UNK Professor named 2009 Social Worker of the Year

Dr. Maha Younes, professor and chair of the University of Nebraska at Kearney Department of Social Work, has been named 2009 Social Worker of the Year by the Nebraska Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW-NE).
In addition to teaching and research, her professional work includes more than 20 years of clinical experience working with survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence, eating disorders and relationship dysfunctions. Her clinical experience began at Hastings Regional Center where she worked as a psychiatric social worker. She served as a clinical social worker at South Central Behavioral Services from 1986-1991. She also maintained a private practice agency from 1986-2001.
For the past few years, Dr. Younes has led the Nebraska Consortium of Social Work School and worked closely with policy makers and leaders from the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services (NDHHS) to promote the professionalization of the child welfare workforce in Nebraska. Through her advocacy and leadership, she has stressed that improvements in child welfare services in Nebraska will only emerge through the professional preparation and hiring of graduates with social work degrees.
In 1999, she developed the International Social Work Experiences Program at UNK with the goal of promoting cultural competence and global engagement.
In 2005, she was one of only 14 scholars from universities across the nation selected as a Fulbright Scholar to Thailand and Myanmar (Burma).

Educator at University of Nebraska at Kearney Named U.S. Professor of the Year

A University of Nebraska at Kearney psychology professor is the first Nebraska educator to be named a U.S. Professor of the Year by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) in the nearly 30 years of this prestigious national teaching award.
Dr. Rick Miller, UNK professor and chair of the Department of Psychology, received the award at a luncheon and awards ceremony last week in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Miller earned the award in the Outstanding Master's Universities and Colleges category. The U.S. Professor of the Year award is recognized as one of the most prestigious national awards honoring undergraduate teaching. The national award is also presented to educators in the categories of Outstanding Doctoral and Research Universities, Outstanding Baccalaureate Colleges and Outstanding Community Colleges. The four national winners each receive a $5,000 cash award from The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Judges select winners based on four criteria: impact on and involvement with undergraduate students; scholarly approach to teaching and learning; contributions to undergraduate education in the institution, community and profession; and support from colleagues, and current and former undergraduate students. The U.S. Professors of the Year awards program, created in 1981, is the only national initiative specifically designed to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring.

Sneak Preview of New Planetarium at University of Nebraska at Kearney

I feel privileged!  I just returned this afternoon from a sneak preview of UNK’s new indoor universe—a 60-seat theatre within a 35-foot diameter great white ball in the heart of campus. Physics professor and planetarium maestro Dr. Jose Mena-Werth gave his first star show to a very small group of, as I said, privileged, guests to help him shake down some of the new and very impressive technology housed in this space age setting.

The UNK Planetarium will serve UNK students, area schools, and the general public. Set under a 30-foot interior doom, the Zeiss star projector can show the sky including the sun, moon, planets, and more than 7,000 stars as they would be seen from any place on the Earth at any time. The Planetarium’s state-of-the-art sound, lighting, and control systems will be used to create educational, multimedia programs on astronomy and other topics. In addition to star shows, Dr. Mena-Werth expects to provide visitors the experience of a Nebraska thunderstorm, sunrise and sunset,  and other natural phenomena.

Regular shows will begin in January, including two scheduled public shows each month. The Physics Department staff will also give shows to school groups and private organizations. To schedule a show or for more information, contact Kristie Mosher at 308-865-8277 or via e-mail at mosherk@unk.edu.

Old Follett Bookstore Building Razed at University of Nebraska at Kearney's Main Entrance

A longstanding landmark building near the entrance to UNK is no longer there, as of yesterday. (See previous post from September 17 for the full story of the building and its acquisition by the university.) The frame building was in poor shape, and, according to UNK's facilities managers, posed a risk even to passersby due to the sagging roof.
Now that the building is gone, planning will begin in earnest to reshape a new entrance "gateway" to the university, improving safety for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the area.
Early concepts for the reshaping of the area include a "roundabout," intended to replace the awkward existing intersection, slow traffic near the highly trafficked university entrance area, and improve the landscaping and aesthetics to a standard befitting of a major university campus.

