August 23, 1996

Moeser Seeks Transformation of UNL's Academic Culture

Chancellor Calls for Rigor and Challenge in His First State of the University Address

By Kim Hachiya
News & Information

At his first State of the University Address, Chancellor James Moeser outlined his goals for UNL, stating that he wants the institution to be the "virtural first choice" for top scholars in Nebraska.

Moeser also said at Friday's address that UNL will build on its strengths as it develops areas of excellence in research and that integrity, on the part of students and of the institution, is of top priority.

To reach his first goal, Moeser said, UNL will step up recruiting efforts for high ability students, including faculty contact with promising scholars and a commitment toward developing a residential honors program. He also said that UNL will continue to transform its academic culture into one known for its rigor and challenge with a renewed focus on learning.

"There is much more to be done as we focus on student learning," he said. "Notice that I said learning, not teaching. I think we must shift our focus from just talking about teaching, important as that is, to include a concern for the quality of learning.

"This must be a university that is known for the rigor of its academic program. I want to challenge our students to extend themselves intellectually beyond what they imagined to be possible before they came to Nebraska," he said.

To reach the next level of pre-eminence among research universities, UNL must build on existing strengths and encourage more cross-disciplinary collaboration among and between its scientists and scholars, Moeser said.

UNL administrators and faculty must take a hard look at programs, he said, and determine which are already strong and competitive and which can be made stronger if more resources were committed. The decisions are hard, he said, and will not come if there are too many compromises to accommodate everyones' special interests or pet projects.

"The natural tendency of any institution that relies on internal consensus is to seek accommodations and compromises to satisfy the largest number of people with any set of decisions. That is, in my opinion, the road that leads to marginalization and mediocrity."

Moeser said he is committed to maintaining UNL's leadership as a land grant institution, adding that UNL is part of two national groups studying the future of land grant universities. He announced that he will name a national advisory panel to help guide UNL as it attempts to reposition both the Institute and the university for the 21st century.

He noted that UNL's culture must change to include more multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary research teams and models. He cited development of an initiative in plant sciences that will involve researchers from IANR and the School of Biological Sciences.

Moeser made a strong statement concerning his belief in the values of multicultural diversity and equal opportunity for women and people of color. Toward that end, he said, UNL will "redouble" its efforts to recruit a more diverse student body and workforce.
He also reiterated his desire that UNL become a leader in helping students create a moral compass for conduct and behavior.

The university has a "responsibility to assist students in developing their personal character, their own internal value systems. I believe that this issue of character formation lies at the heart of our mission," he said.

Employees of Davis Erection Company of Lincoln place a large section of the Claes Oldenburg-Coosje van Bruggen sculpture, Torn Notebook, near 12th and Q streets Tuesday. (Photo by Tom Slocum)

Oldenburg, van Bruggen to Unveil 'Torn Notebook'

What's All the Fuss About at 12th and Q?

By David Ochsner
Scarlet Editor

Those fortunate enough to pass by the newly established Madden Garden at 12th & Q streets this week were able to watch a number of workers, and one large crane, assemble a 22-foot aluminum and stainless steel "notebook" on the site.

Not only is the subject matter of the new Claes Oldenburg-Coosje van Bruggen sculpture, Torn Notebook, appropriate to its setting, but the location itself, between downtown Lincoln and the UNL campus, will serve as a highly visible symbol of the "town and gown" relationship between the university and the surrounding community.

The symbolism will have to wait a couple of weeks, however. Following installation, the sculpture will be covered with a tarp until its official unveiling Sept. 6.

Commissioned by UNL's Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, Torn Notebook is steeped in personal references: Oldenburg is never found without a notebook, usually tucked in a shirt pocket and filled with sketches and jottings inspired by both Oldenburg and van Bruggen, and after exchanges between the two the notebooks are often torn up and discarded.

The work also refers to the notebook as a receptacle of ideas for scholars, and its spiral binding suggests a tornado in its ominous dance across the plains.

George Neubert, Sheldon director and longtime friend of the artists, has called Torn Notebook one of the most personal works of the artist team to date: "The notebook is at the root of their creative process. It reveals the innermost thinking of the artists. I don't know of a piece that better reflects their 20-year collaboration."

The internationally recognized husband and wife team have collaborated on nearly 30 large-scale sculpture projects in the United States and around the world.

"We've tried to locate each one in a different part of the world, both climatologically and culturally," said Oldenburg during a recent visit to UNL. "This one (Torn Notebook) is a very open structure. We were trying to work out of the monolithic form."

"Monolithic" does describe many of the previous works of Oldenburg and van Bruggen, including Batcolumn, installed in front of Chicago's Social Security Administration Building; and Clothespin, located in Centre Square in Philadelphia.

