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Special Announcement
Over the summer of 2008 Dr. Rita Kean, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Nancy Mitchell, Interim Director of the ACE program and I visited public and private colleges across the state. We found academic officers and faculty representatives eager to hear about our new Achievement Centered Education program and to share similar efforts on their campuses. Many are in the process of redefining their curricula in terms of student learning outcomes. As we shared successes and challenges we built stronger relationships with our educational partners in Nebraska. Community college advisers will be better able to assist community college students who continue their studies at UNL or at one of the other institutions evaluating student learning outcomes.
Transfer students are a significant part of the student body at UNL, comprising nearly a third of all incoming students annually. Of these more than half come from Nebraska community colleges. Students start at a community college rather than a research university for a variety of reasons. Some lack academic or social confidence. Many cannot afford the full 4 or more years at a research institution or are unwilling to take on increasing student debt loads. Others desire to stay closer to home, often to care for family members or to continue working at a family farm or other business. Many of these students are the first in their family to attend college.
We learned on our visits that our community college colleagues sincerely appreciated the time and effort that UNL faculty evaluators spend reviewing their courses to identify equivalents. This enables students to plan more effectively and make more informed decisions, allowing them to be more successful when they transfer to UNL.
On behalf of all transfer students, thanks to all of you who make their transitions easier and increase the likelihood that transfer students, especially those who started at a community college, will achieve their goals and graduate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
JoAnn Moseman
Academic Transfer Coordinator
Announcements and Events
PEARL newsletter items: October, 2008
Announcements and Events
PEARL recalibration session
The PEARL Peer Reviewers will be meeting on Wednesday, October 1st from 10:00 to 11:30 in the East Campus Union to reexamine the PEARL Rubric and make preparations for reviewing PEARL plans. A make-up meeting will be scheduled for Peer Reviewers who are unable to attend.
PEARL Brown bag luncheon
The PEARL brown bag luncheon will be held on Thursday, October 2nd from 12:00 - 1:00 in the City Campus Union. The purpose of this luncheon is to provide PEARL Program Leaders and other interested faculty members the opportunity to discuss and share ideas, challenges, and issues in program assessment. The luncheon will feature four short presentations by Rhonda Fuelberth (School of Music), Rosalee Swartz (Agricultural Economics), Ann Marie Williams (Campus Housing and Learning Communities), and Linda Young (Dietetics). Please bring your lunch (lunch not provided) and join us for this event.
PEARL due dates for PEARL programs reminder
The 2008 - 2009 PEARL plans are due on October 3rd. Please note that the 2008 - 2009 timeline will not be available until the 2007 - 2008 "Programs Report Results" step has been completed. It is important to meet these deadlines for a timely peer review process and to allow for identification of your PEARL plans as a "PEARL best practice."
If you would like assistance with your assessment plans, or with using the PEARL software, please contact Jeremy Penn, Program Assessment Coordinator, at 472-1905 or jpenn3@unl.edu.
William H Thompson Scholars October Schedule
October 2008 |
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| Thursday 10/2 | 11-1 | Student Lunch | Culture Center |
| Friday 10/3 | 3-5 pm | F.A.C.* | Culture Center |
| 5-8 pm | "First Friday", food, games, etc. | Culture Center | |
| Tuesday 10/7 | 7 pm | The Reshaping of Democracy Since the 1970s | Union |
| Friday 10/10 | 3-5 pm | F.A.C.* | Culture Center |
| Tuesday 10/14 | 6:30 pm | Sexpectations | Culture Center |
| Thursday 10/16 | 6-9 pm | Grocery Bag Bingo | East Campus Union |
| Friday 10/17 | 3-5 pm | F.A.C.* | Culture Center |
| Thursday 10/23 | 6 pm | E.N. Thompson Forum Movie Night | Union |
| Friday 10/24 | 4 pm | Grade Sheets Due | Culture Center |
| 3-5 pm | F.A.C.* | Culture Center | |
| Thursday 10/30 | TBA | Trip to Roca Farm | |
ACE (UNL's new general education program)
- Deadline for submitting courses for ACE certification: October 15, 2008
Courses submitted by this date will be considered for inclusion in the ACE curriculum for the 2009 Fall Semester.
- Call for Proposals: ITLE-5 and ACE (deadline for proposals: October 17, 2008)
Year 5 of the Initiative for Teaching and Learning Excellence continues the deep commitment of the University to teaching excellence and undergraduate student learning by making significant investments in undergraduate general education. This academic year, the Initiative for Teaching and Learning Excellence will distribute $100,000 for projects that fulfill the promise of UNL's new general education program: Achievement-Centered Education (ACE). All funds awarded must be expended by May 2010.
For more information visit the ACE website (http://ace.unl.edu) - ACE and LEAP: ACE Reflects & Builds on National Initiative
How can students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln be best prepared for twenty-first-century challenges? That question focused the thinking of the committee of faculty, staff, students and administrators charged with creating UNL's new general education program. To formulate a response, the group listened to those within the university, and it tapped into external perspectives by participating in current national conversations about general education. A small contingent of faculty and administrators attended the American Association of Colleges and Universities' (AAC&U) General Education Institute, where they exchanged ideas with national experts and other institutions on the path to creating or revising their general education programs.
For the complete article visit http://ace.unl.edu/ACEandLEAP.shtml
OASIS
The Office of Academic Support and Intercultural Services (OASIS) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is pleased to have its very own chartered chapter of the W.E.B. Du Bois Honor Society established in August of 2008! The purpose of the W.E.B. Du Bois Honor Society is to recognize academic excellence among African American students, and to support, guide, and encourage their involvement in other leadership and honorary organizations on the UNL campus. The W.E.B. Du Bois Honor Society seeks to raise the image of the African-American scholar from one of passive obscurity to active recognition and involvement. Each student must have a 3.3 cumulative GPA and at least 30 credit hours.
The Du Bois Honor Society elected five to students to serve as the governing board: Jeanette Samuels, President, Austin Brooks, Vice President, Alex Goldstein, Treasurer, Mollie Young Public Relations and Logan Waite, Secretary. The Society meets weekly and is currently working on selecting a community service project. Look forward to the formal induction ceremony later this semester. For more information, please contact Aundria Duncan-Wagner at aduncanwagner2@unl.edu. To view the National Du Bois Honor Society homepage at Florida State by clicking here.
Office of Undergraduate Studies |
(402) 472-1185 |
Dr. Rita Kean, Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Professor of Textiles, Clothing and Design
Dr. Tim Alvarez, Interim Director of OASIS
Dr. Patrice Berger, Director of NU Honors Program and Professor of History
Dr. Laura Damuth, Director of Undergraduate Research and Fellowship Adviser
Kelly Dick, Undergraduate Curriculum Coordinator
Dr. Donald Gregory, Director of General Studies and Associate Professor of English
Gail Hackwith, Administrative Assistant
Dr. Jessica Jonson, Director of Institutional Assessment
Sara Mattson, Administrative Technician
Dr. Nancy Mitchell, Interim Director for ACE Program
JoAnn Moseman, Academic Transfer Coordinator
Jeremy Penn, Assessment Associate for PEARL
Marcia White, E.N. Thompson Coordinator and Political Science Adviser
AnnMarie Williams, Academic Learning Communities Coordinator
