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University Daily Kansan / Friday, October 28, 1988
3
Campus/Area
Bids taken on lab contracts
Competition keeps fees down, Watkins officials say
By Terry Buroth Kansan staff writer
Kansan staff writer
A Watkins Memorial Health Center official said yesterday that the state's policy of giving pap smear contracts to the lowest bidder was cost effective by helping keep the student health fee down.
"We went to bidding because many health care centers were getting services at a lower rate," said James Strobl, director of student health services. "But, it was only a matter of time before (the state Division of) Purchasing would have caught up with us and made us seek competitive bids.
seek competitive bias.
"Although we might like to choose one lab over the other, we follow state requirements any way we can; we have to."
have to.
Because the University of Kansas is a state agency, it is expected to seek competitive bids whenever competition exists.
However, Nick Roach, director of purchasing in Topeka, said that awarding contracts to the lowest bidder did not necessarily mean that quality would be compromised.
"Quality is always potentially able to be compromised whether it's the lowest or highest bid." Roach said.
Strobil said that from about 1972 until 1987, Watkins had been sending pap smears to Lawrence Clinical Laboratory.
The state awarded the contract to Upsher Laboratories for the period of Jan. 1, 1987 through Dec. 31, 1987.
During the first year the state accepted bids, Roche Biomedical Laboratories' bid for the pap smear contract was $3.10 a test; Lawrence Clinical Laboratory's bid was $6.50 a test; Stormont-Vail Laboratory's bid was $5 a test; and Upsher Laboratories' bid was $2.90 a tst.
Therefore, Upsher was awarded the contract.
The contract with Upsher was not renewed for 1988 because Watkins officials became concerned about the accuracy of the gynecological tests performed by the company and documented their concerns with the Division of Purchasing.
MAWD Inc. was awarded the contract for those tests for the Jan. 18, 1988 through Dec. 31, 1988 period.
He said that he would feel obligated to inform bidding agencies about Watkins' concerns with Upsher.
Referring to the pap smear contract that Watkins did not renew with Upsh, Roach said that the Division of Purchases would not make Watkins or any other bidding agency use Upsher if it didn't want to.
**agency contact.**
"But, if the user of the service is not concerned about the situation, why should we be concerned about it?" Roach asked.
Roach said that the Division of Purchases solicited bids from known vendors that could provide the service.
"Anyone who says they want to do business with the state of Kansas gets the opportunity to do so," Roach said.
It the bid amounts to more than $10,000, statute requires that it be advertised in the Kansas Register. A copy of each bid is sent to Bid Net, a service bureau that puts potential bidders in contact nationwide.
Bids below $10,000 are listed electronically in the Division of Purchases office.
Division of Purchases office
Those bids go to KU's purchasing department and Watkins for review and then are sent back to the Division of Purchases in Topeka.
or PC classes in IIP classes.
"The contract is then awarded to the lowest bidder that meets specifications." Roach said. "However, they have to be acceptable to the using agency."
Martians to re-invade radios tomorrow night
A half-century ago, a Halloween radio broadcast evoked near panic from listeners. The 1938 account of a Martian invasion on Earth was meant as Halloween entertainment, but the broadcast by Orson Welles was realistic enough to convince people that disaster was imming.
By a Kansan reporter
impending. On Saturday night, the 50-year anniversary of "The Invasion from Mars" will be observed with the rebroadcast of the original show on KANU
broadcast of the brogdon program director at KANU, said Darrell Brogdon.
Welles Mercury Theatre presentation would be broadcast at 7 p.m. Saturday and a modern rendition of the story, by actors Jason Robards and Steve Allen, would be broadcast at 7 p.m. Sunday.
"It will be the first airing of the new version, and it will be on the exact day, date and hour as Welles' original." Brogdon said.
The modern version of the broadcast was made especially for the 50th anniversary of Welles' story, and Brogden said about 200 radio stations across the nation would carry the broadcast on Halloween.
Budig speech on Margin draws only 15 listeners
By David Stewart Kansan staff writer
A joint appearance yesterday by Chancellor Gene A. Budig and Judith Ramaley, executive vice president, quite attract the expected crowd.
Budig and Ramaley, the two top University of Kansas officials, spoke to the University Senate, a group that includes the Student Senate and the Faculty Senate, which would be about 1,300 people.
Only 15 people attended the meeting, which was originally scheduled to be in Woodruff Auditorium at the Kansas Union.
Because of the low turnout, however, the meeting was moved to the Pine Room in the Kansas Union.
"will call the meeting to order;
I won't call for a quorum," said Evelyn Swartz, residing officer of the county jail, who drew laughs from the audience.
Budig spoke about the Margin of Excellence and Campaign Kansas' importance to the future of KU.
Three other schools, the University of Iowa, the University of Illinois and Indiana University, invited larger fund-raising efforts, he said.
Budid said the $150 million fundraising drive would be essential in staying competitive with other universities.
"Campaign Kansas is ahead of schedule." Budig said. "We will be successful."
Budig said that the campaign's money would be used to provide enrichment to the University through such things as scholarships, fellowships and a performing arts center but that, "Not one dollar will be used to release the
Of the almost 1,300 members of the University Senate, only 15 showed up for yesterday's meeting. Judith Ramaley, executive vice chancellor, spoke to the group and was followed by Chancellor Gene A. Budig.
state of Kansas of its fundamental obligations."
