Awards proposed for faculty members

Facing another year of little or no salary increases, faculty leaders at state universities are proposing another type of recognition.

The Council of Faculty Senate Presidents, which includes representatives from the six state universities, told the Kansas Board of Regents on Thursday it wanted regents to start a new award program.

The program would allow each faculty senate to pick a top junior and senior faculty member, with recognition coming at a regents meeting.

Kirk Lancaster, a professor at Wichita State University, said regents could provide a plaque to each winner, but a cash prize wasnâÂÂt necessary.

âÂÂFaculty are working hard, but there isnâÂÂt money for salary increases,â he said. âÂÂItâÂÂs not a financial issue. ItâÂÂs a matter of recognizing hard work.âÂÂ

Universities seek OK to raise housing costs

The Kansas Board of Regents on Thursday received proposals from the six state universities to increase student housing costs.

Regents were scheduled for a first reading of the proposals Thursday, with final approval slated for their December meeting.

At Kansas University, average room and board rates in residence halls would increase 3.9 percent to $4,822 per year. The percent increases ranged from 3 percent at Emporia State University to 13.8 percent at Fort Hays State University.

Regents approve bonds for research facilities

The Kansas Board of Regents on Thursday approved $85 million in bonds to begin construction on research facilities approved by the Kansas Legislature this spring.

Dick Carter, a regents spokesman, said another round of bonds would be sold to cover the remaining $48 million of the projects.

The facilities will house researchers in the area of life sciences at Kansas University, food safety at Kansas State University and aviation at Wichita State University.

The KU facility, at the Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., will be $65 million of the total.

Plans approved for KU scholarship halls

Plans for two new Kansas University scholarship halls in the 1300 block of Ohio Street cleared a hurdle on Thursday at the Kansas Board of Regents.

Regents granted approval for KU to begin designing one scholarship hall and raising money for the other.

Lynn Bretz, a KU spokeswoman, said KU likely would announce next month it had secured the $2 million to $3 million it would take to build one hall.