November 26, 2024
Dear NU Faculty, Staff, and Students,
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for each of you. Your commitment to the mission of the University of Nebraska — whether through teaching, research, engagement, service or a combination thereof — shapes the lives of countless students, strengthens our communities and creates a brighter future for Nebraska. I am deeply thankful for your passion, creativity and dedication to this incredible institution.
Over the past few months, you may have heard me speak of the “odyssey to extraordinary” on which our University has embarked. There is no doubt that the University of Nebraska is a very good university — an excellent one, in fact. But we are at an unprecedented time in our university’s history, and excellent is no longer enough.
Today, I am writing to invite you to join me on a transformative journey for our university. In the coming months, we will launch a collaborative strategic planning process designed to guide the University of Nebraska from an excellent institution to a truly extraordinary one. This plan will be our roadmap for the future, built upon five foundational pillars:
- Extraordinary Teaching and Learning: Advancing innovative, inclusive and impactful educational experiences for all students.
- Extraordinary Research and Creative Activity: Fostering discovery and innovation that address critical challenges and unlock new opportunities.
- Extraordinary Partnerships and Engagement: Creating impacts across our state, nation and world that result in positive rural and urban outcomes.
- Extraordinary Culture and Environment: Cultivating a supportive, inclusive and dynamic community where every individual can thrive.
- Extraordinary Stewardship and Effectiveness: Leveraging our resources wisely to achieve sustainable and far-reaching impact.
These pillars will guide not only our campuses, institutes and centers but also our departments, programs and partnerships. Every member of our university community — faculty, staff, students, and stakeholders — has an essential role in helping to shape and build upon this foundation.
We will move quickly on this. I don’t need to remind you that colleges and universities across the country have faced budgetary constraints and dwindling enrollment at a time when many Americans are struggling to see the value of higher education. Across NU, a number of our colleagues have recently retired or announced their plans to do so. While we are grateful for their collective decades of leadership and will miss working alongside them, we recognize these transitions as moments of opportunity, in which fresh perspectives can inspire new growth and innovation. Together, as a united university community, we can embrace this change with optimism, building on our strengths and drawing on the deep well of talent ready to lead NU into its next chapter.
Over the past few months, we have already made progress in writing our next chapter. We have taken important first steps to be readmitted to the American Association of Universities. We have expanded the Presidential Scholars program to keep top students in Nebraska for college, with the hope that many will choose to build their careers and families here. We are working to more fully harness the power of AI across our campuses, and we’re working to address Nebraska's workforce shortages in areas like tech, agriculture, rural healthcare and much more.
In addition, the University of Nebraska System is strong in key areas — medicine, defense, agriculture and athletics among them. We enjoy incredible support from every corner of the state and an engaged network of alumni from across Nebraska and far beyond. We have productive partnerships with state and industry leaders and a shared vision of what is possible for Nebraska. Perhaps most importantly, we have 49,749 students, who are bright, passionate, hungry to learn and ready to change the world.
As we undertake this important work, I am reminded of the Stockdale Paradox: the ability to confront the difficult facts of our reality while maintaining an unwavering belief in our ultimate success. This mindset will be crucial as we assess where we are today, acknowledge our challenge and envision the extraordinary future we can achieve together.
Over the next week, I encourage you to reflect on the contributions we each make toward our shared mission. I am inspired daily by the talent, passion and dedication across the University of Nebraska System, and I have every confidence that together, we will build a future worthy of our aspirations.
Thank you for all that you do to make the University of Nebraska a place of learning, discovery and impact. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful and restful Thanksgiving holiday.
Warm regards,
