It’s no secret that effective funding is a constant challenge. As a matter of fact I’ve talked about the many challenges we face at the University of Nebraska as we grow, develop, and look to the future. States have cut funding. Educational programs are in need of resources. And the last thing we want to do is shift that burden onto students in the form of tuition hikes.

There are other avenues and options for how the university finds funding, and one of them is very… interesting.

Divestiture.

Strictly speaking, divestiture is the action or process of selling off subsidiary business interests or investments. Practically speaking, it’s a lot more complicated than just that.

It’s a financial piece of the puzzle that is little understood, and I understand why. There is more to consider than simply the price that shares or stock would fetch. Let’s use the coal industry for an example. If you’re holding stock in a coal company and you sell that stock, you’re not only getting rid of them, you are also not planning to buy more stock in that company in the future.

Creighton comes to mind, because Creighton students recently went to their university president with proposals to divest of fossil fuel companies. They care deeply about the need to address climate change and are thinking creatively about the many ways they can have an impact.

To see groups of students invested in understanding the heavily complex workings of university systems – especially when it comes to a very dry topic like divestiture – and then getting involved is highly encouraging.

In many ways divestiture can be a good thing, but these decisions also have a wide impact on a lot of people. Maybe the trickiest part of selling stock is having to find replacements for anything we divest. We have a fiduciary responsibility to the school and the whole community.

All told though, I think it’s exciting to have students care enough to want to do something, and it creates a learning experience for everyone. Taking coal, for example, if we were to look at that kind of divestiture, maybe we’d be thinking more about what we can learn about green tech and replacements for coal. It’s healthy to ask big questions, and it can lead to opportunities that fit the university’s budget as well as our vision for the future.

I’m not sure what the answer is exactly, but I don’t mind not knowing, as long as we’re asking the right questions to figure it out together.

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

Wow. It happened. I wasn’t expecting it, wasn’t counting on it, I honestly wasn’t even sure how I should feel about it at first, but it happened…

I’ve been assigned a place on President Ted Carter’s strategic transition team.

What does that mean exactly? Well, it means a lot of things. For one thing, President Carter promised to create this group to build a plan that lays out where we are as a University and charts out where we want to be by 2025. That sounds kind of far away but in the grand scheme of things, it’s actually really close. This also means developing pathways to measure and evaluate our progress. 

Oh, and he wants it done in 100 days. Not 100 days from now, but 100 days starting from when our group was formed. There’s no grass growing under his feet, that’s for sure. So, yeah, no pressure. 

The task is both exciting and daunting.

It’s something that I’m very grateful for in his leadership – he is very good at creating momentum in a thoughtful, targeted manner. We’re not just charging blindly into the future. We are asking the big questions, the hard questions, and working to develop a cohesive, inclusive shared vision that we can then work toward with actionable plans. It’s an exciting time to be a Regent here at the University of Nebraska. 

Big ideas that challenge our thinking and energize the whole state will stir even more curiosity, and in turn, yield more big ideas.

And we will be calling on all of you for help – both for your sense of what the future could hold, but also ideas that could inspire us to be a university that serves us as Nebraskans, as Americans, and as world citizens.

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

I’m willing to bet that if you ask any given person what is the biggest challenge in relationships – whether romantic, with friends, with colleagues – the majority will say “communication.”

And not only is communication one of the keys to a good relationship, it’s also one of the major keys to transparency. And transparency is a necessity when it comes to responsibility.

When I became a Regent I wanted to make sure that there was better communication between those who are responsible for making big decisions that affect not just the University of Nebraska, but the whole community. Part of that is hearing from the community, from you.

So I ask you, directly – what are you curious about?

What are you worried about? What ideas do you have for the university? What do you want to see for the future? What do we need to focus on now?

Don’t get me wrong, I am more than happy to go on about all the interesting and exciting developments at the University of Nebraska – whether it’s the world-class position of the Med Center in dealing with contagious diseases or the uniquely holistic agricultural programs in Curtis, Nebraska.

In fact I talked about both of those things and more at my most recent Office Hours livestream, which I do on a regular basis precisely to invite your questions, comments, and general conversation!

So, please – whether by email, social media, snail mail, or carrier pigeon – send me your thoughts and questions, and join me in the conversation!

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

Now that we’ve survived a month (and some change) in the new year, I feel like this is a good time to state some intentions.

There’s a lot to look forward to in 2020. Part of what I look forward to, odd as it may sound, is looking at what I can do better. On that note I have a number of things I know I can improve. Speeding up my response time to your messages is one.

I’m also thinking about how to better manage my time.  

Meeting people face to face is something I truly enjoy and I’m grateful to those who write whether happy or unhappy about the Regents’ actions. I value your opinion and am excited by your engagement in issues affecting the university and the community at large, even if we aren’t on the same exact page. So, in addition to the blogs I am blocking out regular times on my calendar for responding by email, livestreaming, on Facebook, or in person.

Also on my list is the intention of spending more time at University of Nebraska Kearney and University of Nebraska Lincoln to gain a better sense of the culture of both. I have had the pleasure of attending a few sports events but there is so much more to see.

These opportunities continue to enrich my sense of what Nebraska has to offer not only to its athletes but all who enjoy their efforts.

And finally – innovation. I know that’s kind of a buzzword, but what I’m really interested in is thinking outside the box. Creativity. Curiosity. Willingness to embrace not only different ideas, but also different ways of thinking. It’s something I want to be much more intentional about, and I encourage you to join me.

There are a lot of complex issues facing our university, our community, and our state. It’s going to take all of us to figure out the best ways to move forward together.

So, what are your 2020 intentions?

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