UNL students from fine and performing arts and architecture celebrated the proposed consolidation of the two colleges with an Oct. 24 tailgate.
The “Fusion Friday Tailgate” was organized to introduce students to the people and programs working to create the new college.
“The Fusion Friday Tailgate was a big success, and I was pleased to see so many students from both colleges come out to enjoy the food, games and music,” said Chuck O’Connor, dean of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. “It was a great event for them to meet each other and celebrate as we move forward in creating a new college together.”
Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Ellen Weissinger, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, announced in February the initiative to create a new college. A committee of faculty and staff from the colleges are developing a strategic plan to launch the new college, which will continue to carry the Hixson-Lied name.
“The primary justification for creating a new college is to take advantage of the extraordinary opportunities that can be achieved by bringing talented design-oriented faculty into a single academic unit,” Perlman said.
A transition committee of 18 faculty and staff members has led the process from both colleges. O’Connor and Kim Wilson, interim dean of the College of Architecture, jointly chair the committee. The committee met throughout the summer of 2014 to identify issues; formulate a process to include students, faculty, staff, and external constituents; and research possible organizational structures for the new college.
The transition committee formed eight task forces to find opportunities and review key areas of the merger that include such areas as governance and promotion/tenure; finances and business operations; curriculum; recruiting, advising, retention and placement; and technology.
For more information on the new college proposal, go to http://newcollege.unl.edu.
Students who attended the tailgate were supportive of the new college.
“This is a pretty exciting time in the history of these two colleges,” said Allie Laurenzo, a senior interior design major. “I think students will be offered more experiences when the programs are integrated. I’m also interested in watching them build an entirely new community here at UNL.”
Matt Smoot, a junior music education major, thinks the consolidation will generate new education options for students.
“Combining the two is a great way to strengthen programs in both colleges and broaden their impacts,” Smoot said. “And the new opportunities this generates will be attractive to students.”
The event included food, games, various activities, prize giveaways and live music.
“The student advisory boards in both colleges did an excellent job of bringing everyone together for a fun event,” Wilson said. “It was inspiring to see students from the colleges working together as we move forward with this process.”