University of Nebraska at Kearney Compares Favorably to its Peer Institutions on the Most Important Measures

The campus just received the latest annual report from the National Center for Education Statistics comparing UNK to its Board of Regent-designated peer universities, 10 similarly situated universities ranging from Kentucky to Colorado and Minnesota to Texas. The report, IPEDS Data Feedback Report 2009, includes 2007-08 data (the most recently compiled) on enrollment, graduation rates, student charges, program completions, faculty, staff, and finances—all critical measuring sticks in assessing progress at UNK. Here are a few highlights from the report:
1. Nine percent of UNK’s total student body is international, compared with three percent of peers.
2. UNK’s student-to-faculty ratio is 16 to 1: peers average 19 to 1
3. UNK’s tuition and fees (08-09) total $5,018 compared to $6,286 for peer universities.
4. Thirty-one percent of UNK’s students receive need-based federal Pell grants vs. 25 percent of students at peer institutions.
5. Retention rate of full-time students from freshmen to sophomore status is 79 percent compared to 72 percent of peer universities.
6. UNK’s overall official graduation rate stands at 59 percent while peers’ graduation rate is 49 percent.
7. Illustrating how UNK has made budget decisions in support of the academic mission, forty-seven percent of UNK’s core expenses go to instruction. At peer universities, the average spent for instruction is 41 percent.
8. Again, clearly demonstrating UNK’s strong commitment to its academic mission, 45 percent of UNK’s workforce is placed in the category serving teaching, research and service; this compares to 39 percent in the peer average.
9. Although UNK is a teaching university, resources devoted to research at this campus are about the same as its typically larger peers, several of which are doctorate-granting institutions.
10. UNK’s transfer out rate is significantly small, compared to peers.
11. UNK’s budget relies far less than peers on tuition and fees. Conversely, UNK relies more than peers on the state appropriation.

These comparisons are consistent with UNK’s priority values of academic strength, a commitment to student success, affordability, faculty teacher-scholars who provide a personalized approach to their students’ education, and a commitment to providing a world perspective as a major component of the UNK educational experience.
Additional information about IPEDS and this data may be found online at http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds and the UNK Fact Book site: http://www.unk.edu/factbook.

New “Branch Simulation Lab” opened this morning at University of Nebraska at Kearney's College of Business and Technology

Over 100 Industrial Distribution Program Partners, students, professors and other members of the UNK community were on hand early this morning for the ribbon cutting of the latest jewel in the crown of this national award winning program of the College of Business and Technology at UNK. The new lab provides a cutting edge educational environment for Industrial Distribution students, those 214 students studying for a career in technical sales.

The new lab includes a showroom, an inside/outside sales office, racking area for products, conveyer tracks, a fork lift, and many other components that provide a realistic environment for students and instructors to simulate an actual branch sales distribution center.

Last Spring, the UNK Industrial Distribution program was named one of the top in the nation by the University Sales Education Foundation. The UNK program was also listed recently in a national trade journal as a top program of its kind both nationally and internationally, the only program from Nebraska to make the list. The UNK Industrial Distribution program is accredited by the National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT) and is one of only 55 accredited baccalaureate level programs in the nation and the only one in Nebraska.

Besides being a top-notch sales training program, the UNK Industrial Distribution Bachelor of Science degree is a very serious academic venture, requiring 73 semester hours to complete. Included in the requirements are an internship, three sales oriented technical courses and two professional selling/negotiation courses. Multiple career events, attracting employers from across the nation, are held each year at UNK exclusively for ID majors, and a corporate ID “partners” program allows firms to develop personal relationships with students prior to considering them for hire. Hiring rate of successful graduates each year is near 100 percent.

The UNK College of Business and Technology is leading the way in Nebraska to prepare students for excellent careers in many fields of business and technology-related fields. Industrial Distribution’s new Branch Simulation Lab the latest example of UNK’s commitment to provide the best education possible for its students.

