The University of Nebraska-Lincoln moved up to Tier II from Tier III in U.S. News & World Report's 11th annual "America's Best Colleges" issue that will appear in the Sept. 1 issue of the magazine. The issue appeared on newsstands Aug. 25.
Tier II is an alphabetical list of 66 universities. Tier I includes the magazine's top 50 schools, led by Harvard, Princeton and Yale. Other Big 12 Conference schools in Tier II were Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Missouri, Texas and Texas A&M (no Big 12 schools were in Tier I). Tier II also included such universities as Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue and Rutgers.
The "America's Best Colleges" listings were determined by rankings in 11 categories covering reputation scores, retention and graduation rates, size of class, ACT and SAT scores, students' high school class rankings, acceptance rates and alumni financial support.
In addition, U.S. News ranked Nebraska in a tie for 41st in its list of 50 national universities that it labeled "Best Values - Discount Price: Schools that offer a high quality education at reasonable cost." Nebraska's ranking is tops in the Big 12 and only three public institutions rank higher on the list than Nebraska - North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Virginia and Florida State. The "Best Values" rankings were based on three variables: ratio of quality to price, percentage of all undergraduates receiving grants meeting student's financial needs during the 1996-97 academic year and the percentage of a school's total costs covered by the average need-based grant to undergraduates.
"I'm, of course, delighted that we moved up a tier in the U.S. News rankings," said Nebraska Chancellor James Moeser. "This came as a result of the efforts people across campus - faculty, administrators and certainly our students. Our higher entrance requirements, which went into effect with the class that began Monday, probably helped. For the last couple of years we have seen an increase in the quality of our freshman class as high school students have better prepared themselves to succeed in college.
"When you move up like this, though, there is an expectation that you'll maintain that ranking or even move up in the future. The budget reallocation process that we started this year is designed to strengthen our best academic areas and puts us in a position to do just that. And, of course, we hope our private support will continue to climb with Campaign Nebraska."
The U.S. News rankings were the second piece of good news for Nebraska. Earlier in the week Money magazine ranked it 28th among the nation's top public-school values for in-state students.
- Tom Simons
For the second-straight year, the College of Business Administration has been honored by Success magazine as one of the "25 Best Business Schools" for entrepreneurs. The list appears in the September issue of the magazine and honors the top master's degree programs in the nation. UNL was listed along with such schools as Cornell, Harvard, UCLA and Pennsylvania's Wharton School.
"It's really an honor for us to be mentioned in Success' list of the 25 Best Business Schools because it's a tough, competitive group of schools that you're measured against," said Robin Anderson, director of the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship.
"It's taken a long time, but once we got the recognition it snowballed," said Sang Lee, University Eminent Scholar and management department chair. "It's a great honor to be recognized for the second year in a row because some good schools were dropped from last year's list."
Anderson, who has been the center's director since its inception in 1987, said he thinks there are several reasons why Success once again honored Nebraska, but one factor stands out.
"The main reason is that we have a global scope," he said. "That's what really sets us apart from other business schools. Our students have many opportunities to gain international experience and that's one of the things Success specifically mentioned in its summary of our program."
"Sang Lee, Robin Anderson and the rest of the faculty in the management department have very quietly developed one of the best programs in the country," said Jack Goebel, dean of the College of Business Administration. "The undergraduate entrepreneurship program was named the best in the United States last month (by the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship) and now the master's program has been honored nationally for the second year in a row. That's quite a record. Sang Lee's vision in the mid-1980s to create a focus on entrepreneurship anticipated some of the major changes that have taken place in the business world since then. As a result, our graduates are very well prepared to compete in today's business climate."
-Tom Simons
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Svata Louda discovered a weevil imported to control musk thistles has had devastating effects on Platte thistles, mounted over her shoulder. (Photo by Richard Wright) |
Biological control - the introduction of non-native organisms to control pests - can be an effective and clean substitute for the use of pesticides and herbicides.
But caution needs to be used in deploying those non-native organisms, UNL botanist Svata Louda said after making an unexpected discovery in Nebraska's Sandhills.
Since 1984, Louda has studied the Platte thistle, whose range is restricted to the Sandhills, in the Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve in north central Nebraska. In 1993, she and her team of researchers came across an insect species they had not previously seen in the region - the flowerhead weevil (Rhiocyllus conicus), a Eurasian species that had been introduced in eastern Nebraska in 1972 to control musk thistle, another Eurasian species that was introduced by accident in the 19th century.
