News Archive

The group of Union College faculty, students, and alumni traveled 10 hours by bus to enjoy sight-seeing at the Taj Mahal.

Jacque Smith, Union College director of public relations, received The Lincoln Business Journal 40 Under 40 Award. The award, presented at a breakfast at the Cornhusker Hotel on June 1, celebrates the accomplishments of 40 Lincoln-area business owners, managers, entrepreneurs, and professional men and women under 40 years of age. Smith is the second Union College employee to accept the 40 Under 40 Award; accounting professor Lisa Forbes received the award in 2006.

As the population of the United States ages, heart disease, already the
nation's number one killer, will affect more people. The American Heart
Association is working to combat this growing crisis with a 10-year
strategic goal of reducing coronary heart disease, stroke and risk by 25
percent in 2010. The annual Heart Walk is one small way to help raise
funds and show solidarity with the fight against heart disease. For the
eighth year, Union College, in participation with the American Heart
Association, is hosting Lincoln's Alternate Day American Heart Walk.
Walkers may begin the one-mile walk around campus anytime between 11:30
a.m. and 1 p.m., rain or shine. Following the 15-20 minute walk, light
snacks will be provided.

Special guest Lauren Knoff, a six-year-old kindergarten girl born with a
heart birth defect, will be a participant at this year's Heart Walk.
Each year, 36,000 babies are born with heart defects, the third most
fatal form of birth defect. Knoff has survived to be an ambassador for
the American Heart Association. She and her schoolmates from Helen Hyatt
elementary will lead the walk.

The Heart Walk is just one of several events focusing on wellness for
National Employee Health and Fitness day. In the afternoon, Union
College employees will team up for games and activities followed by the
year-end employee party. Employee health is a priority for the campus;
Union College has earned the designation as a Silver Well Workplace
Award through WorkWell, the local branch for Wellness Councils of
America (WELCOA).

The Heart Walk is free to the public. Donations to the American Heart
Association are welcome but not required. To participate, meet under the
clock tower at the center of campus (3800 South 48th St., Lincoln).

On Sunday, May 13, Union College awarded 199 associate, baccalaureate and for the first time, master's degrees during the annual commencement ceremony in the College View Seventh-day Adventist Church. The service recognized 20 graduates from December 2006, 119 May graduates and 46 prospective August graduates for a total of 185 graduates. Among this group, 13 students received two degrees and one student received three degrees. Six of the graduating seniors are Union Scholars, which involves advanced coursework and a research project.

Lincoln, Neb.—Students in Union College’s international rescue and
relief (IRR) program are taught to expect the unexpected. For 32 IRR
students and staff, the unexpected conclusion to their semester of study
in Venezuela included a week in protective custody while confusion
created by questions from the Venezuelan government about the group’s
documentation was explored. Following clearance by Venezuelan officials
on Friday, April 6, Union College welcomed the group in Miami on Tuesday
morning, April 10 at 1:15 a.m.

“We are grateful and relieved that our students are safely back in the
United States,” said David Smith, Union College president. “Our highest
priority, whether on campus or with traveling groups, is always the
safety and wellbeing of our students. While there is much that can be
learned from this situation, the most meaningful lesson for me has been
the resilience and positive spirit of our students and staff while they
waited patiently for the situation to be resolved.”

On Feb. 8, the group of 21 students, seven staff and four staff
children, arrived in the village of Maurak, Venezuela, for 10 weeks of
training and service. From this site in the southeastern corner of the
country, small groups of students, each led by a physician and in most
cases also a registered nurse, traveled by plane, jeep, canoe or on foot
to remote villages to provide medical services for two to three days.
The groups then returned to Maurak for debriefing and continued study.

During the first half of the semester in Venezuela, IRR students were
involved with more than 600 humanitarian contacts under a physician’s
supervision. In addition to tropical medical experience, IRR students
were engaged in coursework through lectures and demonstrations. Mid-way
through the trip, however, Venezuelan government officials questioned
the validity of the group’s permissions and paperwork pertaining to
licensing of the two physicians in the group and accusations of using
expired medications. Most of the medications in question were left at
the mission campus by previous service groups.

