since 1908 the University of Nebraska at
Omaha and the City of Omaha have shared
a remarkable Journey for 116 years this
Dynamic partnership has thrived
positioning Uno as the destination for
excellence in education research
Community engagement and Workforce
Development our mission is driven by a
commitment to advancing the lives of
students staff faculty and the broader
Omaha
community at UNO we believe that success
is within reach for everyone as we
strive to be the university for
all University of Nebraska Omaha is the
public research University that serves
people of the world it is not just a
statement because it sounds great it's
really a commitment what we set out to
do and I really believe deeply in my
heart that our faculty our staff we have
an opportunity
to change a lot of people's lives when I
came here University of Nebraska Omaha
was a teaching University now I believe
we have changed this perception
completely I think bakan is flourist in
Omaha Omaha is not is not a small City a
lot of universities are in much much
smaller cities and they struggle in
getting patience and getting
collaborations we don't have a problem
like that we have a significant amount
of medical doctors we have a significant
amount of patient population that we can
have access to
Scott Scholars has really
gotten me in the mindset of what can I
do for other people one of the best
parts about being in Omaha for research
and Discovery is that you have access to
the entire Omaha Community with the
location we're able to connect to a lot
of the organizations that are trying to
make a difference we can help if they
have problems with needing a new app or
anything like that it's not that hard
for us to go to them you o gave me a lot
of resources and those resources are the
reason why I'm here as a immigrant it's
really hard to find like resource to do
adult stuff to do FAA but when I came to
UNL so many people are like ready to
help you out their support and stuff is
like amazing because I'm able to find
the resources that I need Insight stands
for the national counterterrorism
innovation technology and education
Center everyone wanted a center here in
University of Nebraska at Omaha a lot of
schools have very talented academics
that can carry out this research but we
were the only one that had the whole
Community behind us the SMA experience
really like set in stone my decision to
come to Uno because Uno truly gives
opportunities for everyone so saying
that Omaha is our campus is our
community is so real I feel like cuz we
make an effort to to make it our
community and that's something that I
don't feel a lot of colleges can say I
always thought there's always a
connection there right with Athletics
and Community engagement we often ask
fans to come out to games right we want
people to pack the arena to watch your
teams perform but that goes hand in hand
when giving yourself up to the community
various parades Church engagements
functions throughout the community we do
that not because we want them to come to
G because we want to be involved and
engaged and everything that's going on
in this community
I chose Uno's program because when I was
coming into the program they were trying
to grow it so much and they were
constantly looking for new opportunities
for the students as a Southwest pilot
destination 225 starts your career so
much sooner to know that a major airline
is already looking at you sets you up
for success I feel like Omaha is a
destination for Success because it
offers such a wide variety of different
job opportunities tailored to any major
here at Uno my second internship at Blue
Cross Blue of Nebraska was found through
handshake I know that I could trust
handshake because it's one of Yo's
applications where I could find some of
the best internships youo really
advocates for fair pay competitive jobs
and I know that I have a future career
within
Omaha I think a Modern urban University
should be defined by the impact and
influence this university has on its
Community is defined by 15 15 minutes
parameter surrounding our physical
campus where we really believe our job
our work every day is integrate with the
community I do believe that University
of Nebraska Omaha has that magical power
you and all will provide the same kind
of opportunities for a lot of our
student coming through this
University whether your path leads you
through Academia service exploration or
entrepreneurship Uno provides the
resources opportunities and programs
necessary for our Mavericks to achieve
their aspirations and make a profound
impact on the world here at Uno we
celebrate the diverse perspectives that
students bring to our classrooms
enhancing Omaha with their unique
experiences we shape communities near
and far through groundbreaking research
and discoveries that lead to meaningful
Solutions we Foster a culture of
advocacy that engages our community
nurturing its growth and vitality we
paav the way for our students to explore
their career paths while strengthening
the Omaha Workforce with talented
well-prepared individuals ready to
contribute no matter who you are or
