tuesday, march 30, 2004
news
the university daily kansan 3A
3A
Tenemos cuatro más profesores
Spanish department hires four professors, but three others plan to retire
By Jodie Kraft
jkraft@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The Spanish department has hired four new professors in an effort to help balance the increasing ratio of students to faculty.
Jorge Pérez, Margot Versteeg, Amy Rossomondo and Robert Bayliss will join the faculty in the fall, bringing the total number of professors in the department to 13. There are currently 347 students majoring in Spanish at the University of Kansas.
But as the four professors come to campus, three professors will be leaving this spring and next fall. Robert Spires and Michael Doudoroff will retire this semester, and George Woodyard will retire in the fall.
Originally there were three faculty positions open, but a fourth position was created for Bayliss because he is Rossomondo's husband, said Danny Anderson, chair of the department.
NEW PROFESSORS FOR SPANISH DEPARTMENT
"He needed a job and we needed someone in that area," Anderson said. "I was very happy
Jorge Pérez, 20th century Spain. Specializes in novels, films, rock music and culture from Spain's Generation X. Currently at Seton Hall University.
Margot Versteeg, 19th century Spain. Specializes in novels, popular culture, drama and operatic theater of the late 19th century. Currently at the University of Utrecht in Holland.
Amy Rossomondo, Spanish Language Pedagogy and Second Language Acquisition. Specializes
in finding effective ways to help language students master the Spanish language. Currently at the University of Miami in Ohio. **Robert Bayliss, Spanish Drama of the Early Modern Period.** Specializes in the traditional discourses of love and individual identity in the late Medieval and Early Modern periods. Currently at the University of Miami in Ohio.
Source: Department of Spanish and Portuguese
to find four faculty members for the three positions."
The new professors will bring different classes to the University of Kansas and more energy to the department, Anderson said.
departure
"They're having the chance to do what's on the cutting edge with their classes," he said.
Anderson said he hoped to post the list of new classes offered on the departmental Web site, www.ku.edu/-spanport, by the end of this week.
Students can see the new classes on the open sections Web site www.opensections.ku.edu, but Anderson said the new professors' names and a more detailed description of classes offered wouldn't be added until the professors are added to the University payroll.
Even though the department is staying steady with about 13 faculty members, the new hires will create a few extra classes, said Jill Kuhnheim, associate chairwoman of the department and
director of undergraduate studies.
"It won't be much easier for people to get 400-level classes this year, although we may be able to offer one more section than we have in the past years," Kuhnheim said.
For Lindsay Phillips, Leawood junior, even one extra class next semester will help tremendously. Phillips is double majoring in Spanish and business and said she had problems enrolling this semester.
Anderson said the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences was supportive with offering positions, but hiring the new professors still didn't solve the problem of the lack of professors. Anderson's goal is to eventually have 18 faculty members in the department.
"I think it's great to widen the options in terms of classes, but for me being a double major, the biggest pull is just having more classes," Phillips said.
"We still need to keep recruiting new faculty members to keep the class sizes where they need to be," Anderson said.
Edited by Joe Hartigan
By Jodie Kraftt
jkraftt@kanans.com
Kansan staff writer
Fraternity members give to homeless
Seven members of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity are trying to experience what it's like to be homeless by sitting on a few blankets that cover the cold concrete.
Today is the second day of the fraternity's two-day service project, Project Homeless Alpha. From 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., members will request money, nonperishable food items and clothing in front of Wescoe Hall.
This is the second year the fraternity has done the project, said Mark Dupree, Kansas City, Kan., senior and the main organizer of the event. Two years ago, members raised $500 for Jubilee Cafe, 1101 Vermont St. Dupree said this year's food and clothing donations will go to the Salvation Army, 946 Vermont St., and any money raised would possibly be divided between the Salvation Army and Jubilee Cafe.
Paula Gilchrist, social service director at the Salvation Army, said KU donations totaled 20 percent to 22 percent of the total.
Dupree said the fraternity did not do the project last year because several of its leaders were graduating. He said he was motivated to bring the project back after seeing several homeless people during a trip to Washington, D.C.
The fraternity also sent letters to student organizations, sororities, fraternities and administrative offices, requesting donations.
Rona Remmie, Kansas City,
Mo., freshman, said she didn't
know about the project, but when
she approached the table on
Wescoe, she donated right away.
"I was taught to give whatever I have to others." Remmie said. "Whether it's a quarter, a dime or a penny, it makes me feel good to help out."
Dupree said his goal was to raise awareness about the homeless. The fraternity handed out statistics about homeless people in different cities. He said the group was expecting the bulk of donations today.
"But even if no one donates, the fact that awareness about the issue is raised is worth it," Dupree said.
Minor helps students see importance of involvement
— Edited by Joe Hartigan
By Rupal Gor
rgor@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
LEADERSHIP CLASSES
Getting involved on campus wasn't one of Matt Schoonover's priorities when he came to the University of Kansas.
Schoonover, a political science and communication studies major, became a residential peer educator after he decided to minor in leadership studies, which has been a part of the communication studies department for three years. He is also a student member of the Leadership Studies Advisory Council.
But a recently established interdisciplinary minor, leadership studies, persuaded the Olathe sophomore to become active on campus.
Paul Friedman, co-coordinator of the Leadership studies minor program, suggests students to take these classes over the span of four years.
COMS 201, "Introduction to Leadership Studies"
COMS 431. "Communication and Leadership"
COMS 531, "Seminar in
Leadership Strategies and
A course in ethics
Applications"
COMS 532, "Leadership Practicum"
A course in community development
development
A course in leadership, diversity and culture
Source: Dean of Students Office
"I am more apt to volunteer and become involved on campus," he said.
One of the roles of the program is
to combine academics with extracurricular activities, said Paul Friedman, associate professor of communication studies and co-coordinator of the program. The program deals with ethics, community development and diversity. It is designed for students who are interested in being leaders on campus.
The classes offer students who already are leaders ideas on how to be more effective in their roles. Friedman said. The classes are generally small so that discussion and interaction can be more focused on students.
"We're not aiming to be a large program," he said. "It's for students who are truly interested in
leadership and putting it into practice while they are in school."
As one of their last requirements for the minor, students create projects to benefit the campus or Lawrence community that will continue after they leave, Friedman said. Some examples are assisting elderly people with household chores, creating a club that helps people who are blind and having a mosaic mural outside of Wescoe Hall for this year's senior project.
Mary Banwart, assistant professor of communication studies, is co-coordinator of the leadership studies minor. She said the program has accepted about 15 new students each semester in the past but plans
to increase the number to 30 new students for the fall semester.
Students with the minor meet to network with their peers. Banwart said that was helpful because leadership studies students could learn about more campus organizations.
Adam Boxberger, Olathe junior, said he felt detached from school until he chose to minor in leadership studies. Now he's more involved at the University.
Schoonover said the common trait among students in the minor was that they were all willing to be more involved in campus activities.
Edited by Louise Stauffer
TRADITION KEEPERS APPRECIATION DAY
Tuesday, March 30
TREATS on Wescoe Beach 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Spotters will be looking for Tradition Keeper T-shirts around campus to hand out prizes!
ET SPOTTED IN YOUR TRADITION KEEPERS SHIRT AND W
Don't forget to pick up your 2003-04 Tradition Keepers Benefits at the Adams Alumni Center
864-4760
www.kualumni.org