2005.09.14

Alice Schumaker, an associate professor in UNO's College of Public Affairs and Community Service, and a colleague from a Norwegian university have a unique educational exchange going on this semester. Students in their classes are meeting and discussing class work over the Internet.

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THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA IS LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF AMERICA, BUT THAT DOES NOT KEEP IT FROM REACHING OUT BEYOND BORDERS IN INNOVATIVE WAYS.  UNO'S SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION EXCHANGED A PROFESSOR WITH AGDER UNIVERSITY COLLEGE IN NORWAY FOR A WEEK THIS FALL.  UNO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR ALICE SCHUMAKER MADE THE TRIP TO SCANDANAVIA AND TAUGHT STRATEGIC PLANNING.

SCHUMAKER:  "It was an intensive week.  I didn't really know what to expect.  I didn't really know when I started what to teach that group of students because I didn't know what kind of students that class would attract."

STUDENTS IN HER CLASS CAME NOT ONLY FROM NORWAY, BUT FROM OTHER PARTS OF EUROPE, AFRICA AND ASIA.  MANY OF THEIR DISCUSSIONS FOCUSED ON HOW THE EUROPEAN UNION AND UNITED STATES COMPARE.

SCHUMAKER: "Norway has for some time believed in the ‘bottoms up' approach to administration where it involves the people on the front lines as well as the top administrators in decision making.  So they have body of research regarding that.  So they're actually teaching us what we hope to accomplish, too, in our administrative endeavors."

A NORWEGIAN PROFESSOR, HELGE HERNES, TAUGHT UNO STUDENTS ABOUT ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO LEADERSHIP FOR A WEEK IN OMAHA WHILE SCHUMAKER WAAS ABROAD.  BUT THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS IS NOT OVER.  STUDENTS FROM CLASSES ON BOTH CAMPUSES ARE LINKED IN ONLINE DISCUSSION GROUPS FOR THE REST OF THE FALL SEMESTER.

SCHUMAKER: "We hope to accomplish some broadening of, I suppose selfishly, our UNO students' knowledge of what goes on in the rest of the world, talking with these (foreign) students.  But I also think it's going to benefit the foreign students or the students from Norway, as well, because they're going to learn about the U.S. students."

SO FAR, THE ONLINE WORK AND INTERNET CHATS BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITIES HAVE GONE WELL.

SCHUMAKER:  "The students from Norway, I've noticed, have received a lot of responses from the U.S. students in terms of ‘we're glad you joined us,' ‘we're going to learn a lot from you.'"

WITHOUT THE INTERNET, THE COURSE WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO CONDUCT.

SCHUMAKER: "I think professors now have to be ‘techie' people in order to teach because of all the technology they do have to use."

BEYOND CLASS, STUDENTS ARE FINDING COMMON GROUND, TOO, SHE SAID.

SCHUMAKER: "They're finding all kinds of connections with each other.  Whether it's through relatives or geographical locations or past acquaintances or those kinds of things."

2005.11.10
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2005.10.20
The library at a university serves more than students and faculty members. And collections today include everything from online journals to DVDs in addition to books. Steve Shorb, the dean of UNO's University Library, explains.
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2005.10.05
Starting the higher education selection process early is the message from David Cicotello, the director of New Student Enrollment Services at UNO. High school students and their parents have a wealth of information available to them.
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2005.10.05
In part II of this special Radio News Line, David Cicotello explains why campus visits can make all the difference in the college decision-making process for high school students and their parents.
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2005.09.14
Alice Schumaker, an associate professor in UNO's College of Public Affairs and Community Service, and a colleague from a Norwegian university have a unique educational exchange going on this semester. Students in their classes are meeting and discussing class work over the Internet.
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2005.07.27
Nebraska will be the center of the Information Systems world for four days in August. A world-class conference on cutting edge technology issues is expected to attract more than 850 people from across the planet to Omaha's Qwest Center. Two UNO professors have spearheaded organizing the event.
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2005.07.11
A unique collaboration between the Gallup Organization and the University of Nebraska at Omaha continues to grow and expand. Dr. Jerry Wagner, a distinguished research fellow at UNO, explains how a new laboratory at Gallup will create high tech internship slots available for students.
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2005.06.13
The Latina Summer Academy is in session this week at UNO. Sixteen young Latina women will get a taste of college and see what taking courses in math, science and technology could mean for them in the future. Curt Bayer, the director of executive education programs in the UNO College of Business Administration, discusses this unique program.
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2005.06.02
The University of Nebraska at Omaha recently has expanded its classes on entrepreneurship. Being your own boss can be a rewarding option for many according to Anne York, the director of the UNO Maverick Entrepreneurship Institute in the College of Business Administration.
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2005.04.14
The University of Nebraska at Omaha Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS) will host the Second Cumbre of the Great Plains starting April 22. Cumbre means summit. A wide variety of important immigration issues will be discussed, according to Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado, a UNO political science professor and the OLLAS assistant director.
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2005.04.04
The annual Airline Quality Ratings are now available.
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2005.03.24
The UNO College of Information Science and Technology has a graduate fair and open house set for March 31. It's a unique opportunity to meet faculty, alums and local business people involved in cutting edge work in our region. Dr. Peter Wolcott explains why an advanced degree can be beneficial.
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2005.03.11
More than 200 University of Nebraska at Omaha students will be spending spring break swinging a hammer or using a paint brush. Instead of going on vacation, the students will be volunteering for Seven Days of Service, a program that renovates homes for people who need low income housing.
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2005.03.07
Learning does not just happen on university campuses. A group of UNO professors has made a connection in an area of Omaha with a growing immigrant community, and the result of that outreach will be new courses for students in the fall.
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2005.01.31
Technology has people of all ages simply swimming in information. How can you keep on top of e-mail, text messaging and cell phone calls? Dr. Ilze Zigurs, a professor in UNO's College of Information Science and Technology, has some advice.
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2005.01.24
The UNO Athletic Department has a special night of fun and information scheduled for women on Feb. 10. Hockey 101 will give participants a chance to learn about the sport, meet the Maverick Hockey team, and take a turn on the ice.
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