The "New" Bruner Hall of Science Complex at the University of Nebraska Kearney Dedicated with Fanfare--The Edge of Science

Today, UNK's renovated, enlarged and greatly improved Bruner Hall of Science will be dedicated in a noontime ceremony marked by speeches by university leaders, the presence of many dignitaries and a ribbon cutting engineered by students, past and present.
Besides providing a new visual signature to the campus, especially the dramatic structure facing the UNK Main Quadrangle and housing a spherical Planetarium "egg" behind its glass facade, Bruner Hall brings a whole new design to the instructional and research spaces for UNK students and faculty.
The original art mural on the facade of the building sets the tone for what is inside, including the basic scientific disciplines of physics, chemistry, biology as the underpinnings of Health Sciences, with over 600 students in 19 programs, one of the largest areas of study at UNK.

   A UNK trademark is close faculty-student collaboration, especially in undergraduate research--research that frequently rivals research institutions in its quality and contribution to knowledge. And the degree of undergraduates' hands-on experiences in laboratories, with actual research projects, as partners with professors, is way ahead of their counterparts' ability to participate in research at most Research I institutions. Modern teaching and research labs have been designed for teaching science in the twenty-first century.

Other features of the building include: Nebraska’s only Foucault pendulum, a replica of the first experiment to dynamically prove that the Earth rotated on its axis; a roof observatory to give both community visitors and students opportunities to explore the sky with state-of-the-art telescopes and electronics; a living animal facility; and an herbarium.

With the dedication today of the new Bruner Hall of Science complex, UNK enters a new chapter in its long history of providing excellent science education to its students from Nebraska and around the country and world.

UNK Acquires Property for a New Campus Gateway and to Address Safety Concerns

A long sought-after piece of property along the east side of the campus officially became property of the University of Nebraska at Kearney in August.

Ownership of the land by the university will now make it possible to address safety concerns in the area, ease traffic flow and create a main entrance to the campus. The parcel, which is comprised of the west end of the 800 block between 25th and 26th Streets, had been part of the O.G. "Bob" Saunders estate since Saunders passed away in 2007.

Because changes in traffic flow in the area to develop a new “gateway” to the campus will involve city streets and a state highway, UNK planning will involve consultants, the City of Kearney and the State Highway Department. All plans so far are preliminary.

Planning for demolition of the unoccupied building (most recently occupied by Follett’s Bookstore and a military service recruiting office) is underway and is expected to begin mid-October. The immediate building perimeter is currently fenced to keep passersby at a safe distance from the structure due to its fragile, extending roof.

Although ownership and possession of the parcel has been transferred to the university, the final cost of the property is still being determined. An appraisal by a panel of three experts appointed by the Buffalo County Court set the value at $480,000. However, the Saunders family has since filed an appeal in Buffalo County District Court. That appeal is still pending.

UNK Enrollment Up for Sixth Consecutive Year

Enrollment at the University of Nebraska at Kearney increased this year for the sixth year in a row. UNK’s headcount enrollment was 6,650, the highest total since 1999 and an increase of 1.6 percent over last year. Aggregate student credit hours – the course-load that students take -- also rose, by 0.6 percent over last fall. Students have come to UNK this year from all 93 counties in Nebraska, 46 countries around the world, and 47 states.

Growth was particularly strong at the graduate level, as UNK offerings continue to attract students who seek career or personal development through advanced education. Total enrollment in graduate programs increased by 12.5 percent, to a total of 1,619, as both online and on-campus numbers rose compared to last year’s result.

Undergraduate results were somewhat mixed. Overall, undergraduate headcount decreased by 1.4 percent, mainly because of declines in part-time, nonresident, and international students that produced a smaller first-time, full-time freshman class of 969 students. That group is 6.6 percent smaller than last year’s comparatively large class. Even so, the Fall 2009 freshman class is larger than the groups which entered UNK in Fall 2006 and 2007. Freshman representation from key areas in Nebraska held stable or rose, and there was a notable rise in freshman from the Omaha region. Undergraduate transfers also increased by 14.4 percent, to 334, or the best result since Fall 2005.

Although the freshman class was smaller than last year’s, its average ACT score is the highest ever achieved by an entering class at the Kearney campus. Additionally, numbers of new enrolled Honors Program freshmen rose to the highest level in six years (145). These high academic achievers bring with them an average ACT score of 28.2.