where you come from Omaha is more than a
city it's a destination where you can
call home at UNO we are proud to be the
destination for
[Music]
success well good afternoon and welcome
I am so grateful that you have all
joined me to give this year state of the
University
address as I enter my fourth year as
your Chancellor I can proudly say that
here at the University of Nebraska Omaha
we have become more than just a place of
learning we have become the destination
that embodies ambition Innovation and
community
now before we dive into what we have
become we must look back at how we
started in the last three years I often
ask myself these two questions why is it
essential in the story of you and all
and how we can Propel forward for the
future of our
University as many of you know youo was
first established in 1908 as a small
institution serving just 30 students
around the same time time the city of
Omaha had around 100,000 residents today
the Metro Omaha area also known as Omaha
is the most populous area in Nebraska
with about a million people if one pays
attention to the economic development
Metro Omaha has gradually extended to
the west side of the city effectively
making youo the center
geographically you shouldn't be
surprised surpris that Amwood Park's
original name was Central Park this
economic expansion is crucial in the
Uno's Evolution as we double down on our
commitment of supporting the
community and look at where we now with
the continued support for our home of
Omaha our University now serves 15,000
Learners and has grown into a leading
Urban Metropolitan University playing a
major role in providing accessible and
quality education in
Nebraska as we get it today I stand Here
proudly and ready to tell you that over
the past year long we have made
tremendous strides today I'm sharing
with you this important purpose you know
is the
destination sure we always talk about
how Omaha is our campus but we are the
urban University right we are the
destination so what does that even
mean you know is the destination for
students and families this includes all
Learners from all walks of life
regardless of their social economic
background we strive to create an
environment where varied backgrounds and
perspectives are not only welcomed but
celebrated diverse viewpoints are
essential when it comes to intellectual
growth within our
University by engaging with a variety of
experiences and ideas our Learners will
be better equipped to tackle challenges
that come their way and leave ready to
face the
world no doubt access to an education is
a privilege and at you and all we work
hard to ensure that every individual has
the opportunity to grow Within our
university community Uno student body is
made of 15,000 students with 66
countries represented and about 40% of
total undergraduates are first
generation that's roughly 5,000 first
generation students in our undergraduate
student body this year I want to
highlight the successful partnership
between Uno and Metropolitan Community
College Uno witness new Trans student
enrollment grow by nearly
133% driven by Nish light the
transformation project between Uno and
MCC led by Dr Richard Klein and Dr Sami
Kaiser from Uno and Maria Vasquez and
Chris swansson from MCC the
collaborative effort simplifies the
transfer process through improved
practices policies and structures making
it easier for students students to
navigate their academic Journeys between
the two
institutions our people work hard to
appeal to all Learners no matter your
background no matter your age in fact in
2022 we even graduated someone at 80
years
young we honor our core of educating
people of the
world the student body here at Uno is
special to me a University character is
often reflected by its student body and
I'll show that Uno is dedicated and
driven by the needs of our community we
serve vibrant curious Learners and the
commitment to the community shines
through everything we do right here we
strive to create opportunities for our
students and measure the success based
on their growth in the programs we have
to offer here we welcome students as
they are and support who they become
upon
graduation I really enjoy what our new
president said in his investiture let me
quote Dr gold every entering class is a
celebration now we must make sure we
retain these students and support them
all the way to a degree as we pursue the
Odyssey to Extra
ordinary while continue to advance our
Uno Mission reaffirm our commitment to
fostering a profound diversity of
thought enriching the learning
experiences and enhancing the learning
environment and you and all we believe
that our ultimate goal is to educate
individuals from across the globe and
prepare them to succeed we do this by
focusing on what we set out to do which
is to educate and to innovate this is
the foundation of which our institution
stands
on these objectives enhance the
intellectual and practical capacity of
our Learners while contributing to the
advancement of knowledge and societal
impact in this Pursuit we must recognize
that advancing social Mobility is a
