Professor of English, Women's Studies Recognized

DiBernard: Paying Attention to What Students Say

Barbara DiBernard, Professor of English and Women's Studies, is a recipient of the 2000 Award for Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award. She shared these thoughts with The Scarlet:

Q: What makes your teaching interesting, innovative or provocative?

A: One of the things that is important to me and what I hear from my student evaluations is that students really, really like hearing what each other has to say. That indicates that they appreciate the ability to talk, to express their ideas, to hear a multiplicity of ideas and responses. They love diversity.

Students love learning from each other, finding out 'wow, that person's experience is really different than mine.' They need places that feel safe in the sense that they're not going to be attacked or have their ideas thrown away. UNL students really appreciate hearing a lot of opinions, being exposed to different experiences, and knowing that those experiences shape what they see as important in literature.

I'm trying to give the students opportunities to play with what their experiences are, what their ideas are.

We're active in my class. Students love reading out loud. They love choosing a passage to share with the class. They love seeing the reaction of another student when they read a passage and hear something different. We do a lot of reading. We do a lot of simulation exercises and small group projects. We go to events where we experience things first-hand.

Q: ... Like at the Lied Center, Sheldon, Love Library, an art collection ...?

A: A long time ago I started using little notecards to send get feedback from my students, asking them, 'write down three questions about the material you studied.' I found they weren't at all the questions I would have had. And it was really important for me to realize that I needed to pay attention to what the students were interested in and needed to know: It was often things like 'I don't know where the books are in the library.' So we go over there and we do an exercise. We'll all walk around and help each other.

We need to hear from the students, where they are and what interests them. We need to learn what they need to know.

Q: You like to use a lot of group discussion. Don't many students react negatively at first to this?

A: They seem to really enjoy it. First, I do an introducing exercise. I feel I need to know who I'm talking to or I can be very, very guarded, so I feel like we all need to get to know each other, at least to some degree, to be comfortable in dealing with difficult and complex topics.

We do a lot with small discussions. Small group work really helps students learn to express their ideas. Students will say 'I like talking but I don't feel comfortable talking to a big group.' So in my classes, which are pretty small, we'd divide into small circles. One big circle still puts some people a room-length away, and bridging that gap with your voice can be pretty hard.

I also have students write a journal every week and I write back personally to each one. I try to address the ideas and the questions that they have. I find that they say things in the journal that they won't want to say in class. This is a way to at least air ideas, where I will take them seriously and respond to them. It's important to have multiple ways of communicating with the students so that they continue to contribute.

Sometimes the journals are a way for me to say 'Your journals are wonderful and you have such great ideas, why don't you share them in class?'

Another technique that I use is a round robin where I pick numbers and hand them out so they are non-sequential. When you have the floor nobody can interrupt you. Then the next person will say what he or she wants to say. This is good in a number of ways. It's good to get everybody to talk, but also so others will be less inclined to feel attacked.

Q: What, then, is your philosophy of teaching?

A: Students usually have not had an opportunity to think about education in a feminist way. They think, instead, 'The teacher does this', and they take for granted that's what teachers do. Some teachers lecture, some feature discussions, but they've never really been asked to think about the philosophies underlying that.

It's basically about letting all the students have a voice in class. To let it be known that what they say is important, letting them know they are thinkers, they are knowers. They know things that I don't know and they bring those things in.

Another one of my major philosophies is inclusion. When I teach a class I don't want it to be exclusionary, but show that we as well as the authors come from different places, different backgrounds, different ages and different categories. They should all have a voice.

Q: What about becoming "questioners?"

A: I would hope also students would become analytical, thinking, 'who's here?' 'who's not here?' and 'what does it mean?' Sitting in a circle means something, it has a philosophy. It has a range of thought behind it. If you are sitting in another room in class in a certain way, it means something too. I'm not saying that one way is better than another but we are meant to ask.

Q: Your scholarly interests have evolved first from math to complex literature like James Joyce to women writers. Is this where you thought you would be?

A: Teaching women's literature, I feel like somehow I have found what I am supposed to be doing in the world. I have found the skills and talents that I need to be a person who does that effectively. And it makes a difference in the world. I feel very privileged to have a job where I feel like that every day.

