eNews: A Newsletter from Academic and Student Affairs
Preparing Students for Careers and Citizenship
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Introduction of New Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs
 Please let me introduce myself. My name is Charlie Bicak and I’ve just begun as Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs. As I arrive on campus near the mid-point of the spring semester, I can sense the vitality and energy in students and faculty alike. Whether in the planning for the World Affairs conference or in the timely progress of the Bruner Hall renovation and expansion, there is a compelling air of optimism across campus. Coupled with a clear dedication to the highest quality student learning experience, this optimism has drawn me back to UNK after a nearly four-year absence.
The staff of Academic and Student Affairs embraces the sense of hope for a better tomorrow: on our campus, within our state and indeed across the nation and globe. Spring carries with it the winds of change, change that beckons and continually draws us all to do our best. That includes our efforts at integrating academic and campus community life in a truly enriching way.
It is with great enthusiasm and pleasure that I began my first year as Senior Vice Chancellor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. From my 13 years of experience at UNK on the faculty in the Department of Biology, as well as from my interview in November and subsequent visits later in the spring semester, I know that there are many talented and dedicated people on this campus. The spirit of commitment and hope for the future is infectious. UNK has a remarkable history and a bright future. Much has been accomplished in recent years, and I am convinced the university is poised to take great strides in the near future.
I would like to thank all of those professionals in Academic and Student Affairs who strive daily to fulfill the promise in our Mission Statement: to graduate persons who know the accomplishments of civilizations and disciplined thought and are prepared for productive careers, further education and responsible citizenship.
- Charlie Bicak, Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs
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Dr. Finnie Murray Moves to International Education
As Dr. Bicak assumes the role of the new Senior Vice Chancellor, Dr. Finnie Murray shifts his focus to the Office of International Education where he will serve as the Interim Director of International Education until he retires in June. As the Senior Vice Chancellor, Dr. Murray made numerous contributions to the development of educational experiences available to students, supporting the faculty and staff who teach and serve UNK's student body. The Division of Academic and Student Affairs recognizes Dr. Murray with appreciation for his past service and best wishes for his future endeavors after his retirement in June.
Mr. Jerry Fox vacated the position of Director of International Education with his retirement in December. His work in the area of International Education has been an asset to UNK, and we offer him our thanks and congratulations, as well.
Imperative for Timely GS Renewal
The deadline set by NCA for changes to the General Studies program continues to determine the agenda and timeline for General Studies Renewal. NCA specified that there must be changes in learning outcomes and assessment practices, and to accomplish that it is necessary to make changes to the curriculum. Faculty will soon receive the proposed program-level learning outcomes, as well as proposed category outcomes, which they will be invited to comment on to any member of the General Studies Council.
**NCA is requiring UNK to provide a complete status report on implementation of the new curriculum, assessment strategies, and results by Spring 2011. In order to meet that deadline, the coming academic year would be dedicated to departments creating and submitting General Studies courses for approval. Fall 2011 is the target date for the renewed program to take effect, with the status report due to NCA in the next semester.**
The General Studies website contains information about the renewal effort, including the current curriculum model that the Council is working with. Also, current work of the Council is reported in the 2008-2009 meeting minutes on the GS website.
Library - In Brief Online
- Lexis/Nexis Academic: Law Review Articles by Subject and Legal Dictionaries
Law review articles:
Lexis/Nexis Academic has an option for searching subject groups of law review articles. Go to “Articles and Research Information – General Indexes to All Subjects” on the Library’s home page, and select “Lexis/Nexis Academic.” Then select “Legal” in the banner at the top of the next screen. Click on the drop-down box by “Sources” to see the list of subjects. Searches may be done for law review articles in the areas of banking, bankruptcy, commercial law, corporate law, environmental law, family law, labor law, property law, tax law, and others. Input your search terms in the search box. Search results link to the full-text of articles.
Legal dictionaries:
Follow the path above to the main screen of Lexis/Nexis Academic. At the top of the screen, select “Sources” and then “Dictionaries.” Included are titles such as Ballentine’s Law Dictionary (3rd ed.), Bieber's Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations, A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage, and Modern Dictionary for the Legal Profession. Also available is a dictionary of Canadian legal words/phrases, and French-English and Spanish-English law dictionaries.
- OregonPDF in Health and Performance
For years the Library has subscribed to a microfiche collection of dissertations and theses in areas related to health and performance published by the University of Oregon. This collection has recently become available as an online database called OregonPDF in Health and Performance. OregonPDF is a database of over 10,000 dissertations and theses. Begun in 1948, it now contains over 10,000 documents, with over 200 being added every year. "The intellectual focus of the collection is physical activity. Academic areas of interest include biochemistry, biomechanics, dance, exercise physiology, history or philosophy of physical education, kinesiology, motor control, obesity, recreation, sports marketing, sports medicine, sports pedagogy, sports psychology, and tests and measurements." (from the website). To access OregonPDF from the Library's website, first mouse over “Articles and Research Information” and the “Social Sciences Indexes.”
- Is a journal peer-reviewed?
Do you need to know if a specific journal features peer-reviewed articles? One way to find out is to use Ulrich’s Web Online. It is located in the “Collections/Catalog – Virtual Resources” menu, under “General.” Ulrich’s is a well known periodical directory widely used by libraries. Type the name of the journal in the “Quick Search” box and change “Keyword” to either “Title (exact)” or “Title (Keyword).” The resulting entry will say if the journal is “refereed” or not.
