eNews: A Newsletter from Academic Affairs and Student Life
Preparing Students for Careers and Citizenship
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Volume 1, Number 9
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July 25, 2008
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Blue and Gold Welcome Week Activities Expanded to Emphasize Academics
“For the first time in UNK history, we will be moving students in on Thursday,” said Brandon Benitz, Assistant to the Dean of Student Life. With enthusiasm, Benitz describes the major changes to Blue and Gold Welcome Week that he and his staff have planned for 2008.
Students will arrive on campus one day earlier this year than they have in past years. As in the past, Chamber of Commerce volunteers will move the students in, but unlike past years, the students’ first activity will be a “New Student Welcome Convocation” on Thursday, August 21, at 1:30, in the Health and Sports Center. Following this convocation, students will meet with a faculty mentor and an upper-class student from their program or area of interest.
“This year’s theme definitely thrusts academics to the forefront,” Benitz explained. Part of the rationale for expanding Blue and Gold Welcome Week was to put students in an academic mindset from the moment they arrive on campus. In the past, the academic orientation took place in a portion of one day, usually on Saturday, with low numbers in attendance. Now, students will begin their academic orientation shortly after their arrival on campus, and it will continue for nearly two full days, with numerous activities all day Friday and Saturday morning designed to encourage students to begin planning for their academic experience at UNK. Additionally, in order to emphasize civic engagement, on Saturday students can attend the Lopers Care showcase to learn about different service opportunities available in the community.
Though the focus of this year’s Blue and Gold Welcome Week may have changed, the fun events that have been a part of the orientation in the past will continue. Thursday night, students will be able to attend the concert of Campus Activities Magazine’s “Female Artist of the Year,” Shevy Smith. Friday evening, UNK will host the traditional Blue and Gold Community Showcase and Chancellor’s Picnic. Saturday evening, students can view Indiania Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Sunday afternoon, Student Life has cooperated with Kearney Park and Recreation to offer the “UNK Splash Down.” Tuesday, the UNK Residence Hall Association is sponsoring "Inflatable Fun," and Wednesday is a pizza party followed by "Lopers Under the Lights," hosted by UNK Athletics. Blue and Gold Welcome Week concludes on Thursday with the 5th Annual "Destination Downtown" where over 7000 people are expected to visit Downtown Kearney: The Bricks.
Student Life has put together a week of orientation activities to warmly welcome 2008’s incoming freshman class. Join with them in creating a positive first experience for the incoming students of UNK!
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College Edge Helps Prepare High School Students for Undergraduate Experience
In the spring of 2007, the UNK Admissions and Registrar’s Offices implemented UNK’s College Edge program to allow high school students to take college courses at a discounted tuition rate, currently 2/3 of the rate of regular tuition. Through the promotional efforts of the eCampus staff, the program has attracted the attention of local high school students and counselors, gaining momentum as a successful service to the surrounding communities.
The program, only open to Nebraska high school students, provides students with an opportunity to experience college-level instruction, giving them some idea of what to expect from the college classroom, as well as preparing them for the academic challenges they may encounter once they become undergraduate students.
In an article printed in the Kearney Hub in February, students reported great satisfaction with and excitement for this program. Students from several surrounding communities - including Pleasanton, Broken Bow, Kearney, and Amherst - have participated in the past, with approximately 25 students each term. As of July 17, 12 students are enrolled in the program for the Fall 2008 semester.
The process for gaining admittance to the College Edge program is similar to most college admission processes: submit an application, application fee, and letter of recommendation from high school. Once admitted, the students are free to take any course offered by UNK that does not have restricting prerequisites, enroll for a maximum of six hours each semester, and complete up to 16 hours in the program.
Professor Emeritus to Speak at Summer Commencement
2008 Summer Commencement is Friday, August 1, at 10:00 a.m., in the Ponderosa Room at the Nebraskan Student Union (NSU). UNK Professor Emeritus, Dr. Paul R. Welter will deliver the commencement address. Dr. Welter was in the department of Counseling and School Psychology from 1968-1992.
Professional Translators and Interpreters on Campus for NATI Conference
On July 24-26, the Modern Languages department welcomes approximately 120 professional translators and interpreters to campus for "Nebraska and Beyond: Bilingual Educational & Employment Opportunities," the 9th Annual Regional Conference of the Nebraska Association of Translators and Interpreters (NATI). Attendees include administrators of interpreter services as well as interpreters from various professional settings, including legal, medical, educational, law enforcement, and jail/prison. The majority of the attendees work with Spanish-speakers, but those working in Sudanese, Somali, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, and French will be in attendance as well.
