September 20, 1996

Winning Design

The American Institute of Architects Nebraska will present a 1996 Honor Award today to Davis Design for their design of the George W. Beadle Center for Genetics and Biomaterials Research. The Honor Awards program is a yearly competition of Nebraska architects to submit completed projects which are then juried on a variety of aspects including originality of work, unique design features, and use of environmental surroundings. This is one of five honor awards to be presented. (Photo by Donna Simon)

UNL Speakers Bureau Ready for the Road

The 15 members of the 1996-97 UNL speakers bureau begin a new season of operation as they tour the state speaking to civic, community and professional organizations.

The speakers bureau was created last year to share UNL's intellectual resources with the people of Nebraska. During the 1995-96 academic year, nearly 50 presentations were given in communities throughout the state.

Speakers bureau members are university ambassadors, said Chancellor James Moeser.

"Faculty and staff experts willing to share their expertise and knowledge with Nebraskans are a primary form of outreach and service at the university," Moeser said. "I urge leaders in clubs and organizations to take advantage of UNL's speakers bureau service."

Speakers bureau members were chosen by the chancellor's cabinet to serve one-year terms. Members and descriptions of their presentations follow.

Kris Baack, clinical assistant professor of special education and communication disorders; "Communication Challenges," a talk on the various types of speech, language and hearing disabilities and ideas on how to communicate effectively with people who are communicatively impaired; "The Language of Leaders," a talk on how to incorporate specific leadership strategies in verbal interactions to enhance the effectiveness of communication.
Stephen Baenziger, professor of plant breeding; "Agriculture: Nebraska's Great Managed Ecosystem," a talk on ecological and economic concerns from an agronomist's perspective; "Plant Biotechnology's Techniques and Uses as Explained by an Amateur Chef," a talk on biotechnology and its impact on everyone's future.
Stan Campbell, director of campus recreation; "Maximizing Your Leadership Potential," a talk on leadership development as a process of self-development; "The Power of Vision," a talk on the importance of visualizing goals and sharing the vision with others; "Why Everyone Should Work Out," a talk on how to incorporate regular physical activity into daily life.
Dick Dienstbier, professor of psychology; "Sex Education and Teen Pregnancy," a talk on sex education approaches that have been proven to reduce teen pregnancy and approaches that are ineffective; "The Sexual Revolution: Where Are We Headed Now?" a talk on the history of Americans' views on sex from the Victorian era to present; "Stress Is Bad for You but Exercise Is OK," a talk on how stress adversely affects the human body and the role of exercise in diffusing the effects of stress.
James Estes, director of the University of Nebraska State Museum; "Conserving Nebraska's Natural Heritage," a talk on the museum's role in conserving and interpreting Nebraska's cultural and natural history; "Nebraska's Treasures," an exclusive tour of the museum's collections and exhibits; "Great Plains Myths and Images," a talk on the role of the Great Plains in United States history and economy.
Robert Fuller, professor of physics and astronomy and director of the ADAPT (Accent on the Development of Abstract Processes of Thought) program; "Preparing the University for Paperless Pedagogy," a talk on how UNL students are using technology, not paper, to learn.
John Hibbing, professor of political science; "Why Americans Hate Government," a talk on why Americans are suspicious of their government; "The U.S. Elections of 1996," a talk on the consequences of the outcome of the 1996 presidential and congressional races; "Politics in Europe," a talk on the importance of understanding international governments.
John Janovy, professor of biology and director of Cedar Point Biological Station; "UNL's Secret World Championship: The Cedar Point Biological Station," a talk on what this highly successful program brings to the university and accomplishes for students; "Parasitism: Our Most Common Way of Life," a talk on the history, characters and students in parasitology; "What Every Parent Needs to Know about a University But Is Afraid to Ask," a talk on tricks of the trade that students can use to increase the quality of their university experience.
Venita Kelley, assistant professor of communication studies; "Images of Culture in the Media," a talk on prevailing images of people of color in the media; "Freedom of Speech in the Era of Multiculturalism," a talk on the concept of free speech related to today; "Revitalizing The Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.," a talk on King's philosophy and how individuals can incorporate it into their daily lives.
Patricia Kennedy, associate professor of marketing; "Learning Values from Advertising," a talk on advertising's impact on children; "Advertising, Body Image and Self Esteem," a talk on poor body image and self esteem and strategies to help youth avoid these problems; "Marketing on the Internet and the World Wide Web," a talk on the state of marketing and its potential on new technologies.
Robert Kuzelka, assistant to the director of the Water Center and associate professor of forestry, fisheries and wildlife; "Water Issues Make Waves in Nebraska," a talk on water management programs, policies, resources and concerns.
Meg Lauerman, assistant professor of advertising; "Making Headlines," a talk on how groups can build successful working relationships with the media; "Student Success Stories," a talk on a professor's observations on what helps students succeed in class and after graduation; "Have You Checked Your E-Mail Today?" a talk on the impact of electronic mail on education, public relations and individuals.
Brito Mutunayagam, associate dean of architecture and professor of community and regional planning; "Preparing for the Year 2000," a talk on what workers can expect in the 21st century; "Economic Development and the Future of Nebraska Communities," a talk on what is needed to sustain small town life in the future; "Cities, Futures, Decisions and Information Technology," a talk on how information and communication technology contributes toward informed and prudent public decision making.
Ian Newman, professor of health and human performance; "Reversing Adolescent Drug Use Trends," a talk on qualities of teens who are most likely to use drugs and what's being done to reduce experimentation and use; "Adolescent Health and the Corporate Bottom Line," a talk on how teen health issues like dieting and weight loss practices affect the health care system and the work force; "Developing Health Promoting Schools," a talk on how parents, school officials and others can work together to develop school health education programs.
David Stanley-Samuelson, associate professor of entomology; "Undoing Ourselves: Scientific Misconduct and the Public Image of Science," a talk on the interesting and bizarre cases of scientific misconduct and the ethics of scientists; "Insect Control in the Future: Reducing the Environmental Insecticide Load," a talk on the problems of insecticide use and alternatives.

