UNO Points of Pride | 2020

POINTS OF PRIDE 2 019 – 2 0 2 0

STUDENT BODY HIGHLIGHTS PROVIDED BY JABIN MOORE, STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT AND STUDENT REGENT

• Senior Jabin Moore was named the 2020-2021 UNO Student Body President and Student Regent for 2020-2021 and Senior Vanessa Chavez Jurado was named UNO Student Body Vice President.

• In December 2019, UNO Student Government helped officially launch the first-ever legislative advocacy group on campus. The NU Student Alliance consists of motivated students who work together to advance issues pertaining to UNO. • In partnership with UNO Student Success, Student Government helped bring TEDxUNO back to campus, virtually, through three TEDxSalon sessions on issues of wellness.

FACULT Y SENATE HIGHLIGHTS PROVIDED BY C. ELLIOT OSTLER, FACULTY SENATE PRESIDENT AND PROFESSOR OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

• Faculty Senate spent time in 2019-2020, continuing this academic year, pursuing new models for Evaluation Teaching within new instructional modalities in order to better represent the Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure process. This includes creating new promotional pathways for full-time, non-tenure track faculty.

• In partnership with Faculty Senate units from across the NU system, UNO Faculty Senate has begun development of new, sustained efforts to improve diversity, equity, access, and inclusion across all NU campuses.

• Work has begun in partnership with UNO Student Government on evaluation of the current academic calendar and the potential for future modifications or additions.

STAFF ADVISORY COUNCIL (SAC) HIGHLIGHTS PROVIDED BY VANESSA HATFIELD-REEKER, STAFF ADVISORY COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND ADVISOR & PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR THE COLLEGE OF INFORMATION SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• The Staff Advisory Council successfully awarded funding for more than 40 UNO staff members to advance their career through the Staff Professional Development Fund and secured funding for a second year of implementation.

• Beginning in 2019-2020, Staff Advisory Council partnered with University Communications to create and distribute a monthly all-staff email to help improve communication with campus.

• Continued work in strengthening relationships with other constituent groups on campus, including Faculty Senate and the Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Gender Equity, to advocate for shared goals.

STUDENT SUCCESS

BUSINESS AND FINANCE

PROVIDED BY DAN SHIPP VICE CHANCELLOR FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

PROVIDED BY DOUG EWALD VICE CHANCELLOR FOR BUSINESS, FINANCE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

• The Fall 2020 semester marked the highest overall enrollment for UNO in nearly 30 years, at 15,892 students, including record enrollment of 2,220 first-time, full-time students - of which 43 percent were first generation and 40 percent were ethnically diverse. Fall 2020 also saw the highest year-to-year retention in UNO’s history, and a record number of transfer students, 1,381, coming to UNO from other institutions.

• UNO’s Business and Finance units continued their alignment with our partners at UNMC to implement shared management of Accounts Payable and Human Resources, including the naming of Aileen Warren as Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources.

• In November 2019, members of the Walter Scott, Jr. Scholarship Program got the chance of a lifetime to visit Apple, Inc. headquarters in Cupertino, California. Many of these same students, in partnership with UNMC, launched the 1-Check app to help students, faculty, and staff across the NU system screen for symptoms of COVID-19.

• Now in its 27th year, Project Achieve, with the support of Valerie Russell of the Russell Center, has secured $1.8 million in federal funding over five years to continue its mission of ensuring good academic standing, retention, and ultimately graduation for academically at-risk students. The funding ensures that close to 1,000 students will benefit from the program from now through 2025.

• In a cross-campus collaboration, the First Generation Student Initiative was launched in 2019. The program provides support for, and a validation of, these important First Gen populations (student, staff, faculty and alumni) through symposia, workshops, support services, and recognition. In Fall 2020, 43 percent of the incoming first-time, full-time students enrolled were First Generation, signaling a 6.5 percent increase from the previous year.

• The Office of Multicultural Affairs hosted a signature campus event with a keynote address from Ibram X. Kendi, Ph.D., an American author, historian, and scholar of race and discriminatory policy in America. Kendi has written several award-winning books that cover the history and discourse surrounding race, social justice, and higher education and his book, How to be an Anti-Racist, with a standingroom only audience.