UNK Hosts Several Local Groups During the Summer Months
In addition to UNK's regular summer classes and continued progress on the various construction projects, the atmosphere on campus has remained lively with the following summer activities:
| Activity |
Dates |
Host |
| UNK Coaches Clinic (65 high school coaches) |
May 27-29 |
Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Leisure Studies (College of Education) |
| "Strategies for Brain Engagement" conference (over 100 K-12 teachers from Central Nebraska) |
May 28 |
Educational Administration (College of Education) |
| National Youth Sports Program (136 10- to 16-year-olds from low-income households) |
June 2-27 |
Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Leisure Studies (College of Education) |
| Men's Basketball Jr. High Camp |
June 3-5 |
UNK Athletics |
| Men's Basketball Team Camp |
June 7 |
UNK Athletics |
| Football Youth Camp |
June 7 |
UNK Athletics |
| Football Team Camp |
June 8-11 |
UNK Athletics |
| Women's Basketball Shooting Camp |
June 8-9 |
UNK Athletics |
| Women's Basketball Jr. High Camp |
June 9-11 |
UNK Athletics |
| Women's Basketball Elementary Camp |
June 11-13 |
UNK Athletics |
| "Summer Institute for Teachers" in (137 teachers from the UNK Network of Partner Schools) |
June 13 |
Teacher Education (College of Education) |
| Women's Basketball Team Camp |
June 14 |
UNK Athletics |
| Women's Basketball Specialty Camp |
June 15-17 |
UNK Athletics |
| Men's Basketball Elementary Camp |
June 18-19 |
UNK Athletics |
| Men's Basketball Shooting Camp |
June 21 |
UNK Athletics |
| Men's Basketball Skills Camp |
June 22-24 |
UNK Athletics |
| Track Camp |
June 22-24 |
UNK Athletics |
| Men's Basketball Specialty Camp |
June 25-27 |
UNK Athletics |
| Wrestling Team Camp |
June 28-30 |
UNK Athletics |
| Wrestling Team Camp |
July 7-9 |
UNK Athletics |
| All State Vocal Camp (96 high school students) |
July 13-15 |
Music and Performing Arts (College of Fine Arts and Humanities) |
| Wrestling Technique Camp |
July 14-16 |
UNK Athletics |
| Volleyball Skills Camp |
July 15-17 |
UNK Athletics |
| Sounds in the Summer Band Camp (165 high school students) |
July 16-19 |
Music and Performing Arts (College of Fine Arts and Humanities) |
| Volleyball Team Camp |
July 18-19 |
UNK Athletics |
| Cross Country Camp |
July 21-23 |
UNK Athletics |
| Volleyball Skills Camp |
July 21-23 |
UNK Athletics |
| Nebraska Association for Translators & Interpreters (Approximately 120 professional translators and interpreters) |
July 24-26 |
Modern Languages (College of Fine Arts and Humanities) |
| Volleyball Team Camp |
July 25-26 |
UNK Athletics |
Band Camp (Fall UNK Students)
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August 18-22 |
Music and Performing Arts (College of Fine Arts and Humanities) |
| Nebraskats Camp (Fall UNK Students) |
August 18-22 |
Music and Performing Arts (College of Fine Arts and Humanities) |
New Look for Library's Website
Calvin T. Ryan Library has made considerable changes to the look of the library's home page. The site will continue to undergo revisions, and the library staff would welcome comments and suggestions from website users. Contact the library's pagemaster, and watch for notice of more changes from the library.
ADP Website Now Available
The American Democracy Project (ADP) at UNK now has a presence on the web at http://www.unk.edu/adp/. The ADP site is linked from the UNK Home Page in the "Academics" menu in the gold box on the left. Visit the site to learn more about ADP at UNK and to watch for future activities and opportunities. See the article in last month's newsletter for more information about the program.
Recognition
Publications and Honors
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| Audrey Kauders(MONA) |
received a KUDOS Award from the Board of Regents at their June 13 meeting
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Rob Luscher (English)
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"(Re)closure in the Short Story Sequence: Vietnam Redux in Robert Olen Butler’s A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain" presented at the 10th International Conference on the Short Story in English, in Cork, Ireland, June 2008 |
Grant Recipients
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| Jeremy Dillion (Geography) |
$12,030 grant from U.S. Geological Survey (UNL) for "New mapping of Surficial Geology, Wynot 7.5-Minute Quadrangle" |
| Sherri Harms (Computer Science and Information Systems) |
$26,266 grant from the U.S.D.A. Risk Management Association (RMA) for "Drought Risk, Impact and Mitigation System - Year 3" |
| LeAnn Obrecht (Counseling Care) |
$2,500 grant from NIH & Polaris Health Directions for "College Outcomes Management System (COMS)" |
Julie Shaffer (Biology)
Kimberly Carlson (Biology)
Janet Steele (Biology)
Paul Twigg (Biology)
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$154,931 grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) for "Nebraska INBRE (BRIN) - Year 5" |
Joseph Springer (Biology)
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$3,229 grant from Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District (CNPPID) for "Boxturtle Relocation" |
| Nita Unruh (HPERLS) |
$15,020 grant from the U.S.D.A. for the 2008 NYSP/USDA Summer Food Program |
Calendar of Events within the Academic Affairs and Student Life Division
Date
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Event |
| August 1 |
Summer Commencement - 10:00 a.m. |
| August 21-28 |
Blue and Gold Welcome Week |
August 25
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Fall 2008 classes begin |
A Publication of the
Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Student Life
University of Nebraska at Kearney
905 West 25th Street
Kearney, NE 68849
Phone: (308)865-8209
For questions or submissions,
contact the Coordinator of Academic Publications at 8935 or academicpublications@unk.edu.
