The money that poured into the Kansas University athletic department in the wake of the newly developed priority points system at Allen Fieldhouse caused KUAC employees a headache or two in 2004.
At Tuesday’s KUAC board meeting, athletic department officials took a big step in cleaning up the potential hassle.
Members of the KUAC board approved a measure that would implement a lockbox system for Williams Fund receivables, which will include season-ticket payments and donations. It will result in fewer migraines for KUAC employees, who were forced to sift through and process all incoming checks in 2004.
“It speeds up the process considerably, and it’s a heck of a lot safer,” KU athletic director Lew Perkins said. “It’s just a better way to do business.”
If the system goes into effect as expected, Williams Fund donations and other bills will be sent to a Wichita post office box. The KUAC’s bank will retrieve the contents and process the payments, then send the athletic department a list of what it processed.
The new way of conducting business won’t result in any downsizing of KUAC employees, but it could prevent them from being forced to work overtime, like they did in July after bonus points were up for grabs for Williams Fund members who donated during June. That special offer brought in millions of dollars — and hundreds of extra pieces of mail.
“We couldn’t process them fast enough,” Perkins said.
With less checks to stamp and less mail to sort out, the KUAC can more efficiently tackle other necessary business — like mailing out season tickets and thank-you notes, among other tasks.
For now, the lockbox system will only be for Williams Fund receivables, but it could trickle down into other areas of the athletic department.
Also addressed at the board meeting Tuesday was the state of donations, which Perkins said went extremely well in 2004.
KU still is searching for a major donor for a proposed football facility, and Perkins said he had talked with parties interested in helping complete Arrocha Ballpark, the home of KU softball. A $2 million donation by Cheryl Womack in 2002 built a new field to replace the aging Jayhawk Field, but a lack of funds halted the completion of fan amenities, like permanent seating, concessions and restrooms.
Perkins said he hoped good news on both fronts would come within six to 12 months.
