If you watch television, use social media, the internet, or just generally exist in our modern society, you cannot miss the overwhelming number of political ads pouring out of the screen.

Sometimes by the time we’ve returned to our original program, we’ve already forgotten who the ads were promoting. But one thing we can’t forget is that this our chance to exercise our right as citizens to vote for who will lead us through the next few years. It is urgent and it is critical.

There are a number of ways we can exercise this right. I’m sure some of you have done mail-in voting or absentee ballots. The students at University of Nebraska have free access to TurboVote, which is an online tool created by students to assist students with information and resources. Of course, this close to the election, in-person voting is important. And of course, the pandemic has complicated that, too.

UNO and UNMC Chancellor Dr. Jeff Gold sent an email to the UNO community recently reminding us all to wear our masks if we are going to vote in person. In my daydreams, the act of voting would protect us from COVID-19. Maybe it can, in some way, if we elect people who will face this pandemic with wisdom, science, and expertise.

The increase in positive tests and hospitalizations that are as high as the early days of the pandemic clearly signal that we must take this seriously.

And when you do vote, however you vote, keep in mind that the students, staff and faculty of our community are working hard to stay healthy and safe. As a community we must offer them the same protection. WEAR YOUR MASKS, SOCIALLY DISTANCE, AND WASH YOUR HANDS. It’s the least we can do to help our future generations continue their education.

Another aspect of this election that’s been on my mind lately is the mental and emotional toll it is taking on our community. Whatever the outcome, emotions are going to be heightened. There is a lot at stake. So much of our future (both short term and long term) will be deeply affected by the results.

These emotions are just as powerful in our university community.

As a mental health practitioner, I know people experience stress and anxiety about the unknown. That’s why UNO has set up a Post-Election Processing Fair to give students, faculty and staff the opportunity to talk about where they find themselves. We encourage students to use the UNO Counseling and Psychological Services if needed. The Faculty-Employee Assistance Program is also there for faculty and staff who might find it helpful.

At the end of the day, we are all working to make Nebraska the best state to create good, caring citizens working together for a better future. So please, go vote.

*Barbara’s thoughts as written by Kate based on weekly (fascinating) conversations.

It has been a hectic couple of weeks. Just recently the Board of Regents met to learn about and discuss the current state of the university. With all the upheaval of the last year, I don’t mind sharing that I was a bit nervous about what we would discover.

Even so, my curiosity was stronger.

As it turns out, the dreaded drop in enrollment that universities across the United States expected did not happen overall at the University of Nebraska. In fact, some campuses have even experienced increased enrollment.

One of the most exciting aspects of this news was the jump in enrollment of first-generation college students and students of color. Even with the loss of the international students who could not take courses online or enter the country – which is a true loss for our community – we still found admissions rising on our UNO campus. This means a lot to our university in terms of becoming more accessible. It means a great deal to the state as far as providing more graduates for the workforce. And it is important overall for creating informed, engaged citizens.

We also added two new Masters Programs to our curriculum: Masters in Health Sciences and Masters in Supply Chain Management. New projects are running on time and on budget. The Davis Global Center was opened this week at UNMC and the new Discovery Center at UNK was officially opened last week. All told, there is a lot to feel good about.

So the big question is, how did this happen? How did we manage to avoid such a feared pitfall and keep the school moving in the right direction? The answer is not one thing or one person, it has been a massive team effort, but I want to acknowledge President Carter’s leadership during this time.

Creating Nebraska Promise allowed us to look to the future instead of being frozen by the current pandemic.

Giving students access to the university and all its resources that they previously could not afford opened the door to all sorts of exciting new opportunities. If you’re into numbers, I’m happy to share a few statistics (and you can find more on the University of Nebraska website under the Provost tab):

UNO

Summer semester:      Offered 100 new courses

Summer enrollment:   5.7% undergraduates increase

Fall enrollment:          3.7% increase in first generation

                                    13% increase in diverse undergraduates

Across Campuses

Fall enrollment:          1.2% increase across the university

Another enlightening statistic was that in the previous academic year we retained 64.7% of first year students. This year we retained 80% of first year students.  Our goal is to keep pushing that percentage higher, and to help more of our students graduate in four years.

I do wonder how much our ability to safely offer in-person classes has contributed to our enrollment and retention rate.

In our conference of 14 schools, 12 schools are doing 75% of classes online and 25% in-class. At University of Nebraska we have 25% of classes online and 75% in-class.  Students have told us they prefer in-person academic offerings and are acting responsibly with COVID guidelines to make it happen. As always, caution is king and health is priority number one, but so far it’s encouraging to see.