The invasion of the weevil has been devastating for the Platte thistle. The insect, Louda said, found the Platte thistle to be a more-than-adequate substitute for the musk thistle (which Louda has not seen in her study area).
"They've reduced seed production to the extent that it's only 14 percent of what it was before," she said. "It's already limiting plant numbers."
The possible extinction of the Platte thistle involves more than the loss of a native species, Louda said. It could have economic consequences, too.
"It's not a weed, it's not a bad plant," she said. "Ranchers laugh when I ask if it is. It's butterfly food and bees depend on the nectar - some of the native bees that have become really important. If something goes wrong with honeybees, and they've had problems with mites, native pollinators become even more important."
Louda said her findings should send up a yellow flag - not a red one - to advocates of biological controls.
"People had hoped that biological control would be an environmentally sound alternative to chemicals in the control of weeds, especially in our region where we have large rangeland areas where it's often too expensive to try to control weeds chemically," she said. "When you have a bad weed, the idea of biological control is a really good one. It's based on fundamental ecological principles, but we haven't been as careful about the selection of exotic insects as I think we should have.
"It's almost like the advocates hoped they had found a silver bullet. 'This is the answer, that we're going to be able to solve all the exotic weed problems by moving in all these exotic insects.'"
Louda said there are two essential questions biologists and land managers must answer before they can use biological controls effectively. If they can't answer them in the affirmative, chemicals or simple hand weeding are better solutions.
The first question is the "diet breadth" of the species to be introduced. "Will it eat a native species? If it won't, you have a much better case for biological control," she said.
The other question, she said, is "How bad is the problem? Is it really affecting native vegetation and native lands in such a way that it's worth releasing something that can't be stopped once it gets going? You can always stop using chemicals, like we did with DDT, but you can't stop an exotic species once it has a foothold."
Better yet, the best solution for problems like musk thistle might be to get rid of them the old-fashioned way.
"My husband is a farmer and he controls these exotic thistles by hand," Louda said. He goes out and cuts them and after he's done that for a few years he doesn't have problems. You spend an afternoon or two in the growing season controlling them. And if you don't overgraze, you don't have large problems."
Louda and her team's findings were published in an article, "Ecological Effects of an Insect Introduced for the Biological Control of Weeds," that appears in last week's issue of Science, the magazine of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Her co-authors are Deborah Kendall of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo.; Jeff Connor, resource manager for Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado; and Dan Simberloff of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
- Tom Simons
The discovery by Svata Louda and her team of the potential dangers involved in the use of biological controls to solve pest problems generated a flurry of media interest in the United States and abroad.
Louda said she was interviewed by science reporters from the BBC World Service, the Washington Post, the Dallas Morning News, the Milwaukee Sentinel and the Associated Press, in addition to Nebraska news organizations.
"They (reporters) were all very supportive and caring and wondered why this work hadn't been done before," Louda said.
"They found it interesting that biological controls, which were going to be the green alternative to chemicals, also had potential side effects."
-Tom Simons
Those attending Nebraska's home football opener Aug. 30 vs. Akron will notice some changes from previous seasons.
The biggest change fans is the new 600-stall parking garage west of the stadium, which has created some new traffic routes. Stadium Drive, the street paralleling the west side of the stadium, will be closed on game days. Only vehicles that have permits for the lots at the southwest corner of the stadium (T Street and Stadium Drive) will be allowed to enter T Street.
The athletics ticket office, including will call windows, will be open at the northeast corner, ground level, of the parking garage on game days from 8:30 a.m. (or four hours before kickoff) through halftime. UNL students may validate their tickets at the two outside windows.
Fans will also notice construction on the east side of Memorial Stadium. Light towers are being installed, while construction on additional restrooms and concessions areas will be in progress throughout the season. A sculpture and concessions areas will also be constructed on the plaza area east of the stadium.
Policies regarding security, parking and other issues in and around Memorial Stadium during home football games have been announced by Butch Hug, director of events for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln athletics department. They are:
Gates open 90 minutes prior to kickoff.
Memorial Stadium, like all university buildings, is a non-smoking area. Those who want to smoke must leave the stadium to do so, but will be allowed back in if they have the appropriate re-entry pass.
Fans are not allowed to bring coolers, backpacks, parcels or umbrellas into the stadium. Fans may bring in squeeze or thermos bottles no larger than one quart, subject to inspection at the gates.
The stadium is alcohol free. Fans should not bring alcoholic beverages of any type into the stadium. In addition, alcohol is prohibited from university parking lots and property.