sacred task of high education
education has the power to transform
lives by providing opportunities that
transcend economic and social
boundaries we must continue to reflect
on whether we're honoring that goal be
it in the classroom in our research lab
in our interaction with students and in
completing every
task now in addition to being the home
for Learners and Families we must ask if
you know is the destination for our
partners our commitment to creating and
fering meaningful collaborations and
advancing Innovation positions us to
contribute to shaping the future we
value our Partnerships and seek to
engage with organizations that share our
vision because our relationship with
employers and the business Community is
crucial in order for to train our
student to be ready for the workforce
and create labor agility it is important
to understand how to improve our
curriculum and fit the needs of our
community and the Ever Changing
Workforce to stay relevant in education
you know also must be a destination for
distinguished faculty members and
researchers our faculty has supported
our vision of advancing the social and
economic mobility of our Learners while
continuing to serve the Omaha Community
but they must feel empowered to ensure
their passions work on an ambitious
research agenda and Inspire the next
generation of Learners well you might
ask well how do we attract such talent
to you
all that is by providing a nurturing
environment that fa and staff want to
grow in but we want to do better in this
coming decade we must be disciplined in
our locating resources to support star
programs and strategic areas we must not
be apologetic in doubling down our
strategies in our comparative strengths
yes we will be exceptionally Smart in
allocating resources and yes we will
need to make short-term
sacrifices we must not be afraid to
compete in areas that we good at and by
doing so we enrich our whole University
campus we must trade the fear of giving
up short-term comfort for a bigger and
University we must grow the university
in a holistic approach we will study how
we can create a smart future for our
constituency can we do so by providing
more sustainable child care services for
our faculty staff and students how about
providing affordable accommodation for
our new members of the Uno family can we
meet the demand of our oncampus
experience for our students and expand
the residential
footprint for our faculty and
researchers we must make it known that
we are committed to supporting research
that pushes boundaries and addresses
relevant issues
we have continued to raise the bar for
research the National Institutes of
Health awarded you know an $1 million
Grant through the center of biomedical
research Excellence program emphasizing
our commitment to Innovation and
addressing critical health challenges
this was led by the chair of the
Department of biomechanics Dr Alexi
kamensky reing this Kobe Grant will
continue to transform our research
efforts here
now in addition the national
counterterrorism innovation technology
and
education and sight the center of
excellence for terrorism prevention and
counterterrorism research aligns with
our core by doing pragmatic and
impactful research for the betterment of
National Security thanks to the
leadership of Dr ginaa Lian I think
somewhere with Insight being a part of
you and all this makes us and the state
of Nebraska more
competitive as many of you know last
year Andi also filed a pattern for
chatbot technology that aims to improve
suspicious activity reporting and that
pattern was
approved NSI can now work up to $35
million per year in basic ordering
agreement with Federal agency research
since its Inception in 2020 NSI has has
been awarded over $40
million in federal
grants for the 24 to 25 physical year
Andi once again received $4.6 million
from the Department of Homeland Security
to conduct and manage counterterrorism
research the world is changing fast and
it is imperative to emphasize that youo
response to these evolving needs in a
timely manner and execute them
efficiently
which means we are also the destination
for technology and innovation in my last
day of University address I spoke to you
or about a book by Michael Crow please
allow me to suggest two additional books
for us to read together Michael grow
Michael Crow's fifth wave the evolution
of American high education and Richard
susins and Dan susins the future
professions he's the disclaimer
I do not receive
commission but I'll take some
now Michael wrote about universities
that aspire to excel through innovation
technology with cutting atch Innovation
while the sus can dove into how
technology will fundamentally challenge
the relevance of
professionals I'm a big believer in how
the advancement of Technology will
provide hints on navigating in the
complex high education
landscape many people are worried about
a technological
unemployment simply put some people are
concerned that due to technological
advancement such as AI robots and
machine learning many will lose their
jobs yet history has shown
otherwise I remember this one example in
