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Food Pantry serves more students

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CHADRON – More students utilized the Chadron State College Food Pantry during the 2021-22 academic year, according to Project Coordinator Kate Pope. A total of 847 bags, each containing about $20 of groceries, was distributed 11 times, serving 1,347 students. This was an increase from 518 bags serving 739 students the previous year.

“The increase in students using the Food Pantry solidifies the need for this resource on campus,” Pope said.

The Food Pantry moved into a dedicated space in the King Library and received increased support from various campus and community entities. With the funds Pope was able to purchase shelving to store food and a refrigerator for fresh produce, meat, and dairy products.

“The students have been impressed with the variety of fresh produce we’ve been able to offer. In the winter, the Community Cares Program grant from Northwest Community Action Partnership provided meats and dairy products, and the students were very appreciative,” Pope said.

The Food Pantry offers students either self-service or pre-packaged bags including canned fruits, vegetables, and soup, peanut butter, pasta, and a box of cereal. Fresh produce for students selecting either type of service includes three vegetables and three fruits.

During Fall 2021, several students mentioned the bags weren’t enough to get through a full month so Pope added a question to a Food Pantry Form asking if the service should be offered twice a month. When 60 percent voted in favor of the option, Pope offered a bi-weekly Food Pantry in the Spring 2022 semester.

The Food Pantry Committee, after conducting research into food pantries on other campuses, decided to start stocking personal hygiene products in the pantry in December, an addition which was well-received, according to Pope. Another area of expansion requested by students with food allergies was the addition of gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian options which Pope attempts to provide when the items are available.

Pope said anonymous online student comments include expressions of gratitude and praise for the project.

“This is amazing and I am so thankful for this because I do not have a lot of money and this helps me. I think the choices are exactly what’s needed. You are doing amazing,” one student wrote.

During the summer of 2022, Pope will purchase additional shelving, storage containers, and reusable bags. Student Senate has approved $12,000 in support of the Food Pantry for 2022-23.

2021-22 Donations:

Chadron State College Student Senate ($15,000)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Rapid City, S.D. (2,200 pounds of food)

NCAP through the Community Cares Grant (Eight boxes of fresh dairy and meat every third Tuesday of the month)

Immanuel Lutheran Church’s Shepherd’s Pantry (150 bags of non-perishables)

Education Department (130 food items)

Athletic Department (50 food items)

Residence Life Association (300 food items)

St. Patrick’s Catholic Church (Two boxes of pre-packaged soups)

Professional Staff Association Winter Canned Food Drive

Walmart ($1,500 grant)

Fall Fund Drives: ($4,100)

Many personal donations


No Tuition Increase at State Colleges

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LINCOLN – For the second straight year, the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges froze tuition at the Chadron State, Peru State, and Wayne State Colleges for the 2022-23 Academic Year. The Board also reduced the non-resident undergraduate tuition rate to match the resident rate to encourage out-of-state students to attend a State College in the hope of further addressing Nebraska’s workforce shortage.

“At a time when students and their families are seeing rising inflation rates and increasing living costs, the Board of Trustees is seeking to ease that burden by managing our costs rather than raising tuition. Allowing our students to stay in school and complete their education by continuing to make a college education affordable for all Nebraskans,” said Jess Zeiss, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges.

According to Governor Ricketts’ statement June 10, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported inflation is at its highest in more than 40 years. Consumer prices have gone up 8.6 percent the past year.

The tuition freeze applies to undergraduate and graduate, resident and non-resident students, and online students. The State Colleges are able to keep the same rates due to the support of the Governor and Legislature.

“As Nebraska’s designated open-access institutions, it is vital that Chadron State, Peru State, and Wayne State College continue to be affordable for all students who dream of continuing their education,” said Dr. Paul Turman, Chancellor of the Nebraska State College System (NSCS). “We appreciate Governor Rickets and our State Senators for supporting our students, their families, and the NSCS. Affordability is one of the State Colleges’ highest priorities as we work to increase degree attainment in Nebraska.”

Graduate rates for resident and non-resident students also remained at the previous rate. The Board also approved the continuation of the reduced online rates of $359 per credit hour for Masters in Education degrees. 

ME in Curriculum & Instruction – Chadron State

MAE in Education (History/Science/Math) – Chadron State

MSE in Curriculum & Instruction – Peru State

MSE in Curriculum & Instruction – Wayne State

MSE in Special Education – Wayne State

The Board of Trustees’ vote was unanimous. 

