eNews: A Newsletter from Academic Affairs and Student Life
Preparing Students for Careers and Citizenship
|
|
|
|
|
Former University President to Speak at Winter Commencement
Ronald W. Roskens will deliver the commencement address on Friday, December 19, at 10:00 a.m., in the Health and Sports Center, where he will also be honored by the conferral of the University of Nebraska's Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa. Roskens’ distinguished career began with a professorship at Kent State University in 1959. He was involved in higher education for many years, serving as the chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha from 1972 to 1977 and the president of the University Nebraska from 1977-1989. Roskens went on to pursue political and international service as the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development in 1990 and the president and chief executive officer of Action International in 1993. He helped begin Global Communications, a business consulting firm in Omaha, and has worked with several other corporate endeavors. Roskens will speak to approximately 333 undergraduate and 78 graduate students participating in the 2008 Winter Commencement.
UNK String Project Concert Marks Successful First Semester
The first semester of the UNK String Project will culminate with a concert on December 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Fine Arts Recital Hall. Consistent with its mission to increase the number of young students playing stringed instruments, over 20 Kearney elementary students were enrolled in the program during its first semester, and the concert is an opportunity for them to demonstrate the fruit of their hard work.
The UNK String Project is part of a national movement directed by the National String Project Consortium (NSPC), and UNK was honored to be selected as one of the 32 project sites, the only one in Nebraska and the surrounding area. Students in UNK’s program pay an extremely low tuition, in accordance with NSPC guidelines, and they participate in two one-hour classes each week, currently on Tuesdays and Fridays. The project is directed by Noah Rogoff, who joined the UNK faculty in August of 2008 and specializes in cello and double bass. Rachel Weinberg, UNK student and member of the Kearney Symphony Orchestra, is the string project teaching intern.
Students from 3rd through 12th grades are welcome to participate in the UNK String Project, receiving training on violin, viola, cello, and double bass. Currently, most of the students are from Kearney Public Schools or homeschoolers from the Kearney area. However, as the program grows, there is hope that students from surrounding towns will also participate. Assistant Professor of Violin and Viola, Ting-Lan Chen explains that the mission of the UNK String Project, as well as the National String Project Consortium is “to provide string education to places where students had difficulties to access string education.” The program has been heavily supported in this mission by string teachers in the Kearney area, as well as community members and organizations.
Rogoff and Chen are excited about the potential for growth. They look forward to adding more students to the program in the spring semester. As Chen explains, “The string project training is a continuous sequence, covering more than six to seven years,” so students who started the program this year will continue, working with more advanced material as well as participating in ensemble classes.
|
|
SIS Team Training in Lincoln
Implementation for the new student information system continues with the members of UNK's SIS team participating in a training program called Academic Structure in Lincoln during the first two weeks of December. The team is headed by Kim Schipporeit and consists of key people from the Registrar’s Office, Information Technology Services, Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions, Institutional Research, Financial Aid, and the Finance Office. These team members are dedicating a majority of their time and energy to the SIS project, and their off-campus training will continue into the first months of 2009.
The team’s training is the next stage in the process of replacing the student information systems at the University of Nebraska and Nebraska State Colleges. The current vendor will discontinue support of the existing software at the end of 2011, necessitating a change. After a lengthy review and selection process, the decision was made to purchase the Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise Campus Solutions application, and CedarCrestone Consultants are working with the university and the state colleges on implementation, which is expected to be complete by August of 2010.
New Undergraduate Research Program Launch Underway in 2008-2009
UNK's new undergraduate research program has been developed to create significant opportunities for undergraduate students to design, pursue, and share unique research projects customized to fit their major areas of study. The Undergraduate Research Fellows program provides $1,000 or $500 stipends to students who have been admitted through an application process, and the goals of the program are "to develop [students’] understanding of scholarly inquiry, skills associated with research and creative activity, and experience in completing their own scholarly projects."
