It may seem like the pace in Howard L. Hawks Hall slows over the summer with many students studying abroad, interning and working. With nearly 600 students taking courses, faculty teaching and pursuing research, staff working on projects and planning for the new academic year and the many events held in our state-of-the-art building for business partners, alumni and friends, our mission of driving discovery, creating opportunity and empowering individuals to lead the future of business continues through various efforts throughout the summer months.
 
Faculty engage business professionals through executive and professional education programs designed to help them conquer business challenges and provide tools for immediate use in their jobs. A few weeks ago, we kicked off a customized executive and professional program for the Governor’s leadership team. We’re proud to partner with the State of Nebraska and share our focus on building leaders for the future.
 
Our academic advisors welcome incoming freshmen and their families at New Student Enrollment, which continues into July. They assist students with course selection and help them enroll in classes so they are better prepared for college in August. Thirty faculty and staff members also spent nearly a week in classes themselves learning how to coach others to best use their natural talents. They continue to work toward earning their Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach certifications this summer and by fall, we will have more than 40 coaches to help us further expand our one-on-one coaching and support of students’ development.
 
Faculty and staff also collaborate to host three impactful pre-college programs for high school students exploring entrepreneurship, accounting and the world of business. These multi-day programs enable students to explore business basics and potential career paths, sharpen their leadership and networking skills, and make meaningful connections that can help them in their path to college and beyond. These programs are dynamic in that students roll up their sleeves and learn by doing. Students from Lincoln high schools learned how to start a new business in the Future Builders program hosted by the Clifton Strengths Institute by vetting and building upon one of their own business ideas. These programs connect students with business professionals who share their experiences. During the Accounting Summit, rising seniors from across Nebraska toured accounting firms and met with partners to first-year auditors to see what the day-to-day realities of working in the field of accounting look like. Additionally, students in these programs see first-hand how our Nebraska Business community believes in the power of every person. The DREAMBIG Academy – hosted later this month – empowers students to pursue their dreams and how studying business can get them there. This award-winning program is a vital experience for those who will be first-generation college students or those from underrepresented populations because they can see how there is a place for them within our university and how our community can help them grow, leverage their strengths and ultimately succeed.
 
All of these programs highlight the impact achieved through the support of our Nebraska Business community. Your partnerships continue to help us lead the future of business.

Dean Kathy Farrell  Published: July 10, 2019