the financial services when ATMs became
such a hit many predicted all the
tellers would lose the jobs the truth is
while the number of tellers did shrink
per Branch this country saw a tremendous
growth in the number of Bank branches in
urban cities hence the number of tellers
increased what does this story tell
us technology advancement increases
productivity resulting in growth of
wealth and bigger consumption tell us no
longer need to spend most of the days to
take care of transaction of cash
deposits and withdrawals routine part of
their job technology allowed these
tellers to focus on customer service and
financial
advice economic displacement does not
need to happen if we understand how
technological progress can be a
complement and not a substitute going
forward we have have to explore our
curriculum in the context of technology
so we can maximize human creativity and
Ingenuity and not replace
it class economics will say when the
supply increases the price will
decrease however the increase of college
graduates in the it Fields obviously an
increase in the quantity of
candidates we don't see the salary of
these it profession
drop it is what the economist call it
the skill biased
Workforce this phenomenon sheds light on
what we need to do as a university youo
must rethink our
curriculum and design programs to equip
our students and faculty with the tools
they need to lead and innovate in this
rapidly changing world we know
technological progress will create skill
bias
hence we must lean on strategies to
produce those candidates youo has
created an environment where technology
flourishes and Intel is
shared while we continue to educate our
current and future students in areas of
need in order to do this we must focus
on update and expansion of the Peter KT
Institute last year youo engag outside
consultant to analyze classroom spaces
room capacity and growth potential this
detailed space assessment show that pki
home to the College of information
science and technology and the College
of Engineering lacks
space together those colleges are
expected to double enrollment by 2030
isent has grown from 600 to more than a
thousand undergraduates graduate
enrollment has increased by onethird
during the same period
and expected to double by 2030 the
College of Engineering plans to double
the enrollment also by
2030 this is not just the expansion of
college of is&t at UNO it is an
articulation to promote
transdisciplinary research and Workforce
Development we will continue to Poise
Uno as the leader in technology talent
development for our state and Beyond it
is quite simple if we want to respond to
the state's dying need for more
technology workers we will all need to
stand firm behind the pki expansion we
must increase the input of students so
we can expand the output of tech
professionals being the te destination
for technology and Innovation isn't just
about staying ahead it's about preparing
our students to be leaders in their
fields and as we continue to embrace the
future of technology across all
disciplines we must remain focused on
providing exceptional educational
experiences so that our learner can
excel in this world what does it mean we
will ask questions about future Tech
professionals how can we stay ahead of
the curve you know now is the first and
only University in the state of Nebraska
to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in
AI that also make us the 14th University
in the nation joining 13 ivy league and
IV plus University to offer such
programs the degree will teach students
AI
skill to meet the growing industry
demands and stay ahead of technological
advancement but we must not stop there
there is so much more we can
do now in the last three years Uno has
spent significant amount of time and
strategy to create our Urban University
profile a university that understands
Workforce Development and one that
provides opportunities for all our
Learners through hands-on experience
allow me to share some highlights on
each
College the College of Arts and Science
provides students with skills for
today's job market they are developing a
first year experience course providing
academic and personal support while
helping students explore academic
programs additionally they have
facilitated over 60 internships and
practicums to connect students to the
workforce in the College of Business
Administration the nationally recognized
programs are creating the next
generation of leaders for Omaha the
economics research seminar connect 163
community members through monthly
sessions an enrollment in the MBA
program searched by 33% addressing
Workforce demands by preparing highly
skilled Professionals for leadership
role for College of Education Health and
Human Sciences they provide a wide
variety of program that support our
mission and address local Workforce
needs the Department of Education
leadersh ship held the First Midwest
two-day Community leadership and
education Summit with almost 1,000
attendees also the Uno pitching lab draw
in global athletes and received
significant press through interactive
Community
