I’ll be honest, it’s been a hard week, for a few reasons.

For one thing, I’ve been thinking about commencements. My grandson’s would have been this Saturday. Watching all the ways that parents and teachers have been coming up with creative ways to celebrate has been both inspiring and bittersweet. I remember, personally, what an important marker it was in my life and I wonder about what it means to all those now graduating.

At a different point this week, I was reflecting on a series of studies I remember reading in the 1990’s about women and higher education. They showed that most young women who didn’t start college right after high school never attended later. They also showed that the majority of those who left university partway through never returned. Essentially it laid out that once a disruption in education happens, it’s harder for women to make that big change of getting back to a higher education system.

I don’t know what the data would show today, but with some universities not opening in the fall or moving all their fall classes entirely online, I’m concerned about the bright, diverse young students we might lose in this period of time.

And last but certainly not least in the way of “things that keep me awake at night,” we got a note recently from University of Nebraska President Ted Carter that they had to eliminate several employees from the President’s staff and IT staff because of funding constraints due to COVID-19.

We’re starting to see some of the many consequences of this pandemic, and as we get closer to having to do the budget, the harder it is for me to be upbeat.

When you have to let people go because of budget cuts you inevitably start to worry about who’s next. It’s hard on morale – especially the newest hires – and it’s a struggle. As a regent I don’t take it lightly.

These are people’s lives. These are our dedicated students, faculty and staff. To Ted Carter’s credit, he has absolutely dug in and understands the university. I know that he is handling this with the most informed and empathetic approach possible. We have a good leader and I trust him and I trust the board of regents. Still, it hurts.

There will be a lot of key decision making and budget work in the next couple months, starting with the June regent meeting. Scrutinizing the budget (which might even be less than last year) is going to be difficult and psychologically stressful. My colleagues in the finance committee, along with Ted Carter and the deans, will have hard choices to make, with only as much info as we can get at the time.

Even though I’ve only been in this position for about a year and a half, I’ve gotten to know so many wonderful people and it’s hard to watch them go through this.

I wouldn’t ever presume that it compares to the pain and uncertainty many are dealing with when it comes to potentially losing a job, or having to recalibrate… well, everything. I mention it because I want to thank all of them for the incredible work they’ve done, and continue to do. For those who are sadly let go, I know the University of Nebraska will work hard to find good placement for them, and quickly. They are, after all, part of our family.

While there’s much that’s out of our control, we have the opportunity to say thank you and take care of each other as a community.

Faculty and staff have been going above and beyond. Everyone who works the food pantry at the Community Engagement Center has been working hard to keep it open, stocked, and providing for the community.

I’ve gone through different phases during this pandemic. I’ve gone from “okay, this is different” to “look at all the stuff I can get done and have time for” to “I’d rather reflect and meditate” to “how are we going to get to a place where we can make good informed decisions?”

Where I’m at now – where we’re at – is we have to trust in ourselves that we’ll learn and adapt, and trust in each other.

*Barbara’s thoughts as written by Kate based on weekly (fascinating) conversations.

It’s an odd feeling to have that there’s simultaneously so much happening, and nothing happening at all.

Recently, in a quiet moment, I was reflecting back at the wonderful week I spent last year with students and families at graduations. And as I was thinking about it, I was also looking at the special section in the Omaha World Herald where they highlight a number of graduating high school seniors. It was heartbreaking thinking of all the graduates, both from high school and university, who are missing out on the classic commencement with all its fanfare, pomp and circumstance.

Personally, I remember that graduating high school and entering my first year of university felt like New Year’s Eve on steroids. I hope at some point they get another opportunity to have that kind of experience. Grad school, maybe?

While there’s so much we can learn from the past, it’s also not always helpful to dwell on it. Of course, that’s easier said than done as we navigate this age of uncertainty.

My own grandson won’t know until mid-June whether he’s going to be on campus in the fall. There’s still so much up in the air. Even so, there are things to look forward to. One thing I’m really excited about is welcoming our new Student Regents who start in May! Introducing…

Max Beal (UNK) – he’s the student body president at Kearney, and a senior studying Business Administration. Raised on a farm, he’s been involved numerous activities, including an internship in a congressional office in Washington DC.

