CREATING PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS: ORGANIZING AN UNDERGRADUATE SYMPOSIUM.

This article presents the history, organization and benefits of The Nebraska Undergraduate Sociological Symposium (NUSS). Colleges, faculty and students can gain many advantages from participation in a symposium. However, the biggest gain is to the discipline of sociology. Forums where sociological issues are discussed increase public knowledge about sociology. As the results of events such as the symposium, colleges are likely to take a greater interest in sociology because they see the program as able to interest a large number of students. Sociology faculty are likely to feel energized by the symposium and to go into the classroom with a greater desire to get students involved. Students' interest can be heightened by an event like the symposium. Through it they can come to understand that sociology is a broad enterprise that extends beyond the walls of their own institution. In some cases, participation in the symposium has been a critical experience in solidifying a student's decision to enter sociology professionally.