201H Seminars - Summer/Fall 2023

One Book – One Lincoln is a community reading project co-sponsored by Lincoln City Libraries. The program encourages all adults in Lincoln to read and discuss the same book at the same time, to foster dialogue by creating a community-wide reading and discussion experience. This UHON 201H course is designed to allow students the opportunity to read for fun, develop greater appreciation for stories told from a variety of diverse perspectives, and engage with the Lincoln community through literature. Class members will read each of the 3 books selected by the One Book - One Lincoln committee over the course of the 8-week term, with approximately 2 weeks to read each book. The class will meet via Zoom throughout the summer term to discuss each book. Students must attend each class session. Then, in small groups or pairs, students will prepare a project making the case for which of the three books should be selected as the official One Book - One Lincoln selection. While each of the books will be available via the Lincoln City Libraries at no cost across a variety of formats (including e-book and audiobook options), we cannot guarantee availability, so purchase of one or more books may be necessary. The official One Book - One Lincoln finalists will be announced Memorial Day weekend.

Students enrolled in this 201H will co-develop activities and co-lead at least one afterschool or summer club during the enrolled term, usually in an LPS K-12 school. The 201H will focus on developing or implementing a curriculum, practicing communication and problem solving, and coaching youth throughout their experience as an Honors club leader. In most cases, the time spent leading the club is also paid. This 201H option will be offered each semester and interested students may enroll repeatedly; enrollment is required if you plan to lead a club during that term. Requirements include in-person attendance at 3 meetings (initial training, mid-term reflection, and end-of-term reflection), leading a club during the term, online homework, and submission of club curriculum documents. Clubs occur at a variety of times, but mostly in the late afternoon. Class meetings with be offered at 2 times. Students must attend one time for each meeting.

This 201H option is centered around the E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues, Lincoln’s premier speaker series, and the Honors-hosted Cooper Conversations. In the semester of enrollment, students will be required to attend a minimum of three events from the total 5-6 Forum or Cooper Conversations offered that semester and attend three in-person class meetings.

For the Fall 2023 term, the in-person class meetings will be on select Wednesdays, 3:30-4:45pm. The outside-of-class events will include E.N. Thompson Forum events and Cooper Conversations (days/times vary). Most Forum events are livestreamed and recorded.

This 201H option provides an additional avenue for students to complete Honors requirements via their involvement and campus leadership, for experiences that do not meet the threshold of 120 hours required for UHON 99H (which substitutes as 3 hours of Honors credits) but do generally involve 40+ hours of participation. The Honors Program will identify several campus leadership roles (including but not limited to: Big Red Resilience Wellness Coaches, Clifton Strengths Coaches, NHRI Leadership Mentoring, etc.) but will also allow students to propose their own experience. Students will attend one workshop (choice of three), submit three brief reflective assignments, and create one final product/artifact about their experience.

Featuring guest presentations from the University Health Center about navigating health care without parents; community experts about budgeting and financial planning; Student Legal Services about contracts like leases, car purchases, etc.; and others, this 201H will help students learn essential skills necessary to navigate complicated legal, financial, and personal responsibility-related topics. Requirements include active participation in all class meetings and a final project.

This 201H helps students carve out additional time to choose and prepare for education abroad in a social “group advising” setting. Students will choose an education abroad program with intentionality; pitch it to stakeholders such as parents, scholarship reviewers, and crowd-funders; and then own that choice by tackling logistics, setting goals, and researching their destination. Students are required to attend six in-person class sessions most Wednesdays from 3:30-4:45 pm in late August to mid-October. Students will spend $20 or less on course materials.

The ability to effectively connect, build relationships, and share ideas is critical to our health and well-being, our ability to navigate difference, and to our ability to engage productively in civic life. At the same time, connecting well with others has become increasingly difficult as our society faces unprecedented intersecting crises. To address these needs, this class will help students develop/enhance communicative competencies across three distinct contexts: public speaking, interpersonal relationships, and team environments. Through structured workshops aimed at skill development, class discussion, personal critique, reflection, and applications, students will build expertise in how to advocate, negotiate, and relate.

UNL is recognized as an R1 Institution, the highest category for research activity. Entering the world of research may seem intimidating at first, but opportunities are well within reach for UNL undergraduates. Undergraduate research allows students to connect with faculty, increase procedural and technical skills, develop professionally, and increase knowledge towards intended career paths or graduate school. Additionally, all UNL Honors students will complete a Senior Project before they graduate, which for STEM students, is most often based on a research experience. This class introduces students to STEM research happening across UNL, offers guidance on approaching research opportunities and developing a high-quality proposal, and helps students demonstrate their ability to investigate, examine, and explore.