Welcome to the November edition of THE VIBE. Across Student Life, we are taking meaningful action to reduce barriers and strengthen student well-being. This work is visible in everything from emergency support for students facing basic needs insecurity to making it easier for faculty and staff to connect students with the right resources. Our division continues to create an environment where care is evident and support is easy to access.
These efforts are strengthened by broader investments across the university. Through the full distribution of the $1 million Big Ten and Abbott We Give Blood award, UNL is investing in student well-being in significant ways. Student Life has contributed to this work so these efforts expand support, improve access to key resources and encourage students to lead. Student Advocacy and Support is responding to urgent basic needs with coordination and compassion, helping students remain enrolled and moving forward. At the same time, the new Campus Connections workshops and web resources are helping campus partners build a shared understanding of how to guide students to support more confidently.
We are also embracing new tools that help us reach students earlier. One example is Cornelius, a support-focused text chatbot led by Undergraduate Education and Student Success in partnership with Student Life. Early engagement is encouraging, and students are already using Cornelius as a helpful first step in finding the support they need.
Thank you for the care and dedication you bring to our work. Together, we are creating a campus where students can show up as they are and find what they need to finish strong.
Dr. Dee Dee Anderson
Vice Chancellor for Student Life
Meeting Students’ Basic Needs and Strengthening Retention
Student Advocacy & Support (SAS) is often one of the first points of connection for students experiencing crisis, navigating complex situations, or needing help with basic needs like access to food, housing or emergency funding. Through August, September and October, SAS has averaged more than 100 cases per month. Of those, 7.6% have involved emergency basic needs, demonstrating a continued and urgent demand for responsive support.
Emergency Basic Needs resources help students stabilize quickly. Through the SAS website, students can apply for emergency financial support, learn where to access free or reduced-cost food options, get connected to housing assistance and find guidance for unexpected hardships. Every referral is focused on reducing barriers so students can stay enrolled and continue progressing toward their goals.
This year also marks a major shift in how residential student concern cases are managed. Previously, Residence Life handled initial triage and escalated more complex situations to SAS. With the hiring of a dedicated residential case manager in June 2025, all residential student-of-concern reports now originate with SAS. Each case receives a standardized risk assessment, and the SAS case manager leads elevated or critical cases, while working closely with Residence Directors on mild or moderate needs.
The results have been transformational: not one residential student supported through SAS has withdrawn from the university. The partnership with Residence Life has streamlined case management and strengthened the professional development of Residence Directors and RA staff in areas such as active listening, documentation, risk assessment and goal setting.
Student Advocacy & Support continues to be a vital safety net for student success, offering students steady guidance that helps them remain enrolled and regain stability when challenges arise.
$1 Million Invested in Husker Well-being
After winning the inaugural Big Ten and Abbott We Give Blood competition, the Division of Student Life has completed the full distribution of the $1 million award. Every dollar is now working to elevate student well-being and create lasting impact for our Huskers and the Nebraska community.
For the two grants, Student Life designed and led the grant process with support from the Office of Research and Innovation. Each proposal was considered through a multi-panel review and evaluated based on potential impact, implementation plan and assessment strategy. Through this process, 25 full applications were submitted and seven faculty and staff initiatives were selected, resulting in the awarding of $400,000 of We Give Blood grants. These projects address community health needs, expand access to well-being support, and advance innovative research across our campus and Nebraska.
To empower students directly, $154,780 was awarded to 44 Recognized Student Organizations through a new RSO Awards program, helping student leaders bring new ideas to life and build community on campus.
The remaining $450,000 went to the Well-being Collective, a cross-campus partnership led by Campus Recreation. The funding supports a new Well-being Coordinator focused on financial literacy, a new Abbott Access Fund to eliminate small financial barriers, and enhanced student-led programming that promotes well-being across eight dimensions.
Through these investments, recipients of these funds are not only responding to student needs, but also creating structures that elevate well-being for years to come.
The 2025 We Give Blood competition is still in progress. If you or your colleagues would like to contribute to UNL’s chances of securing another $1 million to advance student and community health, click here to find blood donation opportunities and how to participate.
