KU News Release

New technology, help from students allows KU Info to branch out

Aerial photo of west campus highlighting tree density. Click here for a larger version.

LAWRENCE — When you needed to know who played Monica on “Friends,” the formula for hydrogen peroxide or when the fall semester started at the University of Kansas, the place to turn for 38 years had been KU Info. In the past two years, technology has played a major role in updating the way KU Info answers some of the most commonly asked questions.

For decades, this beloved KU service has fielded calls from students, alumni, parents, faculty and others on just about every topic imaginable. But one query in particular was asked over and over: How many trees are there on campus?

KU Info’s official answer for years was 17,900, but staff admitted that this was an outdated number and offered to credit anyone who came up with the actual figure.

An undergraduate global information systems class took on the challenge and completed a tree-density study in fall 2007. The instructor had spoken to Curtis Marsh, director of KU Info, about the need to update the number. To everyone's surprise, the updated number was found to be 29,525, or roughly one tree for every KU student.

Because of the study, KU Info also can break down the number by campus region. West campus, which is heavily wooded, has 19,425 trees. The main campus has 5,110 trees that are maintained by Facilities Operations and another estimated 5,000 trees that aren’t maintained.

The answer to the tree question isn’t the only thing getting revamped at KU Info. The service underwent a reorganization two years ago and is celebrating its anniversary this month. KU Info has answered close to 100,000 questions in those two years, not counting the 300 hits per day to its Web site. The new KU Info also has online databases, distribution e-mails and a Facebook page. Reach KU Info by calling (785) 864-INFO or visiting www.kuinfo.ku.edu. The KU Info booth is on the fourth floor of the Kansas Union.

“KU Info has traded its index-card Rolodex for online databases and its reference books for Web sites,” said Marsh. “But our passion remains to help the extended KU community get the real scoop about KU life and beyond.”

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.