UNO Office of Engagement 2023–24 Annual Report: Advancing Omaha’s Metropolitan Mission Through Community Partnerships
UNO's Office of Engagement, together with partners across campus and the community, reflects on a year defined by collaboration and impact. The 2024–25 Annual Report highlights how engagement across teaching, research, and service advanced UNO’s four strategic pillars—educating all learners, strengthening community partnerships, growing Nebraska’s workforce, and driving discovery for the public good.
- published: 2025/11/11
- contact: Robyn Loos - Office of Engagement
- phone: 402.554.2173
- email: rloos@unomaha.edu
Omaha, NE – The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s (UNO) Office of Engagement (OE) is proud to release its 2023–24 Annual Report, the first comprehensive account of how UNO’s metropolitan mission is lived out across teaching, research, and service.
Community engagement isn’t just a value at UNO—it’s a way of doing business. From classrooms to community centers, UNO faculty, staff, and students are collaborating with local organizations to create lasting social, educational, and economic impact.
A Year of Campus-Wide Impact
Over the past year, more than 8,000 students participated in service learning and co-curricular service activities through 504 engaged courses in partnership with 266 community organizations, nonprofits, schools, and businesses.
These experiences help build workforce readiness, civic engagement, and a sense of purpose that strengthens both learners and the broader community. They connect academic learning with real-world outcomes, building workforce readiness, civic engagement, and a sense of purpose that strengthens both learners and the broader Omaha community.
- 93% of students reported that their service learning experience strengthened their commitment to completing their degree.
- The Community Engaged Scholars designation has grown 81% in two years, linking engagement directly to career readiness.
- UNO student athletes ranked Top 10 nationally among Division I institutions for student-athlete community service, according to Helper Helper.
Supporting Engaged Teaching, Research, and Economic Development
Established in 2022, the Office of Engagement supports community-engaged teaching, research, and service across UNO’s strategic pillars:
- Educating All Learners
- Research and Discovery
- Community Engagement, Development, and Partnerships
- Workforce and Economic Development
Highlights from the 2023–24 report include:
- Faculty Innovation: Launch of the Service Learning Educator Badge, recognizing instructors prepared to lead high-impact community-based courses.
- Collaborative Research: $3.9M in funded public service projects through ORCA, advancing justice reform, civic participation, and disaster planning with Indigenous communities.
- Workforce Innovation: The Work-Learn program—supported by NSF and Meta—provides adults experiencing homelessness with training in tech skills such as Python and COBOL.
- Community Investment: $90,500 awarded to local nonprofits through student-led philanthropy and an estimated $1.2M in community benefit from free meeting space at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center (CEC), which welcomed over 86,000 visitors this year.
Looking Ahead
As UNO prepares to pursue its third Carnegie Community Engagement Classification in 2025, the university continues to deepen its partnerships and expand opportunities for experiential learning. New initiatives, including Faculty Fellows, student microgrants for service projects, and expanded pathways for engaged research, are already shaping the next phase of UNO’s engagement ecosystem.
Explore the Full Report
The 2023–24 UNO Office of Engagement Annual Report tells the story of how Mavericks are transforming classrooms and communities through collaboration, innovation, and purpose-driven learning.
How to Connect with Us
Learn about our team and how to connect with us via our staff directory website page.