Campus/Area
University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, December 5, 1989
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Departmental grade appeals OK'd
By Doug Fishback Kansan staff writer
Students are one step closer to being able to appeal course grades through formal departmental procedures.
The University Senate Executive Committee yesterday approved proposed amendments to the University Senate Rules and Regulations specifying that students can protest "improper application of the grading procedure."
Such grade challenges would go through unit, or departmental, procedures, with the possibility for appeal to the University Judicial Board.
The proposed amendments will go to the University Council on Jan. 25. If passed there, they will pass to the University Senate.
SenEx member Michael Schreiner said that no grade appeals policy existed and that the proposed amendments would give students and teachers tangible guidelines.
"It just gives us a better informed University,community," he said.
SenEx member William Sanders, Lawrence senior, said he thought the proposed amendments had a good chance of being passed by the Council, especially because they were more conservative than past attempts that called for the formation of a special grade appeals board.
Barbara Watkins, SenEx member, said that current grade appeal practices discouraged students because grade issues were "thrown into the school system,"主编李进稳. She said that students were intimidated by the prospect of charging an instructor with academic misconduct.
"We're looking for a smaller chunk of the lie." he said.
SenEx also discussed a draft of a response to a Board of Regents' report that said University officials should increase the number of class days in KU's academic calendar.
She said that a reduction in class days since 1900 was because of the University's lengthy final examination period. Ramaley said that additional instructional days could come from the restructuring of the final period and that administrators were considering a five- or six-day exam period, which could include a combination of two- and three-hour finals.
Judith Ramaley, executive vice chancellor, said that the University could accommodate Regents options to add six class days.
The University now operates with an eight- or nine-day final exam
In other business, SenEx approved interim procedures for monitoring and reporting scientific misconduct. The procedures were approved so that KU would be in compliance with federal guidelines by Jan. 1, 1990.
Frances Horowitz, vice chancellor for research, graduate studies and public service, said that the interim measures satisfied Federal Department of Health and Human Services guidelines and that they agreed with University policy.
period, she said.
"These are pretty standard kinds of things," she said.
The guidelines deal with issues such as confidentiality and time limits for reporting suspected scientific misconduct.
The inferin policies will stand until the University grievance procedure review task force recommends changes in the grievance procedure based on a study it completed earlier this semester.
Tomas Stargardter/KANSAN
Glow art
Brian Higer. Lawrence resident and glass blower, does lampwork with pyrex rods. Higer was displaying his work yesterday.
Age studies increase along with older population
By Stacy Smith Kansan staff writer
As the number of U.S. citizens older than 65 has increased, the need for research in the area of gerontology has grown, observers say.
Professors at the University of Kansas are preparing to meet that need.
More than 60 professors in various academic departments are interested in gerontology research, according to a recent survey conducted by the Gerontology Center.
"It's becoming more of an issue because of the demographics of society — people are aging," said Lynn Osterkamp, research associate at the center.
Between 1989 and 1988, the population of people over 65 increased by 17 percent. During the same period, the population of people under 65 increased by 6 percent, Osterkamp said.
"The older population is increasing faster than the younger population."
The Gerontology Center, located in Strong Hall, is a non-academic department serving graduate students and faculty members interested in the study of aging.
"The problems are there, and they haven't been researched as much," she said.
"We coordinate a concentration at the graduate level for individuals who want to obtain a concentration in aging." Osterkamp said. "We also
Jeremy Matchett, associate dean of pharmacy, recently completed a study on aging. He studied the medication use of uninstitutionalized geriatric people in Douglas County.
encourage faculty members to do research in aing and to include it in their courses."
The center also can help individuals identify potential financing sources for research on aging and preparing grant proposals for aging projects. "The health problems of older people are being seen as an increasing social problem," Osterkamp said.
"we found out generally that there are a lot of people who need more information about their medications," he said.
University counsel calls defense witness biased Alumna refutes charges against Willner
By Angela Baughman Kansan staff writer
With an aggressive, courtroom-like cross-examination, Rose Marino, associate general counsel for the chancellor, sought to discredit a witness yesterday during dismissal hearings for Dorothy Willner, professor of anthropology.
