University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO)

University of Nebraska—Omaha offers its students “a quality education at an affordable price.� Standout academic offerings include “a hidden gem� of a business school, “the only exclusively dedicated Center for Afghanistan Studies in the nation,� and “a huge information technology program.� All disciplines, but especially the business program, are “focused on maximizing the student’s employability after graduation.� Students here take a cue from hometown hero “Warren Buffet’s no-nonsense basics-first business ideology,� meaning that some of the results-oriented “students here seem less concerned with scholarship and academics, and more concerned with the amount of money they will make when they graduate.� Nontraditional students find a home here. As one junior writes, “all of my professors have been extremely willing to work with me when work and family conflict with my school schedule. My advisor and professors have been almost a cheering squad when I have been so overwhelmed that I am ready to give up on my education to pay the bills.� As teachers, professors are a mixed bag. “Many of them are actively doing research and being published in their area of study. That provides the students with excellent lessons and lectures based on the professor’s experience.� Then there are those “who are just bad teachers.� Interestingly enough, “Not only are the students well aware of it but so are other teachers. Some professors will [even] sit down with you and suggest who you should take…so you can get the most out of the class.� Despite the praise for an advisor quoted above, many other students complain of “poor advising.� Parking is also a problem, though “they are working on [this] by building parking structures.�

“There are two types of students� at UNO. First, you have “typical college-age student ranging from 18–22 years old� in addition to the “many ‘non traditional’ students who are older adults.� Many are “middle-class,� “white,� “Christian� “conservatives� who come from Omaha itself, and those “not from Omaha still tend to come from around Nebraska or the immediate geographical region like western Iowa.� “The state of Nebraska as a whole is not diverse. So thankfully UNO is a diverse campus when compared to the state.� That means that “There aren’t a lot of sideways glances going around…[because] even the ‘atypical’ students are pretty typical compared to larger cities.� Still, UNO is not completely lacking in variety, as there are “a lot of international students to counter this.�

From a social perspective, UNO is your “pretty typical midtown city commuter campus college.� “Lots of people are working and going to school full time,� so “most students just care about going to class and getting off campus as quickly as possible,� though there is a growing population of students living on-campus. In an effort to offer a more traditional college experience, the school is “building several new dorms as part of the new ‘Center Street Campus’ project.� But you can expect traditional college pastimes at UNO. For example, “If you love sports, Division I hockey games against schools like Michigan and Ohio State in sold-out arenas may suit you. If the size of the crowd doesn’t matter, the football, soccer, volleyball and basketball teams are consistently top-notch.� So while “The campus feel doesn’t hit you directly in the face, like at many other colleges…if you get involved with student organizations or activities, you’ll feel it.� Off-campus, “there is a very large bar scene here in Omaha,� and “partying is big here. The weekends are crazy.� One common, if somewhat unexpected, complaint is that there is “a lot of smoking in the open areas.� “We can’t get around it,� says a student.