University of Nebraska Kearney

The Employee Recognition Committee of the Staff Senate of UNK is proud to announce the selection of the First Year Experience as the May 2002 recipient of the Department of the Month Award.

The First Year Experience grew from past efforts to create an academic orientation program to enhance the student service component of orientation. Both administration and faculty were involved in improving the orientation of students.

The First Year program introduces students not only to their academic responsibilities at UNK but also fosters a sense of community and commitment that moves beyond the campus boundaries into the local and state communities, even national and global communities. The program combines academic content with other first-year students needs (i.e. study skills, academic expectations, social adjustment); such a program benefits the individual student, the General Studies Program, and the larger UNK community. From a student's personal prospective, getting to know professors and classmates on a personal level helps them engage in larger critical and acculturation skills that prepare them to become responsible citizens in local, national and global communities. By instilling the values of a liberal education, this program creates a commitment to UNK that immediately facilitates their involvement in academic pursuits and campus activities. This program is an important factor in both recruitment and retention.

For this commitment to the students and to UNK, Staff Senate is proud to award the First Year Experience committee the Department of the Month Award.

Following is a list of Ad Hoc First Year Committee Members.