engagement in a college of communication
fine arts and media students learn how
to balance academics with application to
prepare them for their future careers
their school of communication students
have earned National Acclaim with the ma
forensic team consistently being ranked
their public relations and advertising
students Reed top industry Awards and
the ma radio is rang number five in the
nation the College of information
science and technology is a regional
leader in supporting Nebraska Workforce
Development when it comes to Tech field
over 300,000 was raised for scholarship
activities and research and a classroom
Innovation for a Innovative code Studio
was completed thanks to a GI from
fnbo there was also a $4.7 million in
research
expenditures now in the College of
public affairs and Community Services
Learners are empowered to make a
meaningful difference in the world
academic Excellence is evidence through
the doctor granting degree programs
being highly ranked at number 13 in
criminology and criminal justice and
number 26 in public
administration they also provide
learning opportunities for our mafs
through internships and service learning
project where students explore solutions
to current Community
challenges I am grateful for the
leadership of our senior Vice Chancellor
Dr philh her our colleges approach their
mission with a well defined purpose
their common goal is to offer programs
and experiences that allow our Learners
to grow and expand their knowledge while
being able to apply these efforts back
into our Omaha
Community let me also rapid fire news on
some exciting new facilities the stem
tril Center has just a grand opening I
was
there the space over roskin Hall has
already garnished 2.8 million Ion on new
die okay good the do science center
renovation project is now complete and
we will celebrate the grand reopening of
the building on December 3rd the
renovated space is the opening of
mathaf a tutoring center that supports
students in Uno's College sequence which
saw approximately 2,000 student visit in
the spring semester the newly renovated
heal in kinesiology facility will open
in November and has already been an
enrollment Catalyst for example the
Kinesiology program has experienced the
highest undergraduate enrollment to date
at 320 students this coming year this
and that will allow be learning in this
new state-of-the-art fac
facility and last but not least if you
not been to the library for Starbucks
this is another reason for you to go our
creative production La has expanded over
the Chris Library it's
amazing let me also give a shout out to
our chief engagement officer Dr Julie
dear burer you know is all about
Community engagement there are many
benefits of community engagement through
Partnerships experential learning
opportuni
and creative activity and
research here at Uno we have more than
400 Community Partners with over 9,000
students engaging with the community in
and outside of the
classroom
finally our student athletes have
exceled both on and off the field this
year demonstrating their skills while
maintaining a strong commitment to the
academics across all sports our mck
athletes earned an average GPA of
3.43 in our spring 2024 semester outside
the classroom we also had a banner year
three spots won the summit League
championship title softball man soccer
and volleyball our mck athletes also
make history the year in multiple fronts
our hockey team made it pass the first
round in the NCH C playoffs and competed
in the frozen phas off our men soccer
team made the first appearance in the
NCAA division one tournament and our
women's volleyball team also make their
first appearance in an NCAA tournament
this year additionally our softball team
won the division one tripa or Sports
trophy but not only do our student
athletes excel in and out of the
classroom they also show up when our
community calls I will never forget
hearing about our hockey players
basketball teams and many more helping
our community after the tornado swept
through our neighborhoods for that I am
truly proud and grateful for our
students which leads me to tell you that
we are also a destination for talent
development our mission expand Beyond
just the classroom it encompasses the
growth of every individual who walks
through our doors we pride oursel in
creating environment where Talent is
recognized and leaders are developed
from Innovative research opportunities
to facilities to mentorship programs to
extracurricular activities we offer a
wealth of resources designed to promote
our Learners potential and help them
Reach their
dreams and lastly you and all is to
destination for academic
freedom our University works hard to
uphold the principles of academic
freedom and we forer the environment
where respectful debate is not only
welcomed but encouraged at youo we
believe that the pursuit of knowledge
thrives in an atmosphere where ideas can
be freely
exchanged being the destination for
academic freedom means that we are
enabling our Uno Community to explore
the diverse perspectives and engage in
thoughtful conversation without
