. The report did not implicate Liebsch in any of the activity.
"We went by the report," Jim Marchiomy, associate athletics director, said.
However, since the investigation began last spring, Liebsch has been named as one of the four former employees and a former consultant indicted for stealing tickets. Each of the
defendants face a maximum penalty of sell to third parties 90 years in federal prison, as well as a Simpson
defendants face a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison, as well as a $1 million fine per person.
"With a federal investigation ongoing, we have known that indictments unfortunately, were a possibility; interim athletics director Sean Lester said in a press release from the Athletic Department. "We strongly support the U.S. Attorney's search for the truth in this matter."
Tom Blubaugh, 46, and Charlette Blubaugh. 43, both from Medford, Okla.; BEN Kirtland, 54, of Lenexa; Rodney Jones, 42 and Liebsch, 28, both from Lawrence, are the indicted.
According to a press release put out by the Attorney General's office, Blubaugh began stealing season tickets for KU athletic events in 2005. She gave the tickets to Kirkland, Jones, Liebsch, Brandon Simmons, former assistant athletics director, and Jason Jeffries, former director of ticket operations, to
This violated University policies limiting staff members to two complimentary season tickets for football and
Simmons and leftries pled guilty to related offenses and are not included in the new indictment. They have delayed their sentencing until March 2011 but possibly face three years in prison and fines up to $250,000.
One method they allegedly used was to purchase money orders with cash in amounts less than fund requirements in an effort to keep their personal gains from being traced back to them, according to the Attorney General's office.
The report also claims that the officials entered false information into a computer system installed to prevent ticket theft. It also said that they made payments, write checks and had ticket brokers write checks to parties not affiliated with Kansas Athletics.
basketball, which are not allowed to be transferred or sold.
Liebsch had been serving as the director of ticket operations at Kansas Athletics since January. She had started working for the ticket office as a University student in 2002.
"We have implemented measures to strengthen our ticket protocols and make the entire process more transparent." Lester said.
Efforts have been made in the last six months to ensure donors, fans and students can trust the Kansas Athletics ticket office, Lester said in the press release.
Those measures include new controls and restrictions on access to the ticketing system and new transparency regarding seating among other actions.
Edited by Lisa Curran
Waiting for wizards
The seventh and final installment of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows premiered this morning at 12 a.m. at the Hollywood Theaters — South Wind 12 on Iowa Street. Many Potter fans showed their support by dressing up as their favorite wizard or witch.
Howard Ting/KANSAN
ADMINISTRATION
Regents assess University's proposals
BY ANGELIQUE MCNAUGHTON amcnaughton.kansan.com
The Kansas Board of Regents met Thursday in Topeka with higher education officials from state universities.
Much of the meeting was devoted to discussing issues pertaining to the University of Kansas and Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little addressed Regent's on four separate occasions.
The following is a list of some of the issues and proposals that Regents reviewed and their effects on students and the University.
Diana Robertson, director of student housing, said she based her proposals off estimated increases for the following year.
This year's increase proposals are lower than they were last year because of the deactivation of student phone lines in student rooms from the summer. That saved the University about $500,000.
Approved:
two-person room raising the rate from $3,642 to $3,700.
T he University's request for
The University's increases were
"If you can't track where a dollar comes from and where it goes, then you don't have a good system."
GARY SHERRER chairman, Board of Regents
a Master of Arts and doctorate program in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies was approved. Refer to Stephen Montemayor's article for more information regarding the program.
Regents reviewed the Department of Student Housing's proposal for a 1.6 percent increase in housing fees. The increase in fees is not uncommon and occurs annually to offset the increases in the cost of living.
A 1.6 percent increase translates to about $58 more for a traditional
Regents received the University's report on the layhawk Generations Scholarship Program and
Reviewed:
Gray-Little and Provost Jeffrey Vitter updated Regents on the external audit recently ordered for the School of Business. The accounting firm BKD LLC performed the audit and stated in its report that of the $30 million raised since 2004 from course fees, 99.8 percent of the funds were spent appropriately.
the lowest proposed from the state universities.
approved the request to make the pilot program permanent. For more information regarding the tuition and fee waiver program refer to Stephen Gray's article.
Updated:
Approved:
Although Regents acknowledged that many of the financial issues occurred before Gray-Little and Vitter, Regent Chairman Gary Sherrer and Regent Tim Emert were dissatisfied with, of all schools, a business school's mishandling of student funds.
46
"If you can't track where a dollar comes from and where it goes, then you don't have a good system," Sherrer said.
Vitter and Gray-Little said they now know funds weren't accounted for and that the student advisory board should not have been disclosed in 2006. Both Gray-Little and Vitter said they are looking to move forward.
The search is currently underway for a new dean for the school and the fourth candidate to visit campus was here this week.
Sherrer said that kind of miscommunication sends a bad message to students.
Reported:
Gray-Little said she has been working with Jeff Severin, director for the Center for Sustainability, and student leaders to further develop strategies to reduce waste on campus and within the community.
In January, the University will join Kansas State University in a sustainability competition that will last until June.
— Edited by Alex Tretbar
Along with other state universities, Gray-Little presented to Regents the University's annual sustainability report.
The University has more than 230 sustainability related-courses and various avenues are taken on campus to increase the University's efforts.
This year, the University's website for energy-related issues was updated to highlight sustainable efforts in education, research, operations and campus life.
New scholarship program approved
Students with family ties to KU can apply for tuition discounts now that the program is in place
Department adds doctoral program
The University now offers a Ph.D. in women, gender and sexuality studies.
READ MORE ON 3A
Senate task force unveils website meant to help inform students
STUDENT SENATE | 2A
The website cost $3,500 to redesign and took 10 weeks. Michael Wade Smith commissioned the task force that put the website together. Senate hopes to allow students to more easily see what it is doing around campus.
Brian Bishop, senior discus thrower, is one of a long line of KU track and field athletes.
Discus legacy is all in the family
INSIDE
Also, a preview of the game — Jayhawks take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
INDEX
Classifieds...2B
Crossword...4A
Cryptoquips...4A
Opinion...5A
Sports...1B
Sudoku...4A
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