Progress toward Meeting Strategic Enrollment Goals at UNK - Fall 2012

In October of 2008 Chancellor Doug Kristensen formed a working group of professionals from across campus and charged the group with the important task of developing a strategic enrollment plan for UNK.  That group began working immediately with a professional enrollment management consulting company (Noel-Levitz) and in the summer of 2009 UNK’s first Strategic Enrollment Plan was deployed and the UNK Enrollment Management Council was born.  Since that time the council and a sub group of council members, the EMC Steering Committee has worked diligently to provide strategic guidance to the campus on all matters impacting campus enrollment.  The net effect of this guidance when coupled with the hard work of many Faculty, Department Chairs, Directors, and Staff at UNK has been steady growth in both the number and the quality of the students we serve.    

While it would be nice to rest on our past accomplishments, the battle continues for the best and brightest college bound students.  For this reason everyone at UNK must continue to do their best to recruit and retain students.  In the short term the EMC and specifically the Admissions Office is focused on working with Academic Departments and their faculty on finding ways to extend the contact and recruiting process with prospective students following the Campus Visit.  Whether this means follow up emails, Facebook blogs, phone calls or letters to the student and their parents is really up to the individual departments and their faculty.  The bottom line, however is that our competition is following up with our prospective students and often this additional contact from the department and/or an individual faculty member makes the difference between the student becoming a Loper or not. 

Over the long term the EMC has set the following goals for the next five years. As you can see they are lofty; but if accomplished, they will allow UNK to flourish while meeting the NU Regents Accountability Measures for our campus.  Questions or concerns about this article can be addressed to Ed Scantling. 

Five-year Strategic Enrollment Goals (Benchmark year 2011)  

The empirically defined top five-year Strategic Enrollment Goals for 2016 follow:

1. Increase overall university enrollment to 7,648.
• Net increase of 420 undergraduate and 128 graduate students over 2011 figures
2. Increase enrollment of nonresident domestic students to 979.
• Net increase of 28 undergraduate nonresident domestic and 41 graduate nonresident domestic students over 2011 figures
3. Increase the number of international students overall by 7.2 percent each year.
• Net increase of 199 international students to 680
• Increase the number of first time, full time degree seeking international students from 69 to at least 74
4. Increase enrollment of first-time, full-time degree seeking students to 1,200.
• Increase of 13.5 percent
• Net increase of 142
5. Increase enrollment of new transfer students to 444.
• Net increase of 31
6. Increase graduate students to 1,786.
• Maintain 23.4 percent of student body
• Net increase of 128
7. Increase racial and ethnic diversity of the student body to 10 percent.
• Net increase of 129 students
• 10 percent of student body will be 765, compared to current 9 percent
8. Reduce first to second year attrition rate to 15% and second to third year attrition rate to 7.5%
9. *Increase 4 year graduation rate to 24% and 6 year graduation rate to 66%
10. Increase enrollment of Nebraska students ranked in the top 25 percent of their high school class.
• Increase enrollment of first-time Nebraska freshmen ranked in the top quartile of their high school class from 37 percent in 2011 to 50 percent or greater.

*The 4 year graduation goal will be achieved by 2020 and the 6 year graduation goal will be achieved by 2022.

UNK Enrollment Management Council 2012-2013  

• Ed Scantling, Dean, College of Education, Chair 
• Tony Earls, Associate Dean, Student Affairs  
• John Lakey, Asst Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance 
• Kathy Livingston, Director of Institutional Research 
• Juan Guzman, Director of Multicultural Affairs 
• Gloria Vavricka, Director of eCampus 
• Carmen Brewer, Graduate Studies and Research 
• Kim Schipporeit, Registrar’s Office  
• Dusty Newton, Director of Undergraduate Recruitment & Admissions 
• Mary Daake, Director of Academic and Career Advising 
• Dallas Kenny, International Education 
• Mary Sommers, Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships 
• Bruce Elder, B&T and Faculty Senate Representative 
• Paul Burger, NSS Representative 
• Randy Mattley, University Relations 
• Joseph Oravecz, Dean, Student Affairs 
• Chris Jochum, FAH Representative 
• Nita Unruh, COE Representative 
• Kaitlin Thompson Graduate Hall Director for CTW 
• Conner Marshall Undergraduate Student 

