The Senate Executive Committee

Faculty – Ray Davis, chair; Mark Ezell, Susan Twombly, Joe Sicilian, Steve Shawl, Jill Kleinberg, Lloyd Sponholtz (non-voting); UPSA representative – Pam Houston; Classified Senate representative – Bev Koerner. Governance Staff – Molly Mulloy (non-voting).

I. Background

On September 16, 2003, Athletic Director Lew Perkins met with SenEx and explained that he had plans to implement a point system both to raise funds for KU athletics and to determine seating locations for members of the general public with season tickets. (The “point system plan” does not apply to faculty and staff). Implementing this plan – even though the specifics were yet to be determined – meant that virtually everyone with season tickets would have different seat locations. Since his plans meant that faculty and staff seat locations would change, he proposed that SenEx be involved in developing the new ticket/seating plan for faculty/staff attending men’s basketball games in Allen Fieldhouse. FacEx (with a representative of unclassified and classified staff) has met on numerous occasions to debate and discuss the myriad issues associated with a new plan. FacEx also met once with the faculty members on the KU Athletic Board, met three times with KUAC administrators, and consulted twice with University Council.

FacEx’s rationale for accepting the offer from AD Perkins was a belief that governance (elected representatives of faculty and unclassified and classified staff) would develop a plan based on non-monetary fairness.

Negotiations between FacEx and the Athletic Department resulted in an agreement where almost all of the faculty/staff seats will be in the 1^st and 2^nd tiers of the Field House, moving approximately 900 faculty/staff seats, currently in the 3^rd tier to the 1^st and 2^nd tiers. In addition, the Athletic Department allocated approximately 200 new seats for persons who do not currently have season tickets.

The goal of the proposed seating policy, approved by FacEx on 2/10/04, was to balance the interests of current season-ticket holders with those seeking the opportunity to purchase tickets anew. In order to obtain feedback from both season ticket holders and non-holders, a survey was sent to all faculty/staff on both the Lawrence and KU Medical Center campuses, and to retirees. The results of that survey are arrayed below.

II. Results of the Basketball Survey sent to Faculty and Staff on the Lawrence and KU Medical Center campuses

In early December, the Office of University Governance sent a 5-question survey to approximately 6,082 faculty and staff on the Lawrence and Medical Center campuses to ascertain the level of demand for KU basketball tickets. The survey was designed to help construct an allocation system that is both fair and responsive. A total of 1,085 responses were received by the deadline. Both current season-ticket holders and non ticket-holders were asked if they would be interested in 16-game tickets, 8-game, or 4-game ticket packages.

Of the 272 responses received from current season ticket holders, 252 (93%) wanted 16-game sets, 16 wanted 8-game sets, and 2 wanted a 4-game set. Two persons who currently have season tickets reported that they would not purchase them in the future.

Of the 479 responses from non-ticket holders who want tickets, 135 persons (28%) wanted full 16-game sets, 103 persons (22%) wanted 8-game sets, and a surprising 241 persons (50%) were interested in 4-game packages.

There were also 334 responses from non-ticket holders who are they are not interested in purchasing tickets in the future.

The survey suggests that new ticket holders, making application for the newly available 200+ seats, prefer 4-game packages. This preference means that more persons who want to attend games will be able to do so.

III. Five-Year Agreement between SenEx and the KUAC re Faculty and Staff Seating in Allen Fieldhouse for men’s basketball games beginning with academic year 2004-05.

1. SenEx will provide recommendations to KUAC for allocating 1,822 seats for faculty, staff, and retired faculty/staff in the Field House, with responsibility for implementation of the recommendations for the seating requirements by KUAC.

2. KUAC will provide notice to SenEx and solicit comments in the event the recommendations cannot be implemented.

3. SenEx and KUAC agree that staff and faculty members obtaining ticketed seating in the areas specified by this agreement shall pay only the staff and faculty discounted ticket price for a maximum of two seats per individual, and that staff and faculty members need not be members of or contributors to the Williams Fund or other organizations in order to obtain tickets and seating in these areas.