fear as a university we have a moral
responsibility to seek to truth
despite uncomfortable
discussions Uno is dedicated to
maintaining our neutral stands ensuring
that our University remains a platform
for open
dialogue having different viewpoints
should be seen at the utmost Foundation
of a
university through respectful exchange
of diverse opinions we present an
opportunity for growth and learning
together we must uphold our values and
maintain our neutrality yet contribute
to an environment that celebrates
intellectual curios it and encourages
collaborative
growth while some may argue political
neutrality is no longer a choice we must
not walk away from the commitment of
allowing different opinions no matter
circumstances on September 5th our
system installed the ninth president Dr
Jeffrey gold with turning a new page
with our new leader I know Dr go
understands you know because he was the
chancellor for this great Institution
for four
years I am enthusiastic to welcome his
intellect as an academic his ability as
the former system Provost and his wisdom
as a Visionary I intend to work closely
with Dr cold and support him to start
important conversations on resource
allocation so he can honor his vision
The Odyssey to extraordinary Uno will
stand by to do its
part now perhaps one of the biggest
challenges for Uno is the current and
future
budget as many of you know our system
has faced and continues to face a
deficit just like everywhere everywhere
else
you know must continue our
conversations continue our efforts with
a sense of urgency in increase our focus
on our visions and strategies we must
advocate for our students faculty and
staff because this Urban University is
worth the investment of our state and
our
citizens you know makes up about 33% of
the student body for the University of
Nebraska system yet we receive less than
11 % of the State
dollars there have been many sleepless
night where I contemplated on what
honest conversation we must have to
advocate for a reasonable budgetary
support for our great faculty staff and
students despite a thin budget our
purpose is to serve our community one
might back the question of how much our
community is being valued Under The
Current financial conditions
and our goal as a Metropolitan
University committed to the core is to
educate the Learners of the world do you
remember that space assessment I
discussed earlier well interestingly
enough that analysis showed that we are
too lean to grow and our grow will be at
the expense of our Financial Health if
we fail to find an Avenue to increase
our budget if we're callous we could
grow ourselves into
bankruptcy however youo has been holding
steady for the last two decades at
around 15,000 students and our
Consultants tell us that based on our
current budget model our optimal
enrollment should be
12,500
students while this may seem like a
conundrum we know that the right thing
to do is to Welcome All
Learners after all we are the
destination for so many students who are
the first in the families to go to
college student that never imagined that
college was for them and student who are
inspired to pursue a specific program at
this great campus we will never ever
turn our back against these
students that said my personal beliefs
that our budget model is simply not
sustain able it is my job to advocate
for you and for our students I have no
problem explain the math to anyone who
will listen and maybe a few who
won't I will keep
talking I will continue to demand a
fairer distribution of resources one
that does not leave our students faculty
and staff disadvantaged and one that
allow us to grow
as the campus disproportionately relies
on tuition dollars it is important to be
transparent about our tuition tuition
growth has not kept up with inflation in
recent years and has created significant
challenges in our Financial Health based
on the College Board study the state of
Nebraska's five-year average tuition
increase after the adjustments for
inflation is
-1% it is time to rethink the value of
high education provided by Uno Uno has
never walked away from the
responsibility as we strive to maintain
our commitment to accessibility and
academic Excellence there I say the
value proposition of Uno is second to
none we must not talk down the quality
education we provide for this community
family and student must be reminded that
the University of Nebraska is a learner
and a leader in high education and you
and all is a community
treasure as a leading institution
educating people of the world we want to
give our students quality
education the idea of earning the degree
should not and will not be reserved for
those who can afford it but for those
who have the ambition to succeed
it is essential that we work together to
find Innovative and scalable solutions
that align with our goals for continued
growth and
success so let me pose a hypothetical
question for you
all how much are you willing to pay to
attend one of Omaha's Jews AKA us you
know I want you to think about this
question because our commitment to
providing accessible education is at the
