Your efforts to remind students of the Enrollment Days Campaign yielded positive results for students, faculty, and the campus. Key observations from the enrollment campaign include:
Increased Early Enrollment. When compared to previous semesters, a higher number of Fall 2024 students enrolled in Spring 2025 courses prior to open enrollment dates. For students who took advantage of it, early enrollment likely maximized their course selection.
Increased Enrollment Maximums. Some courses with capped enrollments (and available classroom space) raised their section limits prior to open enrollment, a shift from previous semesters. This gave more options to students, particularly freshmen and sophomores and mitigated student frustration and worry about being waitlisted.
Earlier Class Closures. Classes with waitlist options reached capacity much earlier than usual. Based on this information, some units were able to add course sections much earlier than in previous years and avoid hiring part-time faculty at the last minute. Doing so gave instructors more time to prepare and will create a smoother Spring 2025 course launch for both instructors and students.
Of course, the Enrollment Days Campaign is only a part of a much bigger and complex picture. Your semester-long efforts to build positive student relationships, provide engaging instruction, and balance academic expectations with empathy and flexibility are key to student retention and success. THANK YOU for all these efforts.
Use these suggestions to encourage students to complete end-of-course evaluations.
Remind them. Mention evaluations in class and/or send a Canvas announcement to prompt students to complete them. Point out the easy access through the Canvas navigation panel.
Honor their input. Tell them how you have used student feedback in the past. Give them course time to complete the evaluation.
Monitor overall response rates. Challenge your students this semester to get a higher response rate than previous semesters. If you teach multiple courses, create a fun competition between your courses to see which will get to the benchmark first or have the highest response rate.
Encourage students to take advantage of the following academic and wellness opportunities to help them successfully finish the semester, de-stress, and get ready for the new year.
De-Stress Fest runs December 10-19 and is full of options on both the Dodge and South campus. Students can get free food, paint, ice skate, sculpt, decorate cookies, and much more. The full schedule is available on the De-Stress Fest website.
Criss Library offers extended hours during prep and finals week.
Prep Week
Monday, December 9 at 7 AM to 1 AM on Tuesday, December 10
Tuesday, December 10 at 7 AM to 1 AM on Wednesday, December 11
Wednesday, December 11 at 7 AM to 1 AM on Thursday, December 12
Thursday, December 12 at 7 AM to 1 AM on Friday, December 13
Friday, December 13 at 7 AM to 7 PM
Saturday, December 14 at 9 AM to 5 PM
Finals Week
Sunday, December 15 at 12 PM to 1 AM on Monday, December 16
Monday, December 16 at 7 AM to 1 AM on Tuesday, December 17
Tuesday, December 17 at 7 AM to 1 AM on Wednesday, December 18
Wednesday, December 18 at 7 AM to 1 AM on Thursday, December 19
Thursday, December 19 at 7 AM to 10 PM
Friday, December 20 at 7 AM to 5 PM
Saturday, December 21 at 9 AM to 5 PM
The Wellness Center will be open from 10 AM to 10 PM through December 21 and offer shortened hours (10 AM to 6 PM) on December 21-23. It will be closed from December 24 through January 1 and will reopen on January 2 with J-session hours (6 AM to 8 PM weekdays and 10 AM to 6 PM weekends).
University of Nebraska at Omaha, Center for Faculty Excellence, 6401 University Dr, Criss Library 320, Omaha, NE 68132, unocfe@unomaha.edu
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