Throwing of any object in the stadium is prohibited. Any person throwing any object is subject to immediate removal from the stadium. Rules allow game officials to penalize the home team if objects are thrown onto the playing field.
The Stadium Assistance Team, wearing gold jackets bearing the word "Security," can help with any problems fans may encounter. Should fans become separated from their friends, they should report to any First Aid station for assistance. A lost and found area is located at the south end of each concourse.
All parking lots on the UNL city campus are reserved for those who have paid reservations on game days. Parking for people with disabilities is available for $7 for people who have state-issued handicapped parking permits. This parking is available in the Area 10 lot northwest of Memorial Stadium at the corner of Stadium Drive and V Street. Access to the lot is via Stadium Drive off Holdrege Street.
Traffic and transportation information:
Fans should allow even more time than usual to reach Memorial Stadium for the Aug. 30 opener because the Nebraska State Fair is session.
The city of Lincoln offers these suggestions: Football fans entering the city via North 27th Street should remember that there is construction at the intersection of 27th and Superior streets (approximately 2 1/2 miles south of Interstate 80). Although there are barricades, all through lanes will be open to pre- and postgame traffic.
The Nebraska Department of Roads offers the following regarding highways and interstate construction zones: Interstate 80 is open (free of detours) across Nebraska; U.S. Highway 6 is closed west of Emerald, with traffic detoured to Interstate 80; motorists should use caution on U.S. 34 from Lincoln east to Nebraska 63, Nebraska 2 from 84th street in Lincoln to Nebraska 43 and U.S. 77 between Princeton and Nebraska 33.
StarTran also will offer bus service to and from the stadium from various sites around Lincoln, with a cost of $2 each way ($1 each way for children 12 and under). Service begins two hours before kickoff and riders are dropped off at the east side of the stadium. Pick-up lots for the service are at Southeast Community College, 88th and O streets; Holmes Lake, 70th Street and Normal Boulevard; Sam's Club, 27th and Superior streets, Gateway Mall, 6100 O St.; Nebraska Department of Roads, 14th and Burnham streets; and K-Mart Super Center, 27th Street and Cornhusker Highway. Buses will be available for reloading at the start of the fourth quarter and will depart from the east side of the stadium immediately after the game.
StarTran also has a downtown shuttle to the stadium. For $1 each way, fans may board at the Cornhusker Hotel Parking Garage at 12th and L streets; the Carriage Park Parking Garage at 11th and L streets; the City-County Building employee parking lot at 10th and H streets; and First Bank at 13th and M streets. Service runs every 15 to 20 minutes from these locations beginning two hours before kickoff, with the last buses departing approximately 30 minutes prior to kickoff. Buses will depart from the east side of the stadium immediately after the game.
- Tom Simons
It's good news and bad news. Nebraska can expect its strong economy to continue to grow over the next three years. But the state's population of school-age children (age 5 to 17)) is expected to drop through 2010. Those predictions are contained in a pair of articles in the July/August issue of Business in Nebraska.
Reporting findings of the Nebraska Business Forecast Council, John Austin, research associate in the Bureau of Business Research in the College of Business Administration, said personal income, retail sales and employment will all increase through 1999.
The council, a group of 10 Nebraska economists in higher education and government, predicts that nonfarm personal income will grow just under 6 percent per year from 1997-1999. Farm income should rise 6.4 percent to a record level of $2.5 billion in 1998 and go up another 6 percent to $2.65 billion in 1999. Strong export markets for Nebraska agricultural products are among reasons cited for the optimism.
Motor vehicle sales are expected to experience their second good year in a row in 1997, increasing 8 percent to $2.2 million, then, following a cyclical pattern, grow 6 percent to $2.4 million in 1998 and 4 percent to $2.5 million in 1999. Other retail sales are expected to grow more than 5 percent in each of the three years.
Total nonfarm employment is expected to grow by 2 percent or more in each of the three years. Growth is expected in all employment areas except government. Federal government employment in the state is expected to drop 2 percent each year. State and local government employment levels will remain constant.
The council predicted that the ability of the state's economy to maintain that level of job growth "likely will stimulate migration into the state" - and that inmigration will be needed if Nebraska is to avoid the expected drop in its school-age population.
In a separate article, Lisa Darlington reported that the state's school-age population is expected to decrease by more than 1 percent from 1995-2010. Darlington, research coordinator for the bureau, said the state's rural counties are expected to experience a 21 percent decrease in the number of school-age children in that period.
- Tom Simons
They neither met with each other in person nor did they set foot in a classroom at UNL during the process, but Aug. 16, 19 long-distance classmates became the university's first group to earn master's degrees solely through distance education.
