Lincoln (Neb.) - Dec. 20, 2000 - The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is one of 16 colleges and universities recognized by the Association of American Colleges and Universities for visionary campuswide innovations in undergraduate education.
A team from the AAC&U visited UNL for two days in November as part of its judging process of 73 campuses. In an announcement this week, UNL was lauded by AAC&U for demonstrating "strong commitment to a liberal education relevant for the contemporary world," according to Andrea Leskes, vice president of AAC&U.
Harvey Perlman, UNL interim chancellor, said the designation is "an authentic assessment of UNL's stature as a premier institution of undergraduate education."
The AAC&U team in November was briefed and led on a tour of UNL innovations, supported by the UNL application. Innovations outlined for the team included university learning communities, the University Honors Program, the J.D. Edwards Honors Program in Computer Science and Management, Peer Review of Teaching, the Comprehensive Education Program, and undergraduate research opportunities such as the Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences (UCARE) program, Cedar Point Biological Station, and the McNair Project.
According to AAC&U, the schools selected were characterized by extensive innovation in curriculum, pedagogy and organizational structure. At each of the 16 institutions, the campus culture was deemed to support undergraduates within and outside the classroom, provide opportunities to "learn by doing," emphasize critical thinking about complex problems, promote effective communication and the ability to contribute to a diverse society as an outcome of powerfully lasting undergraduate education.
UNL will now be part of the Greater Expectations Consortium on Quality Education. The AAC&U report said UNL and the other 15 institutions are "role models." They will participate in meetings, panels and activities during 2001 as part of the Consortium on Quality Education, to address educational visions, innovations, best classroom practices and curricular designs. The consortium's mandate is to share successful teaching practices with higher education and high schools to advance commitment to ensuring advantages of liberal learning for all students.
UNL was one of five universities with the top Carnegie doctoral/research universities-extensive designation to be recognized by AAC&U, including Duke University, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, the University of Michigan and the University of Southern California. The other AAC&U Leadership Institutions are the U.S. Air Force Academy, Central Connecticut State University, Colgate University, Evergreen State College, Hampshire College, King's College, Prince George's Community College, Richland College, the University of Hawaii-Kapi'olani Community College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.
"This recognition is so much more satisfying and indicative of our excellence than any of the popular rankings, because it is based on a rigorous, peer-reviewed competitive process. Evaluators visited our campus and saw some of the many innovative things that we are doing in terms of the undergraduate experience," Perlman said.
David Brinkerhoff, acting senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the honor is significant.
"It is significant and symbolic to have others evaluate our undergraduate education and activities going on at UNL, and find that we are one of the best," Brinkerhoff said. "We have important and exciting things happening at Nebraska, and after having judges see and hear what we are doing here on our campus, they agree."
Brinkerhoff said the opportunity to learn from the other consortium institutions, and to share ideas on successes at Nebraska, is an important component of the program.
"We'll have the opportunity to participate in workshops and consortiums with other institutions, and share with them the exciting things we are doing that have impact on undergraduate education," he said. "It will be our opportunity to engage others."
More information on the association and its Greater Expectations
Leadership awards can be found at the AAC&U Web site
(http://www.aacu-edu.org). Work by Greater Expectations, the multi-year
initiative to define outcomes of 21st century undergraduate education, is
funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts and Carnegie Corp. of New York.
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