University of Nebraska - Lincoln
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment.

https://www.unl.edu/equity/notice-nondiscrimination

Student Focused:

Diversity Leadership Symposia: Nebraska's Diversity Leadership Symposia are special events for high school students designed to celebrate and promote leadership in diverse communities. Students who are nominated to attend are eligible for the $2,000 Emerging Leaders scholarship. There are different symposiums for first-generation students, Black leadership, Native American leadership, and Latino leadership.

Diversity Scholarships: UNL has a long list of diversity scholarships aimed at recruiting underrepresented groups. You can find this scholarship list here: https://admissions.unl.edu/cost/#scholarships/D

There are a large number of student organizations targeting underrepresented populations. Some examples are: Afrikan people's Union, Mexican American Student Association, Spectrum-LGBTQ Allies, Hillel at Nebraska, Vietnamese Student Association, University of Nebraska Inter-Tribal Exchange, and more.

Food Sovereignty Program: The Food Sovereignty Program is a program designed for for Indigenous High School students to help them become more familiar with and build relationships at the university, and hopefully consider attending here. https://nativecoalition.unl.edu/indigenous-food-sovereignty-program

TRIO Programs: Nebraska TRIO Programs are a federally-funded outreach programs that offer academic, social, cultural and financial support for first-generation college students and under-served scholars. TRIO recruitment and support programs such as Educational Talent Search, Regular Upward Bound, and Upward Bound Math-Science are active in local middle and high schools. https://trio.unl.edu

UNL recently joined the GEM consortium which is an organization to help recruit underrepresented graduate students in the STEM Fields: https://www.gemfellowship.org; https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/university-joins-gem-consortium/

Employee (academic and non-academic) Focused:

Breakthrough Recruitment for Inclusive Diversity Growth and Excellence (BRIDGE) Program: The University of Nebraska Lincoln has developed the BRIDGE program to provide a university-wide guidance for faculty and staff searches. The overarching goal of BRIDGE is to enhance campus recruitment and hiring strategies that will result in more diverse applicant pools and subsequently to increased hiring of diverse faculty and staff. BRIDGE is a multifaceted initiative that offers specific guidance and opportunities for increased inclusion. https://diversity.unl.edu/BRIDGE-Program

Multicultural Young Professionals Network (MYPN): This group seeks to advocate for an inclusive campus and foster personal and professional growth for its members. Group members are entry- to mid-level staff and faculty at Nebraska.

Annual Faculty of Color Symposium: This annual half day program addresses various concerns and opportunities that are pertinent to a climate of success for underrepresented faculty. https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/faculty-of-color-symposium-is-nov-12/; https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/alumna-to-keynote-nov-4-faculty-of-color-symposium/; https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/nebraska-hosts-inaugural-symposium-for-faculty-of-color/

Faculty Mentoring Success: This committee was developed to provide mentoring guidelines for faculty to allow colleges and academic units to operate more effective and inclusive mentoring programs.

UNL is a member of the APLU initiative to increase representation of members of underrepresented group for STEM positions.

Other Support Programs and Mechanisms:

Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center: The Gaughan Multicultural Center continues the tradition of past UNL Culture Centers, providing a home away from home for underrepresented students, while welcoming all UNL students, faculty, staff, alumni and guests. The Multicultural Center is a stated priority of the Chancellor and an important step in securing and expanding the progress the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has made in our diversity efforts as a campus. This center provides multiple study and lounge spaces as well as student organization offices, meeting and conference rooms, a music room, a kitchen and a computer lab. https://unions.unl.edu/jgmc

Dr. Gwendolyn Combs, serves as UNL's Director of Faculty Diversity and Inclusion. In this role, Dr. Combs is tasked with identifying efforts to expand diversity and inclusion within the faculty affairs realm. https://diversity.unl.edu/gwendolyn-combs

Dr. Jennifer PeeksMease serves as UNL's Assistant Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Leadership and Learning within the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/peeksmease-named-assistant-vc-for-inclusive-leadership-learning/

Student Focused:

Diversity Leadership Symposia: Nebraska's Diversity Leadership Symposia are special events for high school students designed to celebrate and promote leadership in diverse communities. Students who are nominated to attend are eligible for the $2,000 Emerging Leaders scholarship. There are different symposiums for first-generation students, Black leadership, Native American leadership, and Latino leadership.

Diversity Scholarships: UNL has a long list of diversity scholarships aimed at recruiting underrepresented groups. You can find this scholarship list here: https://admissions.unl.edu/cost/#scholarships/D

There are a large number of student organizations targeting underrepresented populations. Some examples are: Afrikan people's Union, Mexican American Student Association, Spectrum-LGBTQ Allies, Hillel at Nebraska, Vietnamese Student Association, University of Nebraska Inter-Tribal Exchange, and more.

