General Information
Additional Contact Information
jsurface@unomaha.eduZoom Addresshttps://unomaha.zoom.us/my/jsurface
Biography
University of Nebraska at Omaha has been a cherished home for Dr. Surface since 2008. She loves teaching School Law courses and Qualitative Research, and she is passionate about her work with education law and rural education.Dr. Surface is an experienced practitioner in education, serving two years as Superintendent and one year as Assistant Superintendent of Park County School District #16 in Meeteetse, Wyoming. During her first year in the district as Assistant Superintendent, she led the work that brought the school from a devastating loss of accreditation to full accreditation.Dr. Surface served as principal at Prairie View Elementary School in Ogallala, Nebraska. She served as the secondary principal in the Wakefield Community School system in Wakefield, Nebraska. While in Wakefield, Dr. Surface worked closely with Wayne State College establishing a professional development school within the K-12 environment. The district was also deeply engaged in the Annenberg Rural Challenge initiative to improve rural students' educational outcomes. Dr. Surface began her educational career in Roseland, Nebraska, where she taught Family and Consumer Science for the Silver Lake Schools. Dr. Surface also served as a grant manager for a five-state National Science Foundation grant and a grant writer for the Applied Information Management Institute.Dr. Surface received her Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Her Master's and Bachelor's degrees are from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, Nebraska. She graduated from John Goodlad's Institute for Educational Inquiry program in Seattle, Washington.
Teaching Interests
Working with students on their dissertations brings me great joy, especially in Qualitative Research. I find fulfillment in helping students explore and uncover data through the diverse and remarkable research methods they have been taught in our department.My interests extend to various aspects of law, particularly in areas such as School Law, Contemporary Issues in School Law, Special Education Law, and Higher Education Law. Qualitative research is another favorite course to teach because of what I have learned by conducting my own research. Students in EDL are given close guidance to develop research skills. Teaching the Seminar in Culture and Context is another course that brings out my passion. The course involves reading about education and democracy, learning how to critique a journal article, and learning about writing the introductory chapter of the dissertation.As an educator in the Department of Educational Leadership, I am deeply committed to continuous growth. I feel privileged to be part of this department, where my passion for teaching is strongly supported.
Research Interests
I have always loved to write, and my success sometimes surprises me. My research interests are predominately school law with a particular interest in Title IX Investigation, Torts, First Amendment, Adolescent Dating Violence, Sexual predators in schools, and Sexual Violence in Colleges. I have just finished being on the editing team for a book, "The Principal's Legal Handbook | 7th Edition. I have also written several hundred short legal reviews for the Education Law Association.Rural education is a significant interest as well especially surrounding the impact of school consolidation, degradation of rural citizens, rural schools and communities, and the power of place-based learning.Other areas include social justice, women, and leading the dissertation process.I am a co-author of two books: Women in Educational Leadership and Prepare to Chair: Leading the Dissertation and Thesis Process.
Service Summary
My service summary for the past year and going forward is continuing my work as a hearing officer for Title IX hearings on campus and have been through the formal training and serving as the session chair for a student conduct hearing.I am representing our department on the Academic Standards and Policy Committee and the Graduate Committee.Napsl committee for Superintendent shortages and Superintendent and rural leadership.I have taken on some new roles with the Education Law Association, including a leadership position with our teaching-learning committee.
Professional Development
Conference Attendance, Conference on Law and Education, 02/25/2022 - present
Community of Practice: Teaching, Research on the Superintendency SIG- Rural - 02/13/2023
Workshop, Search Advocate Training - 09/08/2023
Workshop, YUJU walkthrough, 01/26/2023 - present
Workshop, Search Advocate Training - 09/08/2023
Conference Attendance, McCarthy Law Institute - 11/01/2023
Institutional Training, Faculty Search Training, 01/25/2023 - 01/25/2025
Licensures and Certifications
atIXa Civil Rights Investigator Training- Level 3, Association of TItle IX administrators, 05/08/2019
Title IX Hearing Officer Decision Maker, Association of Title IX Administrators, 10/15/2020
Scholarship/Research/Creative Activity
Selected Publications
Oltman, Gretchen, Surface, Jeanne. 2021. Preventing Sexual Grooming by Teachers: One State's Legislative Approach, Education Law Association.
Surface, Jeanne. 2020. Virtual Defenses a Pandemic Reality , Education Law Association.
Surface, Jeanne, Keiser, Kay. 2020. Women in Educational Leadership: A Practitioners Handbook, Word and Deed .
Oltman, Gretchen, Surface, Jeanne. Legal and Educational Issues Faced in Dissertation Completion, Education Law Into Practice/ West Law Reporter .
Oltman , Gretchen, Surface, Jeanne, Keiser, Kay. 2019. Prepare to Chair: Leading the Dissertation and Thesis Process, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 172.
Directed Student Learning
Dissertation Committee Chair, AN AUTOETHNOGRAPHY OF AN ARABIC MUSLIM STUDENT IN THE UNITED STATES: THE STORY OF LIFE IN SAUDI ARABIA AND THE CHALLENGES OF TRANSITION TO THE UNITED STATES., Completed
Service
Department, College, and University
Academic Planning Council, Committee Member, Monitor the quality and assist in the ongoing development of UNO's academic programs and units.Served on the site visit review team School of Public administration., 08/01/2018 - 08/31/2018
Executive Council, University Senate Service, The faculty senate vice-president shall preside over the Senate during the absence of the faculty senate president and over the executive council except in June and July, and perform such other duties as appropriate to the office.Weekly meetings include: Faculty Senate Meeting; Executive Council; Executive Council and UNO administration; and Executive Council and Committee chairs. , 05/15/2019 - present
Professional
The Rural Educator, Reviewer, Journal Article, Peer reviewer for Rural Educator, a journal that is part of the National Rural Education Association, 02/02/2019 - present
American Educational Research Association, Rural Education Special Interest Group, Chairperson, Work with the membership to selected a group of leaders for the group. , 08/01/2008 - 08/31/2008
American Journal of Qualitative Research , Editorial Review Board Member, My responsibility to the journal is typical of a member of an editorial board. I review journal articles and support the journal as a practitioner. , 03/01/2018 - 03/31/2018