Mandy Snyder, left, and Laura Roy, are the program director and activities director of the Latino Achievement Mentoring Project that works out of the Hispanic Community Center.

Latino Mentoring Project Connects Kids, UNL Students

LAMP Brightens Future for Kids

By Kim Hachiya, Public Relations

Nicole Miller hopes the sixth grade girl she has been mentoring since last fall is learning as much as Miller herself. A mentor with the Latino Achievement Mentoring Program, Miller has taken her young pal ice skating, on a nature walk at Pioneers Park and to a pottery painting studio. But mostly, they hang out and talk.

Miller wants her protégée to become more aware of the possibilities that are open to her and to perhaps consider college after she graduates from high school.

LAMP matches UNL students with at-risk Latino children recommended by principals from four Lincoln schools. The program started last summer and by the fall of 2000, 14 children had been matched with 13 mentors (one mentor is handling two sisters). There is a waiting list of 15 children who are potential protégées if more mentors could be found.

Amanda "Mandy" Snyder, a senior majoring in English and Spanish, is the LAMP program director The program is entirely operated by UNL students with the moral support of the Latino Research Initiative and the financial support of the Woods Charitable Foundation, the Foundation for Educational Funding, the Cooper Foundation and a couple of smaller grants. It has office space at the Hispanic Community Center at 2300 O St.

Snyder said the program's main goal is to help the children focus on the educational opportunities that are open to them and to encourage them to consider college as an option.

Mentors are either Hispanic or very familiar with Hispanic culture, she said. Several of the mentors are majoring in Spanish and some have had study abroad experiences in Mexico, Spain or other Spanish-speaking nation.

Laura Roy, a senior education major, is the activities director for the program. She and Snyder have developed a weekly group session with all mentors that includes an intensive training component and a time to celebrate successes and share ideas.

Mentors were recruited through the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Teachers College, Snyder said.

"The idea was to have mentors who were ethno-culturally matched with the mentee," Roy said. "We've also recruited through Latino Studies."

The ability to speak Spanish is important, Roy said, because families take an active role in the mentoring process and many of the families speak only Spanish at home. All of the children are bilingual, she said.

LAMP is the brainchild of the Latino Research Initiative. Founded in 1995 by two professors from the departments of psychology and Latino and Latin American studies, the LRI is an interdisciplinary group of individuals who work in collaboration with the Hispanic Community Center. The group's goals are to engage in culturally sensitive and competent research and programming for the community; to identify needs of the community; to develop, implement, and evaluate programming for the Latino community, and to disseminate information to, and learn from, practice systems, scholars, and policy-related systems that are related to addressing Latino issues and needs.

LAMP aims at serving needs of young people in the Latino community, which has grown 98 percent in the last 10 years in Lincoln, Snyder said.

"We are hoping to create a community-university partnership to give something back to the community," Roy said. "We want to help create success and foster a stronger relationship between the university and the Latino community."

The biggest difficulty is finding mentors.

"If we could find 200 mentors, we could find 200 mentees," Snyder said.

Miller said her protégée was very shy at first, but has warmed up and is now talkative and friendly. Roy said that's been a common finding for the mentors. Many mentors have reported becoming friendly with their protégées' families, including eating meals in their homes. This has helped encourage family participation in activities at the Hispanic Center, such as a Saturday "Family Education" workshop that brought LPS officials and representatives of the Educational Planning Center in to talk with the families about career paths and academic goal-setting.

Pulling the workshop together was challenging, Snyder said.

"It's hard to find ways to get the families involved. They have day care needs; they need transportation; they are working multiple jobs. The language barrier is an issue for some parents," she said. But the workshop on Nov. 11 proved popular and rewarding for all parties, Snyder said.

LAMP has a secondary goal to strengthen the skills of the college student mentors, who have the potential to become future community leaders.

That goal is more than being met, both Roy and Snyder said.

"It's been a great experience for me," Snyder said. "I might be interested in looking at other non-profit job experiences."

Roy applied for her job because she thought it would be a good way to improve her language skills and build on her teaching expertise.