For more information about the speakers bureau or to schedule a speaker, contact the UNL office of public relations at 472-2211.

Well Rounded, Firmly Grounded

A Standard for UNL's Students as Team Begins Assessment of Comprehensive Education Program

By David Ochsner
Scarlet Editor

In recent years universities have sought ways to respond to negative trends developing among students - academic apathy, careerism and lackluster thinking and communication skills.

Enter the Comprehensive Education Program, launched by UNL last fall to help students become better critical thinkers and more intellectually balanced in their approach to education.

Is it working? It's far too early too tell, but not too early to begin an assessment process of the CEP, said Bob Bergstrom, an associate professor of English who serves as the faculty coordinator of the CEP assessment process.

The roots of the Comprehensive Education Program began in fall of 1992 with a faculty committee appointed by then Senior Vice Chancellor Joan Leitzel. Bergstrom headed up that committee as well, which was charged with assembling the CEP, getting approval from the colleges, and finally putting the general education courses into place. The new CEP went into effect for the incoming 1995 fall class of students.

It wasn't the first attempt at a general education program at UNL. An earlier effort was launched in the late 1980s but ultimately lost momentum, Bergstrom said.

The CEP, which applies to all incoming undergraduates, regardless of major, comprises a knowledge base requirement in the arts, sciences, humanities, and social sciences; a requirement for Integrative Studies courses; and a co-curricular emphasis.

The integrative studies criteria of the CEP seeks to promote objective and subjective critical thinking skills, enhance written and oral expression, and encourage students to explore assumptions underlying various beliefs, the consequences of intellectual bias, and the consideration of human diversity as it relates to a course of study.

In many ways, the assessment plan of the CEP, officially put into motion last week, is as ambitious as the project itself.

"The full assessment of CEP is ongoing after this point. It will continue and take a few years to put it fully into place," Bergstrom said. "The students with whom we started the program are just sophomores now, so we won't get a class graduating from this program for at least two more years."

The CEP assessment is organized under the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Nancy Stara, interim associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, serves as liaison for the assessment team, which also includes David Johnson, director of the Bureau for Sociological Research, and Brian Cannon, the Bureau's project manager for the assessment effort.

"Right now we are beginning to collect materials for a portfolio assessment of UNL students. We are asking 200 students (50 from each class year) to collect all of their written work from all of their classes for the next two semesters," Bergstrom said. "These students were chosen at random, and we have not tried to determine which among them is taking general education classes."

Bergstrom said materials collected from students are copied and the originals are returned to them. The copied materials are then stripped of all identification (student or professor's name, course title, grade received) to keep the materials "totally anonymous."

The anonymous nature of the materials is important, Bergstrom said. Three UNL faculty members will be chosen to read these portfolios early next summer. Rather than look for a grade received for a particular course, the faculty readers will be asked to look for intellectual qualities in the students, qualities of thought specified by the integrated studies criteria of CEP.

"This year we will be creating an evaluation instrument so the faculty recorders can mark in a fairly easy way their response to the portfolios that they will read," Bergstrom said. "The program has just begun so we won't see a lot of long range effects, but rather get a baseline picture of the intellectual skills of UNL students that CEP is intended to enhance. From that baseline we will be able to gauge changes in future assessments of students.

In addition to that daunting task, the Bureau of Sociological Research will mail surveys to both faculty and students early in the spring that will assess their attitudes and opinions concerning the integrative study courses.

