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.