As winter break and the holiday season approach, I look to the future with hope. The last nine months resembled a roller coaster ride with soaring highs, stomach lurching lows and many sharp turns and twists as we navigated a worldwide pandemic. Yet, I remain thankful for the resiliency and determination of our students, faculty and staff, and the patience and grace of our entire Nebraska Business community. I find further inspiration from your continued support.
This fall marked the third anniversary of Howard L. Hawks Hall, which brought the college together in one space in 2017. However, it was not until the COVID-19 pandemic was upon us that we realized the full impact of the building. Due to your generosity, when the world changed overnight, it was Hawks Hall and all that is inside of it which allowed us to remain together virtually, communicate often and transition quickly so we could continue to lead the future of business.
Classes were suspended a week before spring spring break and our students returned home until fall due to COVID-19. Your support ensured Hawks Hall led the future of business, so it already included the cutting-edge technology required to go remote for our students on day one.
As our faculty converted their classes for remote learning in just two weeks, they relied on the expertise of our own in-house instructional design team and leveraged new technologies to meet the needs of our students. We also benefited from having a well-established presence in online education through our highly-ranked MBA@Nebraska program.
When staff transitioned to working from home, technology became even more imperative to hold virtual meetings, advising and tutoring sessions, and career and strengths coaching. Our IT team provided hardware and other equipment, insight about products and internet needed at home, as well as virtual assistance.
Dr. Kathy Farrell Zooms with Dr. Kevin Wesley (clockwise from upper left), Greg Smith, ’10, shares a video for new students., Dr. Aaron Crabtree works at his home office and Dr. Kasey Linde provides remote tutoring as the college retooled for a strange new world in 2020.
As the university turned Commencement into a digital celebration in May, August and again this December, we developed a CoB Graduation Toolkit allowing students to host their own virtual parties with invites for family and friends, virtual backgrounds, decorations and recipes.
For the first time, we hosted virtual town hall meetings for prospective and current students and their families. You also helped us welcome our new students this fall by submitting videos, advice and your favorite memories of college. Because many of you were also working remote, we found creative ways to keep you informed about applicable research and other faculty and staff expertise. Dr. Özgür Araz shared research about pandemic decision-making while Dr. Eric Thompson provided updates on the economic conditions in Nebraska and the nation. Dr. Tawnya Means shared remote work success tips and Celeste Spier provided insight to develop LinkedIn profiles that lead to more connections.
We also developed new partnerships to meet students’ needs. This summer more than 30 faculty across 13 departments in six colleges offered the most collaborative course in Nebraska’s history in response to COVID-19. The Business Career Center and the Clifton Strengths Institute also created a new Career Accelerator Program to help students without internships gain skills and experience. Two three-week mini-sessions offered in December and January also enable us to offer new courses, such as Christmas and the Supply Chain (SCMA 391) and the Future of Work (MNGT 398).
Students and alumni also gave back in a variety of ways:
- Mike Addante, senior management major and former Nebraska baseball player from Algonquin, Illinois, helped others by selling protective equipment.
- Gabe Chase, ’20, MBA graduate in the Nebraska National Guard, helped administer COVID tests in western Nebraska.
- Luke Bogus, junior management and marketing major from Columbus, Nebraska, and Jacob Peddicord, junior business minor from Kansas City, developed an app called Brim to order items from local restaurants and shops.
- When her internship was canceled, Haley Faust, senior management major from Columbus, used her strengths to help her hometown.
Our community also joined me in embracing a long-term commitment to diversity and inclusion. I announced initial action steps our college would take to create a more inclusive community and how, together, we will create positive change by making our college stronger and our graduates the business leaders the world needs.
The year 2020 taught us a lot about ourselves and how we act in times of uncertainty and change. This year I also witnessed, again and again, how Huskers help Huskers. We do so because we believe in the power of every person to do big things. I am grateful to all of you in our Nebraska Business community for demonstrating how Huskers “stick together in all kinds of weather.” Your support and energy fuel us to lead the future of business.
Together, we are Nebraska Business.
Sincerely,
Kathy Farrell