You can’t always get what you want, but as Mick Jagger and the Kansas Board of Regents will tell you, sometimes, you get what you need.

Despite not receiving the $47.1 million increase for higher education they asked for, KBOR released a statement last week supporting Gov. Sam Brownback’s proposed budget for 2014-2015.

The statement, made by Tim Emert, regents chair, on Jan. 16, said the regents appreciated Brownback’s recognition of the importance of higher education and its value to the economic success of the state. It also said that all 32 higher education institutions would continue to provide the “high quality educational opportunities necessary to meet the dynamic needs of the Kansas economy.”

“Unless something has changed dramatically that I’m not aware of, costs continue,” said President Michael Shonrock. “There’s always an increase in cost for the things of life…when there are choices to be made in life, I’d rather know I have a consistent budget, so the fact that the governor has provided base funding for the next two years is really a good way for us to plan (ahead).”

The increase KBOR asked for included a 1 percent raise in pay across the board for higher education employees. While the specific increase was not granted, Brownback did approve proposed plans to expand the University of Kansas Medical Center. Also proposed were increases to Kansas State’s architecture program and Pittsburg State’s engineering program.

Shonrock said he is pleased by the program enhancements that were proposed, as well as the change to a two year budget plan. He also said that with 40 percent of the state legislature being newly elected, this provided the opportunity for higher education to bring itself to the forefront of people’s minds.

Brooke Schmidt, Associated Student Government president and senior Spanish major, said she was also in support of the proposed budget.

“Overall, I am pleased with the governor’s proposed budget for both fiscal year ‘14 and fiscal year ’15,” Schmidt said. “The governor’s budget seems to acknowledge the importance of higher education. According to the proposal, there are no cuts to higher education over the next two years. As a student, this is great news to hear.”

Schmidt also said that while she would like to see funding increased, Brownback’s budget did show recognition of the significant and positive impact higher education has on the state.

The state legislature meets again at 11 a.m. today for the House.

Senior Elementary Education major Marissa Grier holds the door for Cassie Heffron (behind) and Affyn Heffeon (front) in orange leaf store. Sigma Alpha Lambda attended the fundraiser in orange leaf on Friday, 18th January 2013.
Yohan Kim/The Bulletin

Sigma Alpha Lambda raised $80 last Friday night during a fundraising event hosted by Orange Leaf, 1114 Commercial St., Suite C. SAL received 15 percent of the sales between 6 and 8 p.m. The money raised will help cover travel costs for an upcoming conference in February.

“We are going to a national leadership conference (National Collegiate Leadership Conference) in Arizona,” said Timothy Thomas, senior crime and delinquency major and president of SAL. “We went last year, and it really benefited us. It’s a great deal. We learned a lot about how to develop teams, and…we brought it back.”

The conference is a three-day event from Feb. 15-17, hosted by the University of Arizona that “serves as the cornerstone of the leadership experience and training for hundreds of college students across the nation,” according to the conference’s website. “Each year, over 600 students from schools in over 20 states come to NCLC to learn about leadership.”

SAL is a leadership and honors organization on campus that focuses on academics, but the group also strives to foster leadership skills and habits in its members.

“We want to promote good grades, and we also want to make young men and women into leaders and help the community and help the campus,” said Marissa Grier, senior elementary education major and SAL member. “(We want to) do whatever we can to help people.”

Crista Grimwood, co-owner of Orange Leaf in Emporia, said the store agreed to help with the fundraiser because they enjoy being able to give back to the community.

“It’s a win-win situation for us because it generates customers, but it is also a win for the organization because it also generates fundraising revenue for them as well,” Grimwood said.

SAL also recently collected roughly 7,000 cans of food during its Fight Against Hunger Campaign, which were donated to local food pantries. Their next big event is the SAL kick-off party on Jan. 28. They also hope to be able to host a benefit concert and guest speakers in March and plant trees in April.