Oldenburg said he began to work with lighter forms in monumental sculpture partly due to "pressure from Coosje to get away from the traditional masculine mode of monolithic sculpture. This work (Torn Notebook) is probably the first work in that form." He adds, however, that "there has always been a line of interest in lighter forms in my work."

Oldenburg said that Torn Notebook also represents the first time text has been cut into one of his sculptures.

Torn Notebook consists of a primary structure resembling an open, torn notebook, 22 feet tall and 35 feet long, and two additional loose pages "blown by the wind" from the notebook. Each piece has handwritten notes that reflect the artists' impressions of Lincoln and its environment encountered on numerous visits to the area. The notebook covers face the downtown area, with lighter pages open toward the university campus. The torn, scattered pages are derived from the organic, rounded outline of Nebraska's Platte River. The shape of the sculpture also suggests a bird in flight, a tongue-in-cheek homage to bird sculptures often found in the Lincoln area.

"All of our works are experiments in form creation - the most important thing human beings can do is create with forms. Our last projects are similar to architecture . . . the scale has to be just right for them to function," said Oldenburg. "But it is not only about form, but also about experiments in the imagination. The work is always derived from experience, in a certain time and place. It is a monument to a moment in time and place . . . the sculptures serve as landmarks, time markers, emblems."

Oldenburg, one of the most prominent artists associated with the Pop art movement of the 1960s, studied at Yale University and the Art Institute of Chicago and now lives and works in New York City. Coosje van Bruggen is an art historian and author from the Netherlands. Examples of their work in the Midwest include Spoonbridge and Cherry, the focal point of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center; Crusoe Umbrella in Des Moines, Iowa; and the recent Shuttlecocks at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri.

Editor's Note: About three years ago, when word got around that Oldenburg was on campus looking for a site for a monumental sculpture, many feared (or perhaps hoped) that the artist would choose a football as an appropriate monolithic form for UNL. Remarked Oldenburg: "When we go to a site we always consider the obvious first. In the case of Nebraska, it was almost too obvious, too cliché."


Weekend Events Follow Sculpture Dedication

The dedication of Torn Notebook will be marked by several important events over three days, including:

Sen. Bob Kerrey, right, is joined by Jim Sherwood, associate director of distance education at UNL, at Friday's demonstration of the new CLASS project. (Photo by Larry Sheffield)

A Long-Distance Revolution

Distance Education Unveils CLASS Project

By Brad Gifford and Kathleen Zumpfe
Division of Continuing Studies

How do you describe something that hasn't even been invented? That's the challenge UNL's Department of Distance Education faced Aug. 16 when it unveiled a prototype of a new high school course.

Judging from the comments of people exiting the auditorium at the Clifford Hardin Nebraska Center for Continuing Education, the department and the project were up to the challenge. "I'm stunned by the possibilities," one man said as he left the room.

The course was created from a revolutionary method of curriculum development known as the CLASS Project.

Distance Education personnel put the course, "Global Perspectives: Bosnia," through its paces. Video, text, and graphics flashed across a large screen at the front of the auditorium. Text files and high-quality audio clips supported the images. A simulated on-line "chat" among students, a teacher, and a guest lecturer generated a buzz from the more than 400 people there.

The demonstration left everyone in the audience with a little new knowledge about Bosnia and a lot of enthusiasm for the CLASS Project.

Monty McMahon, director of distance education, has seen countless advancements during his 30 years in continuing education, but he ranks CLASS at the top.

"I'm convinced that this is the most revolutionary, student-centered advancement in education that I have witnessed," McMahon said.

Of course, McMahon has done more than just witness the CLASS Project. Since receiving initial federal funding of $19.5 million, his department has spearheaded a project team charged with creating a new curriculum development format to produce four courses. An entire 40-course diploma sequence is in the works.

CLASS stands for Communications, Learning, and Assessment in a Student-Centered System. In the simplest terms, the project format enables educators to develop courses using full-motion video, audio, graphics, e-mail, chat, links to other URLs, and text in a seamless educational environment on the World Wide Web. Project members explain that "seamless" means students do not have to open and close applications to move from a text screen to a video clip, for example. All of the technology needed to support all of the media in a course is included in the CLASS software.

"Until a few months ago, the technology that brings these media together in a seamless fashion did not exist," said Jim Sherwood, associate director of distance education.

Sherwood, with CLASS Project Coordinator Charlotte Hazzard running the computer presentation, explained that students will be able to progress through CLASS courses in many different ways depending on their individual interests and learning styles. They may begin by reading, looking at maps, or perhaps by watching video. Students can progress through the entire course in a similarly individual fashion.

