Hastings College, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) announced today an academic partnership that will provide additional educational opportunities at UNO and UNMC for Hastings College students.
This unique agreement leverages the best features of both educational settings — public and private, as well as rural and urban — to create new opportunities and experiences with long-term impacts for the state.
Beginning on a limited basis for the spring of 2021 before rolling out fully in the fall, Hastings College students will be able to register for a wide array of remote and online upper division courses at UNO and some areas of UNMC while continuing in their programs at Hastings.
“This partnership is an important example of our role as a premier public institution,” said Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., Chancellor of UNO. “We understand it is our mission to serve the people and the institutions of Nebraska that support workforce development, educational attainment, economic development, and premier health care. We hope these steps are just the beginning of this partnership, given our common interest in early child education, the liberal arts, STEM, business, technology, and the arts.”
University of Nebraska System President Ted Carter praised the partnership as an innovative approach to helping the state of Nebraska fulfill its workforce needs.
“The future of higher education will be about creating new and innovative pathways for students to complete their degrees and be successful in the workforce,” Carter said. “This exciting partnership with Hastings College is one more way we can expand access for students and put our collective strengths to work to meet the urgent needs of our state. It’s a win for Nebraska students, for both our institutions, and for the economic growth and competitiveness of our state. I commend the UNO and UNMC teams for their leadership on this effort, and we look forward to a long and successful collaboration with our Hastings College colleagues.”
With the expanded offerings in remote and online education from UNO, Hastings College students can continue to participate in intercollegiate athletics, fine arts programs and campus life, at Hastings.
“We are excited to undertake this partnership to build cooperative academic programs with UNO and UNMC,” said Rich Lloyd, Ph.D., the executive president of Hastings College. “It is our priority to further enhance our strong academic offerings by allowing our students to take courses not offered at Hastings College but that align with career aspirations or meet academic needs as students look to add an emphasis area or apply to graduate or professional programs.”
Hastings College students who are interested in pursuing coursework at UNO and some areas of UNMC will work with their academic advisor to identify courses that would enhance their existing Hastings College curriculum. Whether specialized courses in accounting, cybersecurity, foreign languages, public affairs, social work, history, art and more, the agreement offers students a wide array of technical and advanced courses at UNO.
Future cooperative programs between UNO, UNMC and Hastings College may also include internship exchanges or degree programs that begin at one institution and are completed at the other. Faculty will work cooperatively to identify such programs in the coming months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this for undergraduate students or for graduate students as well?
The decision to pursue undergraduate or graduate coursework will depend upon the student’s academic needs and their satisfying pre-requisite requirements in UNO or UNMC courses.
Will the students be fully enrolled at UNO or splitting time between UNO/Hastings College classes?
Hastings College students will be enrolled full time in Hastings courses, with specific coursework from UNO being used to enrich or complement their degree plans.
How can students apply to be a part of this program?
Hastings students are welcome to explore the UNO and UNMC catalogs, and meet with their Hastings College academic advisors to explore the suitability of such courses for their Hastings degree plans.
How is this partnership different from MOUs with community colleges like Iowa Western and Metro where they earn an associate’s degree and transfer credits to UNO?
UNO and UNMC always welcome creative partnership discussions with other institutions of higher education, P-12 school districts, or corporations. Both UNO and UNMC are active participants in the Metropolitan Omaha Educational Consortium (MOEC). UNMC and the UNO Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) have created regional campuses throughout the state. The possibilities are many.
How does the tuition work for students in a private college taking public university courses?
Hastings College pays UNO or UNMC for their courses taken by their students at our Omaha campuses. Students may be required to pay a small additional fee to Hastings College to cover administrative costs.
Is UNO paying anything for this agreement? Are taxpayer dollars involved?
UNO is not paying anything for this agreement. This agreement makes use of additional course availability in our curricula and we are reimbursed for the service by Hastings College.
Hastings College is a four-year residential college that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Discover more at hastings.edu.
