Study Abroad Fair Showcases Upcoming Opportunities

On November 26th (11:00-2:00), a Study Abroad Fair will be held in the Ponderosa Room at the Nebraskan Student Union. At the event, a variety of UNK Study Abroad opportunities will be highlighted through posters, flyers, photos, and first-hand testimonials. This colorful event will be a great opportunity for students who may be curious about study abroad to get detailed information about programs available to them. Free International Hors D ’Oeuvres sampling will be available at the event.  

- Ann Marie Park, Study Abroad Office

Library Updates

Library Awards New iPod Touch to Blue/Gold Winner
Written by Jon Ritterbush, E-Resources and Serials Librarian 

ritterbushjr@unk.edu  

The Calvin T. Ryan Library and Learning Commons recently awarded a new-generation iPod Touch to Erich Gebers of Lincoln. Gebers was one of several hundred first-year students attending the Blue/Gold Weekend orientation on August 18, and he correctly answered all of the questions in the Library’s Scavenger Hunt to be eligible for the grand prize drawing. Other Scavenger Hunt prize winners included Reed Bellamy of Goodland, Kansas and Alyssa Morrison of Loveland, Colorado, who both received gift baskets of Loper gear. The Library and Learning Commons would like to thank all of those who participated in this event. It’s never too late to receive an orientation to the research tools available at the Library, or to receive tutoring or writing assistance at the Learning Commons. Please stop by the Calvin T. Ryan Library or contact a librarian using the Ask Us 24/7 chat service for assistance.

Library Hours During Thanksgiving Holiday 

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

The library will be open the following hours during the week of Thanksgiving break (November 21-24, 2012):

Research assistance is always available through the library’s Ask Us 24/7 chat service using an Internet-connected computer or smartphone.

Central Nebraska Business Idea Contest Results Announced

On Wednesday, November 14, the Center for Rural Research and Development sponsored the Central Nebraska Business Idea Contest, resulting in three prize winners.

The CRRD received 52 entries by the deadline, and before Wednesday's event, expert judges reviewed the applicants and narrowed them down to 10 finalists. On Wednesday evening, the finalists answered questions from a panel of three judges - Tim Burkink, Dean of UNK College of Business and Technology; Dan Hoffman, President of Invest Nebraska; Odee Ingersol, Director of UNK Business Development Center. After all contestants completed the 5-minute question and answer period, the judges selected 5 finalists. The audience then determined the order, or rank, of the top 5 by voting with a single ticket they received upon entry.

The prize winners were:  

Top Prize: $1,000 (Sponsored by Buffalo County Economic Development Council)
Hazelnut Pilot Project: Andrew Pedersen, Grand Island NE
Description: My plan is to establish a hazelnut industry in central Nebraska for food and bio-diesel production. New varieties of hybrid Hazelnuts have been created by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Badgersett Corporation for the mid-west climate. My project is to apply this work in the field on a small scale at first. In the spring I plan to begin a Hazelnut project to grow 200 hazelnut shrubs on a two acre lot near Boelus, NE.
YouTube URL: http://youtu.be/AAM9xUtWuIo

Second Place: $500  (Sponsored by UNK College of Business and Technology)
Bovine Lifeline: Sandy Evans, Haigler NE
Description: With the use of a chip injected into each of your animals, Bovine Lifeline allows you to monitor your herd from the palm of your hand.
Through this chip, you can monitor each animal’s temperature and other vitals as well as GPS location. Therefore, you will not only know when an animal is sick, you will also be able to locate them in your pen or pasture. Bovine Lifeline will even alert you when your animal’s vitals are at abnormal levels; removing the necessity to continuously check your phone or other handheld device, let alone walk through your corrals. In addition to accessing Bovine Lifeline on your phone, you can enter data and monitor your herd from your home computer; as the information is automatically stored in an online database that only you or individuals you authorize can view.
YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M9I-MeeJTk&feature=youtu.be

Third Place: $250  (Sponsored by Invest Nebraska Corporation-Lincoln)
Benefit Houdini: Michael Meyer, Kearney NE
Description: Traditionally, the high cost of health care benefits has forced large employers to assume great risk and self-insure their own plans. (Low risk to insurance carrier = Low premiums to employer) Alternately, small employers have been saddled with very high premiums for their employee benefit plans because it is unwise to incur the great risk self-insurance would create. Fully Insured products have been the only real viable answer. (High risk to insurance carrier = High premiums to employer) Enter Benefit Houdini®: We pull the best features from both of these approaches and create a hybrid strategy. We join the low cost of self-insurance with the low risk of fully insured and enable the small employer to offer the kind of benefits they want/need to, without breaking the bank in the process.
YouTube URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHUHx5oG5AQ&list=UU1U5dwdCZaxD6W_SzNTl7Bg&index=1&feature=plcp  

The ten finalists were:
Hazelnut Pilot Project: Andrew Pedersen, Grand Island NE
Two Rivers Storage: Chaney Black, Kearney NE
Time is Money Commitment: Blaine Drozd, Kearney NE
Benefit Houdini: Michael Meyer, Kearney NE
Inspire: Sam Widger, Kearney NE
Bovine Lifeline: Sandy Evans, Haigler NE
Hotel Cosmos in the Sandhills of NE: Srivatsa Seshadri, Kearney NE
Lawn Debbi: Steve Wahls, Loomis NE
Alcohol Detector: Tyler Clifford, Kearney NE
Double Up Feeder: Vincent Tesinsky, Weston NE

According to Shawn Kaskie, "Evaluations data shows that this event 'increased the confidence for starting or operating a business' for 78% of submission participants. Over half reported they will likely start a business or continue improving their existing venture." Congratulations to the participants and to the Center for Rural Research and Development for a successful second annual Central Nebraska Business Ideas Contest!

- written in collaboration with Shawn Kaskie, Director of the Center for Rural Research and Development

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.