Putting the University of Nebraska in a position to gain readmission to the Association of American Universities will require it to make careful use of money it receives from donors and taxpayers, Jeffrey P. Gold, the new president of the university, told the UNL Faculty Senate Tuesday.
Gold noted that the university foundation had committed a record $388.8 million in new money to the four campuses. He said the university needed to use the money from donors and the state to pursue top talent. That will mean cluster hires of new faculty for areas that are centers of excellence, he said.
Gold said he has been examining campus strategic plans with an eye to identifying areas of excellence where money can be invested most effectively. Agriculture and national defense will certainly be among them, he said. “There will be others, but if we have 100 priorities, we have no priorities,” he said.
One reason to emphasize agriculture and defense is the availability of federal dollars. Gold said he had met with members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation recently, and they were interested in tagging federal dollars for programs in this state. Agriculture and defense are two areas where federal expenditures are growing.
Gold also said he had met with the executive director of the AAU, Barbara R. Snyder. “I was clear with her that we are focused on the same thing as the AAU: academic excellence.”
But getting back in the AAU will be a 10-year project, at least. And it is not as simple as submitting an application. The university will have to be invited to rejoin the AAU, and getting that invitation will depend on how Nebraska performs on 14 factors such as grants awarded, doctor degrees granted, faculty awards and graduation rates.
“We are in a quest to enhance our academic excellence and look like other universities. Whether or not we get recognized by the AAU, our focus will be on academic excellence,” Gold said.
Gold also addressed the decision to close the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at UNL. Campus specific organization decisions are made by campus leaders, Gold said. But the closure did not mean the university was abandoning the goal of being receptive to a diverse student body.
One Senate member, Cory Rumann of the department of educational administration, asked Gold what he should tell prospective students and faculty members about the dissolution of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Gold said UNL Chancellor Rodney Bennett remained committed to the creating an inclusive environment for all students and faculty. Bennett had made a tactical decision, Gold said, that a centralized program was less effective than a decentralized one. The president encouraged faculty to have a discussion with campus leaders about how best to achieve the goals of diversity and inclusion.
Gold said he has also has had a substantial dose of athletics since becoming president July 1. The Board of Regents had made the decision to have the UNL athletic director report to the university president rather than the campus chancellor. But UNL is not the only athletic program he oversees; the programs at Kearney and Omaha also require his attention.
Although athletics consumes a great deal of time, Gold said it was beneficial for him to be involved at a time of major changes. The realignment of conferences, revenue sharing and name-image-likeness issues, among other things, are reshaping the world of college athletics, and it is beneficial for him to be at the table to help protect UNL’s programs, he said.
Gold’s investiture as president of the NU system will be Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in the Rotunda of the Nebraska Capitol.
After Gold’s question-and-answer session with the Faculty Senate, James L. VanEtten, the William Allington Distinguished Professor of plant pathology, received the Louise Pound-George Howard Distinguished Career Award.