Cornelius the Chatbot Is Supporting Undergraduates
Contributed by Lydia Coulsen, Communications Specialist, Undergraduate Education & Student Success
In the first week of November, Cornelius, a new chatbot, went live for degree-seeking undergraduate students. A collaboration between Student Life and Undergraduate Education and Student Success, Cornelius was implemented to support student success. Here’s a quick look at Cornelius’s first week:
- 40% of students have texted Cornelius
- Over 27,000 texts have been sent by students to the chatbot
- 94% of students remain opted-in to receiving Cornelius’ messages
- Over 1,000 students connected with staff face-to-face and received t-shirts, hats, and stickers during launch week
Most importantly, Cornelius is helping the campus identify new opportunities to support students. For example, after receiving numerous messages from students asking what they should do if they don’t want to enroll in classes for next semester, academic advising leaders are already exploring how to better communicate stop-out and re-enrollment processes.
Cornelius will continue to check in with students throughout the year, yielding new insights into students, their challenges, and opportunities for UNL to better support their Husker experience.
A Quote From Kaitlyn
Working at the Pantry has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my college career. I have been able to apply the work we do to fight food insecurity to my major of natural resources. The issue of food insecurity intersects with so many fields and everyone has a role in making basic needs accessible to everyone. Everything from the soil growing our food and the supply chain of getting food to people is important. We all must work together. Food is a human right and I am beyond privileged to work with passionate staff and students to combat one of the most pressing problems in the world.
– Kaitlyn Richards, Graduate Assistant, Husker Pantry, pursuing a Master of Science in Natural Resource Sciences
14,709
Items provided to 419 student households through Husker Pantry in Q1.
65,470
ReusePass containers checked out, a 200% increase over all of 2024–25.
$46,934
Raised from 772 donors, with 125 new Miracle Makers recruited during Dance Marathon Week.
New Campus Connections Workshops Webpage
Faculty and staff now have a place to learn specific details about how Student Life supports students beyond the classroom. The new Campus Connections Workshops webpage brings together upcoming workshop sessions, previous recordings, and helpful tools that make it easier to connect students with the right campus resource.
Each workshop focuses on a Student Life service or program and offers practical tips for referring students, responding to common challenges, and understanding who and how to connect students to certain resources.
Explore the page and watch a past session on Addressing Disruptive Behavior in the Classroom or Supporting Students with Mental Health Struggles to stay connected with the most current details from our student support programs and units.
Family & Friends Recognition Awards
Led by the UNL Parent & Family Association, the Family & Friends Recognition Awards give parents, family members and friends the opportunity to nominate faculty and staff who have made a meaningful difference in a student’s life.
Nominations for the 2025–26 awards cycle open December 15, 2025 and close January 18, 2026. New this year: in lieu of an awards banquet, certificates will be delivered directly to honorees through campus mail.
On behalf of the UNL Parent & Family Association and Student Life, we look forward to celebrating every nomination. We appreciate the support you provide to our Huskers and the impact you make across campus.
Celebrating Marlene Beyke’s Retirement
After 46 years of service to UNL and ASUN Student Government, Marlene Beyke, Director of Administration for ASUN Student Government, has retired. Throughout her decades of leadership, Marlene guided generations of student leaders and played a significant role in shaping ASUN into the strong, student-advocacy organization it is today. A reception on October 3 brought together former and current students, colleagues, and friends to celebrate her legacy and the lasting impact she has had on the student experience.
Thank you, Marlene, for your extraordinary dedication to students and to NEBRASKA. We all wish you the very best in your next chapter.
To continue her commitment to student leadership, the Marlene K. Beyke Fund for Excellence has been established through the NU Foundation to support scholarships for future ASUN presidents and vice presidents.
Combined Campaign: Deadline Extension
The Combined Campaign deadline has been extended, giving our campus community a little more time to participate. This annual effort supports local nonprofits that strengthen the well-being of Nebraskans, and even a small contribution can make a meaningful impact. If you’re able, please consider giving.
2024-25 Student Life Impact Report
Check out the newest Impact Report from Student Life. The 2024–25 edition highlights our work through the Husker Student POWER framework — Purpose, Ownership, Well-being, Engagement, and Relationships — with fresh numbers, new student quotes, and stories that show how we shape the Husker experience.