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University Seeking President. Regent Seeking Sleep.

University Seeking President. Regent Seeking Sleep.

by | Oct 21, 2019 | Regent Firsts, School Uniqueness

University Seeking President. Regent Seeking Sleep.

It’s not that I was expecting being a Regent to be a cakewalk. Quite the opposite. And with 300 page reports that come out a week before each committee meeting that deserve a full and detailed read, I’m no stranger to long hours or hard work.

Even so, I’ve been surprised by the amount of time required to seek a new President for the University of Nebraska. Just recently the required reading for the week was at a staggering 800 pages. Let me tell you, that leaves barely enough time to eat and breathe. Forget sleep.

But the commitment of all twenty-three people on the committee to be at every meeting has been remarkable – everyone from Fortune 500 CEO’s to our 4th year med student.

And while there are long days, it’s also a joy to work with such a diverse group of people.

The process has changed significantly since the search for President Bounds. Legislative changes to the process have greatly increased the willingness of interesting qualified candidates to come forward. The biggest difference is that we promise potential candidates confidentiality throughout the process until the board votes to identify a primary candidate.

Then we only announce the primary candidate’s name after he or she is elected by a vote.

Previously, we were legally required to announce the names of the top four candidates forwarded to the board for consideration. What that meant for the candidates is that they had a 1 in 4 chance of landing the position, which really complicated things for those who weren’t selected. That kind of public candidacy could potentially imply that they weren’t happy in their existing position (not necessarily the case) and hurt their ongoing efficacy.

Hence the reluctance of many to even engage in the process.

Now how it works is the Search Advisory Committee forwards names for consideration to the board. The Regents there review the candidates and select one as their primary candidate. This person then spends the next thirty days visiting with all the constituencies across the state to answer questions, which gives all those interested an opportunity to vet their next potential President. After thirty days the committee meets again to vote – yes or no – on the candidate.

If for some reason the candidate or the board decide against the person, the process starts again.

Despite the long nights, the heavy reading, the impossible schedule, I’m feeling hopeful about where we’re headed. I think we can get it right the first time.

 

 

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

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Open Door, Open Mind

Open Door, Open Mind

by | Sep 30, 2019 | Regent Firsts

Open Door, Open Mind

Weitz Up Office Hours: Round 1

Open Door, Open Mind

Weitz Up Office Hours: Round 1

Just the other day I did something for the first time – I held my office hours… virtually. Or is it digitally? In any case, as I promised in my campaign, I did my very first livestream Office Hours talk!

Communication is very important to me. As a Regent, it’s my job to represent you, to listen to you, to understand what’s important to you, and then to take that and run with it when helping to make important decisions that affect the University of Nebraska and the community at large.

That’s what these office hours are all about! This will be a monthly occurrence and I invite you to send me all of your thoughts, questions, ideas, either online beforehand or during the virtual office hours. Any questions that I don’t get to during the livestream, I’ll make sure to respond to afterward, or even at the beginning of the next office hours discussion.

On Thursday, September 19, I sat with my copywriter Kate and we talked about everything under the Nebraskan sun.

I shared an update on the Presidential search, and described the process of how we’re working hard to find the very best fit, and why confidentiality is an important part of that process. We also talked about the gift that is Susan Fritz, and how her role as interim President – as well as the first female President – is critical in shaping and smoothing this important transition.

We had some excellent questions about Nebraska’s hemp production (for which I’m seeking out detailed information to share) as well as how new students can navigate the challenges of adjusting to university life (community and time management are critical).

I gushed about my recent experience at the University of Nebraska women’s volleyball match against Stanford, and shared where to find more information about the wonderful variety of events that all Nebraskans can attend, not just university students, staff and faculty.

There are also some questions that I get quite often, such as:

“Do you get paid to do this?”

No. This is an unpaid position. I do get a couple football game tickets, though.

“How much time do you spend on Regent work?”

Well, given that Regents have roughly three hundred pages of information to read weekly to prep for a committee meeting, not to mention other research, meetings and engagements, I’m currently spending 40-60 hours a week on Regent work, typically.

“What’s in it for you?”

In a word: learning. I’m a huge believer in lifelong learning and as your Regent, I have the most incredible opportunities to meet new, diverse, and interesting people. I get to discover innovative programs. I’m fortunate enough to work toward Nebraska’s future, inviting the best, brightest, most creative ideas.

That sounds pretty good to me.

If you missed the first office hours livestream, check out the video in full here! If you caught it and had a question or were looking for resources, check back for that information, we’re working on getting it for you.

And please don’t be shy – send us your questions, your thoughts, and your ideas for who might make a great guest on the next office hours talk – we want to hear from you!

 

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

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Town Hall

Town Hall

by | Sep 16, 2019 | Regent Firsts

The Town Hall

I always find town halls really interesting – the blend of people, concerns, questions, ideas. I’m always interested in ideas. It’s a great way for people and their elected officials to communicate directly, so when Senator Wendy DeBoer invited me to just such a forum at the American Legion Hall in Bennington, I said yes right away.

There has been a lot of rapid growth in Bennington recently.

A lot of families are moving in and that’s a wonderful thing, it just prompts some important questions on how best to support it. These are good problems to have, really.

Wendy also invited the Bennington Public School Superintendent and the Nebraska Public Service Commission District 3. She wanted to make sure there was a blend of people who aren’t often in the spotlight but who have an impact on people’s lives. It goes without saying I was honored to be there.

And what I heard from the people who came was fascinating.

There were questions about how varying access to internet across the state would affect jobs and education on all sorts of levels. I answered a few difficult questions about tuition and the University of Nebraska at large. 

To be frank, people are going to have to pay for education somehow, so we have to get creative and find ways to get that done. 

And there are other ways we can look at helping recruit, retain, and support students as well. Our Regent scholarships, for example, don’t charge recipients tuition, but they don’t help to cover the cost of room, board, and books like some other state universities do. For that reason we may be losing out on some really bright talents and minds. It could be something worth looking at.

One town hall attendee told us her friend’s son was transferring to a different University of Nebraska campus from Kearney and that a number of his classes don’t automatically transfer, which makes that process quite difficult.

We need to help students across all our systems. Parents discussed issues with efficiencies and had a number of questions about operations. And I don’t blame them. We have to start talking to each other – it would be wonderful if public schools and universities had better communication to sort through some of these problems that make life and education that much more challenging for our students and their families.

There’s no obligation, per se, but it simply makes sense.

We need ideas. We need discussion. We need to be able to come together – whether at an intimate town hall or on the highest levels across the state – and talk it out. And then make things happen.

I came away from that Bennington town hall with the hope that we can achieve that, one step at a time.

 

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

 

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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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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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