The University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Southeast Community College launched On Course, a seamless student transfer partnership offering more than 50 pathways across all nine colleges at the university, including all 12 College of Business majors.
Announced Oct. 30, the initiative builds on collaboration that began in July 2025, when nearly 100 faculty, staff and administrators from both institutions met to align curricula. Each Nebraska college mapped its degree requirements to SCC coursework. The pathways outline the degree, required courses and expected time to completion, noting when students may need more than two additional years at Nebraska to graduate.
“These pathways, called A (for associate) to B (for bachelor's) degree pathways, remove the guesswork and provide a guide for students to pursue both their associate and bachelor’s degrees in four years. Better yet, it helps students save money, while not losing any time,” said Jennifer Mostek, director of Business Advising and Student Engagement.
The initiative builds on years of collaboration between SCC and the UNL College of Business. SCC began offering its Business Associate of Arts transfer degree in fall 2018.
“SCC faculty and advisors work closely with College of Business advisors to help students prepare for a successful transfer. Each year, we review curriculum updates, catalog changes and other factors that may affect transfer students. We value this partnership and our shared commitment to student success," said Linda Hartman, business program chair at SCC.
Troy Thieman-Ruhl, assistant director of recruitment in the UNL College of Business, helps students put those plans into action. He meets with students every Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in SCC’s Lincoln Campus Center, the main building near 84th and O streets. He also offers individual transfer planning meetings in person or online.
“I encourage students to connect with me at any point in their academic journey, from their first semester at SCC to their first semester on Nebraska’s campus. We can explore business majors, review their transfer credits and help them understand the steps to a smooth transfer," Thieman-Ruhl said.
Anna Crane, a senior management major from Lincoln, began her business education at SCC before transferring to Nebraska in fall 2025. A first-generation college student who serves in the National Guard, she is on track to graduate with her bachelor’s degree in May after four years of study between the two institutions.
Crane now supports other UNL students as a learning assistant in a human resource management course and a peer coach in the Introduction to Business class. Both roles connect to her career goals and enable her to support and develop others.
“People have always been my passion. That’s why I want to go into human resources,” Crane said. “Being a coach for Introduction to Business, I can help them because I’ve taken a lot of my foundational business classes already.”
In the role, she leads a weekly recitation and guides students through the Business Battle, a competition unique to Nebraska College of Business that challenges teams in the course to examine a company’s business challenge. Crane participated in the class competition herself last year, developing recommendations for motorcycle racing organization MotoAmerica.
“Almost every single class that I’ve taken has been examining real-world scenarios or working with a real company and on group projects,” Crane said.
Business students can build on those classroom experiences through internships, competitions and student organizations to expand their skills and networks. Career development courses help them build confidence and connect with employers, while academic advising and free tutoring at the College of Business support their progress toward graduation.
“We want transfer students to Nebraska Business to gain both a strong business education and a network of people invested in their success,” Mostek said. “Friendly classmates, peer mentors and dedicated staff help them tackle coursework, explore careers and find employment while discovering what it means to be a Husker and finding their place in our community.”
SCC students can explore On Course pathways at southeast.edu/oncourse and connect with Thieman-Ruhl at businessrecruitment@unl.edu or request an appointment at business.unl.edu/transfer to discuss their Nebraska Business transfer plans.