heart of what we do here at this great
University this is why we fought to keep
our tuition increase at a minimal number
after approval of our tuition increase
of 3.3% by the border of regions in this
past June you know's annual tuition fees
making us one of the lowest in the state
of Nebraska and in the country in fact
we are the second lowest in tuition and
fees among our peers compared to the 15
other state that we have the Omaha Urban
rate our tuition must remain competitive
so we can continue to offer programs and
be recognized for preparing our students
to Excel and while we might not be in
the cheapest
contest we are in competition to be the
best value in high
education we are here to march on with
one Mission University of Nebraska at
Omaha is committed to provide accessible
quality education to the
mass when Learners choose you know they
benefit equally from the education
experience and their finances
the value of an education is not only in
a knowledge gained but also in ensuring
that this knowledge is accessible and
attainable for
all yet we have been hit with another
challenge this year's FSA simplification
act this act was put in place to award
federal financial aid to students with a
goal of expanding P eligibility to more
students that's the fa at the
time however do to flawed roll out it
did more harm than good families and
students in need like our student didn't
know that financial aid that they were
eligible for and either put the college
dreams on hold or abandoned it
completely this could reduce the
professional Workforce in our state
particularly for urban campus campuses
like Uno over 36% of Uno student body is
P eligible 85% of our student body are
from the Metro Omaha area and over
onethird of our student body are first
generation meaning they often do not
have the guidance of a parent who is
familiar with the education
system additionally about 25% of
students are Nebraska Primus in fact you
know is the largest intake of Nebraska
Prim student by percentage of St body
what does it mean you know honors our
mission as an urban University and is
proud to serve our community but while
our goal is to lower obstacles for entry
of high education the dysfunction around
the FAFSA has made this task
exceptionally
difficult we work hard to make sure our
student leave with minimal debt the 2024
national student long debt is around $
1.77 trillion with a te and on average
for graduate it is about
$37,000 this number is for for those
borrowers that have completed their
degree but for you know every student
loan debt for our students only about
19,000 this debt actually our student
carry less that than the national number
and have the lowest amount in the
University system
lowest we take immense pride in
this out of our more than
25,000 Total Living alumni more than
65,000 live and work in
Omaha this means that Uno students stay
in Nebraska after
graduation according to the spring 2024
Nebraska Department of Labor data
analysis out of all student we serve the
postgraduation rate of our student that
stay and work in Nebraska after their
first year is
81% by year five
postgraduation Uno's number remain high
at
67% by comparison these numbers make you
know the best the best performing campus
within the university
system in retaining
talent for our
state this has proved that investing Uno
is investing in Nebraska Workforce you
know transforms itself to be the most
reliable Talent Development agency in
the state of Nebraska we fight to bring
talent in and keep talent for the state
which bring us to another challenge we
face which is the perception that
economically underprivileged students
are academically unprepared Learners
while there is an existing correlation
youo doesn't shy away from identify a
solution as I said in my last dat of
University address Talent is equally
distributed but opportunities are not
after all we cannot choose our
parents the latest data shows that we
have improved our 4 to four cohort from
75% % to 78% in student
retention however we are not quite there
yet we will continue to work hard in
this sense and ensure that our students
will cross the finish line in an
effective way we stand up and say we are
proud to serve this student body after
all we celebrate those students who
prevailed regardless of the economic
backgrounds
the student who graduate from Uno and
make Omaha their home are proud of their
University you know's brand is strong
and is
growing I know Midwest people are very
modest I know this because I married
one yet today I challenge each one of
you to tell the story of you know just
like our perel have in 2021 you know
sold 20 ,000 branded gear through
2024 we have already sold
48,000 your community is proud to wear
your brand everywhere they go and by the
way you're now you and all is the proud
Coca-cola brand on
only you no longer need to smuggle your
Coca-Cola
we have expanded programs enhanced our
facilities and deepened our partnership
with the community these advancement
underscore the dedication we have put
into providing an exceptional education
while contributing to the Social and
