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.