- Ed Scantling, Dean of the College of Education and Chair of the UNK Enrollment Management Council

UNK Theatre Presents A Bright New Boise as First Production of 2012-2013

A Bright New Boise opened Wednesday, October 3, and will run through Sunday, October 7. This first UNK Theatre production of the 2012-2013 season is produced by Alpha Psi Omega and directed by student, Kyle Kuypers. The play is about a disgraced Evangelical, Will, who goes to work at a Hobby Lobby in Boise to reconnect with the son he gave up for adoption. It's a story about redemption and the life choices that aren't always easy to make. This production is student-directed, student-designed, and student-run, which provides an excellent opportunity for students to learn all aspects of a full production. The students began working on the play this summer, so be sure to come out and support their efforts! 

- written in collaboration with Kyle Kuypers, student director and Alpha Psi Omega member

Acclaimed Actor Returns to Kearney to Deliver Performance of The Screwtape Letters

Following excellent response to Mr. Tony Lawton's performance of The Great Divorce at UNK in February, he will return on Monday, October 8, to present a The Screwtape Letters, a novel by C.S. Lewis, along with Genevieve Perrier as Toadpipe. The presentation begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Merryman Performing Arts Center and is free and open to the public. (Note: This performance contains material fit for mature audiences only.)

In a dark corner of Hell's bureaucracy sits mid-level demon Screwtape, scratching out letters to his nephew, Wormwood, filled with advice on how to corrupt a human soul. Gleefully, Screwtape catalogs the list of human frailties upon which Wormwood is to prey – war, lust, debauchery, decadence, and all sorts of wickedness. Anthony Lawton's rollicking adaptation turns C.S. Lewis' revered classic into a sumptuous multimedia event with music, dance, and infernal unpredictability.

See the previous eNews article for actor and author biographies.

- David Rozema, Chair of the Philosophy Program

Political Science Week 2012 Activities at UNK

October 8-11 is Political Science Week. All students, faculty, staff, and community members are welcome to attend any of the activities.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8:
6:30-7:45 pm - Opportunities in Public Administration (Founders Hall 2210)
A presentation on the opportunities for graduate study and careers in public administration and city government, featuring:
Meagan Van Gelder & Carol Ebdon, UNO School of Public Administration
Matthew Cederburg, city administrator of Minden, Nebraska

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9:
6:00-8:00 pm - George Norris Lecture (Copeland Hall 142)
Featuring: Senator Mike Flood, Speaker of the Nebraska LegislatureThe George Norris Distinguished Lecturer for 2012 is Senator Mike Flood, Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature. Senator Flood will be speaking about the benefits of a non-partisan, unicameral legislature in preserving civility in politics and how the senators with their varying perspectives work together to make legislation and address issues important to Nebraska. The event also will recognize the recipients of the Political Science Department’s Norris Scholarship for the 2012-13 academic year. Refreshments will be served.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10:
4:00-5:00 pm - The Ins and Outs of Graduate School (Founders Hall 2210)
Featuring a roundtable discussion on graduate study in political science, public administration, or related disciplines, led by Dr. Christie Maloyed and Dr. Charles Rowling.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11:
2:00-3:15 pm - Law & Public Policy Lecture (Founders Hall 2210)
Featuring: Michael Mostek, UNK Political Science alumnus, Koley Jessen law firm
"Why is Environmental Policy Important for Nebraska?"

7:00-8:30 pm - Warner Evening on Nebraska Politics (Copeland Hall 142)
Featuring: Chris Sommerich, Executive Director of the Nebraska Humanities Council
"Nurturing Civility through Nebraska Conversations"
In response to the lack of opportunity for people of different viewpoints to come together to explore issues from varying perspectives, the Nebraska Humanities Council has created a program called 'Nebraska Conversations: A Guide for Civil Discussion.' Chris Sommerich will discuss what the Council has learned in the pilot phase of this civil discussion program through community conversations across Nebraska on race relations, diversity in the workplace, religion, water issues, community leadership, and the very concept of civil discourse itself. 