Roni Miller (UNL) – Roni will be a senior this fall, majoring in Spanish and Political Science. She’s been in student government since her freshman year, and helped secure a grant from Women Investing in Nebraska to provide a counselor-in-residence program. She’s also been an ambassador, regent scholar, and intelligence community scholar.

Javin Moore (UNO) – a third year Business major, Javin graduated from Omaha North Magnet School and is very passionate about civic engagement. He’s currently the leader of the UNO Student Government, after having served in several positions including Vice President.

Tom Schroeder (UNMC) – Tom is a third year medical student at UNMC. Originally from Lincoln, he has already spent year in Turkey on Fulbright scholarship and has also served in the Peace Corps in Guatemala.

It’s tremendous to have their new voices and new perspectives, I’m very much looking forward to working with them.

In more good news, do you remember that pandemic recovery guide I mentioned in my last blog? The one that President Ted Carter and a group of experts including UNMC and the Global Center for Health Security? Well, it’s done!

The Higher Education COVID-19 Pandemic Recover Guide is complete and available to any higher education institution to figure out how and when to re-open campus in a way that ensures everyone’s health and safety.

This is a playbook for administrators, and has already been sent to a number of schools, with more requesting it as the word spreads.

The checklist is broken down to three phases and covers every aspect from engineering facility controls and administrative campus controls, to policies and procedures.

What I like most about this is that this group worked diligently to create something they’re willing to share with entire country. Some people might have opted to print and sell it, some might have decided to keep it exclusive so that University of Nebraska could be promoted as the only “safe school.” But no, it’s available to anyone, because citizens’ welfare is what matters most.

It says a lot about the University of Nebraska that we’re trying to do something to help the rest of the country. It’s something to be proud of.

*Barbara’s thoughts as written by Kate based on weekly (fascinating) conversations.

When will this be over?

It’s a question a lot of us have been asking ourselves. It’s a question healthcare workers and infectious disease specialists have been trying to figure out how to answer accurately and responsible.

Currently, it’s a question without an answer, which leaves us with awkward follow up questions, such as “how can I plan for the future because I don’t know when it will be safe to be out and about?”

Wally and I are both past 70. I have had some respiratory issues my whole life that make me more vulnerable and though Wally is really healthy, his office is understandably concerned. We both agreed that we’ll stay put at least another month.

The critical thing right now is that people follow the guidelines. I know people don’t like to be told what to do but the health of our community is more important than our pride.

For now, we have to get comfortable with uncertainty. We will have answers to different questions at different points in time, but patience and following health and safety guidelines are going to be key for our community. We need to play the long game by being okay with staying still, or taking the smallest of steps.

Speaking of, the Chancellors have recently made decisions about when they’ll start to let people come back onto University of Nebraska campuses as needed. Different campuses have different dates, depending on the local circumstances.

UNL is opening campus up for limited necessary business on May 11.

UNO and UNMC are following suit on May 15.

UNK is planning on doing so May 18. Their later date is related to the hot spot that they’re in relative to the virus. If pandemic circumstances demand they push the date for everyone’s safety, they will.

In an effort to provide clear and informed guidance on when and how to safely re-open schools, University of Nebraska president Ted Carter has been working with a high level admin group – in tandem with UNMC and the Global Center for Health Security – to put together a pandemic recovery checklist that they will share with any higher education entity that wants it.

The idea is to create a plan for how you as a school can make sure you’re ready for your students to come back to campus safely.

It has a three-phase approach and will be a great practical tool especially for people who are making decisions that affect students, faculty, and staff. It’s a service that this group is doing for the greater good of higher education and students everywhere, and I’ll be able to share more about it when it’s ready to be released.

But it did get me thinking about what it is we can do for each other in the meantime.

It’s important that we remember to thank all the medical professionals and essential workers on the front line who endanger themselves every day to keep society functioning. We should thank our faculty who have been working diligently on ways to improve our teaching content remotely. There are so many incredible people who have been going above and beyond.

A thank you seems like a small deal but it makes a big difference. I’ve been trying to do little things to indicate my appreciation. I have a yard full of tulips right now, so when I had to pick up some medicine for my dog, I took some tulips in a cup as a little thank you.

I don’t know what a simple gesture of appreciation looks like for you, but it doesn’t hurt to keep in mind that it’s something we can do, it doesn’t take any time, and it makes a difference in someone’s day.

*Barbara’s thoughts as written by Kate based on weekly (fascinating) conversations.