Recognition
Publications, Presentations, and Honors
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| William Aviles (Political Science) |
"Despite Insurgency: Reducing Military Prerogatives in Colombia and Peru" published in Latin American Politics and Society, vol.51, no.1, Spring: 57-85 |
Kim Carlson,
Brad Ericson,
John Hertner,
Julie Shaffer (Biology) |
"Establishment of a Successful Undergraduate Research Program: A Look Back at the Past Decade" symposium presented at the 4th Annual Conference on Applied Learning in Higher Education, February 2009 |
| Chris Exstrom (Chemistry) |
“Solar Cell Materials Development & Study at UNK” presented to the Kearney Rotary Club, February 2009 |
Chris Exstrom and
Scott Darveau (Chemistry) |
co-authored with C.A. Kamler, R.J. Soukup, N.J. Ianno, J.L. Huguenin-Love, J. Olejníček: “Thin films formed by selenization of CuIn1-xBx precursors in selenium vapor” published in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2009, 93, 45-50 |
| Mike Mosher (Chemistry) |
co-authored with X. Han, C. Li, K.C. Rider, P. Zhou, R.L. Crawford, W. Fusco, A. Paszczynski, N.R. Natale: “Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of a Novel Class of Anticancer Agents: Anthracenylisoxazole Lexitropsin Conjugates” published in Bioorg. Med. Chem., 2009, 17, 1671-1680; doi:10.1016/j.bmc.2008.12.056. |
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"Regiochemical and stereochemical control in the preparation of 2-Isoxazolines" presented to the Department of Chemistry at Colorado State University, Feb 2009 |
Calendar of Events within the Academic and Student Affairs Division
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| January 17 - April 12 |
MONA presents NEBRASKA NOW: Bonnie O'Connell, Bookmaking - Museum Hours Tuesday through Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| March 6 |
4th Annual Conference on Research at Predominately Undergraduate Institutions - register at http://www.unk.edu/acad/sponsoredprograms/index.php?id=2717
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| March 6-7 |
An Evening of Concert Dance directed by Gary Schaaf - 7:30 p.m. at the Miriam Drake Theatre - Tickets General Admission $5 - contact (308) 865-8417 for tickets |
| March 7 |
Saturdays at the Frank House: "Frank Talks Times Three" - 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. - contact KrisAnn Sullivan at 308-865-8284 |
| March 8 |
International Student Association presents the 2009 Scott & Cheryl Morris International Food & Cultural Festival - 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Health and Sports Center
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| March 9-10 |
James E. Smith Midwest Conference on World Affairs: "The World in Turmoil: Understanding Conflict" |
| March 9 |
Concerts-on-the-Platte Series presents: Faculty Recital, Jan Harriott, clarinet - 7:30 p.m. at the Fine Arts Recital Hall - contact Nathan Buckner at 308-865-8608 or bucknern@unk.edu |
| March 11 |
eLuncheon - Faculty Round Table Discussion Groups - 12:30 p.m. in the Cedar Room of the Nebraskan Student Union - RSVP by Monday, March 9 before noon, to Heather Rhinehart at 8927 or email rhineharthj@unk.edu
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Philosophy Guest Speaker, Dale Ahlquist, President of the American Chesterton Society, “God is Dead” - 7:00 p.m. in Copeland Hall Room 142 |
| March 12 |
the Women’s Center, Office of Multicultural Affairs, & Phi Alpha Theta presents "Women Taking the Lead in Saving the Planet," a panel celebrating and recognizing the vital work women do to save the planet - 4:00 p.m. in the Nebraskan Student Union, Room 310
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UNK Foreign Film Series Presents: Indochine, Frensh with English subtitles - 7:30 p.m. in Thomas Hall Room 106 - contact Modern Languages department for more information |
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Concerts-on-the-Platte Series presents: Guest Recital, Juyeon Kang, piano - 7:30 p.m. at the Fine Arts Recital Hall - contact Nathan Buckner at 308-865-8608 or bucknern@unk.edu |
| March 13 |
Phi Kappa Phi presents: "Ostracism: The Effects of Being Ignored and Excluded," a lecture/demonstration by Kipling Williams, Professor of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University - 2:20 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. at the Miriam Drake Theater in the Fine Arts Building
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| March 15-22 |
Spring Break - No Classes |
| March 15 - April 5 |
2009 Honoring the Sandhill Crane Migration Literary Retreat and Festival - view schedule online, and contact Allison A. Hedge Coke, Paul & Clarice Reynolds Chair at hedgecokeaa@unk.edu for more information
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| March 23 - April 10 |
Walker Art Gallery Exhibition: Senior Show, Art Education and Art Studio Classes - Gallery Hours Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - contact John Fronczak at 308-865-8084 |
| March 23 |
Concerts-on-the-Platte Series presents: Faculty Recital, Andrew White, baritone, and Valerie Cisler, piano - 7:30 p.m. at the Fine Arts Recital Hall - contact Nathan Buckner at 308-865-8608 or bucknern@unk.edu |
| March 25 |
E.N. Thompson Forum: "Illegal Immigrants: Path to Citizenship?" Dr. Michael Olivas & Dr. Vernon Briggs - 7:30 p.m. at the Leid Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, available live on the web |
| March 31 |
Educator's Employment Fair sponsored by Career Services - 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Nebraskan Student Union - contact Joni Weed at 308-865-8501 or weedj@unk.edu |
A Publication of the
Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs
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.