35 New Faculty Enhance Academic Expertise and Experience at UNK

New faculty were introduced last Friday at UNK's opening convocation and classes began on Monday, officially marking the opening of another school year. In spite of the current budget cutting cycle that is leaving fewer resources for academic administrators, it is worthwhile to reflect for a moment on the variety and quality of the 35 new faculty to join the University this fall.

Most have earned terminal degrees in their respective fields from universities as far ranging as the University of New Mexico, Washington State University, and the University of Albany. Many have their degrees, as well, from universities around the Midwest including the University of Iowa and our sister institution, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Fields of expertise range from military science (UNK re-started ROTC on campus last year), communications disorders to experimental atomic physics and many more. This new crop of faculty brings a huge range of experience including such accomplishments as founding and leading a community music organization, working as part of the management team of The Buckle and American Foods Group, serving as a Materials Manager at Eaton Corporation in Kearney, as an intelligence analyst for the military in Germany, Iraq and Afghanistan, conducting strategic planning for expansion of global education at St. John's University in New York, spending 35 years as an elementary principal, playing in major orchestras, and, of course, many have served as professors at prominent universities around the country. This listing is but a small sampling.

UNK is very proud of the expertise and accomplishments of its new faculty, who join an already sterling faculty who are contributing to the knowledge in their respective fields through scholarship while, at the same time, serving as mentor-teachers to UNK's 6,500-plus students.

UNK Maintains 15th Rank Among Midwest Public Universities at the Master's Level

The University of Nebraska at Kearney yesterday announced that the campus has again earned a ranking in the top tier of the "U.S. News & World Report's" listing of the Best Universities-Master’s, public and private, in the Midwest. UNK was ranked against a total of 139 universities across 12 states in this category.

Further, for the third consecutive year, UNK ranks 15th among all public universities at the master’s level in the Midwest.

The overall ranking is a composite of scores in several specific categories. UNK measures equal to, or better than, the average of its Board of Regent-defined peer group in 8 of 11 scores. Compared to last year’s scores, UNK improved its graduation rate from 55 to 56 percent, increased the number of classes with fewer than 20 students from 37 to 39 percent, reduced the number of classes with more than 50 students from 6 to 5 percent, and increased the number of freshmen who rank in the top 25 percent of their high school graduating class from 36 to 38 percent. UNK’s average freshman retention rate (81%) and the percent of faculty who are full-time (91%) are also noteworthy, especially in comparison to its peers.

Undergraduate Research—A UNK Distinctive

The Undergraduate Research Fellows (URF) program of the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) is one of a very few undergraduate research programs in the nation funded entirely by student fees.
This comprehensive and experiential learning opportunity is a reality at UNK, largely because students last year were willing to add $1.50 per credit hour in student fees to fund URF. Last school year, 75 sophomores, juniors and seniors, collectively, were awarded fellowships. Provided that the student makes appropriate progress, fellowships are renewed annually. In a given year, conceivably, up to 100 Research Fellows may be supported.
By the time they are juniors, Research Fellows will be able to develop and conduct their own original research or creative projects. Each Fellow receives a $1,000 stipend each year. Students can apply for grants to support their projects, participate in a multi-disciplinary summer research program; apply for support to present their work at conferences; and have their findings published in journals.
Though the URF program is new, undergraduate research has been a distinctive mark of student experience at UNK for many years and has brought national recognition to the campus. For instance, UNK’s strong presence at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR) has helped gain national attention for UNK as a premier undergraduate research university because UNK student researchers are usually amongst the top five school delegations in attendance, with 50 or more students presenting their research each year.
Over time, several other student research programs have contributed to the establishment of the URF program. Some examples: the Summer Student Research program; the annual publication of UNK’s Undergraduate Research Journal, the Mentoring Award program, and the burgeoning Student Research Day.
Undergraduate research at UNK was noted recently by Governor Dave Heineman in an op-ed piece published in newspapers across the state. Heineman stated, “During the past five years, UNK student-scholars have participated in the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in greater numbers than any other Nebraska college or university. The 13th edition of UNK’s Undergraduate Research Journal shows the wide range of student scholarship, with articles ranging from an in-depth market feasibility study for a proposed retail business to a detailed analysis of two Beethoven piano sonatas.”
Through the URF program, and only because of the student-supported fee, faculty mentors receive a $500 stipend each year for materials that are supportive of their mentoring effort. A dynamic potential in the faculty mentoring role in the URF program is that a faculty mentor can formally support up to three fellows per year. At UNK, faculty are particularly inspired about the kind of collaborative groups and learning these relationships will cultivate.
According to the URF program design, to be a faculty mentor, one must have been an active scholar—for instance, published a national article or activity—in the last two years. The program not only demonstrates that UNK faculty are engaged in their own discipline so that they can optimally model scholarship for their student-mentees, it supports and enhances the legendary strength of faculty-student relationships at UNK.

