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Priorities:University of Nebraska Omaha Student Priorities

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'''2019 UIF Cohort''' '''~~2019 UIF Cohort~~1.'''<span style="font-size:13.999999999999998pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:700; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip:none; text-decoration-skip-ink:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap" id="docs-internal-guid-c8259149-7fff-714c-6cda-ce00975c5ca0">Cultivating an Environment for Innovation <span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">The classroom is just one part of the college experience. Participation in learning communities, student organizations, community service projects, internships, jobs, and more are experiences that students often find a lot of value in. Despite this reality, there is one clear difference between academic classes and the other experiences students devote time to: academic credit. We believe students at UNO would like to spend more time in their activities outside of the classroom. However there are several barriers that get in the way. Our goal is to give students the time, space, and agency to pursue their true passions, whether that is found inside the classroom or not. We would like to see academic credit be granted to students for experiences outside of the classroom. We want to redefine the typical ‘curriculum’ and ‘classroom’ a student experiences during college. We believe this will provide students with the time and space to pursue projects and opportunities they are passionate about; without fear of sacrificing performance in traditional classes. In order to create an environment for students to pursue innovative ideas, we need to better empower students to make change. Not only should more students be included in the decision-making process, but they should be driving the decision making process. Students don’t need to graduate in order to make an impact. They can make an impact today. Instead of asking students, “What’s next?”, we should be asking them, “What’s now?” <span style="font-size:13.999999999999998pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:700; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip:none; text-decoration-skip-ink:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap"> <span style="font-size:13.999999999999998pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:700; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip:none; text-decoration-skip-ink:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap"><ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;"><li><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:700; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip:none; text-decoration-skip-ink:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">Tactic #1 Interactive Freshman Engagement Fair <span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip:none; text-decoration-skip-ink:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">(Lavanya Uppala)</li></ul><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">Through interviews with students from various backgrounds, we’ve seen a near consistent trend where students are unaware of opportunities and resources available in communities other than their own majors. This mainly stems from the disconnect of Scott and Dodge campus, as these two campuses are split by major. In turn, this causes an underutilization or underrecognition of important campus resources, and fractionation of students into major or campus specific cohorts. Therefore, in order to better join the campuses and prevent such a separation, showing students early-on in their college career the variety of resources available on either side of UNO is important. Furthermore, connecting students to these resources freshman year allows them to discover groups that may help them in their future academic, work, or extracurricular endeavors.  <span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">One way of solving this problem is by holding a freshman convocation, engagement, and involvement fair split between the two campuses. Incentivizing students to visit locations that they normally would not want, need, or get to, while also connecting them to clubs, groups, and departments relevant to that location makes them more knowledgeable and prepared for their first year at UNO. Such incentives to visit these fair booths may include prizes such gift cards, t-shirts, or even class credit.<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;"><li><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:700; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip:none; text-decoration-skip-ink:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">Tactic #2 Mavericks For Change Student Group <span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">(Cade Wolcott)</li></ul> <span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">We have identified a need to provide more opportunities for UNO students to pursue their ideas and effect instrumental change at UNO and in the surrounding community. One of our proposed solutions is to create a student organization focused on empowering students. We call this group, Mavericks for Change. <span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">Mavericks For Change is a student organization that empowers students to pursue their ideas for improving UNO and the community. This organization focuses on being accessible to any student at any time during their college career. Students learn about design thinking and creating change on campus and the Omaha community. Ultimately, this organization gives students the space, agency, and freedom to create instrumental change at UNO.  <span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">Any student at UNO could join this organization at any time. We envision this organization having a dedicated space on campus, perhaps partnering with the Creative Production Lab at UNO, where students can come in, view prototypes and projects that members are working on, ask questions, work on their own ideas, or join a project that they think is interesting.  <span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">This group could lead the charge for increasing innovation and entrepreneurship in other student organizations and in the classroom. Members could lead design thinking workshops or host innovation competitions. <span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">This group would provide a space for any student to pursue their passions and ideas, especially ideas relating to improving higher education. We feel that students are often asked, “What’s next?”. This organization would allow students to answer the question, “What’s now?” <span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">In order for this organization to gain traction and have success we would look to identify students across the university that have similar passion for creating instrumental change. We would also need to identify faculty mentors who believe in our mission and respect student agency for change. Over the last few months, we have pitched this concept to people involved in UNO Student Government, the “official” body for student advocacy. The faculty advisor for Student Government has expressed excitement for this type of organization and views it as a necessary complement to the work that Student Government does. <span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">Additionally, the following wiki page outlines a similar organization, DIBS, that will be helpful as we implement this proposal. <span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/How_to_create_the_organization_Dedicated_Individuals_Bettering_Society_(DIBS) <span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap"> <span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial; color:#000000; background-color:transparent; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; font-variant:normal; text-decoration:none; vertical-align:baseline; white-space:pre; white-space:pre-wrap">

~~'''1. Reworking the System'''~~

Affordable and accessible higher education is a major challenge in Omaha, Nebraska. Especially at the University of Nebraska, Omaha (UNO). Many students can not financially afford to attend UNO and end up with a hefty amount of student debt. Those fortunate enough to obtain funds for college either work many hours into exhaustion, or score scholarships and grants. Even with provided funds for college, many struggle to fit into the cookie cutout that the university and many other educational systems desires. To combat this, students need support from mentors, tutors, or other resources to level the playing field for those that can play the game of "standardized education". Currently, there are a few pushes for improvement of UNO's accessibility but don't gain much traction within the university for various reasons.

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'''2018 UIF Cohort'''

Cadewolcott

2020 uiguides, 2021 uiguides

47

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