A report early this week told of a state audit claiming that, since 1985, faculty salaries at Kansas Board of Regents universities have risen by more than the inflation rate.

It also concluded faculty were teaching fewer classes and that regents were not enforcing a policy designed to ensure university instructors could speak English proficiently.

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It wasn’t a flattering report and was sure to anger regents and many administrators and senior leaders at state universities. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise because there seems to be a steady and growing drumbeat across the state about teachers not showing up in their classrooms or being difficult to understand. There also are questions about just how much teachers are paid compared to others in the statewide work force and other issues that reflect growing concern or dissatisfaction about the state’s system of higher education.

Critics of increased spending for higher education are sure to jump on the state report as evidence there already are sufficient funds allocated to higher education.

This is not a good climate in which to start the upcoming session of the Kansas Legislature where funding for education — K-12 as well as higher education — is sure to be a major issue.

The chairman of the Board of Regents said the board needs to confront criticism brought on by the audit. “If I could wish for anything of the Board of Regents,” he said, “it’s for us and those who follow to be much better advocates of higher education, to be active and sometimes obnoxious advocates of higher education, as opposed to playing defense to newspaper criticism, media criticism or political criticism. We must meet those critics head-on, with passion.”

What Regents Chairman Dick Bond said is true. There is sure to be newspaper and media criticism. Unfortunately, in past years, not enough regents have made the commitment to be effective, believable, almost full-time advocates and salespeople for the state’s system of higher education. It wasn’t until past Regents chairmen Bill Docking of Arkansas City and Clay Blair of Johnson County moved into their roles that there was an effective effort by those in the office to find out what was going on at state universities by making on-site visits with chancellors or presidents and listening to faculty, students and community leaders.

Both Docking and Blair were highly respected by legislators on both sides of the political aisle, and they didn’t hesitate to ask the hard questions. They expected performance from the universities and their leaders and didn’t want to be surprised by dumb actions or statements by school officials.

Bond is right that the Regents need to be more effective spokesmen for higher education, but that is nothing new. It isn’t just a matter of making a house call every sixth months at the office of some university president or speaking at a Rotary Club meeting. Those selected as regents need to have a personal record that merits the respect and attention of legislators and the public.

Regents should not be looked upon as being in the hip pocket of a chancellor or president or a lackey for the governor or some major, wealthy, influential business person.

Regents are supposed to represent the public and do whatever they can to make sure the schools under their jurisdiction are being run efficiently and providing a superior education environment for students. They could be helped in their mission by those at the universities, if university leaders provided sound information, good examples of leadership, excellent teaching and research and a genuine interest and commitment to the state.

How long will it take for university leaders to realize the critical importance of telling an easy-to-understand story about the importance of adequate funding for higher education? There can be nothing phony about the story; it has to be accurate and it has to make sense to lawmakers, taxpayers, parents and their children.

It may sound great to talk about “branding” and trying to standardize type fonts on all the university letterheads or making sure the colors on all the university’s uniforms for athletes, band members and other groups are exactly the same tint and combination. Thousands of dollars can be spent on such efforts, but do they really accomplish much with lawmakers and taxpayers?

It’s action that is important, not grand-sounding programs and schemes to win the hearts and minds of the citizenry.

It is going to be a tough year for higher education. Eye-to-eye contact with state lawmakers and Kansas residents is critical, along with honest talk about the costs and dividends for the state of an excellent system of higher education. Frank talk needs to be coming from a broad cross-section of Kansans, not just from those who are on a university payroll.

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Why are university officials being so hesitant to come clean about the location of the proposed new football facility at KU? From the time it was announced, spokespeople in the athletic department have said it would be located at the south end of the stadium.

Understandably, this caused major concern among those who treasure the beauty of the green space between the Campanile and the south entrance of the stadium. It is an emotional issue that means far more to many people than a new weight room, offices and practice fields for the football team.

There already is enough debate about athletic department policies. If alumni and friends were to learn a new multistory building is to be erected in the Campanile landscape, there would certainly be a firestorm of criticism.

The chancellor has tried to calm the matter by saying nothing would be built that kept KU graduating seniors from making the traditional commencement walk through the Campanile and down the hill into the stadium. That does not mean something will not be built in this stunning area that students would have to walk around or through.

Many do not want to see anything built in this area, so why can’t someone at KU level with the public and say just where this proposed building and the accompanying practice fields, parking areas and other facilities will be located?