Profile of the University of Nebraska at Kearney

--5,478 undergraduate students
--1,006 graduate students
--Students from all 93 Nebraska counties, 47 states and 49 countries
--307 full-time, 67 part-time faculty
--More than 90 percent hold terminal (highest) degrees in their field
--Student-to-Faculty ratio -- 16 to 1
--Average class size -- Less than 25 students
--8 traditional-style residence halls
--2 Greek chapter house complexes (12 UNK fraternities and sororities)
--1 University-owned off-campus apartment complex
--3 suite-style residence halls—Nester North, Nester South and Antelope Halls
--170 undergraduate majors
--25 pre-professional programs
--34 graduate degrees
--Four-year Honors Program
--Largest percentage of international students among undergraduates (11 percent) of any other college or university in Nebraska or neighboring Midwest region
--30 percent of the state’s principals, and 47% of school superintendents are UNK grads
--235-acre campus in Central Nebraska’s educational, medical and cultural center
--30,000+ people reside in Kearney
--17 NCAA Division II sports within the Rocky Mountain, including women’s soccer new Fall, 2009
--Athletic Conference (RMAC).
--The U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges 2009” ranks UNK among the top 15 public universities at the Master’s level in the Midwest
--At 80 percent, UNK’s retention rate of freshmen-to-sophomores is well above the national average
--1905 Founded as Nebraska State Normal School
--1921 Became Nebraska State Teachers College
--1963 Renamed Kearney State College
--1991 Became University of Nebraska at Kearney

Growth Explodes for Online Enrollment at UNK's eCampus

Online enrollment at UNK through its eCampus program has exploded in recent years, with no end in sight. eCampus at UNK is one of the fastest-growing segments of the student population, expanding from only 251 students in 2002 to 2,151 last year. The main limitation is the number of classes that can be developed with limited resources. Some academic departments say that they can fill all the classes they offer, with waiting lists.
UNK offers the same quality online degree programs and courses that are offered on the campus. The majority of the instruction is taught by credentialed faculty with doctoral degrees who are committed to quality teaching. Online courses are highly interactive with faculty and students communicating through e-mail, discussion forums, and chat groups via Blackboard course management software. Many courses use multimedia presentations, streaming video, and supplemental CDs/DVDs.
Online at UNK is especially strong in the graduate school of Education. Teachers across Nebraska (and around the nation and world) are finding the high quality of the online experience at UNK to be compelling, as well as highly convenient. Of particular note is an online master's program in biology, a very popular program among science teachers.
UNK has learned well how to design and conduct online courses. In its most recent visit, the North Central Association (NCA), UNK’s main accrediting agency, approved UNK to offer any course in its curriculum in an online format, affirming the quality that has quickly emerged as a trademark of eCampus. Online at UNK is also useful to many traditional UNK students to help them get the classes they need when they need them, as a supplement to their traditional classroom experience.

Early Morning Summer Sunshine on the UNK Campus

The campus of the University of Nebraska at Kearney has undergone almost continuous renovation over the past several years accompanied by some magnificent new landscaping. Those improvements have resulted in one of the most beautiful campuses in Nebraska, even after a tornado ripped roofs and trees last summer and a major ice storm did major damage the previous year.
Just after the recent Fourth of July holiday weekend, I found myself up very early one Sunday morning with my camera. The sun, just peeking over the horizon, played with buildings, grass, trees, sculptures, and every other part of campus. I recorded the beauty of that morning, and share it with you. Click here to view a slide show entitled, "Early Morning Summer Sunshine on the UNK Campus."

