Welcome to the first edition of the THE VIBE! If we have not had a chance to meet yet, I am Dee Dee Anderson, Vice Chancellor for Student Life. I recently celebrated my one-year anniversary at UNL and, y’all, I am loving it! I am passionate about the great work happening in our division and want to share the highlights so we can collectively help all our students succeed.
The primary audience for this newsletter is the invaluable campus leaders outside of the Division of Student Life. Our intent is to better communicate about what is happening in Student Life. My hope is that you share the content of this newsletter with your team and learn more about the student experience.
Please read on and encourage others to subscribe to this newsletter. Look for future additions in November and April.
Go Big Red!
Dee Dee Anderson
Vice Chancellor for Student Life
Starting Off Right
- The sound of a lone brass player practicing under the hot Nebraska sun, perfecting a new song for Friday’s performance.
- The steady rhythm of the UNL Marching Band percussion in the background.
- A parent circling R Street, trying to find parking while moving their daughter—now a sophomore—into her sorority house.
- The midday rush at Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, and Steak 'n Shake, with lines ten deep for mobile orders.
What does all this mean? It’s the start of the school year.
For Student Life, that begins with moving over 5,000 residents into campus housing. Picture relocating a population the size of Wahoo, Nebraska—5,475 people—in just five days. The logistics behind this are staggering, yet it’s what our University Housing team does every year. Every detail is orchestrated flawlessly, and parents aren’t expected to carry a single box, thanks to our curbside move-in teams stationed at each residence hall.
We focus on the experience because, for many, this is their first impression of UNL. We want our students to feel like they belong from day one—to find their communities, make new friends, and start building connections.
That’s where Big Red Welcome comes in.
Big Red Welcome is a weeklong series of 95 events organized by 27 departments, designed to help students engage with each other, explore new spaces, and get familiar with the campus resources that will support them throughout their journey to graduation.
Everyone pitches in. We all volunteer, working late into the night so that every student has the chance to form lasting friendships and meaningful connections. Because, at all 95 events, every student and every interaction matters.
Check Out The Excitement
Check out these amazing photos of Move-in and Big Red Welcome.
Welcome Home, Huskers
All photos taken by University Communications
Craig Chandler and Jordan Opp
Watch the video that captures some of the "Faces" of the week.
"Faces of NEBRASKA" Video
Video created by University Communications
Aaron Nix
One of our international students reached out a few days prior to move-in letting us know that his flight would be landing in Lincoln around 10:15 p.m. and he hoped to be at Massengale by 11:00 p.m. We had his flight information, so we were tracking him the entire time. He ended up making it in before midnight. One of the RAs waited by the desk to welcome him. Even the on-call RA that night helped the student loft the bed after he arrived!
Angela Huebert, Assistant Residence Director, Massengale Residential Center & Love Memorial
What You Need To Know
Campus Connections Workshops
The services offered to students from the Division of Student Life are ever-expanding. Often our team of experts can assist faculty (and staff, too) in their roles working with students. This year we’re offering a two-part Campus Connections series to share our expertise with faculty in pursuit of our shared goal of student success. In the first part of the series, the Office of Student Advocacy & Support and the Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards will jointly present on student behaviors that faculty may be experiencing in their classrooms and avenues to address these concerns. Attendees will learn:
- how to identify disruptive or distressing student behavior
- effective in-classes interventions to limit negative impact for everyone
- how to make referrals to and/or consult with appropriate support offices
- how to develop an “after action” plan for when the student returns to class
- Join us October 3 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. by reserving your spot now.
This presentation may also be requested for department/College trainings. Please inquire with studentadvocacy@unl.edu or studentconduct@unl.edu.
Well-being Collective
Student well-being is a campus-wide priority that goes beyond the efforts of any single office or individual. It is crucial to student success and retention.
Understanding this, Student Life is launching the Well-being Collective in Fall 2024, bringing together various campus units to provide holistic support for students. In its inaugural year, the collective will focus on educating the campus community about this new approach while addressing key dimensions of student well-being, such as financial literacy.