Currently, more that 600 colleges and universities are using the COVID Safety Guidelines that we developed. 

Meanwhile President Ted Carter and Mrs. Carter have been on the road traveling to each campus, attending important events, and speaking with faculty and staff. This attention to all our campuses underscores President Carter’s belief that even with multiple locations, we are one university.

By the time we reached the end of our meeting, I felt like all these factors have come together to make us a more cohesive and collaborative group of people. Yes, we have things we disagree on but it doesn’t stop us from finding common ground. We approach every issue by first asking “what do we agree on?” Then keep working at the rest.

This makes me feel hopeful that we’re moving forward in a good way.

It gives me hope that the future looks bright for the university that we love, and we will continue to find new and innovative ways to meet obstacles we cannot control.

*Barbara’s thoughts as written by Kate based on weekly (fascinating) conversations.

It doesn’t take much to recognize that we are in deep in the midst of the election period. Signs standing guard in the yards and peeking out from residential windows. Ads on TV and social media. Debates, news headlines, discussions between friends and family – it’s inescapable. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

I am watching this unfold now from a whole different perspective, having done a campaign in 2018. Because the regent position is a nonpartisan race, we are able to focus on the issues facing the university, which I think definitely helps the dialogue.

One thing I remember from the 2018 election cycle was that one state senate seat was decided by very few votes.

That’s a slim margin. I said then – and I will reiterate now – that more Nebraskans need to understand the difference their vote can make in our state and local races. We are talking about the people who will be making big decisions in your community that directly affect your community.

This year Wally and I did the mail-in route, for several reasons. Not only was it easy, we also had access to plenty of information on the internet to look up issues or candidates. When we were ready, we drove to the election office and put out ballot in their box (saving on postage).

These decisions matter, as does your vote. I hope you will take a moment to learn where your candidates stand on all the issues, but especially on education. We all know that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced all sorts of changes to our education institutions. As with any crisis, we adapt to survive.

But our university is not a simple machine. We need people in office that understand the connections between workforce employment, the state funding issues, and who we elect to make decisions. It’s critical to understand just how vital education is to our communities, our citizenry, and our state as a whole.

So, please know that your vote impacts the university in a significant way. State senators and the governor control budget decisions. What they value is where they’ll decide to invest. It’s time to ask yourself what you value, and make your decisions accordingly. Vote this November. If you live in a district electing a regent this year do your homework and vote all the way down the ballot. Connect the dots.

To request a ballot by mail, the request has to be received by Friday, October 23rd. There’s still time, but not much.

However you do it, please vote and urge those around you to vote as well.

*Barbara’s thoughts as written by Kate based on weekly (fascinating) conversations.

I love questions. I’m always interested to know what others are curious about. Of course, I also love being able to answer people’s questions. But if I don’t already have an answer, it gives me the opportunity to go looking for one.

Recently, I received a question about architecture. Someone in my district asked if the University of Nebraska uses professors or students in designing new buildings going up on our campuses. My first thought was that something like that might be difficult with academic schedules and full course loads, but since I didn’t really know the full answer, I went in search of someone who did.

That’s how I got connected with our Facilities Director, Ryan Swanson. As it turns out, this wasn’t a simple “yes” or “no” question.

As it turns out, our university professors on campus do not formally design university projects. However, at times they are involved with campus level project design reviews, and may even structure their student studio class projects around potential or active architectural endeavors to closely mirror real campus capital project delivery activities.

UNL Architecture professor Jeff Day recently did this for a tractor facility museum on east campus with his most recent summer studio. I also learned that at Kearney, the Interiors faculty will sometimes “make over” an office (think paint, carpet, and furniture) as part of a class project. This is done in conjunction with the facilities staff and the Chancellor’s office.

In some cases, outside architects will hold visiting adjunct studio positions or simply volunteer to take part in studio critiques throughout the educational process.

In that sense, it’s possible for a professor to be included on a professional project team. Additionally, the position of University Architect on campus has been asked in the past to take part in studio critiques or projects. This is because the person in that position already has a wealth of knowledge about sites and program data that is critical to developing a realistic plan.

We also have a number of student staff – in Architecture, Interiors, Engineering and Construction Science – on our team that we integrate fully into the design and delivery processes during their time on campus.

Overall, we are always trying to think about how best to provide the best education for our students, and achieve a high level of input and interaction.

I am truly grateful for this question about students, faculty and architecture. It gave me the chance to gain a greater understanding of the university that I love, and a greater appreciation for the exciting work being done on so many levels.

So here’s my question for you: what would you like to know?

*Barbara’s thoughts as written by Kate based on weekly (fascinating) conversations.