WSC Students Get Lesson on Living in Poverty as Economy Declines; KTIV News Channel 4 Covers the Event

WAYNE, Neb. – With the nation’s economy at its worst since the Great Depression, Wayne State students learned a valuable lesson about living in poverty. The college hosted a Poverty Simulation as a part of the Community Action in Nebraska 2008 Poverty Solutions Tour on Oct. 7. KTIV News Channel 4 in Sioux City was at the college to cover the event. You can view coverage of the event at http://www.ktiv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9141767&nav=menu1474_2 . Click on the Featured Video link at the top left of the story.

Catch the Spirit! WSC to Honor Alumni at Homecoming

Wayne State alumni, faculty, staff, students and community members will participate in Homecoming festivities Oct. 9-12 at the college.

"Homecoming is a wonderful time for alumni to return to the beautiful Wayne State campus and renew friendships. Cheerleaders, musicians and Tau Kappa Epsilon members will gather this year," said Deb Lundahl, director of development and alumni relations.

Art Professor Marlene Mueller to Exhibit Works at
Museum of Nebraska Art

WAYNE, Neb. (Sept. 26, 2008) -- Wayne State College Professor of Art Marlene Mueller will have her first solo exhibition at the Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) from Oct. 18 to Jan. 4. The exhibit is the first full-scale showing of her complete fire drawing series.

Wayne State College in U.S. News & World Report 2009 College Rankings

Wayne State defines its mission as learning excellence, student success and regional service. The college’s students, faculty and staff measure themselves against these ideals each day in the classroom, at conferences and in laboratories, in the community, at work, and in many levels of athletics. The 2009 college rankings by U.S. News & World Report aim to quantify certain aspects of colleges’ success as well. An examination of the data presented in the annual survey reveals several key categories in which Wayne State continues to live up to the ideals of its mission.

State College System Tour to Help Students and Parents

Wayne State College will participate in the official 2008 Nebraska State College System Tour at various locations in September.

Students and parents are welcome to take part in a 90-minute program about the college search process. Additional sessions will be hosted to assist guidance counselors, transfer advisors and TRIO staff when aiding students and their parents with the college search process.

The tour program will include scholarship information, important deadlines, literature, prizes and more. Separate sessions are designed for students, parents and counselors. Complimentary refreshments and meals are served. Please call ahead to reserve a seat for the program.

Wayne State and the Nebraska State College System Sponsor College Application Week

Wayne State College and fellow Nebraska State College System institutions Chadron State and Peru State want to ensure that Nebraska is doing everything it can to help students earn a college degree. Applying to college is the first step.

To take this first step, the Nebraska State College System will be sponsoring the inaugural NSCS College Application Week, Oct. 27-31. Across the state, the NSCS will help high school seniors apply to at least one of the three state colleges: Chadron, Peru or Wayne State.  The application fee will be waived for students applying during this week.

Wayne State Welcomes New Freshmen, Plans for Their Success

The new freshman class at Wayne State marks the fourth consecutive year, and the fifth out of the past seven years, of enrollment growth at the college. During this same period of increases in the number of first-time freshmen, the college also has increased its retention rate from 67 percent to 75 percent, according to the most recent available data.

Other statistics about the new freshman class:

• 47 percent are male; 53 percent female
• 55 percent are first-generation students
• The average ACT score is 21.5, which is higher than the national average
• 66 percent graduated high school with a GPA of more than 3.0
• 57 percent come from the top half of their graduating class; 27 percent from the top quarter; and 9 percent from the top tenth
• Douglas County leads counties of origin, followed by Madison, Dodge, Sarpy, Holt, Woodbury (Iowa) and Wayne.

Governor Partners with Nebraska State College System on New Scholarship

Gov. Dave Heineman announced a new partnership with the Nebraska State College System (NSCS) on Aug. 14, which is creating a new scholarship aimed at Nebraska high school seniors who hope to stay in the state after college and become leaders in their communities.

