Posted on April 18 at 8:48 a.m.
The UDK does receive student fee money at a tune of about $95,000 per year. However, it is just a drop in the bucket compared to the overall budget. I think that the current students need to stop complaining about fees they do not like. This seems to be a trend. Thankfully, the organized efforts to complain about the fees has been severly lacking and unsuccessful. This whole it's not fair I shouldn't pay for it argument has been used against seemingly every fee this year. Hey ya know what...if you want to go to KU you have to pay for stuff you don't like...same goes for living in any organized society.
Also I think the UDK deserves the little amount of money they get from fees. I mean come on students also pay for other newspapers and I am sure they do not always agree what is printed in them. How is the UDK any different.
Posted on April 18 at 8:23 a.m.
I think one thing to remember is that Student Fee dollars do not work the same way as money from Senate Appropriation, Line-Item, or Reserve Account. The fees represent many different student services that might not otherwise be possible without student fees. They are also not required to conform to the same rules that govern those other accounts.
The media fee is always one that people want to cut. In fact it comes in about 3-5 year cycles that someone wants to eliminate it. This seems especially true in terms of Senate coverage. The last time, I remember someone from the Kansan informing Senate that it made up like 4-6% of their total budget. I am guessing it might be the same or less now. As a result, the message of we want change just means that the Kansan has to work slightly harder for ad revenue.
Posted on April 17 at 6:43 p.m.
I think one thing to remember is that Student Fee dollars do not work the same way as money from Senate Appropriation, Line-Item, or Reserve Account. The fees represent many different student services that might not otherwise be possible without student fees. They are also not required to conform to the same rules that govern those other accounts.
The media fee is always one that people want to cut. In fact it comes in about 3-5 year cycles that someone wants to eliminate it. This seems especially true in terms of Senate coverage. The last time, I remember someone from the Kansan informing Senate that it made up like 4-6% of their total budget. I am guessing it might be the same or less now. As a result, the message of we want change just means that the Kansan has to work slightly harder for ad revenue.
Posted on April 16 at 12:15 p.m.
I think that it is ok to limit the gifts from outside interests, but the problem goes to definition. I would suggest looking at KS State Regulations on this too. However, I know some KS Legislators that look at the rules and would rather not accept any gifts than have to deal with the aftermath.
I really think the tuition payments/scholarships are much more disturbing. As tuition continues to rise, it appears that it will simple be more economically feasible to try to win your tuition...even if you have to put out some cash up front.
Posted on April 16 at 11:48 a.m.
The ability to find a solution to this issue is almost impossible. However, I still remember when people would just grad literature from each coalition and then carry it with them until the elections were over. I saw some pretty messy handbills toward the end, but I did have to tip my cap to this interesting approach.
Posted on April 16 at 7:12 a.m.
Actually, the walk and stalk is not always the best solution. During Delta Force 5 in 2001, it was discouraged to the point that some even held sandwich boards that said "End Voter Harassment". The result was a narrow DF victory. In fact, during most elections I have seen the walk and stalk do nothing but suppress voter turnout. The practice does such a great job of annoying the average student that turnouts remain roughly between 4,000-5,000 students and the same groups win each year as a result. However, I cannot say one way or another that walk and stalk proportionately increases or decreases one's chances of obtaining office, but it sure does a great job of annoying the entire campus.
Posted on April 16 at 7:04 a.m.
Seriously...the mark of a true representative is someone who can take their gifts and drink their booze and still have the ability to vote against a lobbying force. I also enjoy how Cox openly admits he has been a puppet and then claims he knows the solution.
Posted on June 23 at 10:31 a.m.
Other schools do not have compact tuition because they simply do not want it. The KSU admin has approached their students a few times about it and they have turned it down each time. I think they might have even had a referendum about it, but I am not very sure.
As for the other Regents schools...most have laughed at the idea. If you want to know why just look at the tuition rate at those schools. FHSU has not even crossed the $100 per credit hour mark and ESU might not be there yet either. So the tuition increases have not been as hard hitting at many other schools.
The tuition compact was the best option for many to ensure funds increased and public anger over tuition increases decreased. If you want to know the problems with the system just look at how it works. The only reason this system is viable is that there are a great number of students that do not complete their degrees in 4 years at KU. The costs are front loaded to the first two years...also the time when students are most likely to discontinue their KU education. So this allows the university to collect money at a higher rate and then not need to carry the burden of the lower rate of return they feel on the jr and sr. year. All in all, those of you in the compact need to thank those who drop out for making your costs lower. In addition, should the student extend their stay to a fifth year...well they will collect on average about $1000 per semester above that student's compact rate.
I think what the editorial board/author of this article fails to realize is that the compact is not a binding contract. If for some reason the admin needed money fast they are not bound to the compact. The admin could simply go to the Board of Regents and ask for the increase. The compact is only as solid as the benefit it provides the university. If at anytime it becomes impossible to project tuition 4 years out and then charge that rate for 4 years...the compact will most likely vanish. As for now the disguised tuition increase remains the best policy option in a climate that is sensitive to massive tuition increases.
On Tuition compact will not benefit the university