“We do not know exactly who or what triggered the concern over our
status in the country after several weeks of service,” Smith said. “The
goal of the international rescue and relief program is to train
professionals who can relieve suffering through emergency service and
caring for those in need. We in no way wish to interfere with government
policies or provide help in a way that is not welcome.”

Smith says that while launching the IRR program during the three years
leading up to this year’s trip, Union College representatives completed
all paperwork and obtained permissions they understood that were as
necessary and customary for the semester abroad.

Despite the unexpected confusion over documents, Michael Duehrssen, IRR
program director and board-certified physician, said they maintained a
positive relationship with the local village. “The people of Maurak and
the remote villages where we served were extremely supportive and
grateful for our work,” he said. “The questions about our credentials
came from officials beyond the local region.”

After it became clear that confusion with the documents could not be
easily solved, the Union College group agreed to voluntarily leave the
country. However, even after this decision, more delays for clearance
and the Easter holiday weekend prolonged travel arrangements.

“We are proud of our students and their positive approach to this
disruption in their semester,” said Linda Becker, vice president for
Student Services who along with Jeff Joiner, chair of the Division of
Health Sciences, met the IRR group at the Miami airport. “From what the
IRR students have told us, even though they were not free to come and go
for a few days as they might have wished, they were treated well and
even shared meals with the guards who posted at the mission campus the
last week. Other than having to find creative ways to overcome cabin
fever, the group had the food and supplies they needed.”

Alicia Archer, Union College student from Colorado agrees with Becker.
“We were all very calm—very chill—with no extreme emotions,” she said
Tuesday morning on the phone from Miami. “After this trip, I am even
more proud and passionate about the IRR program than before. I have
rediscovered my goals and vision for my life on this trip.” Archer plans
to combine her IRR major with a degree in nursing and serve abroad
again.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What was the purpose of the trip to Venezuela?

In the junior or senior year of the international rescue and relief
(IRR) program, students complete 10 weeks of training in tropical
medicine, preventative health care and humanitarian relief in a remote
setting.

Who was involved in the trip?

The group of 32 from Union College worked with local health care
professionals, translators and volunteers. Most of the students are
juniors and seniors and all have completed Emergency Medical Technician
(EMT) basic certification.

Where in Venezuela was the IRR group located?

The Union College group was in the state of Bolivar on an existing
mission campus near the village of Maurak, which is about 15 miles from
the Brazilian border in the southeastern corner of Venezuela. The
closest Venezuelan town on a detailed map is Santa Elena.

What type of training and service is involved in the semester abroad?

While in Venezuela, IRR students learned through a combination of
lecture and hands-on training. The students were separated into small
groups, each led by a physician and in most cases, also a registered
nurse and a local health care provider. During the week, the groups
traveled by plane, jeep, canoe or on foot to remote villages to provide
medical services for two to three days and then returned to Maurak for
debriefing and continued study.

Why were Venezuela and the village of Maurak chosen as the training
site?

The program director, Dr. Michael Duehrssen, had previous contacts in
the region including flight support through a group that has been
established in the area for several years. This is the fourth annual
service trip Duehrssen has made to the area which has allowed him to
establish relationships with the local village captains and medical
personnel in the region. In spring 2006, administrators from Union
College also visited and met with local and regional officials. The
village of Maurak extended an invitation and made land available for
Union College to use for the semester of training. The rural setting
provided access to rivers and mountains that were also ideal for jungle
survival training and recreation. In addition, program leaders wanted
students immersed in the Spanish language, which IRR majors are required
to study and will likely be needed in future service settings.

What documentation did Union College pursue prior to arriving in
Venezuela?

Union College had signed letters of agreement with a local hospital and
health officials, the governor of the State of Bolivar, the Civil
Protection department for the State of Bolivar and had a letter of
invitation from a recognized relief organization in the region. The
group had the customary approvals by state and local authorities and
when they asked about additional documentation, they were told that no
further approval was needed. Also, because Duehrssen had traveled and
served successfully with other groups using the same level of
permissions with no concern, Union College leaders thought they had
covered the documentation requirements.

What was the nature of the confusion with the government?

