Promoting Academic Excellence at UNL

ITLE Year 1 Advising for Life Grants

Advising for Life Grants of from $5,000 to $25,000 each to colleges to reform advising to clarify and simplify program requirements, increase faculty-student contact and emphasize advising beyond academics.

EXTENDING THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN SCIENCES ORIENTATION TO PROMOTE STUDENT EFFICACY AND SUCCESS ($18,000)

Dan Schmit, Instructional Technology
Marjorie Kostelnik, Education & Human Sciences
Fayrene Hamouz, Nutrition and Health Sciences
Jim Walter, Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
Jim Cotter, Education & Human Sciences
Karen Kassebaum, Education & Human Sciences

The College of Education and Human Sciences is linking student recruitment, professional academic advising, career-focused advising by faculty and alumni, targeted practicum and internship placement, and post-graduation support. Students need help, however, to learn to use the system effectively.

The college will orient students using innovative, multimedia technology. An introductory CD-ROM (video game) will be sent to each incoming student prior to entering the university. The CD-ROM will be updateable and interactive and, to make sure it resonates with the targeted age group, be designed with the help of first-year students as well as junior and senior high school students.

The CD-ROM will be written so that students are encouraged to see their advisers the first, third and six months of their first year in order to complete orientation. A pilot CD-ROM will be created in spring, 2005.