Sharon Woods, employee of ESU’s payroll department, is retiring after 25 years. Sharon’s last day will be Thursday January 31st.
Jenny Pendarvis/The Bulletin

She worked in accounting on campus for five years before moving to the payroll office in 1992, and after 25 years of service at Emporia State, Sharon Woods, payroll director, will retire at the end of January.

“Sharon Woods is very personable, very congenial,” said Diana Kuhlmann, associate vice president of Fiscal Affairs and director of the Budget Office. “I think she is very dedicated. She has a strong work ethic, and she does what needs to (be done to) get the job done. I am very pleased with Sharon’s performance.”

Woods said she considers the payroll staff her ESU family and that it has been a good experience working as a team. She also received her MBA here.

When Woods first started working in payroll, she just used paper and pencils, and over the years, she has witnessed firsthand the changes in technology, which have sometimes been challenging to adapt to.

“The system the government uses is very complex. It’s never been static,” Woods said. “That’s the hardest thing – trying to keep up on all the regulations changing from pay period to pay period.”

Kuhlmann said it takes a very patient personality to work in payroll because people often have questions about their paychecks and benefits and that Woods does a “terrific job.”

“Sometimes people are really unhappy with the things they are asking about,” Kuhlmann said. “So, having patience and working through those issues, being able to provide information, being congenial are good qualities that Sharon has. She handles the interpersonal relationships, as well the payroll issues very well.”

Woods said she would miss her “ESU family” since she has worked with her colleagues for such a long time.

“It takes a team to get the payroll done,” Woods said. “It’s just been a great place to work.”

Jennifer Felix, senior music major, who has worked with Woods since July 2012, said Woods has been a “fantastic boss” and that she will be sad to see her go.

“Sharon’s work ethic impressed me a lot,” Felix said. “What she puts back into work is just a great example to us (of) what an employer should be. I just learned to take every problem that comes at you and just deal with the problem you have – use the best of your ability.”

Woods said after retiring she will relax and do things like take a cruise with her family to Alaska next summer. After that, she will reevaluate what she will do next.

There will be a reception in honor of Woods from 3 to 5 p.m. Jan. 28 in Plumb Hall.

Tina McIver, Santa Fe Trail-USD 434 Gifted Facilitator communicate with team member how to successfully implementing literature circles to teach for students. 22 participants attended this event on Friday January at Jones Institute for education excellence the earl center.
Yohan Kim/The Bulletin

In addition to the notoriety of Emporia State’s education program and Teachers College, ESU is home to the Jones Institute for Educational Excellence, a program dedicated to providing workshops for teachers and helping them to learn about changes in the field. This year, the Jones Institute continues its work, providing 13 day-long workshops for current educators.

The first workshops, held last Friday at the Earl Center, opened with a quote from Carol Hailey McLean, reading and language arts resource specialist for Shawnee Mission: “Learning is not a spectator sport.”

McLean said students must be actively involved in a class to learn and that class was too often “all about the teachers.”

The workshop’s focus, using literary circles to teach common core standards, drew 22 educators, representing 15 different districts in Kansas.

McLean has led about 25 workshops for the Jones Institute, including several on common core standards over the past year, and over the past year, but she said this was her first time leading this particular workshop. McLean said during the summer and fall, program coordinators asked for input from attendees, and one of the requests was to cover using reading circles and the common core.

Lucie Eusey, interim director of conference and workshops, said the event was a way for educators to experience professional development opportunities, as well as utilize activities regarding common core standards.

“If they are applied correctly, there is more freedom in the way for teachers to set the approach or curriculum,” Eusey said, “(and) there is more freedom than there is in the current set of standards and No Child Left Behind.”

Attendees were given a list of different activities dealing with common core standards and were then encouraged to discuss the merits of each.

Susan Dringenberg, instructional coach in Parsons, attended the workshop. Dringenberg said she was most excited about the activities that were presented and being led by someone who had a functional background in education. She also said the focus of the activities was to promote student thinking, rather than being directed in rote memorization and test teaching that was popular during NCLB.