Welcome to the October edition of THE VIBE! As we begin a new academic year, I am reminded of the energy and pride that fill our campus when students return. From families checking in at Memorial Stadium during Move-In to the excitement of Scarlet City and Homecoming traditions, this is truly one of the most spirit-filled times of the year for our students.
In this edition, I invite you to explore the 2024–25 Student Life Impact Report, which highlights our work through the Husker Student POWER framework. You will also see how Student Life is advancing President Gold’s Odyssey to the Extraordinary through three new initiatives that focus on belonging, well-being, and the on-campus experience.
You will find stories that capture what makes NEBRASKA special, from a powerful new national spot, No Place Like It, to the rise in students choosing to live on campus this Fall. These examples highlight the lasting impact our programs, services, and community have on student success.
Thank you for being a partner in this important work. I encourage you to share this newsletter with your colleagues and to join us in celebrating the many ways Student Life shapes the Husker experience.
Dee Dee Anderson
Vice Chancellor for Student Life
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.
Building an Extraordinary Student Experience
The University of Nebraska is charting bold new territory through President Gold’s Odyssey to the Extraordinary strategic plan. Student Life is advancing this vision through three new initiatives that focus on belonging, well-being, and the student residential experience, areas with proven impact on student success.
Together, these strategies form a roadmap for how Student Life contributes to a unified and distinctive campus culture. By strengthening communities, integrating support systems, and enhancing the on-campus experience, we are helping to define what “extraordinary” looks like for every Husker.
Enhancing Belonging and Leadership
Student Life & Leadership
- Focus: Strengthen the RSO experience and build a comprehensive leadership development framework
- Timeline: Aug. 2025 – June 2028
- Measurement: Retention of RSO leaders
- Target: 2% overall increase (0.67% per year over three years)
Basic Needs and Well-being Integration
Student Advocacy & Support
- Focus: Build a coordinated network for food security, financial stability, clothing, emergency funding, and faculty engagement
- Timeline: Aug. 2025 – June 2027
- Measurement: Number of student connections with basic-needs resources
- Target: 15,000 connections (7,000 in year one, 8,000 in year two)
Enhancement of the NEBRASKA Residential Experience
Operations & Auxiliaries
- Focus: Strengthen the residential identity, expand inclusive dining, and support students with initiatives like the Husker HOME Hotline
- Timeline: Aug. 2025 – June 2028
- Measurement: Residence hall student retention
- Target: 0.5% overall increase (0.17% per year over three years)
A Husker Welcome Like No Other
This year’s move-in brought more than 5,500 new and returning Huskers to campus, with Memorial Stadium serving as the central check-in hub for the first time. Families were greeted by 350 volunteers, welcome bags, and curbside help that made the process smooth and celebratory.
Highlights from Move-In Week include:
- 5,703 students living in University Residence Halls, a 98.5% occupancy rate
- 2,395 new residents attending Residence Hall Block Parties
- 2,537 packages awaiting students through lockers, front desks, and in-room service
This year also marks a strategic effort to increase returning student occupancy. Research shows that students who live on campus are more likely to stay enrolled, graduate at higher rates, and complete their degrees faster than peers who live off campus. By creating spaces and programs that keep students connected beyond their first year, we are reinforcing the benefits of living and learning on campus. At NEBRASKA, every roommate conversation, every late-night study session, and every leadership opportunity adds up to more than retention and graduation statistics. It creates a stronger, more connected Husker community.
See the excitement of Move-In this year in a video from University Communications & Marketing.
No Place Like It
A simple voicemail from Andrea Haring, thanking Husker staff for making her two daughters feel at home, became the inspiration for a powerful video now featured as one of UNL’s national spots this year. With Andrea’s words as the soundtrack, the piece created by University Communications & Marketing follows her daughters, Lauren and Madison, throughout the student experience at NEBRASKA. What began as a call to Dave Annis, Director of University Dining Services, grew into a moving reminder that while there’s no place like home, there’s also no place like NEBRASKA.
Watch the NO PLACE LIKE IT spot created by University Communications & Marketing.
When I first encountered Life in Lincoln, I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh—these events are actually good!’ They created a space where I could meet new people and connect with students from different cultures. At one of the events, I even met other students from Zambia, my own country.
– Oddine Kyavuma, Senior, Biochemistry
7,275
Students are living on campus this fall, including University Housing and fraternity and sorority residences. This is an increase of 253 from last year.
1,873,597
Meals were served by University Dining Services in 2024–25, with 1,117,769 of those ordered through the Transact Mobile Dining App at Abel and Selleck.
3,700+
Students came together to kick off the year at the Chancellor’s BBQ, enjoying food and community at rain locations in Willa Cather Dining Center and Harper Dining Center.
Homecoming 2025: Faculty & Staff Activities
Show your Husker pride and join the celebration! Faculty and staff are invited to take part in some of the week’s biggest Homecoming events:
- Battle of the Bands – Oct. 1, 8–10 p.m., Bourbon Theatre
- MGC and NPHC Yard Show – Oct. 2, 6–9 p.m., Nebraska Union Plaza
- Cornstock Festival – Oct. 3, 5–8 p.m., Memorial Stadium East Plaza
- Homecoming Parade – Oct. 3, 6 p.m., Starts @ Nebraska Union (R Street)