Math Science COIL reaches substantial completion

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CHADRON – In early June, Chadron State College’s Math Science Center of Innovative Learning (COIL) reached substantial completion status. This means the project, or a portion of it, is fit for its intended use and the owner can occupy and use the property, according to Harry Mowry, assistant to the Vice President for Administration and Finance.

The new furniture arrived last week and is in the process of being assembled and distributed throughout the building.  The new furniture looks great and will create a wonderful learning environment. The bid has been accepted to replace the South parking lot and that work will begin soon.

CSC President Randy Rhine said he is excited about the upcoming opening of the new and renovated structure.

“It will provide CSC faculty with a wonderful new facility to enhance their abilities to continue providing students with the best education in Math and Science in the region,” Rhine said.

Design and development documents were approved for the Math Science renovation and construction and the facility’s new name was approved by the Nebraska State College System Board of Trustees in June 2020. A groundbreaking ceremony for the $32 million facility took place in September 2020.

The gross anatomy lab has four state-of-the-art downdraft tables each with a surgical light camera connected for display on a mobile screen in the lab so instructors or students can share their work with others in the class.

The building includes four standard classrooms, one active learning classroom with smart screens and cameras, 15 labs, 25 offices, two conference rooms, a room for nursing mothers, two glass-enclosed testing rooms, and an 80-seat lecture hall.

Specialty features include the Dr. Lois Veath Planetarium, the High Plains Herbarium, and the Eleanor Barbour Cook museum.

Mowry said plans are for scientific equipment to be installed in July. Landscaping is 95 percent complete, with remaining work to be completed later in June and July, depending on weather conditions. The building will be dedicated in September in conjunction with the Nebraska State College System Board of Trustees meeting on campus.

Furniture for classrooms and offices from AOI in Omaha arrived last week and five AOI staff will remain on campus until June 24 assembling and distributing furniture throughout the building, Mowry said.

Dr. Mary Keithly, assistant professor in Physical and Life Sciences, Dr. Rachelle Rider, assistant professor in Physical and Life Sciences, and Dr. Rob Stack, professor in Mathematical Sciences, are faculty who served on the furniture selection committee in consultation with BVH interior designers Katherine Pickering and Jackie Bacon and architect Garrett Peterson

“They provided us with initial plans and ideas for what the spaces would look like. We then gave them feedback on how our students actually use the spaces. We focused on finding furniture that was comfortable, functional, and durable. Our students spend a great deal of time studying together and working with faculty. So, we wanted to have spaces that would fit those needs,” Keithly said.

The faculty traveled to Denver with BVH representatives to look at suggestions by BVH including a tour of facilities at Colorado State University in Fort Collins to see how their spaces were arranged. 

Stack said being able to see the showroom in Denver, as well as furniture at CSU, helped the committee members see how various pieces were being used in a collegiate setting.

In addition to furnishings arriving and substantial completion being announced, faculty have been learning how to use technology in the new building.

Dr. Tawny Tibbitts, assistant professor in Physical and Life Sciences, said based on training she has received so far, the facilities are beyond what she has experienced on any other campus.

“We have new technology that will give online students a more immersed feeling in courses, audio capabilities to assist those with hearing constraints, lab facilities that will give our students a competitive edge in their career searches after graduation, and museum and planetarium spaces that will blow your mind,” Tibbitts said. “It will be great to see students in the building, engaged in their courses and working together in our active learning corridors. It will truly be an incredible experience opening up this fall.”

Dr. Mike Leite, professor in Physical and Life Sciences, said the new building will be a game-changer for the college.

“Not just for science programs, but for everyone who wants to experience the benefits of innovative learning. The building itself is a message: Science is engaging, science is relevant, and science can provide meaningful careers for our students. The spaces we will have to work in are unprecedented in the college’s history. They will be welcoming and functional for students and visitors,” Leite said.

Tibbits will manage the planetarium which features a 24-foot diameter Spitz projection dome, LED cove lighting, a 600-watt sound system, and a state-of-the-art Digistar7 digital fulldome projection system with interactive software for immersive teaching, learning, and infotainment, according to JT Towne, Sales Director with Digistar.

The D7 features multi-curricular datasets for teaching astronomy, earth science, and other topics. Additionally, the system comes with a library of fulldome movies, a Cloud Library of shared shows and 3D models, Domecasting, and 3D and remote diagnostics capability, according to Towne. Fulldome visuals are projected by a laser digital cinema projector with a custom fisheye lens that delivers resolution of about 5 million pixels.

 





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