That's where the Margin of Excellence comes in, Budig said.
The Margin is the Board of Regents three-year plan to bring Regents schools to 95 percent of their peer institutions in total financing and to 100 percent of peers in faculty salaries.
Budig he thought prospects were good for the second year of the Margin. He said staff and students would be used to help the
Margin get approved in the next Legislative session.
He said that the recent high voter registration among KU students, around 4,100, would send a strong message to legislators that students care about the future of the University.
"It's important that their voices be heard." Budig said after the meeting.
Ramaley spoke about sturibusted enrollment and the proposal to build a new Regents Center in Overland Park.
Ramaley said that a goal of the University was to keep enrollment stabilized, which she has said is not required. And the Fall 1997 enrolment of 28,720
"I can declare that we're making progress," Ramaley said. She said that last year the state raised its rate to 17.5:1. This year, the ratio is 16.1.
"This is a tremendous improvement of the quality of life for faculty and students." Ramaley said.
She also addressed the question that she said most people asked about the Regents Center: "Why do we need to be there?"
"First ot all, we already are," Ramaley said.
Ramaley said that KU had a presence in Kansas City through the University of Kansas Medical Center and the old Regents Center.
Both Budig and Ramaley stressed that the new Regents Center would be geared toward graduate studies. Also, Kansas City is a high growth area that needs a center for higher education. Ramaley said.
KU officials visit Haskell to recruit
Bv James Farquhar
Kansan staff writer
Several KU administrators visited Haskell Indian Junior College yesterday to extend information to students who may want to continue their education at the University of Kansas.
"It's important that we make known all the opportunities open to Indian students," said Jeff Weinberg, associate director of financial
Haskell Indian Junior College student Tony Emerson, Farmington, N.M., sophomore, talks with Jeff Weinberg, University of Kansas associate director of financial aid, during a recruiting session in the Haskell student union.
Weinberg was one of two faculty and administration representatives who set up tables in Haskell's Stidwell Student Union from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to talk to students. For about last 10 years, he gave people gone into a question answer questions and encourage students to continue their education at the University.
In the past two years, the University has initiated programs to bridge the gap between Haskell and KU. A committee of officials from both schools began exchange programs, including one in which five Haskell students take KU classes.
Gail Sloan, Haskell director of career planning and placement, said earlier this semester that usually less than a dozen Haskell graduates continue their education at KU each year.
Tony Whelchel, a second-year Haskell student, said that he appreciated the information he picked up about the University of Kansas.
"I don't know whether I'm going to go to KU or not," said Wheeleh, who will graduate from Haskell in May.
Because in-state tuition is available at KU for Haskell graduates, he
"It's going to ultimately depend on whether I can get some financial help."
Lance Staithworth, program assistant for KU's office of minority affairs and organ donor event, will graduate from 60 Haskell graduates were now KU students.
said he was seriously considering the University.
it takes more than one visit to get Haskell students to come to KU," she said. "We should try to do more."
Several students who approached the tables said that finances might keep them from attending the University.
Weinberg said that KU tried to work with Haskell students so that a lack of money would not dampen their educational opportunities.
"We want to tell them what procedures they need to follow to get scholarship help from schools and from their tribes." Weinberg said.
Stallworth was that KU was doing as much as possible to accommodate American Indian students academically that it should do more culturally.
"For example, many Indians have an interest in artistic areas," she said. "If the School of Fine Arts came here, students could be encouraged to incorporate cultural elements into a college degree."
She said that representatives from fine arts were not at Haskell yesterday.
Course near Clinton develops cooperation
Kansan staff writer
By Mark E. McCormick Kansan staff writer
Susan Singletary was asked to stand on a 3-foot-3-inch platform with about 10 other people.
"There were some people there that I had never seen before, and I was thinking, 'Oh boy, I don't want to sing.' said Singletary, Leavenworth senior.
Singletary, along with fellow McCollum Hall staff members, was learning the importance of working in a group.
The exercise was one of 12 challenges that KU's Adams Campus Recreation Facility provides. The area can be rented for $4 a person and a $25 instructor fee.
The 220-acre facility, located southeast of Clinton Lake off count road 458, offers a challenge course that groups of people must overcome while developing trust and cooperation skills. The course was built in 1987 at a cost of about $35,000.
Singletary and her group were asked to balance themselves on the small platform.
"I thought it was kind of goofy at first," Singletary said. "But I think it worked. A bond sort of formed. Some of those people I had never seen in my life, and now when I'm at the
Women's basketball coach Marian Washington said she had made two trips to the course. She said that her team had tried the same challenge that Singleton's group tried and thought that it had helped her team work together.
store and I see one of them, I'll say 'Hi.' "
"I've got a young ball club, and they were forced to communicate with each other, and they were forced to help each other." Washington said. "I'll always try to have it in my program in some way or another and especially when I have as many new faces as I have this year."
Rick Cameron, outdoor recreation director, said some groups that had attempted the course's challenges were the volleyball team, the Douglas County Ambulance Service and several recreation classes.
He said that the course wasn't an obstacle course.
"It has 12 elements, and we present the elements to the group and they have to succeed," he said.
Aside from the challenge course, the facility offers picnic grounds and hiking and camping areas.
making The area was donated by Stanley Learned in 1967 through the Kansas University Endowment Association.
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