KU News Release

Media advisory: Regents, legislators to take building maintenance backlog tour

WHAT: The Kansas Board of Regents will host a working lunch and tour of the University of Kansas campus for 20 legislators and candidates to discuss higher education funding and specifically deferred maintenance issues.

WHEN: The tour begins at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, in Malott Hall on KU’s Lawrence campus. Meet at Room 3005. Malott is between Wescoe and Haworth halls.

THE TOUR: Leaky and rusty labs and other high-tech equipment, an undulating floor, condemned fume hoods, water damage, eroding walkways and stairs, leaning and separating walls and the 106-year-old utility tunnels underneath campus.

WHO: Regents president Reggie Robinson and board members, KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway and other university and student leaders.

Legislators and candidates attending:

Johnson County: State Sens. John Vratil, Nick Jordan, Karin Brownlee and Dennis Wilson; State Reps. Kevin Yoder and Ray Merrick

Reno County: State Rep. Mike O’Neal

Shawnee County: State Sens. Vicki Schmidt and Laura Kelley (also represents Wabaunsee County); State Reps. Mike Burgess and Vaughn Flora; House candidate Tanya Dorf

Miami County: State Sen. Pat Apple; State Rep. Jene Vickery

Douglas County: State Sen. Marci Francisco; State Reps. Paul Davis, Tom Holland, Barbara Ballard, Joe Humerickhouse (also represents part of Osage County); House candidate Rick Davis

WHY: Important maintenance needs on the six state university campuses have simply been deferred because of a lack of state funding. The universities now face a daunting and increasingly dangerous maintenance backlog of $584 million — more than $237 million at KU campuses in Lawrence and Kansas City, Kan. — that continues to grow, according to a 2004 Board of Regents report.

To prevent further backlog, $74 million per year is required, without factoring inflation, to adequately maintain the 20 million square feet of university campus buildings. Though the replacement value of these buildings is $3.9 billion, only $15 million was available in fiscal year 2006 for maintenance.

The six Kansas Board of Regents institution campuses account for two-thirds of all state-owned buildings. Many of the campus buildings are historic or aging. The average age of KU’s buildings is 45 years. Twelve buildings are more than 100 years old and 46 are more than 50 years old. Nearly three-quarters of KU’s buildings are more than 20 years old.

Maintenance is important not only for preserving state property and safety of occupants, but campus facilities play a major role in recruiting students to Kansas schools. A 2005 Association of Physical Plant Administrators survey of more than 16,000 college students found that three-quarters said facilities related to their major were extremely or very important in deciding where they would attend college.

More information is available online at www.kansasregents.org/facilities/rehab.html or www.oread.ku.edu/2006/october/23/maintenance.shtml.

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.