4. This arrangement will be effective for a term of five years beginning with the 2004- 2005 academic year and ending with the 2008-2009 academic year, and it is renewable in five- year increments upon written agreement between SenEx and the Athletics Director.

5. The recommendations of SenEx shall be for seating in the following areas:

Sections D (52 seats) and Dl (46 seats); Sections 2 (223) and 3 (226); Sections K (52) and Kl (46); Sections 9 (222) and 10 (224); Sections P (52) and PI (46);

Sections 13 (223) and 14 (222); Section Q -12 premium seats in row behind visitors bench

* 176 seats in the lowest rows in the 3^rd tier immediately behind Sections 2, 3, 9, 10, 13, and 14.

Total: 1,822

6. Postseason tickets for faculty and staff will be handled as they have in the past.

7. A waiting list for faculty and staff seating will be established and administered by KUAC with seats located by policy based on recommendations to be provided by SenEx. Seats for present season ticket holders will be assigned by a system to be recommended by SenEx and implemented by KUAC prior to June 2004.

IV. The SenEx Plan for Faculty & Staff with Discounted Tickets

General policies:

Only faculty and staff who are full-time, on phased retirement, retirees of the University, or surviving spouses/partners of 2003/04 season ticket holders may be ticket holders.
For three-quarter-, half- or quarter-season game packages[1], the specific games in each package will be determined by the Athletic Department; persons may not choose a package consisting of specific games.
SenEx will appoint a 3-person committee to interpret and oversee implementation of faculty/staff basketball ticket policies and procedures.

Allocation of Tickets:

2003/04 Season Ticket Holders:

May purchase full season, three-quarter-, half-, or quarter-season ticket packages in the 2004-05 season and consecutive seasons when payment is made on time.
If a 2003-04 current season ticket holder opts for a three-quarter-, half-, or quarter-season package in 2004-05 or thereafter, he/she may only renew that package or a lesser package.
May renew up to two tickets annually, but no more than the number currently held.
Surviving spouses/partners of 2003/04 season ticket holders may purchase up to two tickets for three years, beginning with the season after the death of the employee.

Non-2003/04 Ticket Holders:

Eligible faculty/staff/retirees who did not hold 2003-04 season tickets may chose to participate in a lottery to be conducted every two years.

Seat Location:

The list of 2003/04 season ticket holders and lottery winners will be provided by the KUAC to the University Governance Office, who will validate each employee’s seniority status.
Seat location will be determined by seniority based on University service. Seats will be assigned to 2003-04 season-ticket holders with full-, three-quarter-, half-, and quarter-season tickets, and lottery winners, apportioned equally based on seniority.
The KUAC’s letter to 2003-04 season ticket holders will include an estimate of seat location.
Seat location is subject to change every two years.

Section Q:

Section Q’s 12 seats will be made available for purchase, in pairs, equally divided among faculty/unclassified staff/classified staff on a per game basis.
All faculty/staff will be invited yearly to participate in a voluntary lottery, by letter from the Office of University Governance, with the drawing conducted by representatives of UPSA, the Classified Senate, and the Faculty Senate.
A list of winners for each game shall be sent by University Governance to the KUAC, who shall handle billing and distribution for Section Q tickets.

Lottery Rules:

After allocation to 2003/04 season ticket holders, all remaining season tickets go into the pool to be awarded by lottery every other year.
Lottery winners are limited to two tickets per employee/retiree.

· All lottery tickets will be available in quarter-season packages.

· If not all tickets are purchased by lottery participants the first time through the list, lottery participants may purchase a second quarter-season package using the same ranking as in the first lottery, and so on, until all tickets are sold.

Season tickets (full, three-quarter-, half-, or quarter-season packages) that become available because of attrition or death shall go into the lottery pool at the end of the season.
Ticket packages that become available before the next lottery will be offered to the next person(s) on the previous lottery list (the “waiting list”).
Persons must indicate their desire to participate in each lottery.

[1] In those seasons when the number of home games is not evenly divisible by four, the Athletic Department will make the closest approximation it can when creating thee-quarter, half-, and quarter-season packages. If necessary, staff of the Athletic Department may consult with the University Senate Basketball Ticket Committee.