Chancellor James Moeser, right, is joined by Gov. Ben Nelson, left, and State Sen. Kermit Brashear at the Sept. 18 unveiling of a new Nebraska Cornhusker spirit license plate. (Photo by Donna Simon)

New Spirit Plates Unveiled at UNL

By Karen Underwood
News & Information

A prototype of the newly designed Nebraska Cornhusker spirit license plates was presented Sept. 18 at a press conference in the Nebraska Union.

The spirit plates are the result of LB1264, introduced by Sen. Kermit Brashear of Omaha, and co-sponsored by Sens. Ron Withem of Papillion and Roger Wehrbein of Plattsmouth. The legislation passed in 1996. The plates will be produced by the State of Nebraska Department of Correctional Services Prison Industries and will be consecutively numbered beginning with 1.

Chancellor James Moeser is pleased to see the 1996 legislation come to fruition.

"The Nebraska State Legislature has provided the people of Nebraska with a unique opportunity to honor our outstanding student athletes and academic programs," Moeser said. "Everywhere spirit plate owners go, people both in the state and in the rest of the country will see that there really is no place like Nebraska."

Those interested in buying spirit plates may pick up an application from 100 State of Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicle sites starting Nov. 1. The plates will be delivered to county treasurer offices starting the week of Jan. 2, 1997. Spirit plate buyers should exchange their existing plates for their new spirit plates at this time or at the time of their annual registration renewal.

The spirit plates will cost $70, plus a $3 fee for new plates, plus usual registration fees. The Department of Motor Vehicles will receive $30 per order for operations, and $40 per order will go to the Spirit Plate Proceeds Fund.

The first $3 million of that fund will be appropriated to the University of Nebraska to establish an endowment fund for scholarships to former athletes from UNL, the University of Nebraska at Omaha or the University of Nebraska at Kearney to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate study at any University of Nebraska system campus. The next $2 million will establish an endowment fund for academic service units of athletic departments at any University of Nebraska system campus to support academic service to student athletes. Ninety percent of all profits over the first $5 million will be divided equally among the campuses of the Nebraska state college system and all University of Nebraska system campuses to repair, maintain and improve any facility on these campuses. Ten percent of profits over the first $5 million will go to the previously mentioned former athletes scholarship endowment fund.

Gov. Ben Nelson said all Nebraskans can share in the success of the University of Nebraska.

"These license plates will be a very visible sign of pride in our state and our university, and will send the message that we are 'Number One Nebraska' from academics to athletics," Nelson said. "And we should be proud - not only of two national athletic championships last year, but of the academic champions who graduate from the University of Nebraska year after year. This is an innovative approach to fund educational initiatives which support our scholar athletes."

Alvin Abramson, director of the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles sees the spirit plates as the result of a successful relationship between the university and state government.

"The spirit plates are a wonderful example of how the academic world and state government can forge meaningful partnerships," he said. "The partnership between the Department of Motor Vehicles and the University of Nebraska will provide scholarships to former athletes and will provide cash funds for the operation of the department. We hope the public will express their support to the university and to its former athletes by the purchase of spirit plates."

Guidelines Outlined for Proposed School of Natural Resources

By Dick Fleming
IANR News Service

Guidelines for developing a proposed School of Natural Resources were outlined recently at a meeting of faculty in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the College of Arts and Sciences at UNL.

"This was the first general meeting for us to dialogue and receive broad-based faculty input since we decided to proceed with planning to implement the school," said Irv Omtvedt, IANR vice chancellor and interim senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at UNL, who called the meeting.

"The decision to move forward with a school was not made lightly and is based on the devoted efforts and inputs of many individuals," Omtvedt said. "The primary driving force for this decision was the desire to achieve a more focused and enhanced natural resources program. We recognize attempting to maintain the status quo would be the easiest approach administratively, but the advantages for moving ahead at this point clearly outweigh the disadvantages from a programmatic perspective.

"I am confident that implementation of the school will offer increased opportunities for Nebraska, UNL and IANR to be nationally and internationally recognized for its program strengths in these areas," the vice chancellor said.

The proposed guidelines call for establishing the school July 1, 1997, culminating discussions which began some 30 years ago, Omtvedt said. If the school only includes IANR, the initial core units would include the Department of Agricultural Meteorology, Conservation and Survey Division, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife, Nebraska Forest Service, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, and the Water Center/Environmental Programs.

"Other units or elements of units from throughout the university may elect to join the school prior to or after July 1, 1997, based on the implementation plan," Omtvedt said.

Faculty in other IANR and UNL units could transfer or affiliate with the school on a permanent basis or for a specific term as well as through courtesy appointments. Persons employed by federal and state agencies and private natural resources organizations could affiliate with the School of Natural Resources through adjunct appointments.