It sounds really corny, but I really love my students. I really like them as individuals and I feel very privileged to be able to work with these young people all the time. Without that, the other things just don't work. I tell my students at the end of the semester, when they say 'this was wonderful. I feel like a community', you can't form a community by yourself. The students ultimately do that for themselves.

Barbara DiBernard Professor of English and Women's Studies oPh.D. 1976, M.A. 1975, SUNY Binghamton; B.A. Wilson College 1970 oProfessor 1998-present, Director, Women's Studies, 1992-98, associate professor 1980-98, assistant professor 1978-80; associate professor University of Minnesota, 1976-78. oSpecializations: 20th century women writers, lesbian writers, feminist pedagogy, literature by women with disabilities oUNL College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award, 1985, Sue Tidball Creative Humanity Award, 1994, Chancellor's Commission on the Status of Women Award for Contributions, 1995, Alice Paul Award for women's rights, 1998

Black Male Empowerment Summit April 7, 8

"Empowering Through Intergenerational Connection" is the theme of the Black Male Empowerment Summit on campus April 7-8.

The summit will bring together African American boys and men from ages 15 to older adult to foster intergenerational dialogue between high school and college students, faculty and staff to promote networks of support and mentoring.

"The overarching theme is to promote the spiritual, social and academic empowerment of black males," said Leon Caldwell, assistant professor of educational psychology and one of the summit's organizers. "Participants will experience a connection with black males across generations who serve as positive role models for each other. We are hoping that the establishment of intergenerational networks will create the opportunity for black male mentoring relationships to develop."

Caldwell, who organized previous summits as a graduate student at Penn State, said the first Nebraska summit will feature seven empowerment workshops consistent with "Nguzo Saba," the seven principles of Kwanzaa. The workshops will be interactive and cover socially relevant issues such as economic empowerment, collective and personal responsibility, spirituality, academic achievement and motivation, self-respect and community involvement.

The summit will feature Joseph White, professor emeritus of psychology and psychiatry at the University of California at Irvine and author of "Black Male Emerging."

Summit activities begin with a community event from 7 to 11 p.m. April 7 at the UNL Culture Center, 333 N. 14th St., in honor of the late Melvin "Doc" Jones, former UNL vice chancellor for business and finance. Colleen Jones, assistant professor of management at UNL and widow of Melvin Jones, will present "Remembering 'Doc'" at 7 p.m., followed by a variety show at 8. Admission is $5.

The summit itself will be from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. April 8 at Henzlik Hall, 14th and Vine streets, and will be open to registered participants only. Registration is $7 for students and $12 for non-students. For further information, contact Caldwell at (402) 472-6947 or Eric Lee, academic adviser in Teachers College, at (402) 472-8632.

Moeser Is Candidate for U of Florida Presidency

University of Florida officials announced April 4 that University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor James Moeser is one of six finalists for the presidency of the University of Florida. The candidates were announced by the Presidential Search Advisory Committee in a public meeting in Gainesville.

"Over the course of the last few years, I have been approached by a number of executive head hunters seeking to interest me in various presidencies, " said Moeser. "I have turned away several of these entreaties, but when the University of Florida expressed an interest in my becoming a candidate for the presidency there, I decided I should at least explore the possibility of whether this might be something I would want to do. Florida is a land grant university, the sixth largest institution in the United States with more than 40,000 students, 4,000 faculty members and a large medical center. I also appreciate Florida's high level of success in developing diversity on campus.

"Let me be absolutely clear. Susan and I are happy in Nebraska. We love the people of this state and the university. I believe Nebraska is headed toward becoming one of the top 50 public universities in the United States in the next five years. We have incredible support from friends, alumni, and the people of Nebraska.

"I am determined not to let this process distract me from my primary responsibilities for leadership in Nebraska, and I shall request that my colleagues do the same. We shall work hard to conclude successfully several key searches now under way, to continue the quest for external support, to keep this university moving forward," Moeser said.

The University of Florida is an AAU and Carnegie Research I institution located in Gainesville. It is a major research-intensive university with 23 colleges and schools, offering more than 100 undergraduate majors and nearly 200 graduate programs.

