Officials have been active in Topeka to ensure university assets are protected and to show KU fosters an open academic environment.

The university is backing SB332, which would allow KU to purchase insurance to cover major assets, and the Government Relations Office has stated an academic bill of rights is not necessary.

Self insurance

Theresa Klinkenberg, chief business and financial planning officer, testified Feb. 3 before the Senate Education Committee in support of SB332.

The bill would allow universities to purchase insurance for valuable assets. Under current law, the university can only insure certain items, such as books at the University Press, airplanes and a few other items.

Everything else is self insured. Under the self insurance plan, if equipment were damaged or destroyed, funds to replace it must be taken from the operating budget.

Some of the more expensive research equipment the university owns is insured because the bonds that financed their purchase are still outstanding. When they mature, KU would not be authorized to purchase insurance for them.

"The university has invested heavily in research equipment in recent years – an 800 megahertz nuclear magnetic resonance imaging system, a proteomics analyzer and other equipment that is critical to cancer and biosciences research," Klinkenberg said in her testimony. "The university will not have the authority to insure the equipment and will risk losing several millions of dollars in research grants if the equipment is damaged and cannot be replaced (when bonds mature)."

Keith Yehle, director of Government Relations, said the bill passed the committee on a voice vote and is now on the Senate calendar. No action has been taken yet.

If the bill passed, KU could evaluate the possibility of insuring certain assets without legislative permission.

"This would give us the ability to look at the assets we have, get insurance prices and do a cost/benefit analysis," Klinkenberg said.

Academic bill of rights

Earlier this month, the House Appropriations Committee requested the introduction of HCR5035, a resolution stating universities and colleges should adopt an academic bill of rights.

Academic bills of rights have been introduced in states such as Pennsylvania and claim there is a liberal political bias on college campuses. The bill of rights would require all points of view to be heard.

KU officials say such a bill is not necessary because the university welcomes all points of view.

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor David Shulenburger pointed to the KU mission statement to show all views are welcome.

A portion of the statement says, "(The university) fosters a multicultural environment in which the dignity and rights of the individual are respected. Intellectual diversity, integrity and disciplined inquiry in the search for knowledge are of paramount importance."

"I think there are all sorts of indicators that all sides are represented here at the university," Shulenburger said.