Food Sovereignty Program: The Food Sovereignty Program is a program designed for for Indigenous High School students to help them become more familiar with and build relationships at the university, and hopefully consider attending here. https://nativecoalition.unl.edu/indigenous-food-sovereignty-program

TRIO Programs: Nebraska TRIO Programs are a federally-funded outreach programs that offer academic, social, cultural and financial support for first-generation college students and under-served scholars. TRIO recruitment and support programs such as Educational Talent Search, Regular Upward Bound, and Upward Bound Math-Science are active in local middle and high schools. https://trio.unl.edu

UNL recently joined the GEM consortium which is an organization to help recruit underrepresented graduate students in the STEM Fields: https://www.gemfellowship.org; https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/university-joins-gem-consortium/

Employee (academic and non-academic) Focused:

Breakthrough Recruitment for Inclusive Diversity Growth and Excellence (BRIDGE) Program: The University of Nebraska Lincoln has developed the BRIDGE program to provide university-wide guidance for faculty and staff searches. The overarching goal of BRIDGE is to enhance campus recruitment and hiring strategies that will result in more diverse applicant pools and subsequently to increase hiring of diverse faculty and staff. BRIDGE is a multifaceted initiative that offers specific guidance and opportunities for increased inclusion. https://diversity.unl.edu/BRIDGE-Program

Multicultural Young Professionals Network (MYPN): This group seeks to advocate for an inclusive campus and foster personal and professional growth for its members. Group members are entry- to mid-level staff and faculty at Nebraska.

Annual Faculty of Color Symposium: This annual half day program addresses various concerns and opportunities that are pertinent to a climate of success for underrepresented faculty. https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/faculty-of-color-symposium-is-nov-12/; https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/alumna-to-keynote-nov-4-faculty-of-color-symposium/; https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/nebraska-hosts-inaugural-symposium-for-faculty-of-color/

Faculty Mentoring Success: This committee was developed to provide mentoring guidelines for faculty to allow colleges and academic units to operate more effective and inclusive mentoring programs.

UNL is a member of the APLU initiative to increase representation of members of underrepresented group for STEM positions.

Dining and Custodial Hiring Fair: UNL's Human Resources, Student Affairs, and University Operations teams partnered to host the Dining and Custodial Hiring Fair in 2022. The Dining and Custodial Hiring Fair is an on-site informational, interview, job offer and administrative hiring event. It is designed to provide information about dining and custodial positions, benefits and work at the university, conduct immediate on-site interviews, extend on-site job offers, and follow through with same day administrative hiring processes for those who receive on-site job offers. Marketing for the event including advertising through partnership with a number of community organizations and cultural centers.

Other Support Programs and Mechanisms:

Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center: The Gaughan Multicultural Center continues the tradition of past UNL Culture Centers, providing a home away from home for underrepresented students, while welcoming all UNL students, faculty, staff, alumni and guests. The Multicultural Center is a stated priority of the Chancellor and an important step in securing and expanding the progress the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has made in our diversity efforts as a campus. This center provides multiple study and lounge spaces as well as student organization offices, meeting and conference rooms, a music room, a kitchen and a computer lab. https://unions.unl.edu/jgmc

Dr. Gwendolyn Combs, serves as UNL's Director of Faculty Diversity and Inclusion. In this role, Dr. Combs is tasked with identifying efforts to expand diversity and inclusion within the faculty affairs realm. https://diversity.unl.edu/gwendolyn-combs

Dr. Jennifer PeeksMease serves as UNL's Assistant Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Leadership and Learning within the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/peeksmease-named-assistant-vc-for-inclusive-leadership-learning/

OASIS
The Office of Academic Support and Intercultural Services is a retention department designed to support all NEBRASKA students, but has a special emphasis on students of color. Housed in the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center (opened Spring 2010), staff works with students to create a familiar and comfortable environment to help students finish through to graduation. NU Connections, Study Skills Workshops, academic success labs, and a variety of social events are coordinated through this office
http://www.unl.edu/oasis/

NU CONNECTIONS
NU Connections is a mentoring program that provides first-year and second-year undergraduate students with a support system consisting of: Academic Resources, Peer Mentors, lunches with faculty/staff, and regular meetings with OASIS Program Coordinators. Students awarded the Nebraska Achievement, Davis/Chambers, SIPS, or Heritage Scholarships are required to participate in this program
http://www.unl.edu/oasis/program/nu_home.shtml

Student Support Services:
Student Support Services is committed to making higher education available to college students with academic need, who are low-income, first generation (neither parent has a bachelor's degree), and/or students with physical disabilities. SSS offers a broad range of opportunities and services to promote the academic success of eligible college students. Studies have found that students who receive comprehensive services from SSS programs are more than twice as likely to stay in school.
http://www.unl.edu/trio/

