Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve already broken most of my New Year’s resolutions in one way or another. No judgment, of course. We’re all doing our best. In fact, that’s the one resolution of mine left standing: work on being a better regent.

This may sound silly (bear with me), but one of the unexpected challenges of being a regent has been learning all the acronyms. Honestly, it almost feels like learning a new language sometimes.

To that end, I’m excited that I’ve gone from not knowing what IANR stood for (Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources) to not batting an eye when talking about IANR’s oversight of the new CAP program. CAP stands for Center for Agriculture Profitability, and it’s one of many exciting new programs the university is introducing this year. This particular one focuses on how to use research and economics to help Nebraska farmers strategically utilize resources to make a better living.

Another aspect of this whole regent business that I feel more comfortable with at this point is making my voice heard.

It was difficult for me, initially, to speak out on a number of issues as I was learning the ropes of the position. It feels really good to be in a place where I have a lot more confidence engaging in discussions and brainstorms. You might be thinking, “okay, good for you, why does this matter?”

It matters because the whole reason I’m here is to represent the values that we share, the ideas we want presented, and the future we want to work toward together. Yes, I am my own person, but I’m also a conduit. I’m here for you.

This year I also had the privilege of being on the Presidential Search Committee and to work with fellow regents on the Risk and Assessment Committee to evaluate our progress. Though we may have different approaches, we are working on creating an objective evaluation tool so that if we’re not doing our jobs well enough, we will know it.

Introspection and self-assessment can be tricky, but it’s like a muscle – you have to keep working it to make it stronger. It’s the same with creativity and imagination.

And I’m happy to say, continuing to work hard to improve is exactly what I intend to do.

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

Well, here we are. Mid-winter, mid-pandemic, and I am completing my second year as a regent. Despite the bizarre, surprising, and sometimes unsettling turns of events over the past couple of years, I feel as though I am finding my way a bit better. 

This year I had the pleasure of joining the Academic Affairs Committee, which is more in my area of expertise.

Since COVID-19 changed how the whole university had to work, I am hoping to have another year on the committee to get deeper into non-pandemic-related issues. Of course, it may take another year for us to really emerge from this crisis, but I tend to be an optimist. With the right leadership, the right focus, initiative and resources, it’s entirely possible that higher education can emerge better and stronger.

The first meeting of 2021 is coming up on February 12^th, where we will elect new officers and make committee assignments for the year. We’ll be seeing new Regent faces such as, Dr. Jack Stark, and familiar ones such as Tim Clare. Personally, I think the rotations both within the Board and with elections gives us the opportunity to look with fresh eyes at the things that need to get done.

As though it’s the first day of school, I find myself excited about all the possibilities.

For example, I’m really looking forward to sharing more about a number of new programs and degrees in the coming weeks. One such degree in process is a new Master’s Degree in supply chains, which I think is fascinating and highly useful in our modern world. The issues around getting syringes, vaccines, PPE, ventilators, and oxygen in the right numbers to the places they are needed is a perfect, practical example.

And in addition to new programs and degrees, there’s an institute you are definitely going to want to hear more about. Have I piqued your curiosity yet?

So while I wait with bated breath to discover which committees I’ll be assigned to this year, perhaps you can reflect on what has helped you – and can help us – to continue navigating toward a better future.

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

I’m entering this year hopeful. That’s my resolution.

Will I work diligently? Yes. Will I face difficult issues head-on with compassion and pragmatism? Yes. Will I sometimes look at my stack of required reading and want to hide under the covers? Sure. But through it all, I will carry hope.

It may sound like a simple resolution, but I think hope is sometimes difficult to come by and tricky to hold onto.

That said, I remain steadfast in my belief in our community and what we can achieve when we work together. And in that spirit, here are a few things I’m hoping for out of this blog in 2021:

1. Connecting the dots. Access to higher education has a massive impact on the societal and economic health of our community and state. Decisions about education happen at the legislative level. Your vote and communication with your representatives matter, so I will do my best to discuss important issues affecting the university.
2. Shedding light. There are so many interesting and exciting things that the University of Nebraska does that few people ever hear about. On top of my campaign promise to provide as much transparency as possible, I will endeavor to continue highlighting the remarkable people and projects that are making waves big and small.
3. Building community. Sometimes I get the question, “why am I paying tax dollars for students to go to University of Nebraska?” The answer is pretty simple. A city (or state) needs qualified, intelligent people in order to function well. Whether that’s teachers, nurses, engineers, social workers, journalists, doctors, scientists, or entrepreneurs, investing in education means we’re investing in our own future. All of us.

2021 will be the year of the budget. It will be the year we hopefully are able to unite our IT systems across campuses. We are trying to create more meaningful internships to encourage talent to put down roots in Nebraska. Governance is a big issue this year as well.

The real question is: how is higher education going to come out of the pandemic? Are we going to make the big changes that create more opportunities for students? Are we going to face forward? Universities have essentially been doing the same thing since the 1700’s while the world keeps changing.

There’s so much potential. I’m hopeful that we won’t simply face the future, but that we’ll embrace it.

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