ATHLETIC S (GO MAVS!) PROVIDED BY TREV ALBERTS VICE CHANCELLOR FOR ATHLETIC LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

• The volleyball team made a historic run in the Summit League, knocking out top-seeded and undefeated South Dakota, to make it to its second-ever Summit League Final.

• Progress continued on the new baseball/softball complex that will be located west of Baxter Arena. The fields will be named in honor of UNO alumnus and entrepreneur Tal Anderson and long-time UNO coach and athletics administrator Connie Claussen.

• Carrie Banks, a former assistant at Ohio State University, joined the women’s basketball team as head coach. She is the first African American female head coach in UNO’s history.

• Capital construction projects on campus included the completion of the Biomechanics Research Building addition, continued work on the renovation of Arts and Sciences Hall, and the beginning of new projects including a new Mammel Hall addition and new baseball/ softball complex west of Baxter Arena – all on time and on budget under the guidance of Larry Morgan, who was named executive director of facilities this February 2020.

• Auxiliary Services helped support the campus during remote and de-densified operations, including providing new MavCARDs by mail, providing free shipping to all students who needed fall textbooks, and coordinating the order of tens of thousands of facemasks and face coverings for students, faculty, and staff in the NU system.

• Anne Embree was hired as Director of Budget and Finance, replacing Kathy Pfeiffer, who retired after 40 years of service to UNO, and has been instrumental in efficiently responding to and managing campus-related budget needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BARBAR A WEIT Z COMMUNIT Y ENGAGEMENT CENTER (WEIT Z CEC) PROVIDED BY SARA WOODS DIRECTOR OF THE BARBARA WEITZ COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CENTER AND EXECUTIVE ASSOCIATE TO THE SENIOR VICE CHANCELLOR FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

• The Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center (CEC) recently announced the addition of four new UNO building partners: The Interdisciplinary Behavioral Consultation (IBC) Scholars Program, the Juvenile Justice Institute (JJI), the Nebraska Education Policy Lab, and the UNO Office of Sustainability, bringing the total number of building partner organizations in the CEC to 32.

• The UNO Service Learning Academy’s P-16 Initiative pairs UNO and P-12 students in area school districts with organizations in the community to meet their course learning goals. The P-16 Initiative and Omaha Public Schools were awarded the Excellence in Community Partner Engagement Award by the Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC). Representatives from UNO and Omaha Public Schools (OPS) accepted the award in October 2019.

• The Maverick Food Pantry has continued to support the dietary and personal hygiene needs of students, faculty and staff at UNO and UNMC particularly in the midst of a global pandemic. By moving to a new food package distribution system, the pantry has successfully adapted to safely continue serving those in need.

• Omaha Athletics posted its highest all-student-athlete grade point average in Spring 2020. The group of 251 Mavericks earned a GPA of 3.562 in the spring semester, surpassing the previous high of 3.429 in 2014.

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ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES (CAS)

PROVIDED BY SACHA KOPP AND DEBORAH SMITH-HOWELL SENIOR VICE CHANCELLOR FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS; AND ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES

PROVIDED BY DAVID BOOCKER DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

• Course availability for students has been amplified, with thousands of new seats being added in general education courses and first-year required courses.

• Academic Affairs launched a Faculty Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, which has already made strides in crafting and implementing new faculty recruiting guidelines with all faculty search committees soon undergoing implicit bias training.

• In early 2020, Academic Affairs, in partnership with deans, faculty, and staff from across each College officially formalized six cross-campus “Big Ideas” to help elevate UNO’s academic excellence and community engagement. These included: Transforming Wellness and Aging Through Business; Informatics and Gerontology; the Samuel Bak Institute; Security and Intelligence Studies; the STEM TRAIL Center; the Ted Kooser Center for Health Humanities; and Biomechanical Rehabilitation and Manufacturing.

• UNO launched a partnerships with Union Pacific and Mutual of Omaha to help provide access to courses, degrees, and certificates as part of employee professional development. In addition, UNO announced an academic partnership with Hastings College that will broaden educational horizons for its students. These academic and corporate partnerships will continue to strengthen UNO’s ties to the community and the state, and continue a commitment to access to exceptional education.

SERVICE LE ARNING AC ADEM Y (SL A)

• UNO faculty hosted 238 service learning courses – a historic high – in 2019-2020 and successfully adapted to meet the needs of their partner organizations even during the COVID-19 pandemic. This included 14 percent increase in service learning courses over the 2018-2019 academic year.

