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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2009
WWW.KANSAN.COM
ADMINISTRATION
VOLUME 120 ISSUE 115
Chancellor names interim provost
BY BRIANNE
PFANNENSTIEL
bpfannenstiel@aarsan.com
Chancellor Robert Hemenway named Joseph Steinmetz, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as interim provost on Monday in an effort to create a smooth transition of leadership this summer.
Steinmetz will work with current Provost Richard Lariiviere, who will be leaving the University effective July 1, to take a position as president at the University of Oregon
INFUSING CULTURES
Steinmetz
Lynn Bretz, director of communications for the University of Kansas, said Steinmetz was chosen after Hemenway met with various groups on campus and discussed how to best transition between leadership.
Steinmetz will be responsible for balancing his duties as CLAS dean and interim provost. As dean of the college, Steinmetz said, he focuses his attention on faculty, students and staff within the 53 departments that make up the college. He said that in addition to attending to those needs, he would now have to address the needs and issues facing all other academic units on campus as well as the operation of several campus offices that provide services to students and faculty.
"In balancing my dean and interim provost duties, I will be very dependent on assistance from the outstanding associate deans with whom I work in the college, as well as the vice provosts and their staff members," Steinmetz said. "With this assistance, I believe I can provide the attention that is needed and deserved in the college and the rest of campus."
"It is no secret the biggest challenges we face right now are budgetary in nature," Steinmetz said. "With change in leadership, however, also comes opportunities for the campus to hear new ideas and insights and to build on the solid foundations and history of KU."
The appointment comes at a unique time at the University as it faces financial shortfalls as well as transitions in leadership for both the chancellor and provost positions. However, Steinmetz said he was confident the University would work through these difficult times.
Bretz said Steinmetz would work with Lariviere to ensure a seamless transition. She said the new chancellor, who is expected to take the job on July 1, would have the opportunity to name the next provost. However, she
SEE PROVOST ON PAGE 3A
Internationally known film and opera diector Chen Shi Zheng practices an acting exercise with students in John Staniunas' Creative Campus class Monday morning in Murphy Hall, Chen, who is visiting the University for the week, will be giving lectures and working with several master's classes throughout the week. He will also screen his film "Dark Matter," starring Meryl Streep, at 6:30 tonight in Budig Hall.
Director works with students
Chen Shi-Zheng is known for his work combining Chinese and Western styles
BY JENNIFER TORLINE jtorline@kansan.com
Internationally known opera and film director Chen Shi-Zheng is visiting the University this week to interact with students and talk about some of his recent work.
Chen has worked with celebrities such as Meryl Streep and the rock band Gorillaz. He will also screen his award-winning 2007 film "Dark Matter" during his week-long residency at the University.
"I'm curious to see the students and what they see in the future and how they get their inspiration," Chen said.
Cheen's visit is part of the Univer
sity's Chinese Artists and Professionals in Residence Program, said William Tsutsui, associate dean for international studies. The visit is funded by a grant from the Freeman Foundation to the Center for East Asian Studies.
"The goal is to expose KU students and faculty, as well as the larger community, to some of the most imaginative and dynamic people from China," Sutsui said.
During his time at the University, Chen will participate in directing, acting and scenography classes with the department of theatre and film.
On Monday, Chen worked with students in associate professor John
Stanitumas' acting classes. Chen focused on movement and gesture control during the classes, Spencer Holdren, Topeka senior, said.
"It was awesome because we got to explore certain exercises in Japanese Noh theater, which requires extreme physical control and is a genre of theater we don't usually get to use," Holden said.
Chen will screen his film "Dark Matter" on Tuesday and give a lecture about his work as a director on Thursday. These two events are free and open to the public.
"One of the reasons that we bring people here is for our community to experience more about what the artist thinks about their own work,"
"DARK MATTER"
WHAT: A screening of Chen's 2007 award-winning film. Chen will lead a discussion following the film.
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. today
WHERE: Room 110, Budig Hall
"BEYOND BOUNDARIES"
WHAT: Beyond Boundaries: the Contemporary works of director Chen Shi-Zheng is a lecturer by Chen about his work as an opera and film director
Stanianas said. "It's nice to have the artist there to talk about the work."
WHEN: 4:30 p.m. Thursday
WHERE: Crafton-Preyer
Theatre, Murphy Hall
Chen said one of the goals of ms work was to get young people involved in theater and to help opera
SEE CHEN ON PAGE 3A
become part of their lives.
He is known for his creation of the circus opera, which Chen
CAMPUS
Writing center reports higher spring numbers
BY KAYLA REGAN
kregan@kansan.com
Despite fluctuating numbers in past semesters, the KU Writing Center has seen consistent use of its writing roosts this year, especially in the residence
In Fall 2007, consultants working in residence halls held 81 writing sessions. That number dropped to 61 sessions in Spring 2008 but then increased again last fall, with 205 residence hall writing roost sessions.
who used the center's services has been high during the fall semester but decreased in the spring.
"This is when students are beginning end-of-semester papers and really take advantage of our services."
Terese Thonus, director for the KU Writing Center, said for the past five years the number of freshmen
This spring, though, the number of residence hall writing roost sessions hasn't shown signs of slowing. During the last six weeks
of school, consultants held 36 sessions with students in the six residence hall writing center roosts — more than half the number of sessions during the entire Spring 2008 semester.
writing roost sessions
TERESE THONUS
KU Writing Center director
Thonus said that the 26 writing center consultants should expect to give students more help than usual during this semester's midterms.
Given the increased number.
"Around midterm time is when many professors who are assigning papers in stages are asking for a proposal or an outline," Thomas said. "This is when students are beginning end-of-semester papers and really take advantage of our services."
Corbin Hall, which opened the latest residence hall writing roost last spring, has had 24 tutoring sessions in its first semester, more than any other residence hall writing roost that semester.
Sarah Sommer, Fredonia sophomore, lived in Corbin last year and said she sought help from the center before turning in her first college paper. Although she wasn't disappointed with the advice she received, Sommer said it would still
Tyler Waugh XANSA Kate Feller, I enexa freshman, received help from the writing center Sunday in McCollum Hall. She was working on a paper for her Understanding the Bible class.
Tyler Waugh/KANSAN
SEE WRITING ON PAGE 3A
index
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All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2009 The University Daily Kansan
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