It is hard to think about the many consequences (both intentional and unintentional) that have occurred as a result of adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. I imagine we don’t even know the full scope of those consequences just yet as they relate to the University of Nebraska community.

For example, it took an incredible amount of work by so many people to convert in-person classes to online courses. That scale of coordinated effort in such a relatively short time is mind boggling. The health and well-being of our students has always been foremost in our priorities, yet as we are forced to adapt, sometimes things fall through the cracks. As we navigate these shifts, these unintended consequences often take some time to surface.

Students and their families have been very patient. 

But one thing we missed while on our way to creating multiple options for classes, was what to do about student fees. Fortunately, the students on our campuses brought this to our chancellor’s attention, and leaders at the UNO campus were asked to consider the types of fees that exist, who was impacted by them, and what solutions should be considered.

I am happy to tell you that this process worked beautifully. The proposals suggested by students were used to make corrective new guidelines for how much students will pay based on their unique mixture of online and in-person classes. Additionally, fees will not be charged this spring for use of campus recreation and campus counseling services. We think this makes sense.

Going forward, we hope that everyone in the University of Nebraska family feels empowered to help us catch anything that may unintentionally fall through the cracks, so we can make these necessary adaptations as painless as possible for everyone involved.

Thank you for your diligence.

If you or your student have questions or concerns, please contact Cathy Pettit at StudentAffairs@unomaha.edu

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