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University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
1400 R Street
Lincoln, Nebraska 68588
Phone
(402) 472-7211
Email address
admissions@unl.edu
School Information
"The University of Nebraska–Lincoln, chartered in 1869, is an educational institution of international stature. Nebraska, a member of the Big Ten Conference and the Big Ten Academic Alliance, is classified within the Carnegie “R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity” category. Nebraska is also a land-grant university and a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The University of Nebraska was founded on February 15, 1869." The university enrolls over 25,100 students and offers academic programs across its 13 schools and centers. (Source: https://www.unl.edu/about/) (Source: https://iea.unl.edu/publication/fact-book) (Source: https://www.unl.edu/depts/)
General Information
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has exploring options to implement issues of race into its curriculum. The university's core curriculum to be re-examined to address diversity, specifically “race, privilege, and power.” No specific changes to the curriculum have been announced yet. No mandatory Critical Race Training sessions are yet required of students. However, professional development programs on anti-racism are being developed for faculty and staff. Following the death of George Floyd, UNL created its commitment to its "Journey for Anti-Racism and Racial Equity." This commitment outlines a plethora of initiatives relating to integrating anti-racism within its curriculum, policies, policing, and faculty training. See developments below:

Actions Taken

Admissions Policies
  • On November 17, 2021, UNL announced that the school will “develop strategies, programs, and supports to attract, recruit, retain and support students, staff and faculty from racially minoritized populations."
Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • In response to the death of George Floyd in 2020, UNL outlined its "Commitment to Action Toward Its Journey."
  • UNL states that its "institutional commitment to anti-racism and racial equity is an extension of the University’s N2025 strategic aims to emphasize inclusive excellence, enhance the student experience, increase our research, creative activity and engagement, and provide professional development and learning experiences for faculty, staff, and students."
  • UNL offers a lot of diversity education programs, including training such as "Implicit Bias Training" and "Intercultural Diversity Inventory."
Curriculum Changes and Requirements
  • In 2020, the institution committed to re-examine core curriculum to address diversity, specifically “race, privilege, and power.”
  • On November 17, 2021, UNL announced that the school will “strengthen and elevate the expertise and scholarship across the institution and within academic departments and curricula that address race and diversity.”
  • UNL offers a minor in Racial Justice, Equity, and Inclusion which "furnishes students with an academic credential in diversity, equity, and inclusion training."
Faculty/Staff Requirements
  • On November 17, 2021, UNL announced that the school will "begin a comprehensive review of hiring practices and retention data of tenure-track, non-tenure track faculty, extension faculty, and staff in the context of race and ethnicity." UNL will have equity and inclusion workshops for faculty and staff. UNL will also incorporate DEI content into "in new employee and new faculty orientation sessions."
  • On November 17, 2021, UNL announced that the school will "implement broader recruitment practices among athletic administrators, head coaches, psychologists, and mid-level staff who come from underrepresented groups compared to the demographics of student athletes from those groups."
  • On November 17, 2021, UNL announced that the school will "provide regularly offered anti-racist and inclusive teaching seminars focused on examining racial bias in the classroom and course materials."
  • On November 17, 2021, UNL announced that "through the formation of a research Consortium on Anti-Racism, the development of education tools and learning modules for faculty, staff, and students that provide opportunities for critical conversations and skill building related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and racial justice," the school will develop professional development on anti-racism.
Program and Research Funding
  • On November 17, 2021, UNL announced that the school will "create an inclusive excellence fund to support projects, study abroad, and service-learning opportunities that expand local and global perspectives on racial justice."
  • On November 17, 2021, UNL announced that the school will "develop a fund to support a research Consortium on Anti-Racism, strategic hires for scholars who contribute to the UNL Grand Challenge to address racism and racial inequity, and research and creative activity collaborations."
  • In November 2022, UNL was sued by a Christian group after it refused to fund a Christian guest speaker to come on campus while it compensated other speakers. UNL's original policy stated that fee money cannot be used to bring "speakers of a political or ideological nature" to campus unless someone with a differing viewpoint was also brought in. The university is now considering changing its policy on the way student fees are distributed, given the anti-diversity of viewpoint charge.
Re-Imagining Policing
  • On November 17, 2021, UNL announced that the school will "strengthen collaboration with Lincoln police to prevent the poor treatment off campus of UNL community members from racially minoritized backgrounds."
