WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26, 2001
CAREERS & MAJORS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 5B
Study abroad expands horizons
By Denene Brox Kansan correspondent
Whether their goal is to gain language skills or to learn more about other cultures, students who study abroad rarely return disappointed.
Elisa Nelson, Houston senior, spent the 1999-2000 academic year in Valparaiso, Chile. Nelson is a Spanish and Latin American studies major who welcomed the opportunity to travel and sharpen her Spanish skills.
"I chose this program because I wanted to go somewhere that is different from where everyone else usually goes, somewhere less touristy." Nelson said.
She said the experiences offered by study abroad programs could benefit any student.
"I think that spending a year abroad is beneficial in too many ways to count," Nelson said. "It makes a person more open to new and different ways of life and also teaches one to better understand their own culture."
Studying abroad offers countless benefits, said Beau Pritchett, senior program coordinator for the Office of Study Abroad.
about the U.S. They see our country, our culture from another perspective."
"People have different reasons for going abroad and appreciate different aspects of our programs," Pritchett said. "I think it's interesting that people learned a lot about themselves and a lot
Information about programs abroad is available in the Office of Study Abroad at 108 Lippincott Hall. There, students can meet with trained peer counselors who have studied abroad. Or, they can visit the office's Web site (www.ku.edu/~osa), which has a listing of programs, information and applications to download. Another option is to go to a study abroad fair on campus. The next fair is scheduled for November.
Although some students shy away from study abroad because of the perceived extra cost, many are surprised to learn that studying overseas may not be much more expensive than studying in Lawrence.
Pritchett said students would probably spend more money on personal items such as souvenirs. Both the Office of Student Financial Aid and the study abroad office offer scholarships.
Although the University is involved with programs in 55 countries, the more traditional destinations are in Western Europe — England, France and Spain. Students also can travel as far as Australia, Japan and Hong Kong.
n Contact Brox at 864-4810
Therapists use power of music to heal
By Stephen Shupe Kansan correspondent
Ine University of Kansas' Music Education and Music Therapy division in the School of Fine Arts offers students the opportunity to help others through the healing power of music.
Music therapists use the piano, the guitar or dance to work with patients. Patients range in age from the elderly to children, and from people with mental handicaps to those with social anxieties.
The profession is designed for those with musical abilities who
want to help people with nonmusical disabilities, said Cynthia Colwell, assistant professor of music and dance.
Music therapists help patients with methods specifically tailored to each patient's needs.
Colwell said when working with a child diagnosed with cerebral palsy, for instance, a music therapist would come up with a program to help with walking problems.
"They might have the child step to the beat of the music, or even come up with an appropriate dance routine," Colwell said.
Work in music therapy also is used for developing nonphysical abilities. Piano teacher Melinda Schick, now enrolled as an undergraduate at the University, volunteered to work under doctoral student Kyung S. Kim to soothe her anxieties about performing for a large audience.
Though Colwell estimated only 180 students were enrolled in the major, a high demand for music therapists exists in the work force.
concentrate on the performance."
KU was the first school to offer classes on the study of music's influence on human behavior, and continues to set the bar for other programs across the nation. KU is one of 12 schools in the country that offer a National Association of Music Therapy-approved master's program.
"The program involved a lot of improvisation," Schick said. "We learned to tell stories through music, how to relax through visualization. If you can visualize something that takes your mind off the idea that, 'Oh my gosh, I'm nervous,' it can help to calm you down and leaves you to
n Contact Shupe at 864-4810
New transfer system saves some schools from shutting doors
The Associated Press
LINCOLN, Neb. — Fourteen years ago, David Byrnes had a discussion with a friend about how hard it is for private schools to collect tuition.
Byrnes took it to heart. His Lincoln firm, FACTS Tuition Management, expects to collect $1 billion next year for its school clients.
Byrnes, president and CEO, said the company retains more than 99 percent of its client schools from year to year.
Many schools turn to FACTS when it seems they are close to shutting their doors, he said.
The company operates an electronic transfer system to collect tuition payments for clients, which range from small, rural parochial schools to urban universities in all 50 states.
The firm collects by electronically deducting payments from parents' bank accounts twice a month. FACTS then disbursees payments to the school 10 days later.
For schools, Byrnes said, benefits include predictable income, less paperwork and
up-to-date information on payments.
For parents, the arrangement provides more flexibility and fewer hassles.
When Byrnes and partner Stan Phillips founded FACTS in 1987, they ran the company from Byrnes' basement with a lot of help from his wife, Libby.
Now, the company takes up the third floor of the East Lincoln US Bank Building, as well as some offices on the fourth floor.
When the company was born, there were two others already in the business, but they worked only with colleges and universities.
FACTS initially stuck with elementary and secondary schools, and made heavy use of electronic transfer.
The other firms sent customers payment coupons, and the customers were asked to send monthly checks.
FACTS was a pioneer of electronic transfer, and Byrnes admits that some were hesitant to use it. But, he said, by continuing to pay attention to accuracy, the company has flourished.
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