| June 2024 |

New Opportunities for Faculty and Staff to Leverage Artificial Intelligence as UNO Prepares to Launch AI Learning Lab in Fall 2024

This will bring many exciting opportunities for the campus to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) in a coordinated capacity with plenty of support available to assist in the efforts of faculty and staff.

Leading Transformation: Welcoming Desiree Wineland as Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives

 After 24 years of distinguished military service and 12 years as a results-driven founder and CEO, Wineland has developed a rich background in strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. She brings a wealth of expertise to this role through an extensive portfolio encompassing impactful engagements across sectors including aviation, agriculture, academia, safety, technology, trade, and logistics. 

Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund

The Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund is open for the first round of applications through NuRamp! This initiative seeks to inspire faculty and staff to develop and implement new ideas that will propel UNO from good to great.

This inaugural round of funding calls for proposals to be submitted by September 1, 2024. Detailed information regarding the proposal process and timelines can be found on our Academic Affairs Initiatives website.

Course, Lab, and Misc. Fees

Wondering if the fee changes submitted in January will be in effect this fall? Each fee has been reviewed by the Provost’s Office and will next be reviewed at the June 20th Board of Regent’s meeting. As soon as our office has news about any proposed changes for fall, we’ll reach out to each unit that submitted a fee change proposal to let you know the decision of the Board of Regents on each fee change.

Summary of Curricular Changes

Over the course of the past year, the EPAC committee reviewed a number of programs and courses, and the committee’s contributions were instrumental in making the tough decisions necessary to ensure that our offerings are up to date, relevant, and effective. Specifically, the committee reviewed 24 new programs, 36 revised programs, deactivated 22 programs, moved 4 programs to moratorium, updated 3 CIP codes and 3 prefix changes. In addition, the committee reviewed and approved 49 new courses and 15 revised courses, and deactivated 7 courses.

EPAC Representative Change

Isabel Soto Luna will replace Craig Finaly as the Library representative for EPAC.

New Faculty Onboarding

New faculty onboarding kicks off July 1st and continues through August 16th. The program focuses on best practices in teaching and learning, research and innovation information, and opportunities to learn about UNO and meet new colleagues. Please ensure all hiring paperwork is complete to ensure new hires have their UNO credentials.

Mark your calendars for the Welcome Picnic on August 19th from 5:00 to 6:30.

Fall 2024 Part-time Faculty

Fall 2024 semester planning is already underway. Signed contracts for part-time faculty teaching in the fall including E-PAF/PAFs for new/rehires, and the PT spreadsheet are due to Academic Affairs via SharePoint by the end of the third week of July (i.e., 7/22).

Important Dates

June 14:  New FT faculty hiring paperwork due to allow participation in summer onboarding 

July 22: Fall 2024 PT faculty signed contracts, E-PAF/PAFs for new/rehires, and the PT spreadsheet due to Academic Affairs via SharePoint 

Sept 5: Save the Date: Faculty Recognition

Sept 26: Save the Date: Faculty Honors Convocation

Higgs and Jones Join Leadership for the Office of Engagement

During the Spring 2024 semester, the Office of Engagement (OE) and its units worked together to begin the process to redefine its structure and streamline roles and responsibilities to meet the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) metropolitan mission. The first phase of this process brings two leaders serving as Associate Directors in the Office of Engagement. Rosey Higgs, M.S.W, is the Associate Director of the UNO Service Learning Academy (SLA) and Jason Jones is the Associate Director of the OE. 

Graduate Fellowship Opportunities

The Office of Research and Creative Activity (ORCA) is offering to support graduate students with fellowship mentoring. Students who participate in these programs with engaged faculty mentors have a 4-5 times higher success rate of their applications. There are two programs: National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) and NIH F series (F31 and F32). Students who may be interested to complete the Graduate Fellowship Mentoring interest form.

Don’t Forget to Register for Service Learning Seminar 

Don't forget to register for the 2024 Service Learning Seminar. This annual event starts on July 15. Campus and community come together to develop collaborative service learning courses for implementation within the next 18 months. Participants will learn about service learning, connect with community partners, and participate in a well-developed service learning course. 

Mary Kjeldgaard Receives Unsung Hero Award

Mary Kjeldgaard, Staff Assistant in AFROTC, was awarded the Unsung Hero Award at the Academic Advising Council/Staff Advisory/Faculty Senate Awards and Recognition Reception. The Unsung Hero Award recognizes a staff member who makes a significant contribution to the campus but has not received the recognition they deserve.

“Her dedication to the mission of both the military and the campus is honorable and shows in her patient and quiet commitment to making every event memorable for the cadets (students) and their families, She is a true unsung hero as she prefers to make every moment about the military faculty and staff, and the future military officers who are in her care.”

Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center Upcoming Events

June 16, 2024, at 1:00 PM

June 6, 2024, at 5:30 PM

June 15, 2024, at 1:00 PM

June 22, 2024, at 1:00 PM

Welcome New Staff

• EJay (Erica) Johnson, Administrative Coordinator for the Center for Faculty Excellence.
• Emily Ramirez and Scott Dannelly, Grants Accountants I in the Office of Research and Creative Activity
• Lauren Foster, Business and Administrative Manager for Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center

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