  • On November 17, 2021, the university committed to holding discussions on "racial climate and inclusion," including but not limited to discussions with the university police.
Resources
  • The university hosted a workshop titled "Anti-racist and Inclusive Teaching." The description reads, "Teaching inclusively and with anti-racist principles in mind means teaching in a way to best serve all the students in your class."
  • The Buffett Institute hosted a webinar titled, "Anti-Racist Early Childhood Education: Principles, Practices, and Possibilities."
  • The UNL Chancellor announced that the school "would embark on a Journey For Anti-Racism and Racial Equity" which "utilizes Ibram Kendi's definition on becoming 'actively conscious about race and racism' and taking 'actions to end racial inequities.'" UNL stated that, "Addressing institutional racism, which is what the journey seeks to do, may include examining our enrollment, persistence, activity participation, and graduation data for students; application, hiring, and promotion and tenure data for faculty and career progression for staff; the impact policies and decisions have on communities of color; and how we engage communities of color in policy formation and decision making." UNL appointed 6 leaders to conduct this initiative.
  • UNL has a page dedicated to enumerating "racial equity resources" which include Ibram X. Kendi's book, "How to Be an Anti-Racist."'
  • UNL has an Office of Diversity and Inclusion which "continues to serve the University community in charting a path forward through providing anti-racism education, resources, support, and opportunities for engagement and action."
  • UNL has created a page devoted "Diversity and Inclusion at Nebraska."
  • On November 17, 2021, UNL announced that the school will "increase information and education on how to support students who might face DACA and immigration challenges."
  • On November 17, 2021, the university announced that it will "charge the Chancellor's Commission on the Status of People of Color, the Council on Inclusive Excellence and Diversity, and collective student group to work with the Journey Co-Leaders to continually identify sustainable efforts or actions that advance anti-racism at UNL and monitor progress of the University's anti-racism and racial equity efforts."
  • UNL has an Institute for Ethnic Studies where it offers majors, minors, and graduate programs that have a "social justice and human rights lens" with a focus on race and ethnicity.
  • The mission of AFIRE (Advocating for Inclusion, Respect, and Equity) is to promote inclusion, respect, and equity for faculty, staff and students in the College of Education and Human Sciences (CEHS).
  • UNL has a Racial Justice Alliance which engages with local organizations to amplify voices of color and support local activism efforts.
  • Racial Literacy Roundtables are hosted monthly by a collaborative team of scholars in CEHS (College of Education and Human Sciences), where participants are able to develop "emerging racial literacy skills."
Symbolic Actions
  • On June 5, 2020, the Chancellor released a call to action stating, "We must take real steps to address racial inequities and a history of exclusion."
  • On June 5, 2020, the Chancellor announced that the school has held events where participants "talk about issues of inequality and inclusion" and carry out "frank, honest, and open conversations about race."
  • On November 17, 2021, UNL announced "promote equity and inclusion within our practices and supports, and foster an inclusive institutional climate for belonging, racial equity and mattering" as well as "examine and revise existing policies and practices; promote a culture of transparency and accountability; and revisit the institution’s history, iconography and representation." UNL also committed to inclusive excellence.
  • On November 17, 2021, UNL announced that the school will "elevate and leverage the NU Supplier Diversity program to promote minority-owned business with analysis on utilization of Black-owned businesses in the community and organizations that support and serve Black youth and the Black community."
  • On November 17, 2021, UNL committed to "develop an institutional commitment and central communication hub" that centers on anti-racism.
  • On November 17, 2021, the university committed it will "establish a History and Place Task Force to continuously review UNL’s history, messaging and imagery, naming, and honorifics and identify opportunities to acknowledge the institution’s and Nebraska cultural histories, to demonstrate the University’s commitment to inclusive excellence, and to enhance representation of racially marginalized groups."
  • In November of 2021, “a webpage for UNL's ‘Journey for Anti-Racism and Racial Equity’ said it endorsed Kendi's definition of anti-racism.” After criticism from the governor of Nebraska, UNL “appears to have removed a reference to author Ibram Kendi, as well as other portions of its anti-racism plan.”
  • One of UNL's Chancellor candidates is Rodney Bennett, who has advocated extensively for DEI initiatives. At the time he was president of the University of Southern Mississippi, Bennett ordered the state flag to be taken down on USM campuses due to its Confederate battle emblem and be replaced with American flags.
Last updated September 16th, 2023
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