KU makes sudden change in Statehouse presence

This story seems incomplete. The first paragraph says, "...Kansas University officials have changed their strategy in the Statehouse—and the lobbyist leading it."

What is the change in strategy? Please tell us. And, okay, Kathy Damron is not leading the Statehouse lobbying anymore. But who is? Riley Scott (Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle's son-in-law) or Mandy Miller or someone else? How about some specifics?

I'm sorry, but this looks like Damron has been politely fired and given a temporary title to save face. Or am I missing something?

And, while it's nice to get Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Tim Caboni on record, what about Chancellor Gray-Little? After all, isn't it her job to conduct outreach "with key stakeholders and community leaders across Kansas on behalf of the university"?

Keep digging, Mr. Rothschild.

May 20, 2013 at 5:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KU faculty, staff push for improved tuition benefits for themselves and their families

Rick Levy made $188K last year at KU. Donna Ginther $171K. Not exactly poster-profs for the need for subsidized tuition for dependents of KU employees.

It would have been much better politically if the task force had been savvy enough to identify some hard-working staff members or lesser-paid humanities professors to serve as examples of KU employees whose kids could benefit from a tuition break. But no, they let Rick Levy stand up and tell his story . . . never a shortage of words there.

May 13, 2013 at 2:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

University Senate pushes for more tuition assistance benefits for faculty, staff and their families

Four key points:

1) The Regents permit it, so why wouldn't KU's top brass go for it;
2) KU should have a policy at least as generous as K-State's;
3) KU needs every edge it can conceive of in recruiting and retaining faculty;
4) If more faculty children come to KU it will be doubly beneficial:
a) more talented kids will go to KU and stay in-state;
b) faculty with kids at KU might have more empathy toward other Kansas families and commit more sincerely to the KU undergraduate experience.

May 3, 2013 at 9:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Fix-It Chick: How to get rid of voles

Deep fry 'em on a stick!

April 29, 2013 at noon ( permalink | suggest removal )

KU moving faster now on online education

Because only KU offers high-cost high-value elective coursework in several programs of study against which down-market institutions just can't compete. But there's no reason to pay KU top dollar for an intro KU core class taught by adjuncts or grad students when such a class is available from a JC or other institution with lower cost or greater convenience.

If KU wants to compete in the online delivery space against JCCC then KU has to compete on price and value.

April 28, 2013 at 11:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KU moving faster now on online education

What is the point if all KU does is offer online classes otherwise available at JCCC or similar lower-cost institutions -- but expect students to pay KU's higher tuition?

April 28, 2013 at 3:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KU outlines significant cuts if Legislature cuts higher education funding

Yes, XXX Studies professors and instructors work cheap relative to faculty in nursing, medicine, pharmacy, business, engineering, other professions, the sciences, etc., and the economic prospects of the students these so-called academic discplines produce also are dismal. That's nothing to be proud of. Frankly, KU should get out of the business of offering low-cost low-value degrees, ceding that business to less reputable down-market competitors.

April 18, 2013 at 6:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KU outlines significant cuts if Legislature cuts higher education funding

Spot on comment. I'm ashamed of KU's Chicken Little response to the the Kansas legislature.

If nurses and other healthcare professionals are in high demand then why in the world would KU threaten to cut back in those degree programs? Why not target a whole bunch of niche little academic fetish programs that do not get students jobs and do not produce research that is impactful beyond a few narrow communities of navel-gazing scholars in the XXX Studies disciplines?

April 18, 2013 at 5:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Digging into KU faculty salaries

There are no doubt some composition effects in these data. By that I mean that institutions with a skew toward higher paid disciplines (e.g., law, business, engineering, medicine, etc.) and away from lesser paid disciplines (e.g., arts and humanities) will have higher average pay. I'm not sure where KU fits relative to others (I would guess near the middle). No doubt a composition effect explains at least part of the sex differential, too, as there are probably more women and fewer men in some of the lesser paid disciplines.

April 9, 2013 at 2:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Opinion: Economic schemes likely to hurt Kansas

Kansas Progress Institute? El presidente?

It has almost no web presence save some references to Burress's home address.and a Twiiter account with a history of 86 tweets -- and none since November of last year.

Aren't we all presidents of our own personal one-person think-tanks?

Just write what you think without the posing and puffing.

April 6, 2013 at 2:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )