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Oh, the Beauty of Firsts

Oh, the Beauty of Firsts

by | Aug 26, 2019 | About, Regent Firsts

Oh, the Beauty of Firsts

Amidst the sea of work and the all-enveloping search for the University of Nebraska’s next President, sometimes I forget that I haven’t been a Regent for all that long. Other times, I wonder if I’ll ever stop feeling like the new kid in school.

In one of the few moments I’ve had recently to catch my breath, I found myself reflecting on my first regent moments. I thought about experiences in the early days of my Regent-hood that are as vivid today as they were then.

One of the first regent moments that struck me was how everyone had a business card and it seemed to be a well-practiced ritual to exchange them upon meeting. So naturally I had to get some of my own so I could join in the exchange.

“The first few months were full of fascinating conversations with people who worked in all sorts of different positions throughout the university.”

I couldn’t help being as enthusiastic as they were when they would tell me about the work they’re doing.

For example, there was one guy named Craig who works at the research center in North Platte, and who demonstrated the incredible wind tunnels they use to test liquid dispersion on fields by everything from a tractor to a crop duster. He could hardly contain his excitement when he talked about the research equipment in his labs.

“The only thing he apologized for was his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University. He is a Big Red fan now.”

Another visceral regent moment I had was the first time I wore my academic Regent robe. It was the NCTA graduation, and I kept thinking about the vestige of European roots in academia present in the design construction of these robes. Basically, the robes are designed for men and men’s shirts, so that when female Regents don the hood that’s part and parcel of the whole Regent robe deal, we have to wear a safety pin to keep the hood from creeping up our fronts and choking us. It can be a little distracting.

Despite that, I must admit it made me feel part of a ceremony of great importance, one with the weight of a lot of history behind it.

“It gave me a sense of unity with all the university students.”

Yes, it is easy to get caught up in all the work we have to do today, or everything we’re working toward in the future. Looking forward is a good thing. Being present in the moment, also highly important. But there’s nothing wrong with taking a breather here and there to reflect, enjoy, and have a little perspective on moments gone by.

 

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

 

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What Keeps Me Up At Night

What Keeps Me Up At Night

by | Aug 21, 2019 | School Uniqueness

What Keeps Me Up At Night

It’s a hard time for higher education across the country. Private and public institutions are suffering from downturns. Resources are increasingly scarce, funding is harder to come by, and everyone is trying to figure out how to survive.

But it’s not enough to survive. For the sake of the school, for the students and faculty, for the whole state – we need to figure out how to thrive. When resources start to get scarce, people start to get nervous and tend to stop being collaborative.

We cannot cave to this sort of paranoia.

More than ever we have to work together. Share ideas. Have the tough conversations. And – importantly – listen to each other. It’s easy to get along when there are plenty of resources and a general sense of abundance. It’s when the belt tightens that it’s difficult to remain as cohesive and cooperative, yet that is also when we need that camaraderie the most.

We have a university made up of four different campuses with very different cultures.

How do we honor those cultures in a way that’s fair for all but still maintains that sense of unified identity that doesn’t distort their individuality? Because at the end of the day we all come together around one school. We are the University of Nebraska.

I’m a night owl, so it’s not difficult to keep me up late. But when I do lie down to get some rest, these are the thoughts that keep running through my head like a song on repeat. How do we come together? Where do we go from here? I don’t know the answer. It’s going to take all of us to find it.

 

 

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

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Conversation Goes Both Ways

Conversation Goes Both Ways

by | Aug 12, 2019 | Regent Firsts, School Uniqueness

Conversation Goes Both Ways

If you are reading this it means we are off to a good start. It means we are beginning to develop a channel to inform each other. Okay, yes, I have the benefit of this website and this blog, but I want to make clear that while I share with you the amazing things I am discovering about the University of Nebraska and life as a Regent, I want this to be a two-way street. Your voice, your opinion, your thoughts matter to me. Let’s get to talking!

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been a little preoccupied lately with the Presidential Advisory Search Committee. While it is a bit of a mouthful (is it time for an acronym?) it is also affording me the opportunity to learn all sorts of fascinating things.

The variety of people, experience and perspectives is surfacing whole aspects of Regent work for which I am finding a new and deep appreciation.

As usual, I also have a ton of questions.

As we seek feedback from all the different groups both inside and outside the university who have a stake in who becomes our next University of Nebraska President – which is just about everyone, really – we have twenty-three pairs of eyes laser focused on the issue.

There are a lot of qualities we are hoping for in our next President. There’s a real opportunity here to bring something special and necessary to the University of Nebraska and the community at large. Some aspects (like fairness) we can all readily agree on. Some aspects are more complicated, and require a fair amount of conversation, thanks to diverse points of view.

I’ve been grateful for the chance to get to know the different committee members because it has provided a window into the culture and priorities of our different campuses and community members.

Plus, I always relish the opportunity to hear what people outside our system are thinking. There it is, your not-so-subtle hint!

We will be following the public reactions to the search advisory work in order to help guide our decisions. I am excited to read candidate applications (it could be up to sixty, some speed reading might be required).

And I know I speak for all the Regents when I say that we really want to hear from you.

What are your ideas about where we are headed and who we need to lead us? Let’s talk.

 

 

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

 

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Open Ears, Open Minds – What I Learned From Our First Public Session

Open Ears, Open Minds – What I Learned From Our First Public Session

by | Aug 5, 2019 | Regent Firsts

Open Ears, Open Minds – What I Learned From Our First Public Session

In early July, we held the first round of public listening sessions to give you, the community, an opportunity to tell us what you want in the person who will lead the University of Nebraska. In retrospect I’m not sure we communicated that very well.

It was, in short, a commentary on what not to assume.

Because while we showed up at the event thinking “we want to hear what you have to say and we’re going to listen,” a number of the people who showed up seemed to be thinking the same thing. They were looking for information. That’s not to say that no one spoke up – we did have some great feedback and suggestions and appreciated all the people who shared their candid opinions.

Fairness came up a lot. We have four very different types of campuses with different cultures but common purpose, and fairness was noted as an important quality in a leader. The sessions also gave me a new appreciation for just how much a leader is involved in the whole community, not just the academic one. A sense of common purpose and investment is critical both within the university, but also the state at large.

Since it was a public listening session, it was open to anyone and everyone (just like the next one will be). We had a small but solid cross section of faculty, students, and others from the community.

But one group that stuck out to me was the staff.

They’re like a near invisible force, the unsung heroes that contribute in so many ways to the students’ education and experience. We got to hear about how deeply they are invested in the university and the students. How much they care and feel part of the school’s family. They constantly interact with the students outside of the classroom – they know them, love them, and want them to do well. As such, they had a number of truly valuable insights.

We have another round of listening sessions coming up in August and this time I’ll try to make it clear – we’re there to open our ears, open our minds, open our hearts to whatever feedback you have. We want to know what you think, what you want, what you need, in a leader.

So please, come and share. We’ll be listening.

 

 

 

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

 

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Oceanic Thinking

Oceanic Thinking

by | Jul 25, 2019 | About

Oceanic Thinking

The other day I got the chance to catch up with a good friend of mine from college. You know how with some friendships it takes a while to catch up and with others you can pick up immediately where you left off? Well this was the latter, but we didn’t just pick up from the last time we’d seen each other – we ended up going back over memories from forty years before. It got me thinking a lot about my Dad.

He and I butted heads a lot growing up. He was an attorney and so it was pretty much a guarantee that he was going to win just about any argument. He was always able to organize his thoughts and points with startling efficiency, whereas my mind tends to wander in and out of all things big and small. There’s nothing wrong with that – he used to call it “oceanic thinking” – but it is helpful to be able to harness it at different points. That hasn’t always been easy for me. My Dad had ideas on how to help me with that.

The thing I didn’t admit to him then (or even to myself for a number of years) is that he was right most of the time.

For one thing, he was right about how I should use high school to prepare for the next several stages of my life – college, then work, and everything in between.

He made me take typing classes, which I hated. It’s obvious how that ended up coming in handy. Other classes paid off in ways though that weren’t immediately clear. Take debate. I hated debate. I didn’t feel like I was any good at it, and especially with an attorney for a father, I sure didn’t feel like I “won” at all. But it taught me about organization. Concentration. How research is priceless.

As much as I detested debating, it prepared me for campaigning, for speaking in public and being able to get my point across clearly. It also took the fear out of speaking up in meetings or in public when I felt there was an important point to be made.

Speed-reading was another skill he emphasized. The ability to process information at a rapid rate, to budget a limited amount of time carefully and efficiently – that’s incredibly valuable to anyone, but I’m especially appreciative now that I’m a Regent.

I mean, I love reading and I naturally read fast, but trying to keep up with the reading required for Regents (upwards of 600 pages in a week) is pretty daunting.

I’m reminded of the value of that speed-reading course on a weekly basis.

I wish I could tell my Dad how the skills and courses he insisted on in high school – the very same ones I hated and tried to reject – have come to serve me so well in my adult life, with this special and important responsibility I have. Although I think he knew it all along.

 

 

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

 

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The Presidential Search: Step by Step

The Presidential Search: Step by Step

by | Jul 15, 2019 | Regent Firsts

The Presidential Search: Step by Step

It has begun. The search for the new University of Nebraska President is on. And here’s how it works.

No one person chooses the next President. Instead, an Advisory Committee is formed that then recommends a few carefully chosen candidates to the board. But how do we determine who those candidates should be?

It was recommended to us that we hire a firm that specializes in these kinds of searches. So we did.

When there are professionals who make it their business to find the right fit, why not make use of their talent? The first thing they did was to interview a range of people across all four campuses in order to put together a profile of what we wanted in our next university President.

After a lot of listening, they went over their summary with us, which included a list of what they understood to be our priorities.

This sort of back and forth – listening, processing, repeating – has been really helpful and I feel like we’re on the right track.

Another benefit of this professional search team is that they have connections across the country and not only do they know who’s actively looking for a new position, they have an excellent sense of people who might be a great fit but haven’t actively thrown their hat in the ring. Other than this educational matchmaking, this firm also offers training sessions for academic positions and issues, working all the time to understand and communicate what’s happening in the academic world. This is why they need to get to know us really well, through and through.

But ours aren’t the only voices they want to hear, and rightly so.

They told us they wanted to go to each campus and invite students, faculty, and community members for opening listening sessions.

We’ve conducted a first round and a second round is coming up soon. The first of those sessions was enlightening to say the least. But that’s another story…

 

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

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Fireworks, Family, Philosophy

Fireworks, Family, Philosophy

by | Jul 4, 2019 | Uncategorized

Fireworks, Family, Philosophy

The 4th of July was all about the fireworks for me growing up.  

I remember all the colors, the screeches and pops of the smaller fireworks, the thud and boom of the bigger ones, their light trailing across the sky before fading into faint smoke trails. It was like big, beautiful, collective dream. It brought us all together – friends and family and strangers alike – under one sky, in awe. I loved it.

When my husband Wally and I were raising our young children, we didn’t have a lot of birth family around, so there weren’t any big family gatherings for us on the 4th. However when we moved to Omaha in 1973 we were able to find families with whom we became friends. Our children were similar ages, we got along really well, and we were all in major kid/young family life stages. I’m pretty sure most parents out there know the exquisite kind of chaos I’m talking about.  

Over the years, this became our family.

And our extended family. The family we chose, that we made. We took turns hosting family cookouts, potluck barbecues, and Fourth of July celebrations. The holiday took on a new but familiar cadence: kids with sparklers, lively conversations, grilling on the BBQ, and watching fireworks together.

One of my favorite July 4ths came when I traveled to Chicago with our oldest daughter, Katie. She and her friend were competing for a national award from a high school organization, Future Business Leaders of America. We were staying in a hotel across from a park on Lake Michigan and from our balcony that evening we heard the Chicago Symphony was playing the 1812 Overture while the fireworks danced over the lake. It was spectacular.

As I thought about the reason we were there – an incredible educational opportunity for my daughter – I felt incredibly proud and overwhelmed by how blessed I was to be in this country.

Today, there’s much to think about. I think about the risk the writers of the Declaration of Independence accepted. I think about how immense their dream was and how amazing their ability to inspire the whole country to risk it all.

I hope we understand how important it is that we educate all our citizens to be an active part of a country that started as a beautiful and wild dream. A country that is built on the principles of justice, equality, and freedom for all. As I watch the fireworks tonight, in that brief period of collective awe, I will be thinking about how we can all walk a path together that lives up to the declaration written on that July 4th long ago. 

 

 

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

*Photo Cred: Jim DeVleeschouwer, Jr

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A Search of Presidential Proportion

A Search of Presidential Proportion

by | Jul 2, 2019 | School Uniqueness

A Search of Presidential Proportion

On June 20 and 21, we held open listening sessions to hear your thoughts on what we should be looking for in the selection process for a new President for the University of Nebraska. Maybe you were there. Maybe you couldn’t make it. Maybe you didn’t even know about it. Either way, I’m here now asking you – what do you think?

What qualities do you think will best benefit the university, the community and the state as a whole? Someone business-minded? Someone philosophical? Someone who will focus on the curriculum? Or maybe you think what’s needed is a more general approach?

 

This whole selection process is an intensive one. It’s thorough. It’s careful. Not every piece of it is entirely public. I’ll explain.

There are good reasons for this. Where I typically go for a total transparency approach, I can understand why that doesn’t necessarily apply to the selection process for our new President. For example, the nature of these kinds of searches has changed over the years. They tend to be conducted in a shorter time frame and often candidates won’t declare themselves because they may be in a position where doing so openly would imperil their work (should they not be selected).

Even though I can’t share every part of this selection process with you, I’m taking you on this journey with me and will share when I can and explain when I can’t. Plus, I can share my thoughts, the questions I think we need to ask ourselves, and the invitation for your input.

Personally, I think we need someone who is really good at collaborative efforts.

At any given point, regarding any decision to be made about the university, there are lots and lots of people who are involved. Once you start thinking about the bigger picture – the community, the state, the legislature – the ability to work effectively with people to find common ground with the people’s best interest in mind, that’s a major skill. One I think we would all benefit from.

Those are my two cents. But I’m more interested in hearing yours. I want you to think about the future of the university – where do you see it going, and how do you think we should get there? We have another open listening session coming up that I’ll tell you all about as soon as I can, but in the meantime, I’m listening…

 

 

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

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You Have 1,001 Notifications

You Have 1,001 Notifications

by | Jun 25, 2019 | Regent Firsts

You Have 1,001 Notifications

It starts with the magic iPad. That’s what I call it. All Regents are assigned a designated iPad for all communications to do with the university. It comes with some pretty fantastic programs designed to help us keep organized. There’s ‘Receptionist,’ which aggregates news that has to do with academics. There’s ‘Board Effect,’ which manages supporting documents associated with meetings and committees. It’s a great tool. What it doesn’t come equipped with, however, is an instruction manual for how to prioritize the tsunami of information that comes our way.

On any given day, there will be a flood of invites to events, meetings, groundbreakings, ceremonies, and more – all worthwhile, almost all overlapping.

My inbox is populated with everything from press release notifications to football updates to emails from some reliable regulars who aren’t shy about sharing their pointed, sometimes sarcastic, typically funny and insightful thoughts. 

I feel pulled in a hundred directions all at once.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good problem to have, I am just still trying to figure out how to give everyone and everything the attention they deserve. Did you know that about ten days prior to a committee meeting Regents will receive ‘supporting documents’ pertinent to that meeting, and that they often add up to about 300 pages? I sure didn’t. That’s a novel’s worth of information, and it’s all really important to make a sound, informed decision. It’s a big responsibility, and not one that I take lightly.

So as I’m wading through the flood of directions for August graduations, invites, notifications and a ton of documentation, there are three things I try to keep in mind:

I can’t do everything, but I will do as much as I can.

It’s all about what’s best for the school, the community.

Keep breathing.

 

 

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

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150 going on 200

150 going on 200

by | Jun 17, 2019 | Education Budget, Regent Firsts

150 going on 200

I’ve walked you through my experience of getting ready for my first Regent committee meeting. Today I want to share what I discovered that day and continue to learn about how we’re trying to address pressing issues but also how we’re trying to think big picture ten, twenty, fifty years down the line. Because it’s critical to think ahead. Because we want to be ready for the future when it arrives. Because it goes by fast. Because as an institution and as a community, we really are 150 going on 200.

Let’s start with something physical, tangible. There’s a lot of discussion around maintenance – particularly deferred maintenance – which is an ongoing need when you’re dealing with buildings that are 150 years old and need everything from updated electronics, sprinkler systems, and a whole host of general upkeep.

A lot of colleges struggle with this issue.

And when our state doesn’t put any money toward the badly needed deferred maintenance (with the exception of Memorial Stadium, the only building that receives continual maintenance) then we’re looking at some tough decisions about whether to refurbish a building or to tear it down. I’m kind of a softie for historical buildings but I discovered that there is actually a formula that has been developed to help make that determination. Still, it’s not always an easy choice: to build or to maintain?

Speaking of physical, let’s talk about sports. We know that concussions in football are a serious problem, so much so that in Florida the youngest leagues that started in kindergarten have been suspended for fear of long-term damage to children’s brains. We also know it’s a beloved team sport that can have a big impact on people’s lives. So where’s the middle ground between protecting students’ health and celebrating a beloved sport?

There’s a new helmet design out there with the capacity to record and measure all kinds of impact data and relay that information wirelessly to a computer on the sidelines monitored by the coaching team.

That way teams can monitor (and in theory, respond proactively to) potentially damaging or dangerous situations that could put the student athlete at risk. Could be very useful. 

But hey, let’s go a little further down the sports-talk rabbit hole. We have an almost religious devotion to football but there are a number of other engaging, dynamic sports to consider.

Our women’s volleyball team for example is a national champion and their games are constantly sold out.

Maybe it would be worth moving their games to a bigger arena, sharing the spotlight, encouraging more variety in our athletic devotion. When there’s so much to celebrate, why not widen our focus?

At the end of the day, deferred maintenance and school sports are just two of many, many aspects of our university that will benefit from some forward thinking. Whether it’s academic, social, financial, or structural, a successful future will require an openness to explore new ideas today.

And all of these discussions got me thinking about this: what is a Regent’s role in preparing for the future?

In some ways, I see us as guardians. As guides. We’re here to do all we can to ensure that the entire University of Nebraska community has reason to celebrate its 200th birthday as much as its 150th.

 

 

 

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

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