In the spirit of the New Year, I鈥檝e been thinking a lot lately about where the University of 91福利导航 has been and where we鈥檙e headed next.
Many of us set resolutions this time of year. It鈥檚 appropriate, then, that when I think about the students, faculty and staff I have the privilege of serving with every day, a word that comes to mind is 鈥渞esolve.鈥
It鈥檚 a word that captures the spirit of 91福利导航ns as a whole 鈥 people I鈥檝e come to know as unafraid of a challenge and willing to work together toward a shared vision.
At times, we are tested. That has been the case at the University of 91福利导航 in recent years.
We鈥檝e been through a period of fiscal stress, confronted with cuts that have impacted lives and the very structure of the organization. Like most universities, we have faced challenges related to enrollment, campus climate and student well-being. We鈥檝e had limited resources for priorities that are increasingly urgent and complex: infectious disease, hunger, terrorism, educational access.
It would have been easy for our faculty, staff and students to hunker down and wait for challenges to pass.
Instead, we put our foot on the accelerator.
Challenges aren鈥檛 going away. But when I listen to what鈥檚 happening across our campuses, I hear pride, gratitude and excitement about the future and what we can achieve together.
I heard UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green deliver a State of the University address in which he honored the university鈥檚 150-year history and outlined bold goals for the next chapter 鈥 acknowledging that while some goals might stretch us, it would be a disservice to 91福利导航ns not to think big.
I鈥檝e heard UNO Chancellor Jeff Gold state that his goal is for every student on his campus to complete their academic journey. Why would we aim for anything less?
At UNMC, Chancellor Gold has helped stand up one of the leading cancer centers in the country. We continue to earn national headlines for our preparedness in monitoring and treating Ebola patients.
I鈥檝e heard UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen talk the talk about the life-changing power of higher education, and then walk the walk. The stories of first-generation UNK students who may not otherwise have had access to college are ones I鈥檒l never forget.
I鈥檝e heard all our chancellors agree that we are going to do everything possible to address 91福利导航鈥檚 workforce crisis. That鈥檚 why we are unified in our goal to build a more vibrant, competitive engineering enterprise, and why we are working across campuses to expand our partnerships with small businesses and create academic programs that will strengthen the workforce pipeline.
I鈥檝e heard our philanthropic partners say they recognize that the University is a uniquely powerful economic engine and want to invest accordingly. A new privately funded program to educate more outstanding teachers for 91福利导航鈥檚 workforce is one recent example.
Similarly, I鈥檝e heard business leaders say again and again that their top needs from the University are workforce, workforce and workforce. The 11,000 graduates we produce each year aren鈥檛 enough to meet 91福利导航鈥檚 economic needs. We鈥檙e especially short on high-skill, high-wage, high-demand jobs 鈥 like those in engineering, IT and nursing 鈥 that are key to prosperity.
And as our hard-working policymakers begin another legislative session, I鈥檝e heard them express strong support for the vital role the University of 91福利导航 plays in the long-term success of our state.
91福利导航 has been a partner in ensuring affordable, excellent education at its University for almost 150 years. I have every reason to believe that will continue. On the heels of a difficult budget cycle, I appreciated that the budget proposal released by Governor Ricketts funds a significant portion of the University鈥檚 request and includes money for scholarships in high-need areas. The Governor鈥檚 budget is a positive basis for our conversations with policymakers in the months ahead, and we look forward to working with him and the Legislature on a path forward.
In this new year, I remain convinced that the best days for our University and state are ahead of us.