Education Committee of Unicameral Conducts Interim Study on Post-Secondary Education

With LR 262, the Education Committee of the Nebraska Unicameral has established an Interim Study "to examine issues relating to postsecondary education." The University of Nebraska System Office in Lincoln is providing important support for this study, including data showing how the proportion of state support for higher education in Nebraska has declined more or less steadily for the past 20 years from 19 percent in 1991 to 14 percent projected in 2011. The data also compares percentage growth in general fund support during the same period for the three major categories of higher education, University of Nebraska (86% growth), State Colleges (117% growth), and the Community Colleges (180% growth).
State General Fund growth was 151 percent during the period while support for K-12 (including ARRA funds this year) rose 183 percent. At the same time, support for higher education, overall, rose 99 percent.
The steady erosion in rate of public support for the university has been felt by students in the form of tuition increases, as tuition is the only other major source of operating income to the University which it needs to maintain programs and quality. The ratio of state appropriation to tuition income shifted from 80/20 in 1992 to 70/30 today. (UNK became part of NU system in 1992).

UNK Achieves Enviable Graduation Rate

Alone among its sister campuses in Nebraska, UNK has achieved in the latest reporting period a six-year graduation rate (57.7%) well above the average (51.5%) of its Regent-defined group of peers. In 2001 the rate was 51.9%. (The six-year rate is the most commonly used measure by campuses nationwide.) While it is difficult to document with precision the factors that contribute to overall graduation rate, UNK has undertaken a number of positive initiatives in the period leading up to and during the increase. They are consistent with UNK’s reputation as providing a student-oriented environment and include 1) adding a universal advising requirement; 2) keeping a tutoring service in place when other campuses did not; 3) initiating a “first-year experience” to better integrate freshmen into academic life; 4) organizing a program of “learning communities,” and 5) undergoing many campus improvements.

UNK's Tuition Remains Lowest Among Its Peer Universities

With the recent proposal for tuition rates at NU campuses by Central Administration, UNK remains with the lowest rates among NU campuses as well as among all Regent-defined peer universities. Here are the facts:

1. Peer comparison for tuition, 2008-09:
UNK's undergraduate resident tuition of $4,365 was the lowest among our Regents' peers and was 30.9% below the peer average. For graduate student resident tuition we are the lowest and are 36.2% below the peer average. For nonresidents we are second lowest in undergraduate tuition. In non-resident graduate tuition we are more expensive than 6 peers.

2. Peer comparison for tuition and mandatory fees, 2008-09:
For undergraduate residents, we are the lowest among peers and are 25.5% below the peer average. For graduate residents we are the lowest and are 31.3% below our peer average. For nonresidents we are second lowest in undergraduate totals; and for graduate student totals we are third lowest.

A bit of history: The current proposal for a four percent increase in UNK tuition is the lowest increase since Fall of 1995, when the increase for resident UG was three percent. It is the second lowest tuition rate hike since UNK entered the University of Nebraska System.

Finally, UNK is the least expensive NU campus, tuition-wise. Here are the rates:

Resident: Undergraduate Graduate
UNL: $ 179.75 $ 237.50
UNO: $ 164.00 $ 204.25
UNK: $ 145.50 $180.25

Nonresident: Undergraduate Graduate
UNL: $533.75 $640.25
UNO: $483.25 $537.75
UNK: $298.00 $372.75

The Board of Regents will consider these tuition rate proposals at its June meeting.

