May 14, 2002 | KU Radio News Line

Audio



KU faculty tour to focus on Native American heritage, economic resources


Contact: Frank Barthell, University Relations, (785) 864-8869.

Radio News Line text:
KU's 6th annual Wheat State Whirlwind tour begins Friday

MORE THAN 40 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS WILL BE CIRCLING KANSAS ON A WHIRLWIND BUS TOUR THAT BEGINS FRIDAY, MAY 17, AND CONTINUES MAY 20 TO 24.

THIS MARKS THE SIXTH YEAR THAT K-U CHANCELLOR ROBERT HEMENWAY HAS SPONSORED THE WHEAT STATE WHIRLWIND TOUR. THE SIX-DAY TRIP VISITS MORE THAN 20 KANSAS COMMUNITIES AND HELPS FACULTY LEARN ABOUT KANSAS HISTORY, CULTURE, ECONOMY AND LANDSCAPE. TOUR DIRECTOR LINDA ROBINSON SAYS THE TOUR HELPS K-U FACULTY NEW TO KANSAS LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STATE.
Robinson: "They get to get a sense of where their students have come from so that they can use that information to help in their classroom teaching. They also get a better feel for what the state is about, what state issues are." (14 sec.)

ROBINSON SAYS THE TOUR OFFERS OTHER BENEFITS TO FACULTY.
Robinson: "They also have an opportunity to meet faculty from other areas of the university. That might not have otherwise had happened if they hadn't participated in the tour. I also think that it encourages faculty retention because I have had certain faculty say to me that now I feel more as if Kansas is my home." (19 sec.)

WITH AT LEAST FIVE STOPS EACH DAY, ROBINSON SAYS THE K-U TOUR GROUP GETS A GOOD LOOK AT THE STATE'S RICH HERITAGE AND DIVERSITY.
Robinson: "The tour is intended as faculty development. It's a very packed schedule each day. We generally load the bus between 6:30 and 7 a.m., and we'll get off the bus for their final stop between 8:30 and 9 p.m. It is a lot of fun, but on the other hand it isn't a vacation." (18 sec.)

K-U PROFESSOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE DEBORA ORTEGA WAS ON BOARD THE 1999 WHEAT STATE TOUR. A NATIVE OF LOS ANGELES, ORTEGA SAYS SHE'S NOW ONE OF THE STATE'S BIGGEST BOOSTERS.
Ortega: "On my own faculty, I'm the one who's known as the Chamber of Commerce for Kansas. I'm the one that tells them about all the things that I've seen in Kansas, about the people I've met." (10 sec.)

THE 2002 TOUR BEGINS MAY 17 WITH A VISIT TO THE STATE CAPITOL. THE COMPLETE ITINERARY IS AVAILABLE ON LINE AT W-W-W DOT WHEATSTATE DOT K-U DOT E-D-U.

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