While acknowledging that some stress was involved in the reallocation of $6.9 million within the university's state-aided budget, Chancellor James Moeser said the process helped solidify UNL's priorities and created an atmosphere conducive to change.
In his annual State of the University Address on Aug. 22, Moeser reiterated his long-term goals for the University of Nebraska and talked about how the reallocations will help NU achieve those objectives.
"Almost all of the reallocated funds are directed toward the university's academic priorities toward the recruitment and instruction of high ability students; enhancements of our efforts to diversify the campus; support for information technologies and the libraries; support for inter-disciplinary programs that cross traditional college lines; and direct support to colleges to make strong academic programs even stronger, building upon recognized strengths," he said. "While the great majority of the funding was directed toward these academic priorities, we maintained critical levels of support necessary to sustain maintenance, safety and essential business operations."
While the chancellor noted that a large portion of the reallocation budget is devoted to enhancing diversity, he said it will take more than money to effect substantial changes.
"I hope that no one believes that the allocations of money, no matter how large, will of themselves have any significant impact on the campus culture," he said. "Even if we meet all of our goals of increasing the number of faculty of color and removing the glass ceiling for women, unless we address the root conditions of ignorance and indifference, we will not have made any substantial difference."
Now that funding priorities have been set, he said, other issues will be addressed this year.
For example, Suzanne Ortega, associate dean of graduate studies, will coordinate a study to assess doctoral and research programs at UNL to determine which have the greatest strength or strongest potential. Ortega will be on special assignment during the coming year as an American Council on Education Fellow.
Moeser said work will begin on updating the campus strategic plan, including the development of a new comprehensive campus master plan.
He challenged faculty to inspire students.
"I don't want this university to be known anywhere for easy courses. We need to push our students to perform at their very best ability, to grade them highly when they achieve, and appropriately lower when they do not. We need to begin to focus more on how students learn."
Moeser also announced that he will ask the Board of Regents to approve an new administrative position to oversee all distance and extended education projects at the university.
Moeser said he will seek approval to appoint Irv Omtvedt as vice chancellor for extended education in addition to his duties as vice chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
"We have chosen the term extended education quite deliberately, so as to include the traditional concept of extension, but also continuing studies and outreach. This is a change that will affect all parts of the university.
"We are going to attempt to transplant the traditional land-grant concept of service and extension to the city campus - recognizing that the people of the state need instruction and assistance in all areas of knowledge. And we are asking our extension educators in the field to become facilitators of connectivity to every part of the university - to be, as we like to say, the real front door to the university."
Moeser also asked that every university employee develop a sense of pride in the institution and a caring attitude toward working at UNL.
"I believe that ultimately no efficiency can replace community, people who care about each other as well as the quality of their work. It goes right back to the issue of campus culture. Our groundskeepers and custodial staff are no less important than technicians, office staff, faculty, and administrators in setting the tone for what people feel and experience when they set foot on the campus or reach us by telephone or Internet, or read one of our publications."
The full text of the chancellor's speech can be found on the UNL Web Page at <http://www. unl.edu/pr/soua/html/soualnks.htm>. In addition, the text of a publication, "Reshaping Our University," can be found on the web at the same address. The latter can obtained as a printed document by contacting the Office of Public Relations at 472-2211. The chancellor's speech also will be available as a published document in mid September.
New students will be welcomed to the university with campus tours, discussion on what it means to be a university student and a block party with free food and music at the annual Big Red Welcome on Aug. 24.
Class schedule tours will depart from the west side of the Nebraska Union and from the inside of the Nebraska East Campus Union from 1 to 3 p.m.
New students should bring their class schedules to the tours.
Students enrolled in the University Honors Program and University Foundations Program also participated in the summer reading program. At 1 p.m., they will gather in groups to discuss "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho with faculty members. Students read the book as part of the summer reading program.
The New Student Convocation begins at 4 p.m. in the Lied Center for Performing Arts. Speakers will include Tom Osborne, head football coach; Paul Kelter, associate professor of chemistry and the 1996 and 1997 recipient of the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska Outstanding Teacher Award; James Moeser, chancellor; Curt Ruwe, ASUN president; and Peg Blake, director of admissions. The Cornhusker Marching Band also will perform.
A block party with free food and soft drinks will begin at 5 p.m. on R Street between 12th and 14th streets. Local businesses will give away items, the Lied Center will give away tickets, and there will be performances by the UNL Yell Squad, Scarlet Sensations, Scarlet and Cream Singers, and Lincoln area bands Kid Quarkstar, Beyond, and China Digs. The block party will conclude with a performance by Run-DMC sponsored by the University Program Council.
- Karen Underwood
A free UNL educational series highlighting the leadership styles of significant players in World War II will run Wednesday mornings from Sept. 3 to Oct. 1 in the Gateway Mall Auditorium.
Offered as part of UNL's SAGE program in the Division of Continuing Studies, "Leaders in Times of Crisis" will explore the traits and challenges of the leaders who shaped the Eisenhower Generation. The sessions also will highlight how each leader attracted followers during crisis. The presentations will run from 10 to 11 a.m. and all ages are encouraged to participate in this SAGE series, the first ever open to the public.
The series schedule follows: Sept. 3 - Winston Churchill, profiled by Martin Holmes, a visiting economics professor from Oxford University in England; Sept. 10 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt, profiled by Lloyd Ambrosius, UNL history professor; Sept 17 - Dwight D. Eisenhower, profiled by Bill Bridges, UNL graduate student in history; Sept. 24 - Harry S. Truman, profiled by Robert Sittig, UNL political science professor; Oct. 1 - Adolph Hitler, profiled by Edward Homze, UNL history professor.
The series concludes with a summary discussion comparing the five leaders from 9 to 11 a.m. Oct. 8 at the Clifford Hardin Nebraska Center for Continuing Education.
SAGE stands for Sharing Across Generations for Enrichment and is a continuing education program aimed at people over 50. For more information on SAGE activities, call (402) 472-6265.
- Amy Cyphers
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