United Students' platforms reviewed

How feasible are the proposed change?

By Ashlee Kieler

Published on Wed., April 18th, 2007

The United Students coalition secured the presidential and vice presidential seats in next year’s Student Senate, running on a number of platform issues. But can these platforms become a reality next year?

Hannah Love, Dodge City junior and president-elect, and running mate Ray Wittlinger, Olathe junior, campaigned on platforms ranging from free parking at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center to providing Microsoft Office for all students. Love and Wittlinger take office this fall.

PARKING

Many of Love and Wittlinger’s platforms deal with improving parking on campus.

Setting up 24-hour parking spots at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center to allow students to work out without being ticketed was one of those platforms.

Donna Hultine, director of parking and transit, said the campus doesn’t offer any free spots, but they could possibly use a combination of permits in the area.

Hultine said that designating the spots for center use would be possible but determining who actually used the spots could be troublesome.

“We can’t monitor where students go after parking,” Hultine said. “It would be hard to keep the spots available for the recreation center.”

A similar method was used for Watkins Memorial Health Center parking in the past but now short term meters are in place, Hultine said.

Another platform called for evening transportation for students parking in inconvenient locations on campus.

Hultine said a type of night shuttle could be set up to transport students.

“It would depend on what the Transportation Board could decide on services based on their budget,” Hultine said.

Setting up a satellite parking office in the Kansas Union would enable students to pay parking tickets and purchase permits without trekking to the Parking Department, located at the parking garage near Allen Fieldhouse.

“This is an idea that we have explored,” Hultine said.

She said the satellite office would be full-service but that students probably wouldn’t be able to address ticketing issues. Hultine pointed out this was the first year candidates had come to her to discuss ideas before releasing their platforms.

JAYHAWK CENTRAL INFORMATION SHACK

The renovation of the Jayhawk Central Information Shack, located between Bailey and Stauffer-Flint halls, along Jayhawk Boulevard, became a platform issue for United Students.

Love and Wittlinger said that renovations to the shack would make it better used by students.

Mark Reiske, associate director of design and construction management, said he could recall two times when Senate requested studies to see what could be done to renovate the shack in the past.

“The studies looked at things like adding electronic information systems and storage,” Reiske said.

Reiske said the renovation is possible it’s just a matter of finding the financial support.

RELOCATING THE UNIVERSITY CAREER CENTER

The University Career Center helps prepare students transitioning from college to the real world and assists students in career development.

Love and Wittlinger’s platform called for the movement of the Career Center to Jayhawk Boulevard as a way for students to take better advantage of the center’s services. A new location was not specified in the platform.

David Gaston, director of the University Career Center, said the move would benefit students.

“Moving to where students attend most of their classes would be a huge benefit,” Gaston said. “It’s a hike to get to where we are currently at.”

TECHNOLOGY INCREASES

Improving technology on campus is an issue Love and Wittlinger addressed with two platforms.

The Microsoft Campus Initiative would provide Microsoft Office for students.

Each student would receive the programs for a small fee after the University invested in the initiative.

The KU Bookstores at the Kansas Union sells the new Microsoft Vista, which ranges in price from $160 to $400. The cost for students under the plan could be around $50 or $60, depending on other funding for the initiative, said Allison Lopez, public relations and marketing manager for information services.

Lopez said the University could work out a contract with Microsoft and pay one big fee to get the package. She said a contract would depend on student demand for the programs.

“Some students wouldn’t need the programs because they already purchase it with their computers,” Lopez said.

The second technology platform asks for the University and the Kansas University Endowment Association to provide updated technology in classrooms. KU Endowment receives donations and is usually asked to spend the donation in a certain way, said Rosita Elizalde-McCoy, senior vice president for communication at KU Endowment.

Elizalde-McCoy said typically 95 percent of donations were designated to a specific area and the last five percent are for unrestricted use. Chancellor Robert Hemenway determines where the need exists for funding and the executive committee of the KU Endowment approves the funding.

“Last year Endowment gave the University about $99 million, of that about $7.1 million was for unrestricted use,” Elizalde-McCoy said.

She said that some of that money went to improve technology in classrooms.

Lopez said there would need to be more data on the use of the technology.

“We would need to know if instructors would use the equipment on a daily basis or only every once in a while,” Lopez said.

She said each department had different needs technology-wise.

RECYCLING

Love and Wittlinger proposed a platform to add permanent recycling bins to the Park and Ride lots. The drop-off sites would be more convenient for students who recycle.

Jeff Severin, director of the center for sustainability, said there had been trailers set up by Memorial stadium, but there wasn’t a lot of participation.

Severin suggests setting up a designated time for drop-offs.

“Recycling on campus would be more convenient since students are already coming to campus,” Severin said.

ADAMS CAMPUS

Increased awareness for the Adams Campus Challenge was another platform addressed by Love and Wittlinger. The Adams Campus Challenge is a course of outdoor activities by Clinton Lake that use ropes, tree logs and cables.

Making groups become more aware of the challenge and possibly adding a center to hold meetings were included in the platform.

‘A’ GUARANTEE AND ACADEMIC DEAD WEEK

The feasibility of Love and Wittlinger’s academic platforms were reviewed by University officials last week. Creating an “A” guarantee for the credit/no credit option and instituting a “dead week” before finals.

Todd Cohen, director of University Relations, and Rich Hale, University Senate president and associate professor of aerospace engineering, both said policy changes were possible, if students made a case before University governance.

Kansan staff writer Ashlee Kieler can be contacted at akieler@kansan.com.

— Edited by Ryan Schneider

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