- Joan Blauwkamp, Chair of the Political Science Department

National Mountain Plains Management Conference to be at UNK in October of 2012

The College of Business and Technology will be hosting the National Mountain Plains Management Conference at UNK on October 10-13. This annual conference brings together researchers, teachers, practitioners, and students from the mountains to the plains to reflect on scholarly works and debate contemporary issues in all areas of business and business education, including sustainability, economics, family studies, industrial distribution and industrial technology, pedagogy, service learning and assessment. The theme of this conference, “Follow the Trail …. Learn From Our Past to Build Our Global Future,” encourages submission of cross-disciplinary intellectual works that enhance awareness and knowledge of unresolved issues relating to business and business-pedagogy.

The conference activities begin Wednesday evening with hospitality and a board meeting. Thursday and Friday's conference schedule follows:

Additional details, including the presentation schedule are available at the conference website: http://www.conferencehub.org.

- written in collaboration with Kay Hodge, Associate Professor of Management

Library Updates

Calvin T. Ryan Library is Coming to Students 

Written by Michael Sutherland, Web Services Librarian
sutherlandmj@unk.edu  

Since September 5th, Rochelle Krueger, Government Documents/Special Projects Librarian, has been holding office hours in West Center 107N, Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Although anyone can drop in to discover the ways the Calvin T. Ryan Library can assist them, students are particularly encouraged to visit to get research assistance.

Librarians Support Your Right to Vote – Vote411.org  

Written by Michael Sutherland, Web Services Librarian
sutherlandmj@unk.edu  

At its 2012 Annual Conference, the American Library Association’s Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing voter suppression.  On the heels of that resolution, ALA supported Vote 411, a tool produced by the League of Women Voters that is a “one-stop-shop” for election related information.  Vote 411 provides nonpartisan information to the public with both general and state-specific information on the following aspects of the election process: 

• Absentee ballot information 
• Ballot measure information (where applicable) 
• Early voting options (where applicable) 
• Election dates 
• Factual data on candidates in various federal, state and local races 
• General information on such topics as how to watch debates with a critical eye 
• ID requirements 
• Polling place locations 
• Registration deadlines 
• Voter qualifications 
• Voter registration forms 
• Voting machines 

 Use the 411.org tool to become an informed citizen and exercise your right to vote! 

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read 

Written by Michael Sutherland, Web Services Librarian
sutherlandmj@unk.edu  

September 30−October 6, 2012 

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers.”  - Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 

Celebrate your freedom to read! 

The Calvin T. Ryan Library joins the American Library Association in celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Freedom to Read.  Two of the great hallmarks of our culture are the freedom to read and the freedom of expression. This means we are all free to choose the books we read and writers are free to express themselves through written or visual works, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular.  Throughout history, these rights have been challenged by individuals, organizations and governments.  Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted prohibition of books across the United States. 

During the week, Librarians Jennifer Harvey and Rochelle Krueger led a discussion of the history of suppressing the written word and the types of content typically banned (hint: sex and violence figure prominently) as part of the Democracy Project/Times Talk in the Fireside Room of the Union. 

For more information on banned and challenged books, go to: 

• American Library Association (ALA) Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read. 
• ALA Freedom to Read Foundation 
• www.bannedbooksweek.org  
• Book Bans and Challenges Map 

For information about frequently challenged books, see: 

• ALA Frequently Challenged Books 
• ALA Banned and Challenged Classics 
• Google Books Explore Banned Books 

CRRD Sponsors 2nd Annual Central Nebraska Business Idea Contest - Over $1,500 in Prizes!

For the second year, UNK's Center for Rural Research and Develop is sponsoring the Central Nebraska Business Idea Contest. The center invites proposals from UNK faculty, staff, and students, as well as area community members and high school students. The proposals outline a business idea and are generally evaluated on feasibility and innovation.