Before the Faculty Senate Committee on Tenure and Related Problems, Marino repeatedly asked Nancy Pemulski, one of Willner's former students, if she had ever personally heard any comments about the "desirability of avoiding Dorothy Willner as an instructor."
When Sempolki conceded that she had never heard a direct statement relating to that but had heard such an indirect statement, Marino noted that Sempolki had said "NO" to the same question about the direct and indirect statements in a 1986 trial and was thus changing a sworn answer.
Marino also questioned Sempolski about an $8 million lawsuit Sempolski had filed against several anthropology department members in an attempt to show that Sempolski was biased against at least half of the department.
Mempolski, who received a master's degree and a doctorate from the University of Kansas and works as an employment specialist at Boston University medical campus, was on the KU campus between 1975 and 1983, during which time she worked as a teaching assistant and took classes in the anthropology department.
Sempolski said that her lawsuit against 12 individuals was based on a conspiracy against her.
In other testimony, Sempolski said that Willner was respected by some students but that respect eventually deteriorated.
She said the students' respect for Willner had declined because the number of remarks and the amount of gossip she heard from the students about Willner had increased between 1977 and 1979.
She said the students had "in general characterized her in a detrimental way."
She said that Willner had not, in her work with Sempolski and others Sempolski knew well, failed to carry out academic duties or violated professional ethics, which are the two charges that the University has brought against Willner.
By Mark McHugh
Local talent gains confidence experience at open mic nights
Although Athens, Ga., is known for being on the cutting edge of new and alternative music, local music lovers don't have to travel that far to see bands get started.
By Mark McHugl Kansan staff writer
The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St., has open mic each Monday night for amateur performing artists and musicians. Admission is free.
Brett Mosiman, owner of the Bottleneck, said it gave the performers a chance to promote their acts or just boast their talents.
"It's fabulous," he said. "It gives the bands and performers a chance to play in front of an audience, and it also gives people a chance to see someone play for free."
Mosiman said the Bottleneck had sponsored open mic nights for two years. Other local open mic nights are offered by the Crossing, 618 W. 12th St., on Tuesday nights, and the Jazhaus, 926 1/2 Massachusetts St., which presents The Blues Jam every other Wednesday night.
"we get the widest range of music here," Mosiman said. "We seem to be fairly eclectic. We've had everything from a steel drum player to trashy garage bands. And there is some fun and weirdness that goes on."
"They'll make a beautiful painting, and they'll hide it in their closet," he said. "My goal is to see a lot more awareness in the arts in Lawrence."
Danny Dajero, whose stage name is Danny Dajer, editor of the alternative magazine Limelight and writer from Lawrence, plays host to open mic. He has been the master of ceremonies since May. He said he derived satisfaction from playing host at open mic because it gave people a chance to express themselves on stage. He said that without open stages people would not be able to display their talents for others.
"Every night's an experience because it's a perpetual present. Every night is going to be a little different, even if you have the same artist."
Although crowd participation is not always a part of the atmosphere at open mic nights, Danjer said, strange events occur.
"One night I got up on stage with a parrot on my shoulder, and I talked to it, and a girl came up and ripped it off my shoulder," he said.
It's fabulous. It gives the bands and performers a chance to play in front of an audience, and it also gives people a chance to see someone play for free.'
— Brett Mosiman Bottleneck owner
"It's blues drive," said Mary Walker, vocalist. "It's a mixture of blues and soul and rock 'n' roll."
Last night the first band to perform was the Witch Doctors, a Lawrence quartet that played blues-based rock.
Walker said the most difficult part of performing was getting started.
"I'm really nervous before I play," she said. "But when I get on stage with the guys, and we start, I'm comfortable.
"It's a really big high when I'm singing through the P.A. system. We don't have all the equipment that they have here."
Dave Roberts, 23, of Lawrence, has been coming to open mic since it began because of the different types of music it offers.
Andrew Nelson, guitarist for the Witch Doctors, keeps his composure through self-confidence.
"I just keep reminding myself that we sounded good at Phil's place (the drummer's house), so we'll sound good here," he said.
"The music here ranges from acoustic axe to hard-core heavy metal bands. It's kind of a starting point," he said.
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