During the three years leading up to this year’s trip, Union College
representatives completed all paperwork and obtained permissions they
understood as necessary for the semester abroad. However, in the second
half of the 10-week trip, Venezuelan officials questioned the group’s
authority to practice medicine while in the country and the
appropriateness of their tourist visas for the work they were doing. In
addition, there were questions about expired medications that were found
on the site of the mission campus, even though most of these medications
were left in storage by previous groups. Union College does not know how
the government initially became concerned about the group’s purpose and
permissions.

What was the status of the group once questions were raised by the
Venezuelan government?

For about a week, the group was restricted to the grounds of the mission
campus and a nearby hill/mountain for recreation. Officials described
the term as “protective custody.” During the day, three guards were on
duty at the entrance to the campus. Students and staff were never
threatened with violence or harmed. In fact, the students befriended the
guards who often ate meals with the group and participated in worships.

What is the setting of the mission campus?

The mission campus where the international rescue and relief group was
housed is about the size of one-and-a-half football fields. The
grass-covered grounds include three block buildings (residence
facilities and a main multi-purpose dining and meeting building) with
more construction in process.

What did the students learn while in Venezuela?

Union College’s international rescue and relief group was in Venezuela
for more than a month before questions were posed by the government
about their documentation and purpose. During these weeks, the group was
involved with more than 600 humanitarian contacts under a doctor’s
supervision including assisting with wound care, treating abscesses and
parasites, testing for malaria, improving unclean water systems,
administering child health assessments and presenting preventative
health education lectures. In addition to tropical medical experience,
IRR students were engaged in coursework through lectures and
demonstrations. Some of the most valuable lessons for the group this
year also include understanding diplomacy, contingency planning and
developing patience in the midst of unfamiliar circumstances.

What is the future of the IRR program, particularly the semester
abroad?

With more than 100 students enrolled in this unique academic discipline,
Union College is committed to the future of the international rescue and
relief program. During the launch of the program over the last three
years, Union College has received invitations from potential sites in
multiple countries. In the weeks ahead, Union College administrators
will continue to refine the process and criteria for locations best
suited for the semester of international study and service. While local
officials in Maurak have said they would welcome the group’s return,
details of this arrangement or other site possibilities will need to be
explored in depth.

ABOUT US

The international rescue and relief major at Union College is the
only undergraduate program of its kind in the United States. This
interdisciplinary major combines the study of health, logistics, search
and rescue through seven emphasis options. The major, launched in 2004
with 32 students, now has more than 100 students enrolled.

The multi-track curriculum combines rescue and survival skills,
emergency care, humanitarian relief, public health, disaster management
and multi-cultural service training. Certifications include EMT basic
and white water and high angle rescue among others. In order to prepare
students for diverse environments and foster a global perspective,
courses are taught in Colorado, Florida and a developing country in
addition to the main campus in Lincoln, Neb.

This major is designed to equip graduates with specialized skills to
serve in a world facing increasing natural and man-made disasters and
growing refugee populations. More info available at www.ucollege.edu/irr.

Union College, located in Lincoln, Nebraska, is an accredited,
comprehensive institution of higher education offering bachelor’s
degrees in more than 50 majors and a Master of Physician Assistant
Studies. Established in 1891 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Union
enrolls close to 1,000 students from 46 states and 30 countries with a
variety of faith backgrounds. Union College offers active learning in a
vibrant Christian atmosphere where students are empowered to lead. With
a focus on undergraduate education, Union’s nurturing environment offers
students a safe place to grow and prepare for careers of service and
leadership. www.ucollege.edu

International rescue and relief students from Union College in Lincoln,
Neb., thought they had seen the worst winter rain storms Florida had to
offer during two weeks of ocean survival and dive rescue training. But
on Friday, Feb. 2, news of pre-dawn tornadoes a few hundred miles north
of their training posts in the Florida Keys prompted 19 Union College
students and staff members to find a way to help.

In cooperation with ACTS (Active Community Team Services), a
faith-based, volunteer disaster response team, the group exchanged a
rest-filled weekend for an all-night drive to put their humanitarian
relief training into action. The group arrived in Lady Lake, Fla., at 3
a.m. Saturday morning (Feb. 3) and were volunteering by 6 a.m. They
assisted with the setup of ACTS’s circus-sized tent near the destroyed
Lady Lake Church of God.