economic mobility of our Learners within
our state our commitment to academic
Excellence has been evidenced through
our nationally ranked programs
Innovation and research achieve
and the successes of our
graduates we have positioned you all in
a responsive way to let Omaha know that
we are here and nothing will slow us
down as we look forward and the growing
questions about the value and purpose of
our education
continues we will push forward with our
strengths and stand out as a leading
University remember Larry key our the
last speaker from the future work
Symposium back in December he told me
once if you want to do good be the best
in its class or don't do it this is why
we change our general education
requirement to now be based on a new
agreement with community colleges
associate of arts and associate of
science degrees from regionally accredit
institutions across the country will
fulfill Uno's lower division General
education
requirements this means we are aligning
our academic programs to provide an
effective academic Journey for our
students and we're not going to stop
there we must continue to identify the
most efficient and effective path for
our Learners because we cannot afford
them stepping
out we must also keep an eyes on our
price which is to be the destination
that allows all Ms to learn grow and
innovate together we must uphold our
values ensuring That youo Remains the
leader in providing an exclusive and
inclusive educational
experience the workforce has become a
real challenge across the world
according to the world economic Forum
around 50% of all employees will need
reskilling and upscaling by
2025 so what did Uno do we diversify the
pedagogy of teaching we have approached
these challenges with a critical
mindset within just this past year we
roll out our first micro credential and
many more to follow addressing the needs
by providing industry relevant skills in
allowing our Learners to remain
competitively in a rapidly evolving job
market additionally we introduce
Competency Based
education this means we allow students
to advance based on the ability to
master skill at their own pace allow me
to recognize our faculty you who
approach and embrace this initiative
with such courage and
determination we will continue to do
this through through the evolution of
Education which is why we introduced our
core statements last year I want to
remind all of you our commitment to the
core statement that defines our
institution as we stand at the threshold
of a transformative decade in high
education youo is committed to facing
the challenges and embracing the
opportunities that lied ahead we are not
afraid to meet the challenges coming our
way we will embrace the evolution of
high education because the future
promises to be dynamic and
demanding but presents opportunities for
growth and Innovation within our own
University however being the destination
comes with a price which is why we must
extend our dearest gratitude to our
philanthropic
Community we are tremendous grateful for
them we know that as an urban University
on a very meager budget without the
wonderful support love and care of our
community and the community at large we
cannot do the work we set out to do last
year long Uno secured more than $57
million in private philanthropic support
even with capital project we set a
record
Uno also surpassed 8,400 individual
donors that supported Uno with a
philanthropic gift and not a record in
fact youo has been setting a record for
third straight years as part of the only
in Nebraska campaign you know is aead of
pace to exceed our fundraising goals by
a
lot are you
surprised I am not I mean this in the ni
is way truly you know it's worth the
investment in March the Susan and water
Scott Foundation gave a generous $20
million gift to support the Scott
scholar right here at Uno the growth of
this program has been nothing short of
transformative this pledge allows more
students to enroll in the highly
competitive program and expands the
capacity from 128 to 168 students since
this program began around 600 Scott
Scholars half graduated with more than
80% choosing to stay in Nebraska after
graduation to pursue the careers you
know why because we are the
destination there are many more examples
I could talk about but the point is that
our efforts would not be the same
without philanthropic support as we
navigate our steps towards the future of
this University we must remain focused
on what awaits us there is a famous
quote being repeated again and again in
hockey skate to where the park is going
not where it has been it is an
insightful comment when it comes to
strategy but if everyone goes to where
the puck is going to be we will be in
deep
competition may I suggest that we pay
close attention to where everyone wants
to be and M my words youo will Define
the space where the puck will
be together we will continue to make Uno
not only a place for learning but a
place where every individual will Thrive
and contribute to a brighter future of
our community Omaha our campus
isn't just part of your journey it is
[Applause]