The course helps students manage the multitude of material by providing an electronic "notebook" where students can store and sort everything from video to text. Information in the notebook can be shared with other students and the teacher.

Another feature of the course enables both teacher and student to view the student's path through the course. As the demonstration indicated, this could reveal that a student has not covered certain materials and may need to do so before taking the next examination.

The course also includes practice exams that are electronically evaluated. Results took only a few seconds to appear on the screen. Examinations that form a student's grade are evaluated both electronically and by the teacher. In the demonstration, the teacher noticed a gap in one student's answer to a short-answer question. After viewing the student's learning path, she identified material the student had not covered and sent a message suggesting that the student visit that area.

A murmur rose from the audience as Sherwood showed how students and teacher could have an on-line chat with an expert on Bosnian issues. He said this was but one example of an educational opportunity that can be provided only via the Web.

"Offering these courses on the Web not only will enhance the student's experience," Sherwood said, "it will create more options for students to access education and therefore have a positive impact on enrollments."

The project will enhance the teacher's role as facilitator and coach, he explained. Teachers will be able to develop and update courses in real time. For example, Web sites detailing the recent crash of TWA Flight 800 could quickly be incorporated into a current events course. Students in a social studies course will be able to follow the republican or democratic national conventions as they happen.

Sen. Bob Kerrey was on hand to introduce the presentation and to share his views on the importance of education. "I believe that a well-educated citizenry is absolutely necessary for a well-functioning democracy," he said.

According to McMahon, CLASS would not be where it is today without Kerrey's commitment and enthusiasm. Kerrey was integral in introducing the project partners to one another and in supporting the pursuit of funding sources.

Initial funding for the project is targeted for at-risk and nontraditional students. However, the curriculum is being developed for use by all students pursuing a secondary school education.

The Department of Distance Education is a veteran in its field. Its Independent Study High School was founded in 1929. Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the Nebraska State Department of Education, it is the only fully accredited, university-based high school in the nation.

A major factor in accreditation is the fact that the school employs a full staff of certificated teachers. The teaching staff, an academic adviser, and support staff are housed on the second floor of the Nebraska Center. The curriculum development staff, which designs and maintains the 128 high school courses, has received 46 national course development awards in the past two decades.

Last year the Independent Study High School served more than 14,000 enrollments in 136 countries. The program's shipping and receiving unit processes and ships more than 15,500 orders annually.

The $19.5 million project funding includes a one-year $2.5 million dollar award from the General Services Administration, a one-time $2 million award from the National Reconnaissance Organization and a five-year Star Schools award for approximately $3 million per year.

Partners in the project include Nebraska Educational Telecommunications, the Nebraska Department of Education and the National Information Display Laboratory hosted by the David Sarnoff Research Center of Princeton, N.J.

CBA Ranked Among Nation's Top 25 For Entrepreneurs

UNL's College of Business Administration is one of the 25 best business schools for entrepreneurs in the United States according the September issue of Success magazine.

It's the third year the magazine has issued the listing, which spotlights universities that offer the best graduate business programs in entrepreneurship. To be eligible for consideration, a school has to offer at least three distinct courses in entrepreneurship in its master's in business administration program. Success interviewed 137 graduate business schools across the country.

UNL's MBA program offers four distinct courses in entrepreneurship and new venture management, franchise management, small business management and international entrepreneurship.

"I think there are two main reasons why we achieved this ranking," said Robin Anderson, director of the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship, which is housed in UNL's management department.

"One is in the area of international business and entrepreneurship, where we're probably one of the leading schools in the country. The other is our emphasis on our students. We're very student-oriented with international internships, study-abroad opportunities in international business and a required course in international business. The reason for this emphasis is that regardless of what you do anymore, if your business is going to grow, you're going to have do business internationally."

Success listed the 25 schools alphabetically and did not rank them first through 25th. The listing included three other Big 12 schools - Baylor, Colorado and Texas - plus schools such as UCLA, Cornell, the Harvard Business School, New York University, Northwestern and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

"This has been one of our goals since we started the center for entrepreneurship nine years ago, to be recognized as one of the top programs in the country," said Anderson, who has been the center's director since its founding. The center was created by Sang Lee, chair of the UNL management department and executive director of the center.

"Recognition such as this is the culmination of efforts the last several years in broadening the curriculum and improving the quality of the programs in the College of Business Administration," said CBA Dean John Goebel. "It should give us momentum to continue to improve our offerings by helping us recruit high-quality students and faculty. We already receive strong support from the business community and our alumni and trust that this recognition will ehance that support even further."

