Big issues on KU’s plate for 2009 / LJWorld.com

Archive for Monday, December 29, 2008

Search for new chancellor among top priorities

December 29, 2008

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of stories looking ahead to 2009.

A chancellor search, dealing with a slumping economy and continuing the pursuit for National Cancer Institute designation all will be top priorities for Kansas University in 2009.

The university is focused on a broad range of other topics, too, including a possible revamping of its admissions standards along with other academic and research initiatives.

Finding a new leader

After Chancellor Robert Hemenway announced he would step down at the end of June, plans started being formed almost immediately to name his successor.

About a week after Hemenway’s announcement, the Kansas Board of Regents outlined a plan to name a successor by next fall.

For Hemenway’s part, he said he won’t be doing any speculating about the new chancellor.

“I’m just going to go about the business of getting things done and getting things well-prepared for whoever the new person is,” he said.

A search committee chair could be named soon, and a search committee should be in place by the time the regents meet in January, if not before.

Budgetary concerns

The Kansas Board of Regents has directed its institutions to prepare for budget cuts of 7 percent in the next fiscal year, and has warned additional cuts could be coming.

The university has prepared for the 7 percent cuts, said Provost Richard Lariviere. But with 80 cents of every dollar of state funding going to personnel, it’s difficult to cut funds without cutting people, he said.

“We will have even more people losing their jobs” if the projected cuts become a reality, Lariviere said.

Early estimates foretell the loss of roughly 100 jobs with the 7 percent cuts alone, Lariviere said. He said KU hopes to absorb as much as possible by taking measures such as leaving open positions vacant.

It’s important to remember the university’s dynamic nature, particularly when it comes to budgetary issues, Lariviere said.

KU is hoping that the state will reinstate $30 million in funding to a pharmacy expansion project to help address a significant statewide pharmacist shortage, Lariviere said. KU already has sold $20 million in bonds for the project.

NCI designation

Hemenway designated the pursuit of NCI designation as the top priority for the university in 2005, and it remains that way today, as the university counts down to September 2011, when it will submit its application.

“It’s a top priority and it’s a priority that people have been very responsive to,” Hemenway said.

Steve Warren, president of the KU Center for Research Inc., said efforts will be under way on both the Lawrence and KU Medical Center campuses to bring in talented faculty members to continue and expand KU’s drug development efforts.

“We’re reaching what I would call a critical stage in our effort to become a National Cancer Center,” Warren said. “We need to expand these efforts right now.”

Warren said KU hoped to ask the Kansas Bioscience Authority for financial support in 2009 to assist with the university’s efforts. If successful, getting a National Cancer Center would be “a huge prize,” with economic benefits three times that of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility recently awarded to Manhattan, Warren said.

Academic initiatives

In 2009, KU hopes to continue its efforts to gain some flexibility in its admissions standards, said Danny Anderson, vice provost for academic affairs.

The Board of Regents must first gain control over the standards from the Legislature, but if that occurs, KU intends to propose standards that would allow a greater focus on things such as essay question answers. That would allow the university to weigh perseverance, determination and leadership skills.

“It gives us the ability to look beyond ACT scores,” he said.

As Lariviere puts it, KU faces the challenge in 2009 of not just dealing with a steep economic downturn, but also ensuring the university is still ready to fulfill its mission when the state and the nation emerge from the troubles.

To that end, KU has many other plans on the docket for 2009, including beginning to receive Johnson County Research Triangle Authority funds, pursuing a new plan for limited tuition waivers for out-of-state legacy students and building its relationships with community colleges.

Discussion

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29 December 2008
at 8:40 a.m.

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SMe (Anonymous) says…

“The university has prepared for the 7 percent cuts, said Provost Richard Lariviere. But with 80 cents of every dollar of state funding going to personnel, it’s difficult to cut funds without cutting people, he said.”Of course we know none of the professors up there could afford to give up any of their paltry pay or perks! And for the Administrators? Oh surely you jest they can barely get by as it is!No, you're right. The little guy barely holding on in this economy is the one who has to go.One of the reasons I've renounced KU as my Alma Mater.
29 December 2008
at 12:24 p.m.

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dannylandulf (Anonymous) says…

Irish,The athletic dept and the actuall school are two completly seperate finicial institutions…the athletic dept gives money to the school, not the other way around.SMe,3 out of every 5 employees in pretty much any dept you'd like to name are student hourly workers (like me), they would likely be the ones most affected by personnel cuts. Although it would not be fun to find another job, most student workers just have jobs for spending money.Get your facts straight before you start complaining about nothing.
29 December 2008
at 12:58 p.m.

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lily (Anonymous) says…

The student positions could be cut as some depts think they take a big bite of the budget. However, they aren't paid benefits. I know of a lot of administrative positions that have been created in recent times when entry level and the regular joe positions have been cut. Doesn't seem quite right. Eliminate a job at a lower rate but create one at a huge increase?
29 December 2008
at 1:50 p.m.

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YouPeopleAreCrazy (Anonymous) says…

irishlad33 (Anonymous) says…”No….KU athletics is funded by the school from money the state(through the board of regents) provides to the University from taxpayers like you and me. If it was a seperate entity than how can the Chancellor suspend students from participating in athletics if he chooses to.”No, they aren't. Heck, the state only pays 24% of KU's operation costs,with 20% from grants and the rest from the private sector. Oh, and the Chancellor can suspend students from participating in athletics because they are……………wait for it………….students!!! Ding, ding ding!!!
29 December 2008
at 1:53 p.m.

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YouPeopleAreCrazy (Anonymous) says…

edit:.Those figures above are for the institution side of KU, not the Athletic Department.
29 December 2008
at 1:56 p.m.

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classclown (Anonymous) says…

I heard on the tv news this morning that KU reported that they are going to cut back on scholarships by 10%.
29 December 2008
at 4:53 p.m.

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KU_cynic (Anonymous) says…

Here's a radical idea. Cut every faculty member's salary by 5% for next year, and then be prepared to give merit raises for valued faculty members who credibly threaten to leave during the next few years. The give-back contribution of 5% by all will create a pool to retain the truly great while clawing back excessive salary from those who are overpaid.

29 December 2008
at 6:19 p.m.

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geeves23 (Anonymous) says…

irishlad33, you should do some research before you run your mouth. The KU Athletics Corporation is a separate entity from the university. It does collect some money from student fees, but I believe it gave about $5,000,000 back to the university last year. Check out the financial section at http://kuathletics.cstv.com/. They have to submit a financial report just like any corporation. You can see exactly where the money is coming from.Believe it or not, sports bring in revenue to the school. Alumni tend to donate more to different funds when sports are doing well.In summary, no athletic department = less scholarshipsathletic department = more scholarships