“The rescue and recovery teams had completed most of their work by the
time we could get to the disaster site,” said Michael Duerhssen,
co-director of Union’s international rescue and relief program. “The
priority for our group was helping ACTS prepare and distribute meals,
water and personal care items to the people in the greatest need
following the storm.”

The distribution site near the church was a hub of media activity over
the weekend including visits from Florida’s governor Charlie Crist and
the director of FEMA. While volunteering, Union students were shadowed
by local and national news crews covering the aftermath of the storm.

In addition to helping at the ACTS tent site, a team of Union College
students drove a cargo truck through the devastated area to distribute
goods—food, water, diapers, blankets, medical supplies—to people unable
to get to shelters or afraid to leave what little they had left
unsecured.

“We had many opportunities to pray with the people we were assisting,”
Duehrssen said. “We praise God that we were in the right place at the
right time to be able to help even if it was only for two days.”

On Monday (Feb. 5), the rescuers-in-training returned to South Florida
to prepare for their next service and education adventure. On Wednesday
(Feb. 7), 21 Union College students and three staff will fly to
Venezuela for 10 weeks of training in tropical medicine, preventative
health care and humanitarian relief in remote villages.

Union’s international rescue and relief major is the only four-year
program of its kind in the United States. With an emphasis on hands-on
learning, the Bachelor of Science curriculum combines rescue and
survival skills, emergency medical care, humanitarian relief, public
health, disaster management and multicultural training.

To learn more about Union College’s international rescue and relief
program, visit www.ucollege.edu/irr
or call 402.486.2980. To read more coverage about Union College students
assisting in Florida, view these publications online: Ocala
Star-Banner
and the Lincoln
Journal Star.

Twenty students made history this semester at Union College by showing
up to class. They are the first students admitted in the nursing
program’s new second admission cycle. Previously the program accepted
just one class annually, but interest in the program has surged in
recent years. With so many qualified applicants, it became impossible to
accept everyone.

“Given our nursing program’s higher-than-average completion rate and
general reputation, as well as the college’s tradition of service, we
have more applicants than we can serve with just one admission per
year,” said Malcolm Russell, vice president for Academic Administration.

Union College’s nursing program will now accept two classes of 24
students each year instead of one class of 30. Eventually the program
will educate 144 undergraduates at a time, up from 90 last year. That’s
more than a 60-percent increase in enrollment.

With a shorter wait between admission cycles, impatient applicants may
not turn to other school’s programs. “I love it here at Union,” said
Jason Odenthal, who was recently accepted into the program. “Expanding
the program made it possible for me to stay.”

As the program’s popularity has soared, so have class sizes. “Over the
last several years we have admitted classes of 28, 30, and even 36,”
said Jeff Joiner, chair of the Health Sciences division. “This year's
graduating class will have over 36 students.” For a program setup to
handle 24 students per admission cycle, the larger classes were
beginning to put a strain on classroom space as well as the teaching
faculty.

To support this new growth, the nursing program has grown and adapted.
Vicki Smith and Amy Bollinger joined the teaching faculty this year,
while other instructors have started teaching larger classes. The
program will be adding more professors, and eventually all nursing
classes will be taught twice a year

With so many new students, the program’s demand for space has grown. The
physician assistant program, which shares classroom space with the
nursing program, also recently added a second class. “Between three
levels of nursing students and two levels of physician assistant
students plus several newly added international rescue and relief
classes taught in the Division of Health Science, we’ve become very
proficient at juggling classrooms from period to period,” Joiner said.
“We know the college has made addressing our classroom space a priority,
and until plans can be implemented we’ll keep juggling.”

For more information on Union College’s Nursing Program, visit
www.ucollege.edu/nursing, or call (402) 486-2524. The application
deadline for the August class is in March, while the January class
deadline is in October. Students admitted to the program must have
already been accepted by Union College and completed 32 semester hours
of prerequisite courses with a cumulative grade point average of at
least 2.75.

