Teamwork makes College Park a reality By Corey Russman Staff Reporter _ Five institutions have branched out toGrand Island to pave the way toward higher education in the 21st century. It took nearly three years to finish, but —students were able to begin attending classes at College Park this fall, said Richard Bringclson, the new facility’s executive director. The $4.8-million project incorporates Cen tral Community College, the University of # Nebraska at Kearney, Hastings College, the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln and the Uni versity of Nebraska Medical Center. Those institutions offer classes at College Park, but College Park itself is not a degree granting institution. Students who attend the facility will receive degrees through one of the five participating institutions. Snmf*. rlaRRPR at Cnllepc Park will be Lauehl by professors who are present in the class rooms; others will be taught via television screen. In the televised classes, a special satel lite will allow students and instructors to talk to each other. “It is special, state-of-the-art technology with high-tech lighting and sound,” Bringclson said. Although many of the students arc non traditional, he said, “Nowadays, what is con sidered to be non-traditional?” Most of College Park’s students are from the Grand Island area and work part- or full-time, Bringclson said. However, a few traditional students, 18-22 years old, attend the facility. College Park offers courses in areas such as business, art, computer science, English, ento mology, mathematics, safety education and political science. A master’s degree engineer ing program will be offered through UNL next Rrini«»knn Because College Park is connected to a national network, it can offer courses from such schools as Ohio State University, Utah State University, Cornell University, the Uni versity of Idaho, UNL and UNK. The facility also includes an auditorium/ conference center and an art studio. The biol ogy and chemistry rooms were built to upgrade nursing programs at UNK and Central Com munity College. Classes run from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. most days. During the da'yT'most classes arc taught through Central Comitfdflity College. Evenings classes are offered by four-year colleges. v The idea of creating such a facility came about because Grand Island had no bachelor’s degree program to offer employees of compa nies that might loj^tc their offices there, Bringelson said. UNL Chancellor Graham Spanicr called College Park an effort to “bring higher educa tion into Grand Island for those citizens who, because of jobs or their family, could not attend the University in Lincoln or Kearney.” This is a way for the University of Nebraska to reach out to the state, Spanier said. The University of Nebraska will pay Bringclson’s salary of $42,000. Bringelson said that almost all of the funds needed to make the facility a reality came from community members and businesses, as well as donations from Lincoln and Kearney. It is the only such facility in the nation to accom plish that feat, he said. Some government funding was used to build College Park because it was designed to house both the Hall County Extension Office and the UNL Cooperative Extension Office. / \ FILM HEATER Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery; University ol Nebraska-Lincoln 12th & R Streets; Lincoln, NE 68588-0302; Film Inlormation Phone: 402/472-5353 f CARTOON FUN $0 ADVANCED, ITS PRf5y$TERICAL! i—--J .., with tupport of th* NmbratkM Art» Council. 7 "I promised our future was going to be spectacular. And followed up with a diamond that shows I keep my promises." Quality Site Deserves-Prices You Can Afford Wi M , ~ —— ^, - 1 v •• . ; . ’ISO "CT St Gateway Mall Hilliard Continued from Page 1 lo know when a possible controversy looms, he said. - Some members of the community may object because they believe UNL should avoid topics.dealing with any aspect of sex, Hilliard said. ^ “I think there will be some com munity members who will say the university should not be teaching this course,” he said. But Hilliard denied thcchangc was linked to any sort of homophobia in the English department. “•I’m not being homophobic to ac knowledge that some people will ob ject to a course dealing with gay and lesbian literature,” he said. r——• Fate of ROTC ban lies in Washington By Virginia Newton Staff Reporter • The outcome of ROTC’s ban of homosexuals at the University o Nebraska-Lincoln will be decided if Washington, said Herbert Howe, as sociate to the chancellor and advise to the ROTC program here. “The resolution regarding th« ROTC program will depend on thi House of Representatives,