schwabk2@lopers.unk.edu
Staff changes were made at UNK over winter break. Restructuring of Student Engagement resulted in the elimination of three positions within the office.
Kelly Bartling, the Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Marketing, said the staff changes were made to better the student experience at UNK.
“In mid-January we notified three individuals that their positions had been reorganized,” said Kelly Bartling, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Marketing. “The primary objective is to better serve students. I’m not saying that we weren’t doing a good job at that before, but we are setting emphasis that student success is at the forefront of what we do.”
The restructuring involved releasing staff members from the Student Union and Student Engagement Office.
Sharon Pelc was the director and a UNK Student Government adviser. Tim Danube worked at UNK for 29 years as the associate director, a student government adviser and the Loper Programming and Activities Council adviser. Roy Stutz started at UNK in 2005 as an athletic trainer and ended as the program coordinator.
The student organization leaders are adjusting to this semester.
“Both of our advisers Sharon Pelc and Tim Danube were released from the university,” said Noah Limbach, UNK Student Body President and Student Regent. “There was a little bit where we felt like we were on our own with no heads up to this happening. Our advisors did so much not only for student government but with student life and all of our senators, we formed a great relationship with them.”
Election season is approaching.
“It’s disheartening and disappointing hearing that the university would make a decision like that as the timing was poor from a student government perspective,” Limbach said. “Elections are coming up and we’re looking forward to a successful election season. This has just brought uncertainty as we try to prepare with our new advisor Logan Krejdl, a former student body president at UNK.”
Logan Krejdl is also an academic and career advisor with UNK Admissions.
The LPAC members are also adjusting.
“Tim Danube was our old LPAC adviser, so of course we had to transition after the restructuring,” said Olivia Koeing, UNK junior and LPAC President. “As of right now, Renae Zimmer is our new LPAC adviser. She’s juggling that and a bunch of other organizations she’s a part of.”
Two positions were created.
“The positions being made within the office are focused on different aspects of student engagement,” Koeing said. “One person will be focused on technology and the student retention aspect of student engagement while the other person will be more focused on the organizational part. The second person would take the role as new LPAC adviser.”
The organizations will change to better-serve students.
“The biggest thing is figuring out how different LPAC is going to look,” Koeing said. “LPAC has always been very cookie-cutter in the way that we have a set list of events we always do. We are looking into branching out with more interactive events like our popular build-a-bear event.”
Bartling said she recognizes that students are adapting.
“Change is difficult from an organizational standpoint,” Bartling said. “Anytime there are changes in personnel and leadership it can be an adjustment trying to figure out who is going to be responsible for what. The team here stepped up and provided the organizations with the leadership they needed.”
Student government officials said they will miss the previous advisers.
“It’s difficult to see these staff members go as they were the advisers for some of the biggest organizations on campus,” said Tristan Larson, student body vice president. “They were such hard workers and definitely will not be able to be replaced.”
Danube declined to comment but said he wanted to express how thankful he is for the students and friends he made during his time at UNK.
The Antelope attempted to contact Pelc but received no response.
