May 10, 2021
Dear Faculty and Staff,
Thank you.
This weekend, a record number of May UNL graduates earned their Husker degrees. A year ago, none of us knew what would come in the 2020-21 academic year – and few of us would have likely predicted that level of success.
To say this last year has been a challenge is an understatement. In many ways, all of you faced the need to deliver on your role for this university as you would have never before imagined.
And you persevered – against all odds. At every turn, you rose to the challenges and you delivered, even with high levels of uncertainty and such ongoing major disruption in the world all around us from a “once in 100-years” global pandemic, plus major social and political unrest and discord.
We did it. Over the last nine months, we safely and successfully led and delivered a higher education experience with students on our campuses, in our classrooms, labs, and studios, and in our residence halls.
We culminated that success with Law and graduate commencements at Pinnacle Bank Arena, and the incredible celebration of two undergraduate commencement ceremonies in our iconic Memorial Stadium for the first time in our 152-year history.
Thank you – for your dedication and commitment to educating our students. For continuing to set new records in research and creative activity. For continuing to engage the citizens of Nebraska across Nebraska Extension. For all you do to make our University deliver on our mission with excellence and to help our UNL community thrive. Job well done.
Once the grades are all submitted and work of the spring semester fully completed and “in the books,” I hope you will have time to take a deep breath, renew, and reflect on the incredible accomplishment of what we have been able to achieve and its impact this past year. And then anticipate what an exciting time lies ahead as we enter into a new academic year in 2021-22.
I say this often, but I have never felt it more strongly – there is no place like NEBRASKA.
Thank you for your part in making that so.
With gratitude and admiration-
Ronnie D. Green, Ph.D.
Chancellor