Omtvedt announced that the faculty planning committee for the proposed school will include Blaine Blad, who will serve as committee facilitator, and Betty Walter-Shea, Department of Agricultural Meteorology; Dave Gosselin and Bob Diffendal, Conservation and Survey Division; Kyle Hoagland and Thomas Wardle, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife; Bob Kuzelka, Water Center/Environmental Programs; and one or two representatives to be named from non-core units in IANR and from the College of Arts and Sciences. Darrell Nelson, IANR interim associate vice chancellor, will provide liaison leadership from the IANR Vice Chancellor's office.

The committee would develop a proposed vision, mission, organizational structure, program plan, bylaws, policies and other guidance necessary for successful operation of the school. The committee's plan would be presented for approval to the IANR Administrative Council, UNL Academic Planning Committee, UNL Chancellor, NU Council of Academic Offices, the president and the Board of Regents, and the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education before the school becomes a reality.

Leadership for the school would be provided by a director appointed by the IANR Vice Chancellor. The director would report to the deans for the Agricultural Research Division, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and Cooperative Extension in IANR. Should units or elements of other units at UNL outside IANR become affiliated with the school, the director would also report to other relevant deans and vice chancellors.

Future assignments for current administrators of core units which make up the school would be negotiated prior to July l, Omtvedt said. A national search for the director will be conducted pending approval by the Board of Regents.

Current Conservation and Survey Division survey functions will continue under the leadership of the state geologist. The Nebraska Forest Service will be a part of the school, but leadership for programs will be provided by the state forester.

The school would be exempt from IANR-mandated internal resource reallocation and IANR will reallocate to the school all current faculty positions that become vacant during the two biennial budgets following formation of the school.

"Diligent efforts will be made to obtain federal and state funds to construct a Natural Resources Complex to serve as the administrative home for the school and to provide space for some school programs and personnel from interested federal agencies. A Natural Resources Complex is one of the Regents' priorities for planning funds," Omtvedt said.

Global View

Fulbright Program Faces Cuts

By Ted Taylor
International Affairs

Faced with a massive $16 million cut in support from the United States government, officials of the Fulbright Exchange Program may soon be forced to re-focus fund raising efforts toward the private sector.

The search for extensive private funds will be something new for the 50-year-old student/faculty international exchange program.

Restructuring at the government agency which oversees funding for the Fulbright program may help see United States funding dip even lower. The same Congressional earmarks and reprogramming decisions that took place last year would mean Fulbright funding could fall between $90 and $92 million during fiscal 1997.

While international exchange programs continue to garner support from members of Congress more questions are being raised regarding broad issues about the exchange field and about specific programs such as the Fulbright Program.

The Congressional Research Service and committee members will soon be discussing these issues for the 1998-99 authorization process:

What can be done with duplicated international exchange programs?
Are there private sources that can be used to stretch federal funding?
Do smaller exchange programs suffer because of allocations to larger programs?
Are there results that show a worthwhile return on federal investment in exchange programs?

At the global level, international Fulbright officials and alumni met last month in Budapest, Hungary to celebrate the program's 50th anniversary and to discuss ways of insuring the academic exchange program's future.

Officials urged all of the 140 countries involved in the program to increase funds and continue support. Forty-five countries share the academic costs of the program with the U.S. government.

Hoyt Purvis, chairman of the Fulbright Scholarship Board and the director of the Fulbright Scholarship Board and the director of the Fulbright Institute at the University of Arkansas, recently told The Chronicle for Higher Education that he is concerned that the program may turn into a corporate entity.

"As we are encouraging more support from the private sector, especially in the partner countries, we want to be careful not to hurt the program's integrity," he said. "It is a merit-based program which emphasizes excellence."

But before more private funds are sought, 26 of the participating countries told officials in Budapest that they would begin lobbying their governments for more financial support.
Officials are also looking for help from the quarter of a million scholar students who have participated in the program.

At the conference, officials presented plans to create a database with the names of alumni with hopes of mobilizing world wide support and to facilitate the exchange of scholarly information.

Huba Brucker, executive director of Hungary's Fulbright commission, told The Chronicle that with the help of alumni, he looked forward to the program gaining notoriety in the eyes of legislators and the public.

"I hope in the future we can have more organized cooperation - like the Rotary Club or the Lions-so that we can increase the visibility and the impact of the program.

Those interested in broadening international research opportunities should contact Joseph Stimpfl at the Office of International Affairs at 472-5358 or jstimpfl@unlinfo. September is the deadline for Fulbright Study Abroad grant applications for graduating seniors and graduate students.

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For questions regarding these Scarlet pages, contact:
dtaurins@unlinfo.unl.edu
(402) 472-8518, Fax: (402) 472-7825