"It's been really good for me because it's a way for me to make a real difference in the community," she said. "In my major, I've learned how to deal with kids. But the personal interactions really have supplemented what I've learned at the university. I've had to make some split-second decisions and I know I'll have to do that when I teach. Learning to problem solve and seeing successes is really neat."

Added Snyder: "I really feel great after our weekly group mentor meetings because it's so great to hear their successes. Both the mentors and mentees are making differences in each other's lives."

Both women faced logistical challenges last summer as they put the program together from scratch. They now have a thick handbook to pass on to whomever succeeds them after they graduate.

"I really hope they can spend their time working with more mentors and mentees than getting the program up and running," Snyder said.

Miller, Snyder and Roy said they also enjoyed the contact with the children.

"It's been so long since I've been around kids that age," Miller said of her 11-year-old protégée. "It reminds me to remember the kid's perspective on life. I want to learn from her."

Added Snyder: "It's funny because we feel really young as college students, but we are really old to kids who are 11."

If You've Got One Bad Habit, You Probably Have Several

Smoking, Drinking and Poor Diets: Bad Habits Cluster, NU Study Finds

By Molly Klocksin, IANR News

Cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol use and poor eating habits tend to reinforce each other, University of Nebraska research shows.

This research, published in the November/December issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion, found that people who have one of these unhealthy habits tend to have the others, too.

Compared with non-smokers, smokers tend to eat fewer foods rich in protective antioxidants, eat more high-fat foods and drink more alcohol, the Nebraska research shows.

"These poor habits tend to cluster," NU Nutrition Scientist Nancy Betts said. "They tend to reinforce each other."

For example, Betts and colleagues found smokers who drink more heavily tend to make unhealthy food choices, too. The study defined liberal drinking as more than two alcoholic drinks daily for men and more than one drink daily for women.

"Alcohol is substituting for food" among smokers who drink heavily, she said.

The study examined health habit diaries of nearly 7,000 American adults. Researchers found that the more participants smoked or drank each day, the fewer nutritious foods - such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables - they ate. Smokers ate fewer fruits and vegetables and more fatty foods, such as lunch meats and salad dressings, than non-smokers studied.

Betts hopes the latest Nebraska findings help alter health campaigns so they target multiple lifestyle habits instead of just one.

"It has been the prevailing attitude to address one habit at a time, but those programs have met with limited success," the NU Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources scientist said.

These behaviors are so interconnected that people have trouble kicking one habit as long as they're continuing the others, she said. The study didn't address why smokers have unhealthy diet

preferences and researchers didn't try to determine why health risk factors cluster, Betts said.

However, she theorizes some people may be genetically susceptible to addictive behaviors, or that people who use nicotine or alcohol chronically may develop an increased tolerance of the other.

In an earlier part of this study, the researchers found that the more cigarettes people smoke, the lower in nutrients their diets were. Other research linked alcohol intake and unhealthy diets, but this was the first study that examined smoking, alcohol intake and diet together. It found that the participants who had the poorest diets were those who both smoked and drank excessively.

By themselves, drinking, smoking and poor nutrition increase a person's risk for disease. Drinking, smoking and poor nutrition combined increase the risk considerably, Betts said.

People who smoke or drink alcohol excessively should be more conscious about their diets, especially to eat less fat and more fruits and vegetables, she said.

The NU College of Human Resources and Family Sciences researchers are considering follow-up studies exploring why these bad habit clusters tend to form. From there, more successful health interventions could be designed.

This research was conducted in cooperation with IANR's Agricultural Research Division.

New this Semester: More Convenience and Options for Distance Learners

By Kelly Bartling, Public Relations

Distance learners can now use NRoll, UNL's automated phone registration system, and they are finding their 2001 courses listed along with the regular University of Nebraska "Schedule of Classes."

By having access to NRoll, distance learners can use their phones to register, drop and add courses, hear a listing of their current classes and check the open or closed status of classes.

"Our ultimate goal is to make it more convenient for students and also for faculty members to access information, register, record and retrieve grades," said Arnold Bateman, assistant vice chancellor for extended education. "NRoll will help do that."

