Learning Resources and Communities

Most departments in the college provide students with specialized learning resources, such as computer labs and libraries. Many of these provide students with the opportunity to take advantage of individualized help. Facilities are free and staffed by faculty, or graduate or upper-level students.

Here are just a few examples of facilities within the college:

Departmental Resources: available to students taking courses in these departments:
Biological Sciences, Biochemistry: The Beadle Center for Genetics and Biomaterials Research houses classrooms and labs, including core service laboratories, the microbiology section of the School of Biological Sciences, and a greenhouse complex. http://biochem.unl.edu/beadle.html

Computer Science and Engineering: The Computer Science and Engineering Department is the home of the PrairieFire Supercomputer, a LINUX cluster ranked as one of the most powerful computers in the world. PrairieFire is available to undergraduates who wish to experiment with it. http://www.cse.unl.edu/

English and Film Studies: The Film Studies program makes use of the new Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center. The center features state-of-the-art technology, including capability to show decades-old black-and-white film to new digital cinema. The center has two screens with theater seating, a research library, classrooms, and a film storage archive with about 700 features and shorts on 16mm and 35mm film. http://theross.org/

Biological Sciences: The Cedar Point Biological Station near Lake McConaughy in western Nebraska gives students access to a wide variety of water and land environments, such as forests, meadows, and prairies, and four major grassland types. http://www.unl.edu/cedarpt/

Communication Studies: The Laase Communication Laboratory in Burnett Hall is a state-of-the-art media research center. It is used by faculty and students to carry out a variety of research projects. In addition, students use the lab to learn about verbal and nonverbal communication theory as well as to research, practice, and develop their skills in communication.

In addition, the English Department sponsors the Writing Assistance Center, which helps students enrolled in any University course with their writing needs.  Call 402 472-8803 for information. http://english.unl.edu/wac/index.html

Learning Communities
A number of learning communities have been created on campus to provide students with small groups of like-minded peers with whom they can interact academically and socially. Students in these groups ease their adjustment to the university environment by taking common courses, sharing residence hall facilities and participating in special events. The College of Arts and Sciences features several such learning communities.

The J.D. Edwards Honors Program in Computer Science and Management is attracting outstanding students to its innovative program and new, $14.7 million academic-residential center. Call 402 472-6000 for information. http://jdedwards.unl.edu/

For students who wish to pursue an enriched program, the College of Arts and Sciences offers a lower-division Honors curriculum featuring about 40 courses, recitations, and labs each academic year. These classes are small, allowing for in-depth discussion and faculty-student interaction, and provide a strong research and writing component.  Contact the Honors Program at 402 472-5425 for information. 

For pre-medicine students interested in the humanities, the Humanities in Medicine Program explores how the human and artistic dimensions of medicine complement the scientific. Humanities in Medicine students take courses that explore topics related to medicine, ethics, and society. They attend special events and lectures and they complete a professional shadowing or volunteer experience every year.  Contact the Arts and Sciences Advising Center at 402 472-4190 for information.