In October, 44 students were accepted to the program after the first round of applications, and the next deadline for applications is January 16, when another 15-20 students will be awarded $500 fellowships.
The Office of Graduate Studies and Research is coordinating the program, with Dr. Peter Longo serving as director for 2008-2009. A new student-approved fee – the Undergraduate Research Fellows Fee - was introduced into the student fee schedule with the 2008-2009 academic year to support this program. Visit the Undergraduate Research Fellows website for requirements for admission and information about the application process.
Library - In Brief Online
- Suggestions/Comments
We are always interested in ways we can improve or provide new services and resources to the students, faculty, and staff of UNK. If you have any suggestions for resources you think the Library should acquire, please let us know. If you feel a service needs to be added or improved, we would appreciate you telling us. Provide comments and suggetions in the Library’s “Suggestion Box.” Messages go directly to Library Dean Janet Wilke.
- EBSCOhost Citation Generator
Databases that the Library subscribes to from the vendor EBSCOhost have a neat feature that will automatically generate a citation from search results. How? Conduct a search. Click on one of the titles in the results list. At the top of the next screen, on the right, are several icons. Click on the fourth one (looks like a sheet of yellow paper). The next screen will provide citations in APA, MLA, Chicago, and other citation formats. Copy and paste into your document. The Library subscribes to 18 EBSCOhost databases including Academic Search Premier, America History and Life, Business Source Premier, CINAHL, Communication and Mass Media Complete, ERIC, Hospitality and Tourism Index, Music Indexes, PsycARTICLES, and the Sociological Collection.
- Faculty Login to Library Databases During the Holiday Break
To see if you will be able to log in from home during holiday break:
- Go to http://rosi.unk.edu/patroninfo.
- If you are able to log into your Circulation Record then you should be able to access library databases from off campus.
- Enter your first name then last name.
- Enter your University ID.
- Enter your PIN.
- If you have not been assigned a PIN, please contact Circulation/Access Services at 865-8597 or 865-8598.
- Reference Assistance Over the Holidays
If you need research assistance when the Library is closed for the holiday break, remember that help is available at the “Ask Us 24/7” link on the Library’s homepage. Librarians from other university/college libraries will be online during part of the break and the service provider, QuestionPoint, supplies trained staff 24/7.
Deadlines Approach for Various Opportunities
Opportunity
|
Deadline
|
More Information
|
Contact
|
| Call for Papers for 4th Annual Conference on Research at PUIs Hosted by UNK |
Friday, December 12 |
contact John Falconer, Director, Sponsored Programs for more information |
John Falconer |
| Call for Papers for 2009 Undergraduate Research Journal |
to chair Friday, January 16
and
to OSP Wednesday, January 21 |
contact college URC representative with questions |
John Falconer |
| Undergraduate Research Fellows Program |
Friday, January 16 |
see Undergraduate Research Fellows |
Peter Longo |
Recognition
Outstanding Student Achievements
|
Jordan Van Winkle,
Aaron Steele,
Ryan Henszey
(CSIS) |
team competed in the International ACM programming contest at the Lincoln site of the North Central North America region - ranked 33/202 in the North Central North America region 16/45 at the Lincoln site, falling in the top 16% in the region - mentored by Xuli Liu (Computer Science and Information Systems) |
Antonio Lopez,
Spencer Hinrichs,
Casey Glatter
(CSIS) |
team competed in the International ACM programming contest at the Lincoln site of the North Central North America region - ranked 138/202 in the North Central North America region - mentored by Xuli Liu (Computer Science and Information Systems) |
Oleksiy Golovin (Physics),
Daniel Farlin (CSIS),
Anatole Mirasano (Chemistry/CSIS) |