The Governor’s Opportunity Award will cover half of the tuition costs for a student enrolled in one of the three state colleges and can be renewed for four years at Chadron, Peru and Wayne State Colleges. Three students will be awarded scholarships for 2009-10 academic year.

Wayne State Student Blogging from Costa Rica

WAYNE, Neb. (June 2, 2008) -- You can always count on a Wayne State education to take you places. But can you see yourself outside the country improving your foreign language skills while immersed in another culture? More than a dozen Wayne State students have left for a five-week study abroad trip to Costa Rica. Follow their adventures as they take classes at the Costa Rica Spanish Institute, visit a volcano, tour a coffee plantation and more.

Wayne State Professor Todd Young Receives Teaching Excellence Award from Nebraska State College System

Dr. Todd Young, associate professor of physics and astronomy at Wayne State College, has been named as the recipient of the Rebensdorf Teaching Excellence Award from the Nebraska State College System. Dr. Young excels in the classroom, his profession and in the community.

Wayne State College Graduation Ceremonies Held May 3

WAYNE, Neb. (April 23, 2008) -- Wayne State College held commencement for graduate students at 9:30 a.m. and the undergraduate ceremony at 2 p.m. May 3 in Rice Auditorium. A total of 529 degrees – 211 graduate degrees and 318 undergraduate degrees – were conferred by Wayne State President Richard J. Collings.

WSC Professor Catherine Rudin Awarded $348,000 Grant
to Preserve Omaha-Ponca Language

WAYNE, Neb. (April 22, 2008) -- Catherine Rudin, professor of languages and literature at Wayne State College, and Mark Awakuni-Swetland, assistant professor of anthropology at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, have been awarded a three-year, $348,800 grant to develop a digital dictionary of the Omaha-Ponca language.

Bruce Babbitt to Deliver Lecture as Part of Thompson Forum Series on April 22

WAYNE, Neb. (April 11, 2008) -- Bruce Babbitt, U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 1993 to 2001, will deliver a simulcast lecture at 7 p.m. April 22 in Room 131 of Connell Hall at Wayne State College. The Thompson Forum lecture, which originates from the Lied Center for Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is the final event of the twentieth season of the forum. Babbitt’s lecture is titled “ Nebraska’s Water Future: Feast or Famine?”

Dale Planetarium Show Surveys Spring and Summer Skies

WAYNE, Neb. (April 11, 2008) -- "Surveying Spring and Summer Skies" at Wayne State College’s Fred G. Dale Planetarium will continue until April 27. The show provides an intimate look at the evening skies of spring dominated by the bright planets Mercury, Saturn and Jupiter, as well as numerous interesting star clusters and nebulae.

Earth Day Celebration to Feature the Film, "King Corn"

WAYNE, Neb. (April 11, 2008) -- The Wayne State College Earth Day celebration April 21-23 will feature presentations and panel discussions; a special screening of the documentary film, “King Corn,” hosted by Traci Bruckner of the Center for Rural Affairs; and a cookout, Fun Run, live music, and a Trash Pick-Up for Donuts event.

Wayne State Accelerates Assessment of Student Learning

WAYNE, Neb. (April 3, 2008) -- A seven member team from Wayne State College attended the Academy for Assessment of Student Learning sponsored by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Feb. 20-22, in Lisle, Ill. During the four-year academy commitment, team members will be working in cooperation with HLC mentors and cohort institutions from across the nation to develop a program assessment plan for the new general education program.

Plains Writers Fiesta to Showcase Literature,
Music and Art on April 10

WAYNE, Neb. (March 31, 2008) -- Wayne State College’s School of Arts and Humanities and WSC Press will present the Plains Writers Fiesta on April 10. The fiesta will run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Ley Theater on the second floor in the Education Building. The event is free and open to the public.

Wayne State College Student Rachel Leigh Dixon Dies in Automobile Accident

WAYNE, Neb. (March 18, 2008) -- Wayne State College student Rachel Leigh (Simon) Dixon, formerly of Wahoo, died March 17, 2008, as a result of an automobile accident near Norfolk, Nebraska. She was 22.