Band students from 11 Seventh-day Adventist high schools in the Midwest
will gather Feb. 2–3 on the Union College campus for the annual
Mid-America Union Music Festival. The Lincoln community is invited to
come and enjoy fun classical pieces presented by the high school and
college performers Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the College View Church and
Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. in the Union College gymnasium. The 160 visiting
performers will be joined by the Union College Wind Symphony in both
performances.

“Any time you get 225 instruments together, you know it’s going to be
pure dynamite,” said Rudy Dennis, professor of music. “These students
will never forget this experience.”

The students will rehearse during two and half days to learn and master
classical pieces such as “Sabre Dance” by Khachaturian and “Island Jam
No. 7,” which was composed last year and features the percussion section.

“The concert will include band classics combined with island jazz and
music that flies like the wind,” Dennis said. “There is something for
everyone.”

Concert locations: College View Church (4801 Prescott Ave.) and the
Union College gymnasium (enter the campus from Prescott Ave).

From the spring flowers and butterflies of "I'll Fly Away" to the "Autumn Woods" Joy Frame shares the beauty of the seasons in her watercolor paintings currently on display in the Union College McClelland Art Gallery until Jan. 26.

Frame became serious about watercolor painting about 16 years ago. "I'm intrigued by the beautiful blending of colors, the movement and to some extent unpredictability of the paint on the paper," Frame writes in her artist statement. "I love this elusive medium."

Union College Festival of Lessons and Carols
The first concert
will begin Friday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. and will feature the Unionaires,
Union College Vocal Octet and Chamber Chorale. Diverse selections from
the carols and anthems of John Rutter will be interspersed with Biblical
texts from the four Gospels telling the the age-old story of Christ's
birth. Everyone is welcome at this free concert in the College View
Seventh-day Adventist Church (4801 Prescott Ave).

Union College Wind Symphony
Come out to the Union College
gymnasium for a free Christmas band concert, Sat., Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
To find the gymnasium, enter the campus from Prescott Ave.

For more information about either concert, call 402.486.2553.

When Dr. Joe Allison, chair of the Division of Human Development at
Union College, was first contacted by a producer of the ABC show “Wife
Swap,” he thought it was a joke. His wife, Cindy, wasn’t joking when she
told him her opinion: “We’re not doing it!” He assured her after a bit
of teasing that the reality show producers were not interested in their
marriage.

What New York-based RDF Media hoped to find was a small-school
environment for Cody Mink, an 11-year-old boy who stars with his parents
in the Rhinestone Ropers, a traveling cowboy-style show. According to
the producers, the “swapped” mother in this episode wanted Cody to have
a classroom experience to contrast with his home school education. The
Rhinestone Ropers’ September schedule included several performances in
Lincoln where the Minks were accompanied by the “Wife Swap” filming crew.

The production company’s research for a small-school setting in Lincoln
led them to the phone number for George Stone Elementary School, a
one-room, two-teacher school on the campus of Union College. Allison is
the principal of the 25-student elementary school, which also serves as
a learning lab for Union College education majors.

“Of course, we notified parents of the unusual request and allowed them
to choose if their child participated,” Allison said. “ The students who
were involved had a fun time meeting Cody and seeing the
behind-the-scenes process that leads to a television show.”

In contrast to the show’s provocative name, in a letter to parents from
a producer, “Wife Swap” was described as “a family reality show that
introduces two families from very different backgrounds and allows the
mother figures to trade places and learn how other families live.”

“The request from the producers was to provide a classroom setting where
a visiting student would feel comfortable,” Allison said. “Welcoming
Cody was a natural fit for us.”

In addition to interacting with Cody in a school setting, including
class time and recess, Cody invited some of the George Stone kids over
to play a few days later.

“He was a really sweet and talented kid,” said Jackie Simpson, lower
grades teacher at George Stone and mother of two of the students who
played with Cody. “At first we were all a bit overwhelmed by being a
part of a television show, but in the end, it was just fun to get to
know Cody.”

Allison says that the school has no guarantee how the footage taken on
the Union College campus will be used or if it will be used at all. With
or without the television coverage, he says Union College’s George Stone
School is getting noticed.

“Superintendents from across the country seek out Union College
graduates because they have experience with the multi-grade classroom
setting,” Allison said. “The onsite opportunity to develop teaching
skills makes Union’s education program unique.”