team competed in the International ACM programming contest at the Lincoln site of the North Central North America region - ranked 146/202 in the region - mentored by Xuli Liu (Computer Science and Information Systems) |
Publications, Presentations, and Honors
|
| Shahram Alavi (Computer Science and Information Systems) |
"Cyber Warfare" presented at Central Community College in Hastings, November 2008. |
| Sherri Harms (Computer Science and Information Systems) |
with Michael Andrews and Aaron Steele (CSIS students): panelists at the Buffalo County Economic Development Council's IT & Communications Career Day, November 2008 |
| Carol Lilly (History) |
co-authored with Jill A. Irvine: Natalija: Life in the Balkan Powder Keg, 1880-1956 published by Central European University Press, 2008 |
| Rick Miller (Psychology) |
co-authored with Emily Balcetis (UNK Alumnus) and David Dunning (Cornell University): "Do collectivists know themselves better than individualists? Cross-cultural studies of the holier than thou phenomenon" published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 1252-1267 |
| Daren Snider (Modern Languages) |
"Helping Struggling Distance Learners" presented at the annual conference of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, November 2008 |
| Don Welch (English Emeritus) |
When Memory Gives Dust a Face published by Lewis-Clark Press/Sandhills Press, 2008 |
Grant Recipients
|
| Ismael Torres (Counseling and Health Care) |
$74,963 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for the UNK Suicide Prevention Program (SAMHSA Continuation) |
Calendar of Events within the Academic Affairs and Student Life Division
Date
|
Event |
| October 18 through January 4 |
MONA presents NEBRASKA NOW: Marlene Mueller, Drawings - 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. |
| November 24 through December 19 |
The Walker Art Gallery Exhibition: Senior Show, Art Education and Studio Art Classes - Gallery Hours Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and by appointment - contact John Fronczak at 308-865-8084 or fronczakje1@unk.edu |
| December 6 |
Saturdays at the Frank House: "UNK's Flute Studio Performance" - 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. - contact KrisAnn Sullivan at 308-865-8284 |
| |
UNK Jazz Rock Concert - 7:30 p.m. at the Fine Arts Recital Hall |
| December 7 |
UNK Choirs Concert - 3:00 p.m. at the Fine Arts Recital Hall |
| December 8 |
Global Scholars: A Sharing of International Experiences - 1:25 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. in the Ockinga Conference Room - contact Carrie Stithem at 308-865-8199 or stithemcl@unk.edu
|
| |
Concerts-on-the-Platte Series presents: Darlene Mitchell, composer and Anne Foradori, soprano - contact Nathan Buckner at 308-865-8608 or bucknern@unk.edu |
| December 9 |
Kearney Symphony Orchestra Concert, "A KSO Christmas Carol" - 7:30 p.m. at the Merryman Performing Arts Center - Tickets General Admission $8, UNK students free - contact (308) 865-8417 for tickets |
| December 12 |
UNK String Project Concert - 7:30 p.m. at the Fine Arts Recital Hall - free and open to the public - contact Ting Lan Chen at 308-865-8041 or chent1@unk.edu |
| |
Woodwind Quintet by Fireside - 7:30 p.m. at the Frank House - free admission - contact KrisAnn Sullivan at 308-865-8284 or sullivankw@unk.edu |
| December 13 |
Saturdays at the Frank House: "Merry Christmas from the Tubas" - 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. - contact KrisAnn Sullivan at 308-865-8284 |
| December 14 |
"To Your Health: for Women" 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Frank House - UNMC invites you to participate in a study to ID prehypertension and to prevent high blood pressure through lifestyle - contact KrisAnn Sullivan at 308-865-8284 or sullivankw@unk.edu
|
| December 16-20 |
Annual Holiday Frank House Tours - 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Frank House - contact KrisAnn Sullivan at 308-865-8284 or sullivankw@unk.edu
|
| December 18 |
Last day of classes for Fall 2008 |
| December 19 |
Commencement |
| December 24-January 2 |
UNK Offices Closed |
| January 12 |
First day of classes for Spring 2009 |
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.
