KU Student Senate seeks 80% budget cut for the University Daily Kansan

The University of Kansas Student Senate proposed an 80% budget cut for the student-run newspaper, the University Daily Kansan.

Lindsay Ryan / Students support the University Daily Kansan with handmade signs at the KU vs. Colorado men’s basketball game on Feb. 11, the day after the Senate Fee Committee proposed the 80% funding cut.

The Kansan has been around since 1904 and considers itself the voice of the University of Kansas. Just this past August, the University Daily Kansan (UDK) could start paying 16 of its staff members $12.50 an hour. Now, only five months later the senate wants to cut their budget by 80%.

This comes from the Senate Fee Committee, a subgroup of Student Senate that reviews how required student fees should be allocated each year.

This academic school year, 2024-2025, each student paid $522.05 in annual student fees that are included in their tuition. Out of that money, $3.64 of it went to the UDK budget, allowing previous volunteer editorial staff positions to become paid. With the 80% cut in funding, the proposed rate would mean that each student would only pay 75 cents toward the UDK.

Editor-In-Chief Courtney Lane said the turnover rate at the paper was high due to the lack of paid positions at the newspaper, hindering the team’s success. Staff members were working part-time jobs in addition to contributing 10-plus hours into the paper each week.

“We were barely surviving,” Lane said.

The community has rallied around the UDK, showing support for the student newspaper by creating signs and holding them up at the KU vs. Colorado men’s basketball game, on Feb. 11. As well as signing an online petition created by UDK staff that as of today is up to 7,966 signatures.

Lane said her team is amazed by the support they have received.

“It means the world to me that people do still really care about journalism and about student journalism and in this day in age to see that. Speechless. Speechless,” Lane said.

The student fee bill was rejected by the Student Senate Finance Council on Feb. 12, which means that the committee will go back and review the budget.

KUJH News reached out to Student Body President, DaNae Estabine for comment. Estabine said that no specifics on the deliberation from fee review can be disclosed.

The next proposed budget will be presented on Feb. 26 at the finance council meeting.