The deadline is quickly approaching - entries must be submitted by midnight, Sunday, October 28. To enter, follow these steps:

• Record a 2-minute video of you pitching your idea. Go to the CRRD-UNK website (www.unk.edu/crrd) for further information on where and how to submit your video. Contact Carrie Stithem (stithemcl@unk.edu or 308-865-8199) with questions.
• All videos submitted by the deadline will be evaluated and the top ten (10) ideas will be asked to participate in a short Q & A session at the NEW KRave Underground, 2202 Central Ave, in downtown Kearney on Wednesday, November 14th at 7:00 PM.
• The crowd will select the “best” and will award a $1,000 1st prize, $500 2nd prize and $250 3rd prize

All entrants and the public are invited to join us at KRave Underground on Wednesday, November 14th at 7:00 PM to watch the presentations and to mingle with other entrepreneurs, investors, designers and creatives!

Last year's contest generated 70 ideas, and the CRRD is hoping to receive at least 80 proposals this year. 

For more information, visit the Business Idea Contest website or see the contest flyer.

- written in collaboration with Carrie L. Stithem, Assistant to the Director of the Center for Rural Research and Development and
Shawn Kaskie, Director of the Center for Rural Research and Development
 

One Room, One Teacher program honors rural educators

Mary Lou Kristensen taught in rural Nebraska schools and saved her money to earn a teaching degree from Nebraska Teachers College, now the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She’s 82 years old now and among a dwindling number of rural teachers who remember the days when one-room schools dotted the Nebraska countryside, when rural teachers overcame many hardships to educate generations of Nebraskans. 

UNK wants people for generations to come to remember these teachers and has created a new scholarship program in their honor called One Room, One Teacher. Donations to the University of Nebraska Foundation in support of the program will fund scholarships for future teachers. 

Contributors will then have their name or the name of a person they are honoring permanently displayed on the One Room, One Teacher wall of honor at UNK. Many of those who will be honored are graduates of UNK, but the university also wants to honor non-alumni. Anyone who taught in a rural school in Nebraska is eligible for the honor, and individual schools may also be recognized.

Mary Lou enjoys telling her children about her experience teaching in a country school. One of her sons grew up to become an educator himself: Doug Kristensen, the chancellor of UNK. 

About the university’s efforts to recognize rural teachers and schools Chancellor Kristensen said, “We’ll be able to remember the heritage of where education began in this state and what really made it strong, and I think there’s a number of people who will feel really good and have a passion about one of the strongest Nebraska traditions, that of the country school.”

Those one-room schools played a big role in the history of UNK, which opened its doors in 1905. It was called the Nebraska State Normal School back then, and its mission was to prepare teachers for rural Nebraska. In the century since, UNK has educated and prepared more than 20,000 teachers, said Ed Scantling, dean of the College of Education. 

“The One Room, One Teacher program is an opportunity to pay tribute to those wonderful teachers from all across the state of Nebraska in rural community schools,” Scantling said.

Mary Lou Kristensen, who also attended a one-room school as a student before teaching in them, plans to support the One Room, One Teacher effort.

“I think it’s terrific,” she says. “I just think those schools played a vital part in the history of our state.”

She has researched the one-room schools of Kearney County and says this county alone used to have 69 one-room schools, spread evenly across the land, so most students didn’t have to walk or ride their horse more than three miles to reach one. Few of those buildings remain, she says, except for the ones people have turned into as garages, sheds or quaint country homes. 

Read more of Mary Lou’s memories of being a one-room school teacher in a feature article at campaignfornebraska.org/node/1070 

Another goal of UNK’s One Room, One Teacher effort is to help preserve the stories and history of rural education. 

UNK alumna Doris Murray of Axtell, Neb., who turned 90 this year, was pleased to learn her alma mater was interested in learning from her what it was like years ago to teach in a country school. 

“If something popped up that wasn’t quite satisfactory you had to learn how to deal with it and go right on, because you were the only one in the building,” said Murray about the type of person it took to teach in rural Nebraska.

She taught in one-room schools for 17 years in Phelps and Buffalo counties and didn’t stop teaching until retiring in 1987. 

When asked what made teaching in a rural school special to her, she said, “Well, I was in charge. I was the nurse, I was the janitor. I was the teacher of course. The children they were all so good and so willing to learn.

“And I loved recess.”