Beyond speaking by telephone or via the Internet, the master's candidates in the College of Human Resources and Family Sciences did not meet during the three-year program. Because of prior responsibilities and distance from campus (some as much as a 10-hour drive from Lincoln), many never imagined they would be able to further their education, said Joan Laughlin, associate dean of graduate studies and research for the college and faculty adviser to the students.
The program has enabled them to update skills and advance careers by bridging geographical barriers. They were able to "go back to school" yet maintain responsibilities as full-time employees, parents, spouses and community volunteers.
The 19 graduates and another who graduated in May obtained their education by a combination of strategies including videotape, the Internet and 800 number "classroom" discussions and a website class. They also traveled to satellite downlink locations, which meant some students visited the farm of a neighbor with a satellite dish.
Although the distance education program originally was begun to bridge the geographical distances of rural Nebraska, it has expanded and is now "coast-to-coast, border-to-border," according to Laughlin. Students from California, Pennsylvania, Texas and Idaho now are enrolled in distance education through UNL - a pioneer in the field, having begun offering credit courses via long distance in 1909.
Graduates lived as close to Lincoln as Beatrice and as far as Palisade and Scottsbluff. . Two are from Iowa. They attended a "get acquainted" reception Aug. 15 and received their diplomas at commencement exercises Aug. 16 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
- Peg Strain
The 1997 Cornhusker Marching Band will make its debut Aug. 30 at Memorial Stadium when it delivers pre-game and halftime performances and provides post-game music at Nebraska's football season-opener against the University of Akron.
The Marching Red's 267 members were selected after auditions were completed Aug. 17. Although students in the band come from 18 states, the majority are from Nebraska and represent 60 communities.
The Marching Red is led by third-year director Rod Chesnutt, assistant professor of music and assistant director of bands. Jay Kloecker, associate professor of music, is director of bands and oversees all operations of the UNL band program. Al Rometo, professor of percussion and vice director of the School of Music, is the band's percussion adviser.
Other senior staff members are John DeStefano, assistant director of athletic bands and drum line instructor; Rose Johnson, administrative assistant; Carol Swanson, secretary; Dan Sodomka, James Martin and Karin Beckstrand, graduate assistants; and Mike Veak, announcer.
Drum majors for the 1997 season are Brandy Spreitzer of Plattsmouth, Kristian Veit of Columbus and Zach Braxton of Jonesboro, Ark. The twirler is Courtney Hill of San Antonio, Texas.
The band season began Aug. 13 with a 12-day camp that included more than 30 rehearsals and a special exhibition performance in Memorial Stadium. The band will perform at all Nebraska home football games, travel to the Missouir game, Nov. 8, and will send small groups as pep bands to the other Big 12 road games.
The Cornhusker Marching Band was the 1996 recipient of the John Philip Sousa Foundation's Sudler Trophy, awarded each year to a marching band that has demonstrated the highest of music standards and innovative routines. Other honors bestowed on the band include the representation of the United States at the 1996 St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Dublin, Ireland, in 1996, a featured performance at the Emmy Award-winning Kennedy Center honors ceremony for Nebraska alumnus Johnny Carson in 1993 and the "Best Dressed Band Award" presented by the National Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Designers in 1983.
The University of Nebraska Cornhusker Marching Band is one of the nation's oldest marching bands. It was founded in 1879 as an ROTC unit and began playing at football games in 1890, the year of Nebraska's first football team.
- Tom Simons
The Human Resources Policies and Procedures have been revised. The revised policies are accessible through the Faculty and Staff area on the UNL homepage or directly on the Human Resources homepage, http://www.unl.edu/unlhr/ hrhomepage.html. A list of policy changes appears at the beginning of the web document and with this notice.
Printed copies of the policies are available for viewing at the following places:
Department of Human Resources, 407 Canfield Administration, 472-3101; Nebraska Union (city campus) Information Desk; Love Library Circulation Desk; Nebraska East Union Information Desk; C.Y Thompson Library Circulation Desk.
Human Resources will not distribute printed copies of the policies.
Except for the Bylaws of the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska, these policies supersede all previously published policies and all individual department policies governing human resources practices at UNL.
These policies also replace the Employee Handbook printed in 1991.
Questions or comments about the policies may be directed to Faye Moulton at 472-3101 or at fmoulton@unlinfo.unl.edu.
The follow briefly describes the major changes that have occurred since the policies were last printed.
-Faye Moulton, Human Resources
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