• The Service Learning Academy partnered with 110 different community organizations in and around the Omaha metro area this past year. This also included K-12 schools from six different school districts.

• The Maverick Philanthropy Initiative launched in 20192020, adding a new dimension to service learning courses, allowing students to develop philanthropic awareness and transferable skills to better serve their communities.

• The College of Arts & Sciences launched Exploratory Studies to address historic low retention and graduation rates of “undecided” students. The new program creates a learning community and an immediate, temporary academic home and identity to support “undecided” (renamed “Exploratory”) students entering UNO. In addition to professional advisement through UNO’s Academic and Career Development Center, students will be supported by a core of dedicated faculty-mentors, life coaches, and student peer mentors.

• The college celebrated the inauguration of the Ted Kooser Center for the Health Humanities – a UNO Big Idea – and the establishment of the Medical Humanities major.

• The university committed to the Samuel Bak institute as a Big Idea that, when launched, will awaken the UNO and Omaha communities to the richness and diversity of the human experience and invite curiosity and collaborative learning through active engagement with ideas, artworks, and exhibitions.

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTR ATION (CBA) PROVIDED BY MICHELLE TRAWICK DEAN FOR THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

• In February, the college welcomed Dean Michelle Trawick, Ph.D. Prior to UNO, she served as the Associate Provost for Faculty and Academic Excellence at Western Kentucky University.

• Gina Ligon, Ph.D., Professor of Management, led the start-up of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) most recent Center of Excellence the National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology, and Education (NCITE) Center. NCITE is the result of a $36.5 million, 10-year DHS grant. In addition, CBA successfully competed for a grant to offer STRATCOM the next generation of its Strategic Leadership Fellows Program (SLFP) built on the college’s nationally-ranked EMBA program.

• Allied Health is the latest UNMC college to collaborate with UNO on an MBA dual degree program. UNMC will serve as the home campus for students enrolled in a UNO MBA track paired with a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT); Master of Perfusion Sciences (MPS); or Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS).

COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION, FINE ARTS AND MEDIA (CFAM) PROVIDED BY MICHAEL HILT DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION, FINE ARTS AND MEDIA

• The School of Music and the Universidad Nacional de Música (UNM) in Lima, Peru set the stage for new educational opportunities in music by signing a memorandum of understanding to establish a relationship and lay the foundation for future collaborations, educational programs, and student and faculty exchanges.

• School of Communication students involved in MavRadio, Omaha News, and other programs won a record number of regional and national awards.

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• Construction on the second phase of the Strauss Performing Arts Center renovation project is well underway, which will feature new classrooms; better entrance and lobby facilities; as well as practice room upgrades.

P OIN T S OF PRIDE 2019 -2020

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, HE ALTH, AND HUMAN SCIENCES (CEHHS) PROVIDED BY NANCY EDICK DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND HUMAN SCIENCES

• The college underwent a name change from the College of Education (COE) to the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS). Years in the making, the name change honors the college’s history of teacher education and reflects its current impacts in the biomechanics, health, kinesiology, and STEM education fields.

• The Biomechanics Research Building’s $11.6M privately funded expansion was completed, bringing 57,000 square feet of new research and learning space to UNO’s campus. Researchers from the Department of Biomechanics received over $18M from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) including a Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant, four R01 grants, and an R15 grant.

• The Teacher Education Department (TED) was named the recipient of the 2020 University-wide Departmental Teaching Award (UDTA) from NU President Carter.

TED’s CADRE Project received national recognition from the Council of the Great City Schools for promoting public school teacher quality.

COLLEGE OF INFORMATION SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (IS&T ) PROVIDED BY HESHAM ALI DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• IS&T launched two new graduate degrees: The Master of Science in IT Innovation and the Master of Science in Data Science – a joint degree with the Department of Mathematics.

• IS&T’s Cybersecurity undergraduate and graduate degrees have created completely online options for both programs.

• Sajda Qureshi, Ph.D., of the Department of Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis (ISQA) received the IDEA Award as part of the NU System President’s Excellence Awards. The Faculty Service Learning Award recognized Sachin Pawaskar, Ph.D., also from ISQA, as the 2020 Outstanding Faculty Recipient.

