WSC’s proposal to name areas of the Conn Library in honor and recognition of the donors who have provided substantial financial gifts and service to the college was approved by the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State College System at its meeting at Peru State College last Friday.

The areas will be named as follows: Dr. Kenneth and Caroline McDonald Eng Food for Learning; Class of 1953 Academic Commons; Joe Nuss Archives; Jon and Adrian Minks Study Lounge, and the Terry and Linda McLain Study Lounge.

In other board actions, a policy has been revised to clarify the enrollment qualifications for someone to be hired as a graduate assistant at a Nebraska state college.

Revisions to board policy 5016 were made that changed the wording in the policy from: “Graduate Assistants may be employed in non-ranked faculty positions or professional staff positions in accordance with Board Policy 5010.” to “Graduate Assistants ARE STUDENTS employed in…”

This sentence was also added: “Students are not eligible for Graduate Assistantship employment unless during each semester of their appointment, they are enrolled in a graduate program and courses at the College of which at least one course is a three (3) credit graduate level course.”

Chancellor Stan Carpenter said, in discussion of the revision, that “it would appear to be that this would be just a normal kind of practice, but what we found was that in fact it wasn’t. And there were some graduate assistants who weren’t really in grad school. It’s just a common sense kind of clarification.”

A new interdisciplinary minor in public health has been approved by the board for Wayne State College.

This is a 21-credit minor which is designed for students with various academic majors with the goal of providing them opportunities to integrate, apply and synthesize interdisciplinary knowledge, skills and aptitudes to public health issues and solutions.

Governor Pete Ricketts made an appearance at the annual senators’ reception, which was held on Jan. 12 at the Ferguson Center. Ricketts, along with 29 state senators, attended the event, which was jointly sponsored by the College Foundations.

“This was the first time a governor has come to this reception,” Trustee Bob Engles said. “We were very pleased to have Governor Ricketts there. It is a great opportunity to develop relationships.”

Next year’s reception will be held on Jan. 17, 2017, at the Ferguson House.