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Students earn master’s degrees via satellite, Internet
By Brian Carlson
Assignment Reporter
Judy Malone has never wanted to
stop learning.
But with teaching, spending time
with her husband and children, and
working on her ranch, her time was
limited. And living near Palisade, a
rural community in Southwest
Nebraska, she found herself hours
away from the nearest university
with a master’s degree program.
So when she heard about a dis
tance education program being
offered by the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, she jumped at
die chance to advance her education.
“It’s something I’ve always
wanted to do,” Malone said.
Malone was one of 19 students
who recently received their master’s
degrees from UNL’s College of
Human Resources and Family
Science after completing three years
of instruction through distance edu
cation.
Although UNL previously has
presented master’s degrees to indi
vidual long-distance students, the
members of this year’s graduating
class are the first to further their
education as part of a distance
learning group.
UNL introduced distance educa
tion programs in 1909, and has been
a leader in the field. Recently, UNL
officials have said they expect an
expansion of the university’s dis
tance education programs in the
nuptoming years. In his State o'f the
University speech last month,
Chancellor James Moeser
announced plans to improve dis
tance-learning opportunities.
.Moeser proposed that the univer
sity create the position of vice chan
cellor for extended education. If the
NU Board of Regents approves the
post, Moeser said, he will support
the appointment of Irv Omtvedt.
Last year, Omtvedt was interim
senior vice chancellor for academic
affairs.
The Human Resources and
Family Science long-distance stu
dents began their studies in August
1994. For the next three years, they
used a variety of technological
resources to complete the 12 neces
sary courses. Live satellite feeds,
videotaped lectures, e-mail, the
Internet and telephone bridges were
all put to use at various stages of the
program. ..
All the students were women
who lived more than MX) miles from
the UNL campus, said Joan
Laughlin, associate dean of the col
lege and adviser to the distance edu
cation students. Family and work
responsibilities, in addition to dis
tance, were factors in the Students’
decisions to take part in the pro
gram.
For her part, Malone had to drive
40 miles to McCook for class each
week. At a community college, she
gained access to the technology
needed for the weekly three-hour
sessions.
Although students were miles
from their classmates and profes
sors, they communicated constantly.
Students could seek assistance from
their teachers over the phone, and
they often worked in groups with
other students from their region of
the state.
“It’s as close to being in a class
room as you can get without actually
being there,” Malone said.
Because it was a master’s degree
program, research was an integral
part of the process, Laughlin said.
Students said they put in about 15 to
20 hours of outside work each week,
and sometimes as much as 30 to 40.
However, the UNL library was
not readily accessible in many of the
state’s rural areas where online ser
vices aren’t fully implemented.
Malone said conducting research, in
which she often had to utilize mate
rials copied and mailed to her by
UNL librarians, was the most frus
trating part of her experience.
Technological glitches also
caused occasional problems. Ice
storms* sunspots and downed power
lines hindered die students’ progress
at times. But students and advisers
agreed .that the problems never
became serious.
“Technology is our salvation and
die cross we bear,” Laughlin said.
Anita Keys of Elsmere, in north
central Nebraska, also received her
degree. As a part-time extension ser
vice worker, she wanted to earn a
master’s de^ee^oattamgreaterjob^
security and update her knowledge.
She drove 50 miles each week to
Ainsworth to participate.
Keys said students needed to be
highly motivated and self-disci
plined.
“The professors hardly ever took
roll because they figured if you’ve
paid the money, you’re going to be
there,” she said.
Most of the graduates met for the
first time at a reception on the UNL
East Campus on Aug. 15. They
received their diplomas the follow
ing day.
Students said it was wonderful to
meet their classmates face to face .
after three years of hearing their
voices over the phone or seeing them
on videotape.
Malone said the distance educa
tion program was a great experience
for her, but said she is relieved to
have completed it
“I’m anxious to do some things
with my family that have been on the
burner,” she said. __
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Students complain, comply
with stadium ultimatum
By Joshua Gillin
Assignment Reporter
Whether because of the sun or
ASUN, University of Nebraska
Lincoln students did the one dung the
Athletic Department asked them to
do - they stayed off the bleachers.
Caught between temperatures
hovering in the mid-90s and orders to
Hot stand on seats, student ticket
holders grudgingly complied.
Throughout the Huskers’ 59-14 romp
against the Akron Zips, students
stood in the seat wells and not on the
seats.
The Athletic Department last
week issued a flier to students warn
ing them to not stand on seats in the
southern end of Memorial Stadium
because the department had been
receiving complaints from other fans.
Theflier stated students must not
stand on the stadium bleachers or stu
dent seating would be moved away
from die south end zone and into the
upper reaches of South Stadium.
Still, student fans were not happy
with the Athletic Department’s ulti
matum.
“What they (the Athletic
Department) are telling us to do is
just stupid,” said Joe Mueller, a
sophomore civil engineering major.
“We pay our money; if we want to
stand on the seats, we should be able
to.”
Other students complained about
the demands placed upon them as
well, but some were happy the
request was not as severe as it could
have been.
“They could have said to not
stand at all ” said Traci Lawrence, a
junior pre-law transfer student.
Cameroh Stowe, a freshman
English major, said he didn’t bare
about the request at all Even though
Saturday’s game was his first in
Memorial Stadium’s student section,
he said his first taste of standing
through the entire game left much to
be desired.
“I don’t know why people stand
through these things,” Stowe said,
“especially against nobody teams
like this; iti boring. Who really cares
enough to stand the whole time?”
t Adam Lincicum and Denton Dye,
two members of the stadium’s student
security staff, said there didn’t seem
to be any problem with students
standing on the seats.
“I didn’t hear of anything,” Dye
said.
Both men said heat stroke was
more of a concern Saturday. Aiding
sufferers of heat stroke took priority,
Lincicum said. s.
“We had about founor five people
get it in my section alone,” he said.
Some students found a way to
both stand on the seats and comply
with the new rule. Amy Pryor, an
undeclared freshman, said her short
stature forced her to stand on the
bleachers to see anything.
When security was walking by,
however, she stood down.
“If they can’t catch you, you did
n’t do it, right?” Pryor said.
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