More Efficient Energy Distribution Comes to UNK

A multi-phased, highly visible, construction effort to develop a centralized utility distribution system for the expanding UNK campus is nearing completion.
The Central Utilities Plant and Tunnel Project, when switched on later this year, is designed to more efficiently supply steam heat and chilled water to all parts of the campus through an extensive underground distribution system of improved tunnels and new construction.
The “Tunnel Project”--part of the development of the University’s utility infrastructure-- extends from the combined boiler and chiller facility on the site of an old city powerhouse (razed in 2007). Some of the old steam lines dated back to the 1930s, which meant that much of the system had to be rebuilt to meet both modern safety and efficiency standards.
During the construction over the past 18 months, changing fence lines criss-crossed the campus. Though inconvenient at times, students and faculty found new walking routes and parking spots, generally in good humor.

UNK Bruner Hall of Science and Planetarium

The Bruner Hall of Science, the home of chemistry, biology, physics and health sciences programs, is being significantly renovated and will be complete by Fall 2009. Construction is currently ahead of schedule and under budget.

The 1960’s era Mary Morse Lecture Hall was razed to make way for a new 17,800 square-foot addition with a new planetarium (certain to become a new campus landmark) plus five new classrooms, an herbarium, and offices for Health Science programs. Much of the existing Bruner Hall was gutted and is being replaced with modern faculty research and teaching labs.

The budget for the project is $14,551,000, of which $14,000,000 was allocated from the Nebraska legislature. The remaining $551,000 came from a NASA grant for planetarium equipment.

In 2001, Bruner Hall underwent a maintenance renovation at a cost of approximately $6,400,000. This work upgraded the heating and cooling machinery, made ADA modifications to restrooms, installed a new elevator and repainted walls and ceilings.

In 2004, a second phase of renovation constructed a new greenhouse east of Bruner Hall . North of the new greenhouse facility, a new stand-alone research biology laboratory building was built in 2006.

Changing Demographics in Nebraska

UNK’s traditional student base has been Western Nebraska. This region continues to be the campus’ “homebase,” while at the same time UNK draws students from every county, 47 states, and 49 foreign countries. Adding to the region’s (and UNK’s) challenges, the population of Nebraska is rapidly moving east to the urban centers of Omaha and Lincoln. Directly affecting UNK, the number of high school seniors in the state is expected to decrease from 21,838 in 2002 to 19,785 in 2012, even as five new Class A high schools and a new Class B high school have been created in the urban centers while at the same time several Class A high schools in Western Nebraska have been converted to Class B schools.
As dramatic, in 2002 four percent of students were Hispanic, while in 2017, that percentage is projected to be 20 percent. Adding to the challenge for schools, while 6 percent of students were Hispanic in 2006, the same group accounted for 20 percent of dropouts.
Poverty Related to Demographics
Of the nation’s poorest 12 counties, Nebraska has 7 of them. One half of the state’s students (150,000) live in just 5 counties where the average per capita income is $15,000 to $22,000 over the national average. The other half live in the other 88 counties, where per capita income is $14,000 below the national average.
UNK continues to serve all of Nebraska, while remaining strongest in its home region. In fact, in spite of UNK’s smaller size (6,500 students) more college-bound seniors in the majority of counties choose the Kearney campus to earn their NU degree. UNK’s smaller size, strong faculty support, its emphasis on teaching, and the residential experience combine to enable UNK to achieve one of the highest student retention rates (81%) of its peer universities. UNK is rising to its most pressing challenges.

UNK Enters a New Era

Many visitors to UNK who last visited only 5 years ago say they do not recognize the campus. Under the leadership of Chancellor Douglas Kristensen, UNK has embarked on an ambitious campus revitalization and renewal program that includes not only a $22 million, suite-style residential complex, but also a newly renovated Bruner Hall of Science, a new Planetarium, a new Cope Stadium, a relocated and modernized Central Utility Plant and tunneling system, remodeled existing residence halls, and a major facelift for the campus through landscaping and trees.

The campus upgrades are being accomplished as UNK continues to grow steadily, especially its graduate online programs, international students, non-resident students, and degrees granted. In fact, at 11 percent, UNK enjoys by far the largest percentage of international undergraduate students of any other campus in Nebraska and neighboring states.
While growing, UNK has been recognized, as well, for its academic excellence as a top 15 public university in the Midwest at the Masters level by U.S. News and World Report.
We invite you to subscribe to this blog to continue reading about some of UNK’s other increasingly distinctive characteristics.