University of Nebraska at Kearney
1998-2000 Undergraduate CATALOG
Go Directly to:
Computer Services provides computing resources, software training, technical support, and computer sales to the campus, as well as management of the campus network and connectivity to the Internet.
Academic computing mainframe capabilities include an IBM ES/9000 Model 130 and a DEC Alpha 1000A. These computers provide instructional and research support to faculty and students, and access to the campus network, email, and the Internet.
A general-purpose student Computer Lab is maintained in Room 115, Otto Olsen building, which contains both microcomputers and terminals with access to the mainframes. A small computer lab is maintained in each residence hall and in the Nebraskan Student Union. A Writing Center in the Calvin T. Ryan Library provides word processing capabilities to students. There are also microcomputers (both DOS and Macintosh) located in computer labs in several other academic buildings, maintained by individual departments.
A computer store in the Nebraskan offers full retail services for those wishing to buy computer equipment, including configuration advice, demo units and order processing. Contracts with major vendors provide attractive educational discounts, with sales limited to faculty, staff and students of UNK.
The Help Desk is available to answer questions, resolve problems and provide information about computer use and network services at UNK. Training sessions and hands-on assistance are offered for faculty, staff, students wishing to learn more about any aspect of technology.
Administrative computing is supported by a DEC Alpha 1000A running SIS Plus and FRS Plus from Systems and Computer Technology (SCT), a Periphonics VPS 7000 Voice Response system providing dial-up access to student information for students, and a Griffin Protege computer validating campus ID cards for admission to various areas and events, including dining areas and athletic events.
The Museum of Nebraska Art is one of three art museums in Nebraska with permanent collections. It contains works of Nebraska artists and works with Nebraska subject matter by artists from all over the world. Located in Kearney Centre, the downtown area, it is an important bridge between the University, the community, and the citizens of the State.
The collection was begun in the 1970's; the land and original building were acquired in the 1980's. The original building, the old Kearney Post Office, is on the National Register of Historic Places. A four million dollar fund drive resulted in the complete renovation of the old building and a large new addition that opened in the fall of 1993.
In addition to serving school groups, other organizations, and the public at large, UNK students and faculty use the museum's extensive archive on Nebraska artists and related material for research and writing purposes. Art Education instructors send 40 to 50 students per semester to monitor tours and teaching techniques in the museum, and the Travel and Tourism program provides interns to the museum.
MONA is an important and growing educational facility.
LEARNING MATERIALS CENTER The Center has via satellite uplink and downlink capability for transmission and receipt of televised classes. Two classrooms on campus are equipped to handle these transmissions. Instructional technology and services are provided by the Center. The Center maintains an inventory of over 900 items of audio-visual instructional equipment such as film projectors, slide projectors, filmstrip projectors, audio tape/cassette recorder/players, TV monitor/receivers and overhead projects. Instructional materials production is another service offered. Such production includes graphics design, lettering, signmaking, slide copying, overhead transparencies, audio cassette duplication and video program production. The Center rents 16mm instructional films, cablecasts NETCHE video programs for the campus via its campus television distribution system.
The Learning Center, which is located in the lower level of Stout Hall, provides a variety of short special topics courses or modules for students who wish to improve their learning techniques and skills. The areas of study have been designed to assist all participants who want aid in developing skills and habits that lead to academic success.
Modules are offered in Listening and Notetaking, Study Skills, Vocabulary Expansion, Test Anxiety, Reading Improvement, Spelling Improvement, Writing a Research Paper and Critical Thinking.
Each of these modules is for one hour credit and is listed under LNSK Courses in the Section in this catalog. Since each module only lasts for four weeks, a student may sign up for three modules in the same time bracket during any semester. Credit for these modules does not apply toward degrees.
The Learning Center is also responsible for administering the University Foundations program. University Foundations is a three-credit hour class designed to serve as a guide to successful matriculation, and these hours do count toward graduation. The three broad areas of life skills, study skills, and campus/community resources are explored in order to prepare incoming students to be efficient consumers of higher education and to successfully meet their academic goals.
The Resident Tutoring program is also located in the Learning Center. Forty content-area tutors who have national certification at the "master" level, as certified by the College Reading and Learning Association, provide free assistance in nearly every academic area. ("Master" level indicates over 30 hours of training in specified areas and activities.)
In partnership with the faculty, the Calvin T. Ryan Library provides students opportunities to acquire information, materials and skills which will support their current educational pursuits and aid in enriching their personal lives, in furthering their career potential and in preparing them for lifelong learning. The University library is committed as well to provide access to the information resources and expertise needed to support the research and scholarship of the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
The library includes the original building constructed in 1963, and the east wing added in 1981-82. It provides study and classroom seating for 1,250 students. Group study rooms, lounge seating, individual study carrels and typing and copying facilities are available. The Campus Writing Center is located on the 2nd floor.
The library provides users with both text and graphical user interface access to a wide range of computer based information resources including the library catalog, on-line encyclopedias, numerous indexing and abstracting sources as well as full text periodical databases. The library's home page offers access to these resources and general information about the library. The library also offers users who are physically in the library access to the resources of the world wide web from a number of student use personal computers.
The library collections contain over 266,000 volumes and 73,000 non-print items. It subscribes to 1,800 magazines and newspapers. A 15,000 volume general reference collection is maintained to provide essential educational tools such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks and atlases and loose leaf services. A Special Collection contains Nebraska history, rare titles and the University Archives. Computer search services and interlibrary loan services, which open up the resources of other libraries in the state, region and nationally, are also available. The library has an active program of acquiring internet based indexing, abstracting and full text database.
The library is an official depository for more than 199,000 U.S. documents which represent publications of all major U.S. governmental agencies and cover numerous topics. There are also selected British, Canadian and United Nations documents as well as those of Nebraska and other states.
Microform materials now number over 919,000 pieces. Newspapers, periodicals, dissertations and major sets such as Hansard's Parliamentary Debates and Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) documents are in the microform collection.
These facilities are operated by the Department of Physics and Physical Science, which offers coursework in astronomy. In addition to use of these facilities for UNK classes, both are used to provide programming for the public. In the 1996-97 year, there were 77 Planetarium shows for the public, including 31 for public school groups. The Observatory was open for 20 nights of viewing. All shows are free, including a special Christmas presentation.
SPEECH, LANGUAGE AND HEARING CLINIC
The Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic is the center for BSE and MSE programs in Communication Disorders. It offers a site for the integration of professional coursework with extensive practical experience for those students choosing this major.
The Clinic, located on the West Campus, offers clinical services in consultation, evaluation, and remediation for both students, faculty, and area residents. Services are available for communication disorders related to articulation/phonological problems, language delay, stuttering, voice problems, hearing loss, cleft palate, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, laryngectomy, and language disorders secondary to head injury and stroke.
The Gallery, located in the art wing of the Fine Arts Building, is used for student art shows, including senior and graduate thesis exhibits, faculty work, and the shows of visiting artists. Programming is continuous and year-round.
The Writing Center, open to all UNK students, provides tutorial services and word processing equipment to encourage and support better student writing. The Center, located on the second floor of the Calvin T. Ryan Library, is open during the day and in the evenings. Tutors will help students revise and edit their writing projects on a drop-in basis.
Tutors also help UNK students learn and use word processing in their college writing. The Center offers, at no cost to students, a MAC network with ten terminals. The network provides word processing and related software for users. Students may use their own storage disks.
A one-credit hour writing tutorial is also available through the Center. Students may register for this course through the ninth week of the semester.