Beginning with spring 2001 registration, students found combined listings in the class schedule publication, showing distance courses and traditional on-campus courses. Again, convenience is a goal.

"We needed to reduce duplication and have all courses listed in one source," Bateman said. Distance students can also gain easy graduate application through a "prompt admit" option, and have easy credit card payment options, both available on-line.

NU Registrar Earl Hawkey said the transition was necessary as more distance courses are offered and the concept of "virtual campus" becomes more real, and a "student becomes a student" - distance, residence hall, commuter or otherwise.

"From the students' perspective, NRoll is easier and more accessible," Hawkey said. "And there are course sections available that maybe hadn't been seen before. With the Web courses and distance classes listed together with traditional courses, the options are easier to find, and more visible."

The changes come at a time of huge technological advancement, as students become more technology-savvy, and computer-driven convenience becomes a necessity for students and faculty alike. Higher education has labored to keep up with emerging technology, especially with a competitive higher education market. With the expanded NRoll and distance options, extended education marketing was stepped up this fall to advertise to 1,420 distance learning students enrolled over the past three years, encouraging continued use of UNL distance education.

Jim O'Hanlon, associate vice chancellor for extended education and outreach, said the improvements in registering distance education students, the enhanced course listings, the on-line graduate application forms, and the more distance-friendly policies on fees and registration, continue to bolster extended education as a core mission of the university.

"There are areas where we can point to with pride and say that we are ahead of our peers, but some areas where we are behind," said O'Hanlon. "All the higher education institutions are where we are, trying to figure out what to do, seeing what works, while keeping up with technology. But looking back only a few years at what we had... compared to now what is happening, it's amazing what we've accomplished in a short period of time."

O'Hanlon said his goals include keeping faculty aware of options, ideas, services, and ways to enhance their teaching and their courses with technology, and strategies producing more distance learning integration into their classrooms. A new video outlining distance learning options is being shown to faculty groups to encourage faculty to think about extended education. Taking small steps at first: putting a class on the on-line curriculum and course aid Blackboard, using satellite, video, interactive one- or two-way setups, CD-ROMs, gives faculty and colleges confidence to do more.

"We need to figure out ways to keep all students active learners," O'Hanlon said. "These strategies are bringing more active, engaged and better learners in all classrooms where distance learning is being used. It's making a huge difference. Learning is becoming more active and less passive, for everyone. It's an exciting time."

The quality of the UNL distance learning experience was measured in a recent survey that analyzed demographic and quality issues, with positive outcomes, Bateman and O'Hanlon reported. The data will be used in finalizing a distance education action plan, called for by Interim Chancellor Harvey Perlman. Several focus groups and task forces have been working since fall to coordinate ideas and information on the distance mission.

Feeling good about Distance Ed: Arnold Bateman, assistant vice chancellor for extended education, is optimistic about the alternatives to traditional in­class higher education.

Distance Learners' Demographics Reveal Needs

By Kelly Bartling, Public Relations

The "composite" UNL distance learner, according to new demographic data, is a 40-year-old married Nebraska mother with a fairly comfortable household income.

She is also primarily interested in convenience, variety, affordability and quality - and very satisfied with her distance education experience.

A survey completed recently for the Office of Extended Education and Outreach revealed demographic trends and satisfaction levels for UNL's distance education that identifies program strengths and suggests areas for improvement.

"Overall, a great percentage of distance students feel good about the quality of their programs and their educational experience," said Arnold Bateman, UNL assistant vice chancellor for extended education.

The new data was compiled by surveying 795 distance learning students since 1997. Of the 445 respondents:

• 61 percent were in-state students
• 66 percent were female
• 57 percent were married with children at home
• 78 percent had annual household income of more than $40,000
• Ages ranged from 22 to 65 with an average of 40

Distance ed learners were enrolled in Teachers College higher education administration (23.5 percent); Teachers College K-12 programs 11.2 percent; Human Resources and Family Sciences 17.9 percent; entomology 7.5 percent; English 4 percent; engineering 4 percent; journalism 3.5 percent, MBA 3 percent; and other 29.4 percent.