The magazine's 1996 survey focused on five key areas: the overall quality, longevity, programs, resources and community outreach of the school's entrepreneurship program; the qualifications of the school's entrepreneurship faculty and the role faculty members play in supporting students' entrepreneurial endeavors; the depth and breadth of the entrepreneurship curriculum; school resources and special programs to provide students with "hands on" entrepreneurial experience; and the caliber of the students attending the school.





Steve Brodie, landscape horticulture specialist at UNL, examines ornamental grasses that will be on display at the 1996 Festival of Color Sept. 14 at the University of Nebraska Agricultural Research and Development Center near Ithaca. (IANR Photo)




Do-It-Yourself Landscapes on Display at '96 Festival of Color

Take-home, practical advice on environmentally-sound landscape management will be featured at the fourth annual Festival of Color near here.

The open house of the UNL Department of Horticulture is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 14. The free event will take place at the John Seaton Anderson Turfgrass and Ornamental Research Facility 28 miles north of Lincoln.

"We want to show environmentally sensitive landscape design," said Steven Rodie, UNL landscape horticulture specialist. "This includes water conservation, efficient water use and use of low-maintenance plants," the registered landscape architect said.

The program includes the ongoing construction of a water garden and residential-scale landscape, displays, demonstrations, guided tours, tent talks, nursery vendors, a food court, diagnosis of plant problems and children's activities.

The hallmark of the festival is the visual type of help it offers to gardeners and landscape designers.

"Here, people can actually see how to do things. They can go home and improve their landscapes," said Donald H. Steinegger, festival co-cordinator and Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources horticulturist at UNL.

Demonstrations will address topics such as turfgrass selection and management, tree and shrub planting, shelterbelts, drip irrigation, fall vegetable gardening, landscaping, dividing perennials, composting, chili pepper gardening, beekeeping, water gardening and small engine care. One demonstration topic will be "berming," a process in which soil mounds are formed in the landscape, and plants are planted on top.

"Done incorrectly, it can look like an elephant burial ground and create surface drainage problems in a yard." Rodie said. "Done correctly, it can fit perfectly into a landscape and offer advantages to the plants." Effective berming provides better drainage and growing conditions. Improper drainage can be a problem on residential lots where the top soil is often compacted or where heavy clay soils exist.

Tent talk topics include landscaping, flower arranging and turfgrass. Guided tours will be offered on pruning, selecting turfgrass, diseases and insects. Displays include annual and perennial flowerbeds, shade gardening, composting, minimum input landscaping, water gardening, turfgrass, weed identification and wildflowers.

Good landscape design is the focus of Festival of Color at the NU Agricultural Research and Development Center.

"People can see how to use plants, colors and textures to create livable outdoor spaces," Rodie said. Landscape designs at the festival use adapted plants, which offer a variety of advantages.

"They are typically more tolerant of dry soil conditions as well as the extremes of our climate." he said.

A new feature this year is a permanent children's garden where children can learn about gardening. The family fun center offers information for youth. Children and parents can enjoy educational activities related to conservation and protection of water resources.

Specialists will be present all day to identify weeds and diagnose plant problems. The public is invited to bring plant samples or problems for diagnosis.

Not-for-profit environmental and gardening organizations will be highlighted in the organization tent. They will stress the importance of water quality management, backyard wildlife habitat, information and educational resources and plant species selection.

If You Think Crickets Aren't Harmful, Think Again


Some people think crickets provide pleasant background music, but others consider the "chirp" annoying.

"Once they get into the house, however, the charm of the cricket song gets lost and they can damage fabrics," said Dave Keith, entomologist at UNL.

In recent years, Nebraska has recorded very high numbers of crickets, principally the striped ground cricket, which breeds in open fields and lawns, Keith said. These insects are reaching maturity now. A related species, the common black house cricket, becomes more apparent later in August and September.

Crickets are related to grasshoppers, having hind legs enlarged for jumping and two pairs of wings. Male crickets produce noises by rubbing their wings together rapidly, which signals the opposite sex. The familiar chirp is a love message to a potential mate. Once mated, female crickets lay eggs in soil, then are eventually killed by frost, Keith said.

Eggs hatch in April or May and the tiny crickets gradually increase in size during early summer. By late summer, they develop wings and become sexually mature. There is only one generation per year. Most species are active only at night, hiding under leaves, mulch or beneath objects during the day.

While most crickets are plant feeders, some eat other insects. In late summer, when host plants set seed, wilt and die, crickets may leave and "move to town." The striped ground cricket is attracted to lights. Therefore, crickets are often abundant wherever lights are on all night, such as supermarket parking lots, manufacturing sites and restaurants, the Keith said.

Crickets aren't especially harmful, but they can be a nuisance. Some can damage fabrics when they get into the homes. If crickets become a problem, Keith said there are several ways to discourage the insect.

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