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Policy center opens doors
By Kimberly Sweet
Senior staff writer
A new center housed on UNL’s
campus is coming to the aid of
Nebraska policy-makers.
The University of Nebraska
Public Policy center, which is led by
Psychology and Law Professor Alan
Tomkins, exists to assist policy-mak
ers by assembling university experts
and resources from all four NU cam
puses.
Work on the center’s goals began
last winter, and the center began
assembling researchers and starting
projects to aid lawmakers last spring.
The center officially opened for
business this fall.
Housed in the College of
Business Administration, the center
spans four offices.
The campus’s close proximity to
the Legislature makes it easy for law
makers to take advantage of the broad
expertise the University of Nebraska
has, Tomkins said.
“We try to be a one-stop shop for
policy needs and information,”
Tomkins said. “We do this not only
for the University of Nebraska
Lincoln but for the entire university
system.”
The center originally was a vision
of NU President Dennis Smith.
Smith’s office wanted to put the uni
versity’s expertise to use, Tomkins
ft
There was a recognition that the university
had a lot of public policy resources and
expertise
Alan Tomkins
psychology and law professor
said.
“There was a recognition that the
university had a lot of public policy
resources and expertise,” Tomkins
said. “Policy-makers in the state
weren’t getting to take advantage of
it.”
With funding from NU central
administration and all four campuses,
Tomkins was hired, and the center
was created.
The office employs undergradu
ates and graduates who perform
research on various areas.
One of the current projects
includes a child-support customer
service implementation study.
To be in line with a new require
ment, Nebraska has to redesign the
system of the receipt and disburse
ment of child support.
The center is researching cus
tomer service issues and how to deal
with problems thaifwill arise with a
new system.
Another project the center is
researching is the implementation of
a new telephone number -211.
The number, which would join its
counterparts 911 and 411, would give
the public access to health and human
service information, Tomkins said.
Wendy Hind, a policy adviser in
the Governor’s Policy Research
Office, said the center was helpful in
organizing all the people involved in
a project.
“The center does a fabulous job in
gathering and organizing all the
stakeholders that need to have input
in the subject,” Hind said.
The center also provides an alter
native to hiring private, out-of-state
companies to research on Nebraska.
“It provides us a place to go for
expertise without having to contract
outside the state,” Hind said.
“There are so many experts in our
state that it’s good to keep it in
Nebraska.”
Academic program
offers students aid
A.C.E. from page 1
they assist students in planning
events.
Curtis Olsen, a junior
agribusiness major, said his
responsibilities as a mentor
included showing A.C.E. stu
dents the ropes of the university.
Teaching them small things,
such as where to hang out on the
weekends or where to do their
laundry, makes them feel more
comfortable, Olsen said.
“The students learn from you
because you’ve experienced so
many things here at the universi
ty,” he said.
“Any activity you do with the
people that you try to help and
lead enables you to learn from
them, too.”
Julie Frey, a freshman
agribusiness major, who joined
A.C.E. after hearing good
reviews, said she particularly
enjoyed the social events.
She and her A.C.E. friends,
she said, visited with their dean at
the beginning of the semester and
took a dip in his swimming pool.
Scott Braband, a freshman
fisheries and wildlife major and
A.C.E. member, said being
placed in a group of students
with similar career goals was
encouraging to him.
“It’s really helped me adjust
to college,” Braband said. “To
know people in your classes or
that you’re around a lot of times
makes college life that much
more comfortable.”
In addition to A.C.E., the uni
versity has nine learning commu
nities, which are located on the
city campus. The honors program
in Neihardt Residence Center is
the largest, with more than 400
students.
Deb Mullen, learning com
munities coordinator, said the
programs were an excellent
opportunity for students to better
their grades and to establish con
nections with their professors.
“I think (the programs) allow
students to become more com
fortable with faculty since they
have more contact with them
than they would otherwise,” she
said.
Steve Waller, associate dean
of the College of Agriculture and
Natural Resources, said he was
pleased with A.C.E.’s student
retention and its faculty support.
“It’s one of the programs that
we uphold as innovative and
responsive to the needs of the stu
dents,” he said.
“And it’s characteristic of our
faculty’s commitment to our stu
dents’ success.”
Freshman
enrollment
grows again
CLASS from page 1
have attracted more qualified students
to campus, Routh said.
Along with accepting more fresh
man, UNL deferred 102 more students
than it did last year.
Deferred enrollment means that
students will have an opportunity to
enter UNL after fulfilling require
ments at a community college,
Griesen said.
Another enrollment boost is possi
ble if the deferred students come to
UNL.
However, this year, 34 fewer trans
fer students decided to come to UNL
than in 1998-1999, Griesen said.
Transfer students include those who
have been deferred.
Griesen said UNL was going to try
to boost enrollment of students who
have been deferred.
“We’re going to take a closer look
at communicating with students at
community colleges,” he said.
Even though freshman enrollment
increased, overall enrollment went
down. In 1998, 22,402 students were
enrolled. This fall, 22,142 students are
enrolled.
The overall decrease was expected,
Griesen said. He is expecting total
enrollment to rise next year.
“I’m expecting this will be the bot
tom,” Griesen said. “We still have a
couple more years before we will
replace larger graduating classes.”
Questions? Comments?
Ask for the appropriate section editor at (402) 472-2588
or e-mail dn@unl.edu.
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