Higgs and Jones Join Leadership for the Office of Engagement
Omaha, NE – During the Spring 2024 semester, the Office of Engagement (OE) and its units worked together to begin the process to redefine its structure and streamline roles and responsibilities to meet the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) metropolitan mission. The first phase of this process brings two leaders serving as Associate Directors in the Office of Engagement. Rosey Higgs, M.S.W, is the Associate Director of the UNO Service Learning Academy (SLA) and Jason Jones is the Associate Director of the OE.
Higgs will serve as the primary contact for faculty members and community partners who want to engage in service learning courses or enhance curricular or co-curricular engagement at UNO. Jones will build and execute operational systems to support a more coordinated strategy to link all OE units on operations, billing, and processes.
Jones has worked at UNO for over three years, leading the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center (CEC) building services and operations. A retired aircraft mechanic with the Air Force, he has a strong history of leading teams toward collective goals and building the necessary structures and operations to support them.
Jones says, “This opportunity allows me to support great people and organizations while working with the team to put the right systems and processes in place. This role allows me to meet the current and future needs of our office by developing an efficient operations strategy.”
Higgs comes to UNO from the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands and has served as an adjunct faculty member in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service. She has extensive knowledge and experience with community partners from nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government agencies.
Higgs is “thrilled to join the SLA at this exciting time and for how this work is part of the Office of Engagement at UNO. Working as a cohesive team, we will be a bridge between our UNO family and our community partners, further solidifying UNO as a leader in engaged scholarship and more. Together, we will harness the Maverick spirit to tackle some of the toughest challenges faced in our community.”
Jones and Higgs will be essential in supporting each OE unit, alongside unit staff and Julie Dierberger, Ph.D., the Chief Engagement Officer and Paul Sather Distinguished Director of the Service Learning Academy.
Dierberger says, "These roles will enhance operations throughout our units, our campus, and the engagement ecosystem involving our community. Rosey and Jason embody a shared vision of community engagement, strong leadership, and enthusiasm to create access and innovation toward our metropolitan mission. I am excited about what the future holds."
The OE units and staff are working hard to streamline roles, responsibilities, and more. This work is ongoing, and as new processes are implemented and as changes take place with roles and unit staff, more updates will be shared throughout the campus and community. This announcement is the first of several that aim to generate awareness among the campus and community about the overall office and its units, who to contact, how to collaborate, and more.
Get to Know the Office of Engagement
The Office of Engagement works alongside UNO’s colleges, departments, and units to support teaching, research, and service to meet our metropolitan mission. In collaboration with community partners from nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies, P-12 schools, and businesses, the Office of Engagement is tasked to create access and opportunity engagement efforts that increase student social, economic, and civic mobility while supporting community development. The Office of Engagement is the formal home for the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center (CEC), Service Learning Academy (SLA), Volunteer and Civic Engagement Programs (VCE), Community Engagement Partnership Initiative (CEPI), and Community Engaged Scholars Transcript Designation (CESTD).
