University Daily Kansan, April 4. 1985
CAMPUS AND AREA
KU, GM take engineers south
By PATRICIA SKALLA Staff Reporter
One summer in Mexico is worth two anywhere in the United States — if you're an engineering student trying to get ahead.
A two-summer internship program offered through the School of Engineering, the department of Spanish and Portuguese and General Motors Corp. has provided KU students such an opportunity for two years.
This year, nine students will spend their first summer in the program living in Guadalajara and learning Spanish. They will work in a GM plant on the U.S.-Mexican border during their second summer.
Rusty McClanahan, GM's representative at the University of Kansas, said students learned more in the GM program than they would in a domestic program because they had more responsibility in foreign plants, where few American supervisors can speak Spanish.
MCLANAHAN SAID THAT during the second summer, students were placed in plants in which they would occupy the same positions as junior engineers employed by GM.
The criteria for the selection of the students are sophomore status in engineering and a cumulative 3.3 GPA. The engineering school screens
the applicants, and GM then interviews them.
David Liewleyl, Danville, Calif., senior, who took part in the program in 1983, said most Americans who worked at the border plants had no understanding of the language or Mexican culture. Although he had studied Spanish, he still found it hard to communicate with some of the employees.
"When you're trying to talk technical, it's a whole new language," he said.
DAVID KRAFT. CIVIL engineering professor, said the program began when he and McClanahan discussed GM's need for engineers who could work in other cultures. Kraft was dean of the engineering school at the time.
school at the base.
McClainah said GM had decided that a program that could educate students about different cultures and give them practical experience as engineers would be invaluable.
engineers During the first summer, each student lives with a family in Guadalajara, said Robert Spires, chairman of the Spanish and Portuguese department. They learn about Mexican culture by living in the homes of Mexican families and taking Spanish classes taught by a KU graduate student.
KC graduate who
Alice Graf, a graduate student who
was the teacher in Guadalajara
in 1933, said. "The first summer is just
exposure to the culture and the language. The second summer, they have the language tools they need to communicate effectively."
DURING THE SCHOOL year before the second summer, the participants enroll in a one-hour Spanish class. The class is designed to help the students learn the technical language they will need the next summer, when they work in the plants.
plants. Spires said the students already had learned the engineering principles in their coursework and only needed to learn to apply the principles in Spanish.
pies in Space. Since the first group of five KU students went to Guadalajara in 1983, the program has become available to students at Oklahoma State University and San Jose State University, McClanahan said. He said he wanted to see more schools offer the same kind of program because the company, as well as the students benefited from it.
Paula Bodine, Topeka senior who participated in the program, said the students grew to understand why many Mexicans viewed U.S. citizens as ugly Americans.
Llewelyn said working in a large corporation like GM gave him practical experience as an engineer. He said he learned things he could not learn from reading a book.
By ANN PETERSON Staff Reporter
Students to dance for degree
For the first time at the University of Kansas, students will be able to dance their way to a degree from the School of Fine Arts.
sarring next year, students who want to study dance will be able to work toward a bachelor of arts degree in dance performance. Before, their only option was a music education, with a major in dance, James Moeser, dean of fine arts, said yesterday.
The Board of Regents last month agreed to have the dance department moved from the School of Education to the School of Fine Arts after the university approved a proposal from the School of Fine Arts for the change.
Students wanting to teach dance still may receive a bachelor of science degree in education, but the School of Education no longer will offer a dance major, Moeser said.
THE CHANGE WILL add credibility to dance majors, helping them find better jobs, Brenda Berg. Hays senior majoring in dance, said yesterday.
"Dance is an art," she said. "It
should have been in the School of Fine Arts in the first place."
Next year, the dance department plans to offer a new curriculum with more dance experiences and emphasis on dance performance.
The dance department will increase its faculty from two to four members. Moeser said. The department also is seeking a faculty member to fill a position which will be open this fall.
This week, the department is interviewing prospective candidates to fill the three job openings in ballet, choreography and part-time dance assistant. Next year's faculty will be determined by next week. Moeser said.
"WE COULD PROVIDE the strongest dance program in the state." Moeser said. "There is an enormous interest in dance here."
New Wichita State University is the only university in Kansas to have its dance program as part of a performing arts school. Moser
At KU, dance always has been considered part of physical education by the health, physical education and recreation department, Mooser said.
Wayne Osness, director of the department, said that because so many of the dance classes had
been directed toward athletes, dance had been considered as physical education. He said the arrangement always didn't be best for dance students, although most universities had similar setups.
MOESER SAID, "IT is hard for the HPER department to focus a lot on dance because it has so many other large programs to work. There are also not enough students." We commode the dance department. "
Jan Hamburg, director of the dance department, said she had wanted dance to be included in the School of Fine Arts for years. She said the recent move would benefit the University.
If the University builds a new performing arts center in the future, Moeser will the dance team serve to reserve space to perform there.
Mosser said the move would bring more money to the School of Fine Arts. Credit hours from the school will be given to will go to the School of Fine Arts.
IN THE DANCE department now, most students who enroll in dance classes have other majors, Moeser said. Since the degree in dance has been changed, many students are changing their minds and choosing a degree in dance.
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