COLLEGE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND COMMUNIT Y SERVICE (CPAC S) PROVIDED BY JOHN BARTLE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

• U.S. News & World Report recognized two departments as national leaders. The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice online Master’s Program is ranked No. 1 nationally, while Public Budgeting and Finance is ranked No. 4 in the nation.

In addition, the Volcker Alliance funded a “Next Generation Public Service Program” in CPACS, adapting a similar, successful program at Arizona State University. The program was featured in Chronicle of Higher Education earlier this year.

• Becky Lutte, Ph.D., was selected by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao to serve on the newly formed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB). In addition, Aviation Institute Director Scott Tarry, Ph.D., was appointed to serve on the Nebraska Aeronautics Commission by Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts.

• The CPACS experienced its highest enrollment in the history of the college at both the undergraduate and graduate levels despite the challenges of COVID-19.

OFFICE OF GR ADUATE STUDIES PROVIDED BY DEBORAH SMITH-HOWELL ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES

• Graduate Studies celebrated the graduation of 927 Mavericks with doctoral, educational specialists, masters, and graduate certificate degrees including the first graduates of the Master of Science in IT Innovation in May 2020.

• With 3,124 students in Fall 2020, Graduate Studies achieved its highest overall enrollment in university history. This includes a 7.6 percent increase in total graduate students, a 27.4 percent increase in new graduate students, a 19.2 percent increase in total underrepresented graduate students, and a 44.2 percent increase in newly enrolled students from underrepresented communities.

• Graduate Studies supported students impacted by COVID-19 through moving to a remote working plan, developing a “Remote Learning Resources” webpage, and developing the “Jump Start Scholarship” for recent bachelor’s degree recipients enrolling in UNO graduate programs.

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UNO LIBR ARIES PROVIDED BY DAVID RICHARDS DEAN OF UNO LIBRARIES

• UNO Libraries Archives & Special Collections joined a community effort to document how the pandemic is affecting the lives of Nebraskans. Initially conceived as a way for UNO Libraries’ student workers to document their own experiences during the pandemic, the initiative expanded beyond the UNO campus. UNO archivists are collecting journal entries, reflections, interviews, photo essays, and other creative forms of documenting life during the pandemic. UNO’s collection is hosted online at covid19omaha.omeka.net.

• Online resources from UNO Libraries have been critical as UNO and the wider Omaha community moved to remote learning, teaching, and working. These resources include over 200 databases; over 500,000 electronic books, historical newspapers, and government documents; and consultations with subject specialist librarians to name a few. The Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library collaborated with university working groups on implementing policies and practices to slow the spread of COVID-19 as it reopened its doors on a limited basis. Creative Production Lab employees also made over 200 plastic face shields to help fill personal protective equipment needs in the Omaha metro.

• The UNO Libraries welcomed the Omaha Magical Society’s library to its Archives and Special Collections. The 1,200-volume library includes books, periodicals, and pamphlets, some of which date back to the 19th century. These materials cover topics including magicians, sleight of hand techniques, and the history of magic. Through this collaboration, UNO Libraries Archives and Special Collections makes the historical study of regional, national, and international magic increasingly accessible.

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT PROVIDED BY JANE MEZA ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

• UNO and Shizuoka University in Shizuoka, Japan celebrated 40 years of friendship in October 2019. Representatives from UNO, including Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.; Jane Meza, Ph.D.; and Lori Arias, traveled to Shizuoka in Fall 2019 to celebrate decades of partnership, exchange program opportunities, research and scholarship.

• A new dual degree program that brings students from China to complete their bachelor’s degrees at UNO’s College of Business Administration saw its first group of students arrive in Fall 2019. 50 students from the Guangzhou College of Commerce (GCC) completed their core courses in Guangzhou before coming to UNO in June 2019 and exploring the Omaha and surrounding communities.

OFFICE OF RESE ARCH AND CRE ATIVE AC TIVIT Y (ORCA) PROVIDED BY KEN BAYLES AND SARA MYERS INTERIM ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY; AND ASSISTANT VICE CHANCELLOR FOR RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY

• The 2019-2020 academic year marked back-to-back record funded research grants - a five-year, $10.3 million grant for the Division of Biomechanics from NIH, and a 10-year, $36.5 million grant for counterterrorism research from the Department of Homeland Security.

• In terms of yearly funding, 2019-2020 marked the highest ever in funded research for the university at $26 million from grants and awards.

