SPECIAL REPORT: NATIONWIDE DROUGHT AFFLICTS MURRAY STATE The Murray State News August 31, 2012 TheNews.org Vol. 88, No. 3 Students, administrators disconnect on financial aid Chris Wilcox In an online article last week on pleted everything on time this year, director of Enrollment Management, Lori Mitchum, director of the Of- News Editor thenews.org, “Students, administra- and compared that data with the already addressed the issue. In a pre- fice of Financial Aid/Scholarships, tors disagree on financial aid at se- number of students last year. The re- vious interview with Dietz, he said if said Wednesday, there were 877 stu- In the weeks following the start of mester’s start,” students’ testimonials sults have indicated there have been a student applied for aid late, for dents that have completed their the fall semester, students and admin- showed a series of problems they more students to complete this year, whatever reason, it didn’t matter. He FAFSA, been selected for verification, istrators have been faced with a costly claimed to face. One issue was a fear than the last. said verification might take a while, but have yet to provide the informa- disconnect. of their paperwork not being com- Denton said 89 students were so the office wasn’t going to purge tion required by the office. Students have complained to the pleted on time. purged on the second round, half the those in verification. He said that did- “Verification can only be com- administration about issues involving Tom Denton, vice president of Fi- number of purges at the same time n’t seem fair. pleted once all documents have been the Office of Financial Aid/Scholar- nance and Administrative Services, last year. The office did purge those who did received from the student,” she said. ships and the verification of their aid said the numbers disprove that fear. Students have also voiced concern not fufill their own obligations, such Students selected by the depart- by the Kentucky Higher Education He said the office has tracked the over being purged because of delayed as turning in additional documents or Assistance Authority. number of students who have com- verification, but Fred Dietz, executive accepting awards and signatures. see DISCONNECT, 3A Murray State revises student worker policy Edward Marlowe Staff writer Almost 95 percent of University students re- ceive some form of financial aid, usually com- ing in the form of Federal Work Study, scholarship obligations, student employment or other campus career opportunities. In order to maximize earning power and help afford the rising costs of education, many students sought employment in multiple de- partments or conducted research. So when the Kentucky Employees Retire- ment System (KERS) spent this past summer creating and enforcing laws requiring student workers to maintain 20 hours or less of cam- pus employment through one department, sev- eral departments lost part-time assistants as soon as the semester began. The College of Science and Engineering, the Office of Dining Services and Racer Hospital- ity and the journalism and mass communica- tion department were among the hardest hit, as lab technicians, cartoonists, advertising sales representatives and cafeteria workers had to choose between multiple campus jobs in order to meet regulations. Through careful research and legal circum- vention, however, campus officials have re- Photos by Austin Ramsey/The News vised the student employment guidelines High temperatures and low rainfall totals over the summer months rendered much of the Murray State row crops almost devastated. regarding hours of work in order to better ac- commodate student and faculty needs and to maintain stability in the campus workforce. University crops destroyed by scarce rain Vice President of Student Affairs Don Robertson, in conjunction with Bonnie Hig- Austin Ramsey the crops. In fact, if we get any ginson, vice president of Academic Affairs and Editor-in-Chief more rainfall from here on out, it Tom Hoffacker, director of human resources, won’t help the crops.” collaborated efforts and constructed new cam- David Ferguson measures rain. For much of June and July, the pus guidelines in order to comply with the reg- Not everywhere, as the agron- dry weather was a major concern ulations, but still allow omy professor’s detailed log books for farmers and government agen- students to hold multiple have been replaced with more pre- cies in Calloway County. Little rain positions on campus. cise weather stations at most Uni- left field brush and wheat fields sit- “The revised policy al- versity farms, but still at the most ting targets in the summer heat, lows students to hold up to recently added land to the Murray and Calloway County Fire-Rescue two on-campus positions as State collection, Ferguson or a squads responded to more fires long as they don’t exceed graduate student will run outside than ever before. One week, in fact, the maximum 20 hours per and check a classic weather gauge, firefighters responded to a blaze al- week,” Higginson said. “It eyeing the cylindrical tube with most every day, leading Calloway will particularly help the markings for the most detailed ac- County Judge-Executive Larry college of Science, Engi- count of when the skies open up. Elkins to issue a countywide burn neering and Technology Bonnie These days, his log books, which ban only days before the Fourth of where they have many lab Higginson he keeps in a neat pile in the van he July. That rendered most private assistants and lab workers Vice President of uses to drive around the county to firework shows silent. who work five, six and Academic Affairs the different Hutson School of The drought did not go without seven hours a week.” Agriculture farms, have gone un- notice, however. Crop insurance Through the newly drafted policy, there are touched for days —weeks even—on agencies were in high demand this two new employment classifications: student end. A dust has settled on the David Ferguson, agronomy professor, demonstrates a drought’s effects on soybeans. year, giving some afflicted farmers workers and student temporaries. Each has its books and the gauges for which were increasing in visibility when roughly 32 inches of rain,” he said. in the region a bit of last-minute own set of rules to help maintain regulations they account. Ferguson has taken the rain slowed in early May. “So, we are about 13 inches below hope as shriveling corn crops and enforced by KERS. little notice to the books, though – Drought monitors nationwide indi- average.” pastures looked more and more Student workers are students who work no or the gauges. cated that much of the U.S. has suf- Latest rainfall totals round Mur- dire. Federal work to approve farm more than 20 hours per week or less, and in- He’s just wishing for a little rain. fered from low rain totals since the ray’s ongoing yearly count at just aid moved quicker in Washington, clude University student workers or a combi- Indeed, Murray and its sur- start of the year. less than 20 inches of rain. Last and some farmers were able to use nation of Federal Work Study and University rounding farms in Calloway Justin Holland, National Weather year, at this time, rainfall totaled at domestic aid toward making ends employment totaling 20 hours. Student work- County have not been immune to Service weather observer for the more than double that number, giv- meet or last-ditch efforts to save ers are not permitted to work in more than two the relentless drought plaguing region, said August rain totals are ing the city an almost 2-foot rain their hurt fields. departments per pay period, and a graduate as- most of the middle United States actually up lately, as heavy rains fell deficit on a two-year average. And it is for that reason that Pro- sistant is not permitted to work as a student over the past few months. Dry air for several days as students re- Numbers like those, Holland fessor Ferguson has let wishful worker in the same semester. and high heat have made condi- turned in the middle of the month. said, put the region in a sensitive eyes fall from the sky. To him, and Student temporaries are students who work tions miserable for most of the Unfortunately, he said, the over- position, as much of the rain falling to the acres of row crops dotted more than 20 hours per week, working a max- farm-predominate states this sum- all low numbers for the year, cou- lately can no longer penetrate the around the county at University imum of nine consecutive months but then mer. The impenetrable weather pled with the dry weather keep hardened soil, leaving much of farms, this year’s summer heat was must change their status to student worker. stretches far out into the Pacific Calloway County in a category 4, or Murray’s vegetation at risk of dying devastating. Upon changing their status, the student must Ocean, covering a large swath of exceptional, drought. Holland said before the winter’s freeze. Agriculture students are return- then work a maximum of 20 hours per week for the globe before halting suddenly the U.S. Drought Monitor does not “That is a very significant num- ing or beginning their higher edu- one calendar month or observe a one calendar along the eastern seaboard where even categorize conditions past ber,” Holland said. “It will take us cation studies to a different beat month break. Temporaries are not eligible for summer storms are the story for that in which the region finds itself. months if not one or two years to much of New England.