The university provides a website at unk.edu/academics/coe/oneroom for those who wish to learn more about the One Room, One Teacher Scholarship program and how to participate. The site includes a video about the program. Those interested in participating or learning more may also contact Tracy Lungrin at the University of Nebraska Foundation at 800-432-3216 or 308-698-5278. 

- University of Nebraska Foundation

The University of Nebraska Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization that has connected the dreams and passions of donors to the mission of the university for more than 75 years. In 2011, donors gave a record $172 million in gifts for scholarships, academic programs, medical research and other priorities at the university. The foundation’s fundraising initiative, the Campaign for Nebraska: Unlimited Possibilities, concludes in 2014. For more information, visit campaignfornebraska.org.  

Undergraduate Student Research Showcased at Annual Fall Symposium

The Annual Fall Student Research Symposium was held Sunday, September 30 at the Nebraskan Student Union.

Congratulations to the student researchers and their mentors for their outstanding work!

Presenters included students who did research as part of the Summer Student Research Program, Thompson Scholars, and Undergraduate Research Fellows, as well as students who worked directly with a faculty member on a research project.  

The Fall Student Research Symposium provides an opportunity for students to showcase research and creative work accomplished outside of the classroom. A survey of leading institutions in Nebraska and other states noted that UNK students report more involvement in out-of-class research than their peers in other institutions.

For more information on any of the UNK research programs, visit the Undergraduate Research Web site at http://www.unk.edu/ugr/.

- written in collaboration with Susan Campbell, Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

Recognition

2012-2013 Department Chairs

- Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs

Items to Note for Faculty and Faculty Committees

• Academic Affairs Committee
  The link to the CAP ("Course Approval Process") information is located on the Academic Affairs Committee page. CAP is the electronic approval system that allows department chairs to initiate course proposals (create, alter, inactivate, or discontinue). Worksheets for both the creation of new courses and the alteration of existing courses are available on the CAP web site for faculty members to use as they gather the information department chairs will need to submit requests.
  
  **NOTE REGARDING CHANGES TO COURSE DESCRIPTIONS**
  The form to alter a Catalog Course Description has been revised. Please note, in instances where a change in content is being requested through the CAP system, course description changes should be added to that request, and this form should not be completed.
  
  Department chairs initiate program proposals (create, alter, or discontinue) using a paper form, which is available on the Academic Affairs Committee page, along with instructions.
  
  The schedule of Academic Affairs deadlines for the 2012-2013 academic year is available on the Academic Affairs Committee page. The page also contains a committee roster and a link to the approved Academic Affairs minutes. Department or program chairs needing to make curricular changes should be aware of these deadlines and instructions.
   
• Faculty Handbook
  The online Faculty Handbook contains the most current policy information. The purpose of the handbook is to gather the documents and policies that inform and guide critical decisions, including the Collective Bargaining Agreement (2011-2013).
   
• Faculty Senate
  To keep faculty informed and in the spirit of shared governance, the Faculty Senate website contains links to the senate roster, meeting agendas and packets, meeting minutes of both the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Senate committees, and the Faculty Senate Constitution and Bylaws.
   
• General Studies
  The General Studies web site contains a description of the new General Studies Program effective for students entering UNK in the Fall of 2010. The site contains a list of the approved General Studies courses effective for the 2012-2013 academic year, a list of all of the approved Portal and Capstone topics, as well as lists of the Portals and Capstones offerings for the current semester.
   
• Graduate Council
  The Graduate Council webpage contains information regarding changes to graduate courses or programs, as well as a list of the 2012 Graduate Program Committees.
  
  **NOTE REGARDING CHANGES TO COURSE DESCRIPTIONS**
  The form to alter a Catalog Course Description has been revised. Please note, in instances where a change in content is being requested through the CAP system, course description changes should be added to that request, and this form should not be completed.
   
• WI/CD Committee
  The WI/CD Committee has posted a schedule of deadlines for the fall semester on the WI/CD Committee page. The page also contains instructions for applying for WI or CD designation, as well as a committee roster, agendas, and minutes. These resources are provided for those wishing to offer courses as WI or CD.

Deadlines Approach for Various Opportunities

Calendar of Events within the Academic and Student Affairs Division

Edited by Kim Elliott, Coordinator of Academic Publications  

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.