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• In March 2020, ORCA hosted its 12th annual Student Research and Creative Activity Fair and brought together nearly 200 students, their faculty mentors, and members of the community to discuss their findings and creations as innovators their respective fields.

P OIN T S OF PRIDE 2019 -2020

UNIVERSIT Y COMMUNICATIONS (UCOMM)

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES (ITS)

PROVIDED BY MAKAYLA MCMORRIS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

PROVIDED BY BRET BLACKMAN CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER AND NU VICE PRESIDENT FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

• Multiple University Communications projects were recognized during the 35th Annual Education Advertising report, standing out among more than 2,300 entries globally. Award-winning projects include the “I am the ROI” series, the 2019 Hagel Forum in Global Leadership event, and special promotion of “Witness: the Art of Samuel Bak.” • University Communications provided crucial communications support throughout the university’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which included production and distribution of campuswide messaging; the launch of the COVID-19 Updates and Fall Forward websites; and the successful transition of commencement from inperson to online; among many other efforts.

• ITS supported the campus as IT needs rapidly expanded due to COVID-19 and our pivot to remote teaching, learning and working.

This includes highlights such as a 389 percent increase in VPN usage, an 80 percent decrease in response times for Help Desk requests, 26.8 million Canvas pageviews, 27 million meeting minutes on Zoom, and more than 300,000 minutes of video recordings through VidGrid over the Spring and Summer 2020 semesters.

• To support campus during COVID-19 and beyond, ITS developed digital resource sites, KeepLearning and KeepTeaching, for students and faculty. Resources provided by these sites have been accessed more than 100,000 times since launch.

• University Communications provided support to campus partners in order to produce historic enrollment and retention rates for the university. Efforts included paid and earned media placement surrounding Nebraska Promise, UNO Incentives, the Union Pacific partnership, retention communications, and more.

• As a result of IT-led installations and partnerships with UNO Facilities and Planning, 51 additional Zoom-enabled learning spaces were added in time for Fall 2020 instruction, bringing the total number of Zoom-enabled spaces on campus to 72 — more than doubling the previous number.

• Through the summer and into the fall, University Communications has organized and amplified important messaging, events, and campus support for diversity, equity, access and inclusion. This includes the launch of the #BullThrough campaign, support of the Healing and Education listening series, and announcement of Cecil Hicks as UNO’s first Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion.

• For the protection and safety of our campus community, DUO multifactor authentication was expanded in 2019-20 and is now being used by 87 percent of UNO staff, 58 percent of UNO faculty and 27 percent of UNO students. DUO will be expanded the rest of the UNO community in 2020-21.

UNIVERSIT Y OF NEBR ASK A FOUNDATION PROVIDED BY MIKE BIRD VICE PRESIDENT OF UNO ADVANCEMENT

• As a result of more than $100 million in current and anticipated private funding, major construction projects that include the Strauss Performing Arts Center entrance, the Mammel Hall addition, the new baseball/softball facility, and renovations to the Durham Science Center, are recently completed, underway, or currently in the planning stages.

UNO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PROVIDED BY LEE DENKER PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE UNO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

• In 2019, the University of Nebraska Foundation was recognized by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as one of the nation’s Top 100 charities for 2018. UNO’s dedicated philanthropic network helped raise more than $27 million for the university in FY 2019-2020.

More than 5,000 donors made gifts that benefitted UNO – 58% of which were UNO graduates.

• UNO’s alumni network grew to 114,000 alumni — more than half of whom live in Nebraska.

• In 2019 alone, $8.3 million was raised for student support at UNO including establishing Teacher Scholars Academy and have welcomed and fully-funded the first two cohorts —totaling 48 full-ride scholarships — in an effort to build a pipeline of highperforming teachers for our region.

• Thousands of alumni were engaged with the Alumni Association on outreach activities that were hosted on campus, in Omaha and in Phoenix, Washington, D.C., and Kansas City. Additionally, the association expanded on its popular program of visiting alumni and students at Omaha-area high schools.

• The Alumni Association established a new scholarship endowment to help students achieve their educational dreams. The $1 million endowment provides scholarship funds for dozens of deserving students each year.

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The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment. Facts and figures presented in this book are based off of statistics obtained from the 2019-20 academic year. 0159BKCHAN1020