WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19. 2003
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3A
Professor, program director announces retirement
By Lauren Airey
lairey@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
After 26 years at the University of Kansas, the Honors Program director is retiring.
Barbara Schowen announced Feb. 7 that she would retire from her positions as director of the honors program and professor of chemistry in June. Schowen has served as director of the honors program for seven years and has taught chemistry for 26 years.
Schowen said she was trying to leave the honors program in good shape.
"I hope that we have increased
the visibility of the Honors Program and what it can do for really talented and motivated students," she said.
Kim Wilcox, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said a national search has begun to fill the honors program director position.
"We want the best person. Whether that's from KU or from another institution isn't nearly as important as getting the best person," Wilcox said. "The honors program represents the best of KU. It represents the place where the best students and best professors come together."
As honors program director,
Schowen oversaw the program
for about 1,500 of the University's top undergraduate students in a variety of academic fields.
Students in the honors program must keep a 3.25 grade point average to remain active and are encouraged to enroll in at least one honors course each semester.
The University's honors program began in 1956 with 33 students. When Schowen became director of the program in 1996, the program had 1,079 students. The program included 1,523 students last fall.
Each spring, Schowen and her staff recruit faculty from across the campus to teach 20 tutorial
classes of about 12 to 15 students each. Freshmen in the honors program are required to take a one-credit-hour tutorial course, with subjects varying from KU sports to international literature. The tutorial program began in the 1980s but continues to be an important aspect of the Honors Program.
Schowen also serves as the University's official representative for six nationally competitive scholarships. Schowen and her staff advise students for these competitions and help students apply for other competitive graduate and undergraduate scholarships.
"We always say to our students that it's hard to go through KU with only one adviser. A lot of students collect advisers," Schowen said. "But the tutorial system is still one of our trademarks. It is a way for freshmen to get to know a wonderful faculty member and other honors students."
About 40 students won competitive national scholarships under Schowen's direction.
Daniel Cabacungan, Lincoln,
Neb., senior, worked with
Schowen to complete his applications for the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships.
"I think the fact that there is someone to be a specific contact is more encouraging than just
notifying students about these scholarships," Cabacungan said. "She did a really excellent job in helping students prepare for scholarships, and I hope whoever comes in will be able to follow in her footsteps and help people."
Although Schowen looks forward to traveling with her husband and spending time with her grandchildren, she also looks forward to attending more University activities.
"I joke that I'm going to clean out my basement." Schowen said. "But my second grandchild will be born so I'll probably spend time with that child."
KUnited's platform promotes diversity on campus
Edited by Julie Jantzer
By Henry C. Jackson
cjjackson@kansan.com
cjkanan staff writer
Minority groups and the KUnited student government coalition gathered Friday at the Multicultural Resource Center to discuss minority issues on campus.
The meeting's focus—reaction to The University Daily Kansas's decision to run a satire article about eating dog meat to celebrate the Vietnamese new year—may have been less important than who organized the meeting.
Andy Knopp, Manhattan junior and potential student body presidential candidate for the KUnited coalition, and Catherine Bell, Coffeyville junior and potential student body vice presidential candidate, hosted what
was essentially a town hall meeting. While the meeting may or may not prove useful in avoiding future problems between minority groups and the Kansan, one point was made clear: As KUnited tries to maintain its majority rule in the Student Senate, minority issues will be a major focal point.
"We noticed it was really easy for coalitions to run on a platform that promotes diversity," Bell said. "We just decided actions speak louder than words."
Student body president Jonathan Ng and student body vice president Loren Malone focused last year's KUnited campaign on pursuing a new Multicultural Resource Center on campus. While progress has undoubtedly been made — a resolution to build a new multicultural resource center recently
passed in the Senate and now the project awaits funding — Knopp concedes that many hurdles still need to be cleared before the project can become a reality.
"I think you can look at KUnited and say that we've followed through," Knopp said. "But if progress isn't continued, I think it'd be fair to say we are a failure."
While KUnited's apparent commitment has been met with mostly positive response among minority groups, some leaders are still skeptical. C'Nea Hatches, Valapraiso, Ind., sophomore and the vice president of the Black Student Union, said she would take a wait-and-see approach in judging KUnited's commitment to multicultural issues.
"I don't know whether it's for political reasons or whether they are genuinely concerned," said
Hatches of KUnited's increased visibility at minority events in recent weeks. "Something that would change my mind is if they got really active about it, not now, but after the election."
What makes KUnited's focus on diversity more interesting is the perception that the coalition's chief rival for power in Student Senate, the Delta Force coalition, has built its reputation on bringing together an eclectic and diverse group of people. Karen Keith, who ran for student body president as a member of the Delta Force coalition last year, said she thought that KUnited's multicultural focus was the product of a gradual shift.
"I think that it is somewhat of a break from the tradition of the party that opposes Delta Force," Keith, Tulsa, Okla., senior said.
Drew Thomas, Hays senior
and potential Delta Force candidate for student body president, said KUnited's plan to run on a multicultural platform was "fine because they did it last year" but questioned the plan's effectiveness.
"I don't know if they're just looking to get votes, or they're taking on an issue they take to heart," Thomas said. "It's one of those things where you don't know if they're doing it to get votes or it's something they believe in."
Melanie Weiser, Dallas junior and Hispanic American Leadership Organization's president, said she did not doubt KUnited's dedication to minority issues.
"I know last year they kept every promise they made to HALO." she said. "I know my members feel more informed."
Mark Dupree, Kansas City,
Kan., junior and Black Student Union president, said his primary concern was not who or how multicultural issues were brought out, as long as the issues were raised.
"Regardless of what it takes to get it out, you get it out," Dupree said. "Sometimes you ride its back, sometimes it rides yours."
Knopp, for his part, acknowledges that skeptics will not be satisfied with a lot of talk and an increased presence at minority events in the election campaign.
Instead, he offers a simple promise for those who doubt KUnited will maintain its commitment to multicultural issues: "Take my word for it: I'll be there."
Edited by Julie Jantzer