The following programs are open to all members of the university community (faculty, staff, and students):

Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Gender and Sexual Identities: The general purpose of the Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Gender and Sexual identities is to enhance the status of LGBTQA+ identified people at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. Using this information, the Commission advises the Chancellor on issues pertaining to the specific concerns of faculty, staff, and students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, asexual and additional identities relevant to sexual orientation, gender identity & expression (SOGIE) at the University. While individual members are free to engage in advocacy on any issue, the Commission best serves its purpose through regular, confidential dialogue with the Chancellor. https://ccsgsi.unl.edu/

Chancellor's Commission on the Status of People of Color: The general purpose of the Chancellor's Commission on the Status of People of Color is to enhance the status of people of color at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, by advising the Chancellor on issues pertaining to the specific concerns of faculty, staff and students who are people of color at the University. While individual members are free to engage in public advocacy on any issue, the Commission, as a commission, best serves its purposes through regular, confidential dialog with the Chancellor. https://ccspc.unl.edu/

Chancellor's Commission on the Status of Women: The purpose of the Chancellor's Commission on the Status of Women is to enhance the status of all women at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, by advising the Chancellor on issues pertaining to gender equity and on specific concerns of women faculty, staff and students at the university. https://ccspc.unl.edu/

LGBTQ Resource Center
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Asexual/Aromantic and Ally/Advocate (LGBTQA+) Resource Center advances the mission of UNL by working collaboratively to provide education, resources, outreach and advocacy to help build and sustain a socially just campus community that is welcoming and inclusive of all people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expression.
http://involved.unl.edu/lgbtqa/

UNL Women's Center
The Women's Center provides an extensive resource library, a meeting room for discussion groups, a welcoming space for conversations, counseling, studying, or just relaxing.

https://womens-center.unl.edu/

The following program is exclusively for Faculty and Staff:

Employee Assistance Program
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Employee Assistance Program is a confidential service offered to UNL employees and their immediate family members at no charge. Consultation and counseling are available to help faculty and staff with personal or work related problems that can affect general well being, work performance, or academic performance (https://hr.unl.edu/eap/).

The purpose of Pride@Nebraska is to provide community for faculty and staff; and to ensure a university environment that empowers LGBTQA+ people (formerly known as the Committee on GLBT Concerns). Recent decisions impacting the LGBTQA+ community have caused a variety of reactions and concerns. We would like to raise awareness and knowledge about our community and the importance of intentional inclusion of underrepresented viewpoints. We encourage the LGBTQA+ community and our supporters to be aware of resources and to utilize them as needed.

UNL has a wide Variety of Programs to help encourage Future Faculty Diversity:

The institution instituted a Faculty Diversity and Inclusion Fellows program. This program, located in the Executive Vice Chancellor’s Office and under the leadership of Dr. Judy Walker, Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty and Academic, was instituted in order for fellows to create training and materials to assist colleges and academic units with recruitment, hiring and retention of diverse faculty

McNair Scholars Program:
The Ronald E. McNair Program is administered through the Office of Graduate Studies and is funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant, with additional UNL in-kind support. Its aim is to increase numbers of underrepresented students in doctoral programs. UNL's McNair Scholars Program prepares selected undergraduates for graduate study by providing opportunities to define goals, engage in research, and develop the skills and student/faculty mentor relationships critical to success at the doctoral level.

W.H. Thompson Learning Community:
Recipients of the Susan T. Buffett Scholarship who choose to attend UNL automatically become members of the William H. Thompson Scholars Learning Community. Its goal is to foster the potential and build on the achievements of student members by supporting their academic, personal, and social development through a variety of opportunities, programming, and classroom experiences.
http://diversity.unl.edu/access-and-opportunity-programs

The OASIS Leadership Program: Diversity and Activism in Action:
The OASIS Leadership Program is a year-long commitment for students interested in creating change on campus and in Lincoln while learning about the histories and current events of the numerous communities of color in the United States. Participants will examine these communities as well as various leadership models in order to instigate change and become activists. Participants will also learn about the history of UNL affinity groups and culture centers, social justice, and the social change model. Students in the OASIS Leadership Program will be expected to attend events focused on diversity and regular meetings with their peers in the program.

http://www.unl.edu/oasis/oasis-leadership-program

https://diversity.unl.edu/faculty-staff-resources

https://lgbtqa.unl.edu/navigating-campus

https://bf.unl.edu/policies/gender-neutral-restrooms

Here is the website with resources for transgender and transitioning students (including information about gender-neutral bathrooms and housing options): https://lgbtqa.unl.edu/navigating-campus