Moeser will visit the campus for interviews April 23-25. Other candidates for the position include Anthony Catanese, president of Florida Atlantic University; Peggy Meszaros, senior vice president and provost of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; William Muse, president of Auburn University; Alan Merten, president of George Mason University; and Elson Floyd, president of Western Michigan University.

Law Dean Rapoport Heading for Houston in Summer

By Tom Simons, Public Relations

She said she didn't want to leave Nebraska and only one school could have lured her away, but that one school wanted her and Law Dean Nancy Rapoport will leave NU this summer to become dean of the University of Houston Law Center.

"I had vowed that I wouldn't switch deanships for several years and there really was only one school that could have interested me - and then they made an offer," said Rapoport, who will begin her UH term Aug. 1, two years to the day after she succeeded Harvey Perlman as dean of the Nebraska College of Law.

The Houston Law Center that Rapoport will lead enrolls 1,070 students, nearly triple the 384 enrolled in the NU College of Law. It also offers six master of law programs in addition to the juris doctor program that Nebraska offers.

"I'm going home to Houston. It's where my parents live and it's a very exciting opportunity, but I have loved virtually all of my time here at Nebraska," Rapoport said. "I've been privileged to work with an astonishingly talented group of faculty and administrators. I believe in the academic mission of the Law College and the university and I expect to continue to see great things from them. I will miss Nebraska."

Nebraska Chancellor James Moeser said Nebraska will also miss Rapoport.

"I accepted Dean Rapoport's resignation with deep regret but also a full understanding of her wish to further her professional goals and satisfy the needs of her family," he said. "During her tenure, she focused the spotlight on the Law College and helped lead it to state and national prominence. Academics of Nancy Rapoport's caliber are hot commodities in higher education and her success at Nebraska is surely part of what made her an attractive candidate in Houston. We wish her the very best in her new position."

Rapoport came to Nebraska after seven years on the faculty of the Ohio State University College of Law, the last two as associate dean for student affairs. A native of Bryan, Texas, she graduated summa cum laude in legal studies and honors psychology from Rice University in Houston in 1982 and earned her juris doctorate at Stanford Law School (1985), where she was note editor for the Stanford Law Review. Before going to Ohio State, she was an associate with a San Francisco law firm.

"Houston is getting an outstanding dean and we are very sorry to lose her," said Richard Edwards, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. "In her two years at UNL, she made very significant contributions to the university."

Edwards said he will soon appoint an interim law dean and form a search committee to seek a permanent replacement for Rapoport.

NU System Sponsoring 2 New Awards This Fall

The University of Nebraska system has initiated two new awards to be conferred in the fall by the board of regents. They are the Peter Kiewit Student Entrepreneurial Award and the Walter Scott Entrepreneurial Business Award.

The Peter Kiewit Student Entrepreneurial Award is designed to recognize University of Nebraska students who have directed their energies, ideas, and talents toward community and business improvements with the creative and innovative use of information technology.

This award, accompanied by a cash prize of $2,500, will be given annually to an NU student or team of students enrolled in a degree program during the entrepreneurial activities.

The award will recognize the attainment of any of the following activities through the use of information technology:

o Development of a clearly defined product or innovation resulting from new knowledge or unique application;

o Creation of a robust business plan for development, implementation, and sustainability of a product or innovation;

o Creative or inventive work performed through a partnership with business, community, or government organizations;

o Creation of a technology, product, or innovation that addresses community or business needs or market demands; or

o Effort that results in a potential "start-up enterprise" or provides the business community with an identifiable competitive edge.

The award recipient(s) will be selected based on the achievement of one or more of the above by a universitywide committee of faculty from the disciplines of information science, business, and engineering and a member of the business community.

The Walter Scott Entrepreneurial Business Award is designed to encourage businesses with a presence in Nebraska to create partnerships and links with the university in the area of technology. The award will be given annually and the winner will receive a $10,000 grant for the promotion and/or creation of multiple student work experiences in the fields of information science, technology, and engineering.

