University of Nebraska-Lincoln community:

Good morning to you all.

Over the past few months, you’ve likely become aware of the state of Nebraska’s budget challenges. This morning President Bounds emailed the greater University of Nebraska system community with an update on our budget, and this topic was also discussed at our Board of Regents meeting this morning.

The challenges are real, and we are working diligently with our elected officials to mitigate adverse effects on the University of Nebraska, which contributes so much to our state and beyond as an economic engine. In fact, we know that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln alone contributes more than $2 billion annually to the state economy. 

We have also been working internally with our collective University of Nebraska-Lincoln administrative leadership team to ensure we understand the landscape and the best options for not only managing with restricted resources, but for continuing to deliver on our mission in such an environment. I can assure you that our priority will be protecting the academic integrity and excellence of the university, and I recognize that much has been done here already to create an effective and efficient organization.

We remain steadfast and committed to our priority of growth as well, and we will leverage the unprecedented momentum and energy that is integral to our university community. I am as enthusiastic today about the future of Nebraska as I was on day one of my chancellorship. The passion, dedication and talent you devote to our land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach at Nebraska’s flagship university runs deep, and I know that any challenges will not dampen that commitment or our ability to pursue our goals.

Thank you for all you do for the university. Because your understanding and knowledge of the situation will be imperative for our ongoing progress, I promise to keep you updated on an ongoing basis. On Tuesday, President Bounds and I will host open forums to discuss in person our budget situation and answer your questions. Details on the forums, along with additional budget information, is available here.

Our trajectory has never been more positive. I’m confident we will lead through this in a way that leverages our momentum and makes our instructional, research, and extension engagement programs stronger than ever. 

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