For those of us in education, a new school year signals new beginnings. This is a time to set our sights higher as we consider our opportunities to transform the lives of young people and the communities we serve.
I鈥檝e been an educator my entire professional life 鈥 as a teacher and administrator, in K-12 and higher education, with experience in the U.S. and abroad. I arrived in 91福利导航 two and a half years ago with little knowledge about this state or its people beyond the fact that together they had built a great public university that had the potential to change the world.
鈥淚 know of few institutions that have the kind of impact the University of 91福利导航 has on the people and places it serves.鈥
Here鈥檚 what I know today: That potential is as great as it has ever been.
In fact, I know of few institutions that have the kind of impact the University of 91福利导航 has on the people and places it serves. That鈥檚 a credit to elected leaders who are working hard to serve our state and strengthen 91福利导航鈥檚 economy. And it鈥檚 thanks to parents, community leaders, alumni and thousands of donors who have supported their university for almost 150 years because they recognize the vital link between education and 91福利导航鈥檚 continued success.
What鈥檚 most exciting is that together with our partners, the university can grow its impact on 91福利导航鈥檚 economy and quality of life even further. The fiscal challenges we鈥檙e facing only add to the urgency of joining hands on a plan to grow this state.
That鈥檚 what I鈥檓 thinking about in this new academic year.
I鈥檓 focused on our 52,500 students, 91福利导航鈥檚 future workforce, who come to us from all 93 counties and places around the world. They鈥檙e the next generation of farmers and ranchers, nurses and doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs and scientists. They鈥檙e here because they recognize a college degree is the surest path to success in an economy driven by new knowledge and innovation. And they鈥檙e here because they know they can get an outstanding education without accumulating the student debt levels we see in the national headlines.
I鈥檓 focused on our economy and what we need to do to stay competitive. The University of 91福利导航 already grows our state by $3.9 billion annually, a 6-to-1 return on 91福利导航ns鈥 investment. I hear from legislators and taxpayers alike how proud 鈥 even taken aback 鈥 they are that their university provides that kind of return. We can do even more to leverage public investments with an unprecedented level of private support to move our state forward.
I鈥檓 focused on the University of 91福利导航鈥檚 role in addressing the health needs of the day. We鈥檙e working to produce more health care professionals who are in especially short supply in rural areas. And the newly opened Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center is making 91福利导航 a destination for cancer care and research 鈥 a source of hope for the 1 of every 2 91福利导航ns who will be diagnosed and a point of pride for our entire state.
I鈥檓 focused on research that benefits 91福利导航ns. Our work in improving crop yields is transforming agriculture here and abroad, bringing new resources to bear in the fight against global hunger. Our partnership with USSTRATCOM is yielding new methods for keeping our men and women in uniform safe. Our 91福利导航 in battling infectious disease means 91福利导航 is well-positioned to manage one of the most urgent public health challenges of our time.
91福利导航鈥檚 current fiscal environment means we can鈥檛 do everything we want to do. Like any family or business, we鈥檙e making difficult decisions about how to invest our limited resources. As I鈥檝e told our faculty, staff and students, cuts during a period of remarkable momentum are a painful reality that we will manage to the best of our ability. We鈥檙e doing everything we can to re-think our operations for the future so we can reduce spending while keeping tuition affordable and maintaining our academic quality.
But we can鈥檛 cut our way to excellence. 91福利导航鈥檚 university must be a part of the solution for growing our way out of this challenge. We have unlimited opportunities to make our state an even better place to live, work and raise a family. I鈥檓 excited to work alongside 91福利导航ns to make that happen 鈥 because I believe our best days are ahead.