Wayne State College Service-Learning Projects Hit Record Numbers

WAYNE, Neb. (March 14, 2008) -- Wayne State College service-learning efforts during the past semester involved more than 1,050 student participants in projects from a variety of courses and disciplines. This level of participation is the highest recorded for Wayne State College.

Wayne State Students to Present "The Magical Land of Oz"

for 50th Annual Children's Play

WAYNE, Neb. (March 13, 2008) -- Wayne State College students will continue a theatre tradition on campus by introducing audiences to "The Magical Land of Oz" in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the annual children's play.

Wayne State College Issues Security Alert

UPDATED FEB. 19 4:30 p.m.

WAYNE, Neb. (Feb. 18, 2008) -- Wayne State College personnel on Feb. 17 discovered a possible threat aimed at the college community. College officials, Campus Security, the Wayne Police Department and Nebraska State Patrol have initiated an investigation of the possible threat.

WSC Announces Dean's List

WSC to Host Fourth Annual Language Arts Festival

Wayne State College will host its fourth annual Language Arts Festival on April 11 for students in grades seven through 12. Carol Gorman, award-winning author of numerous books for young people, will be the featured author. The festival is organized by Dr. Janet Gilligan, professor of English at Wayne State.

Wayne State College Holds Winter Commencement Ceremony

Wayne State College held winter commencement Dec. 14 in Rice Auditorium. A total of 193 degrees were conferred by Wayne State President Richard J. Collings.

Campus Memorial Service Announced for Matt Doggett

Wayne State College Tests Emergency Communications Capabilities

WAYNE, Neb. (Dec. 11, 2007) – Wayne State College conducted a test of its emergency paging systems Dec. 4 on the college campus. Wayne State Professor Jason Karsky, Wayne County Emergency Manager Deanna Beckman, and students from Karsky’s emergency planning classes helped plan and conduct the drill.

Sioux Cityan (and Wayne State graduate) will head U.S. nutrition organization
By Bret Hayworth

Sioux City Journal

Nov. 27, 2007

A Sioux City native who's drawn notice for his research into food psychology and mindless movie popcorn eating has been named to head a government nutrition entity.

State of the Nebraska State College System Address to Wayne State College

NSCS Chancellor Stan Carpenter

Nov. 8, 2007

I’m very happy to be here today to deliver the second annual State of the System Address. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Nebraska State College System! We are providing outstanding teaching and learning opportunities; our campus facilities are undergoing much need improvements; and we are partnering even more with businesses and our colleagues in K-12 and higher education.

Health, Human Performance and Sports Honors Three Students

The Department of Health, Human Performance, and Sports (HHPS) at Wayne State College selected Connor Bramlet of West Point, Michaela Hegarty of Fremont and Nick Jarosh of Ankeny, Iowa, as "Major of the Year'' award winners this fall semester. The Nebraska Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance honored the three for excellence in physical education, exercise science and sport management during its 110-year gala celebration Oct. 27 in Lincoln.

WSC Honors Students Among Nation’s Best

Wayne State College honors students Leann Bolte and Ashley Villarreal presented the results of their honors projects at the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) convention Oct. 31-Nov. 4 in Denver. Bolte and Villarreal were the only Nebraska students invited to present at this year’s conference.

The College Relations News Center regularly provides excerpts of media coverage of Wayne State students, faculty and alumni that appear in outlets around the state, region and nation.

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“Most Health Care Grads Stay in State”

Norfolk Daily News

Oct. 26, 2007

A 15-year study of the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) released in October indicates that 57 percent of graduates are practicing in Nebraska rural communities and 10 percent are practicing in rural communities in other states.

The RHOP program is a collaborative effort among Wayne State College, Chadron State College and UNMC. Students applying for RHOP are considered on three criteria: academic potential, residency in a rural Nebraska community and commitment to practice in a rural community upon graduation.

Unique to this program in comparison to other programs across the U.S. is that it pre-admits students to one of nine health professions at UNMC upon enrollment in their undergraduate studies.