In rating educational quality:

• 82 percent of distance learners indicated a "good" or "very good" experience with UNL's distance education program
• 82 percent ranked overall quality of the program as "good" or "very good" and 85 percent ranked quality of curriculum and quality of instruction as "good" or "very good"
• Feedback from instruction was ranked by 68 percent of respondents as "good" or "very good" and interaction with other students was ranked by 53 percent as "good" or "very good"

The survey showed convenience and affordability are also factors. According to the survey, when selecting distance education as an option, learners indicated the biggest influences were work schedule (67 percent), convenience (59 percent), location (53 percent), course offerings (52 percent) and family schedule (43 percent). The biggest factors in selecting UNL's distance programs included course/program offerings (64 percent), flexibility of the program (43 percent), location (28 percent) and UNL prestige (21 percent).

Students reported preferring a traditional 15-week semester (52 percent) compared to open enrollment (45 percent). They also reported their favorite time to conduct their homework was 8 p.m. to midnight (65 percent).

Overall, 65 percent of distance learners believed courses were affordable, and 28 percent were "neutral" on affordability. Thirty-seven percent of respondents reported being reimbursed in some way by their employer. Additionally, 46 percent indicated they would not be willing to pay more for class tuition.

The most popular methods of delivery for distance education were World Wide Web (63 percent), videotape (38 percent) and e-mail (52 percent).

Charles Ansorge, professor of health and human performance, has traded in videotapes for compact disks as part of his efforts to improve online learning at UNL.

Distance No Disadvantage for Online Learners

By Michelle Oliver, Public Relations Intern

Distance education coordinators have long thought that UNL's distance education program is comparable to the traditional classroom.

And they now have some evidence to show that online classes are as beneficial as ones held in a brick-and-mortar classroom, said Charles Ansorge, professor of health and human performance in the Teachers College.

Ansorge, who has taught online classes for almost three years, compared the average test scores of an educational psychology statistics class taught on-campus and online. The online students did better, he said, scoring higher than their on-campus counterparts.

Ansorge's explanation for the higher grades: "It's been my experience that the students enrolled in (the online) class are non-traditional - they are older and have full-time careers and are more serious about their graduate studies than students on campus, who are usually younger and not as dedicated."

Ansorge's assumptions were correct. The average age of the distance education students was over 40 and many had full time careers.

The distance education classes are essentially the same as the on-campus ones, Ansorge said. Both classes have the same lecture material, tests and quizzes. The difference, though, is that the distance students use CDs with videos of the class that were recorded the semester before.

Ansorge used to record the class live, but now records the class, edits it and puts it on compact disk. Often, live video contains "dead-air," or large chunks of missing video. And most students who take the distance class find it too difficult to meet at the same time so the class-on-CD format enables students to take the class at their convenience.

Jaclyn Gisburne of the Chicago area, was a member of Ansorge's educational psychology class last fall. Gisburne said she would rather take Ansorge's distance class rather than one taught in a traditional classroom setting.

"I have taken 15 different types of distance classes using all combinations of delivery and interaction," Gisburne said. "Charles Ansorge's is by far one of the best. He is extremely attentive to the student He is a five out of a five."

Although the class on CD made it for the majority of the students, some expressed frustration because they could not ask questions in real time.

"For me , it was important to ask questions of (Ansorge) as he was explaining the content, rather than trying to write them down and ask him after I had viewed the (CDs) online," said Kim Rodenhorst of Kearney, who took Ansorge's educational psychology in statistical methods class in the fall of 1998. "I had forgotten the discussion and context from which my question came once the (CD) was over."

So how did students find out the answers to their questions?

"The students stayed connected to me and the other students with e-mail," Ansorge said. "I spent some Saturdays at the office calling each student to make sure they were understanding the material."

The students also ask each other questions through chat rooms on Blackboard (a software program), Ansorge said.

Ansorge got to know his students from the distance-education class as well as the students in the regular class, he said.

To ensure that students are honest during tests, they must have to find a proctor, or overseer, who is present when the student takes tests. Proctors are usually teachers at community colleges, but they don't have to be, he said. They simply need to apply and be accepted by the university.