The award will recognize the attainment of the following objectives:

o The creation of innovative opportunities for students to explore a broad spectrum of practical experiences, enhanced learning opportunities, and the possibility of advancing career and personal goals;

o The creation of partnerships that enable the university to develop the skills, aptitudes, and competencies necessary to meet the technology demands of businesses in Nebraska;

o The assistance to the university by offering their knowledge and skills in order to build a strong entrepreneurial community partnership; or

o The adoption of innovative or emerging technologies for the advancement of the business climate and employment opportunities in Nebraska.

The recipient will be selected based on the achievement of one or more of the above objectives by a universitywide faculty committee representing the disciplines of information science, business, and engineering, and a member of the business community.

Applications for both awards are due June 15 to the University of Nebraska Office of the Provost, 107 Varner Hall, 3835 Holdrege St., Lincoln, NE 68583-0743. Application Forms and Nomination Forms may be obtained online at http://www.uneb.edu/awards/i ndex.html, or by contacting the Office of the Provost at (402) 472-5242. A business or student need not be nominated to apply for either award, but may apply directly by submitting the Application Form. To nominate a business or student, submit a completed Nomination Form to the Office of the Provost and a letter will be sent requesting application.

Binge-Drinking Numbers Static

Encouraging Trends Seen Among NU Students

By Tom Workman, NU Directions

University of Nebraska-Lincoln officials reported that encouraging trends about drinking among NU students were revealed in the 1999 Harvard School of Public Health study of college drinking.

Results of the nationwide study were released March 14 at a news conference in Boston. Joel Wiegert of LaVista, a senior economics major at UNL, was one of two students chosen nationwide to attend the conference and share their personal stories along with the data.

The Harvard survey found overall increases nationwide in both the number of students who frequently drink five or more drinks in a sitting, as well as the number of students who choose to abstain from alcohol, compared to similar studies conducted in 1993 and 1997.

James Griesen, vice chancellor for student affairs at NU, said data specific to Nebraska did not reflect an increase in the "frequent binge drinking" rates among students like that found in the national study. NU-specific data showed the number of "frequent bingers" had stayed the same over the period from 1993 to 1999. Data from the Harvard study also suggests that those drinking the most are suffering the largest amount of alcohol-related problems.

"We've known since Harvard's first study that a minority of Nebraska students account for the majority of the high-risk drinking." Griesen said. "We're very happy to see that our numbers did not reflect the national increase in high-risk drinking. Our goal is to reduce the number of problems caused by high-risk drinking and we have many indications that we're headed in the right direction, including reports from our own University Health Center that referrals for alcohol education from the residence halls are down significantly this semester."

Students living in university housing who violate campus alcohol policy are required to attend alcohol education programs at the Health Center.

Griesen, who is co-chair with Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady of NU Directions, the university's campus-community coalition to reduce high-risk drinking for NU students, said the university's efforts are aimed at promoting moderation among students of legal drinking age and supporting students who choose to abstain.

The university's efforts will soon include a program titled "Risky Business," which teaches the laws and penalties for alcohol-related infractions for Lincoln and the NU campus. It is scheduled for distribution to student organizations across campus.

Casady said wild party complaints from neighborhoods surrounding the campus are down from fall 1998 through spring 1999, due largely to increased awareness about the legal consequences of off-campus parties and the selective enforcement initiatives conducted by Lincoln police. The Harvard study data confirmed that more than 50 percent of NU students surveyed knew and understood the rules and penalties regarding alcohol use.

Other findings of the Harvard study revealed that the majority of NU students agree with the current campus policies about alcohol or believe that policies should impose even greater restrictions. The majority of students also supported increased enforcement of drinking policies.

Wiegert, who at the Harvard news conference talked about his own conversion from high-risk drinking to moderation, said he believes the campus must help students find their own revelations about the costs of high-risk drinking.

"I had to discover on my own that getting drunk all the time wasn't worth the cost, and that I couldn't keep disrespecting other people," he said. "It took me three years to completely sort through this difficult issue. My hope is that we can make the road shorter for others."

The NU Directions coalition is made up of more than 40 students, faculty, staff, and community leaders. Last year, the coalition produced a strategic plan that involves 13 goals and 60 objectives around the areas of enforcement and policy, social environment, neighborhood relations and education. The group is involved in a variety of projects based on the strategic plan.