10/23/2024

By FHSU University Communications

HAYS, Kan. - Fort Hays State University President Tisa Mason’s tour of Kansas begins on October 25 in Dodge City. During the four days of the tour, she will make 21 stops and cover more than 1,000 miles, meet with journalists in small Kansas community public and commercial radio stations, participate in two live TV programs, and sit down for an extensive podcast interview. This year’s tour will focus on the impact of the people, programs, and partnerships of FHSU on our state. 

On this year’s tour, Mason will be joined at several tour stops by the presidents of FHSU’s Strategic Affiliation partner universities, President Eric Burks of Fort Hays Tech | North Central, and President Ben Schears of Fort Hays Tech | Northwest. The trio will participate in panel discussions in Goodland and Beloit to share updates on the ongoing work of the Affiliation Implementation Teams charged with creating new academic pathways, integrating student services, and creating the business and community partnerships that best serve the workforce development needs of rural Kansas. The three presidents will also participate in TV and radio interviews in Wichita on October 30.

October 25: Dodge City, Garden City, and Goodland

Tour stops on day one will focus on addressing domestic violence and sex trafficking in rural Kansas. In addition, a panel discussion will be hosted by Fort Hays Tech | Northwest on our collaborative effort to enhance educational opportunities and services in rural Kansas. The construction and engineering design Affiliation Implementation Team is working to address regional workforce needs, expand student opportunities, and create innovative educational pathways between our three affiliation partner institutions.

October 28: Russell, Beloit, and Salina

Tour stops on day two will include two radio interviews and a panel discussion on how FHSU and Fort Hays Tech | North Central are working to address the shortage of nursing and healthcare services professionals in rural Kanas. 

October 29: Topeka

President Mason will first visit the Topeka Correctional Institute for a radio interview about FHSU’s adult literacy outreach partnership that is helping incarcerated women connect with their children, grandchildren, and other family members. She will then meet with reporters to discuss the Docking Institute for Public Policy’s 2024 Kansas Speaks public opinion survey. Day three will conclude with a podcast interview and TV appearance that will focus on the progress of the Strategic Affiliation Initiative since it was launched in July of this year.

October 30: Wichita and Great Bend

Presidents Burks and Schears will join President Mason for a live TV interview and then participate in a radio interview. The three will share information on the progress of the Strategic Affiliation Initiative. The tour will conclude with two media interviews in Great Bend. The first will focus on the partnership between the university and the Kansas Bankers Association and the joint effort to recruit students interested in a career in banking and finance to come to FHSU and take advantage of the programs and professional networking offerings of the W. R. Robbins Banking Institute.  The tour's final stop will be a news interview about the efforts of the FHSU Online Student Government to improve the online student experience for those who chose FHSU Online for its unmatched affordability, flexibility, and overall value.

For additional news and information about Fort Hays State University, go to https://www.fhsu.edu/university-communications/