A tour of Nebraska brought Dr. Jeffery Gold, President of the University of Nebraska System, to the Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff on Aug. 2. Where he met with stakeholders in the region, faculty, staff, and graduate students.
“This is a great University System, and the future is truly bright, but we have a lot of work to do, and we will have to face the rude reality of change,” Gold said. “The (University) structure created in 1968 will probably not be the one that gets us into the future.”
Where he’ll start with those changes begins with listening. Gold has been visiting towns and cities across Nebraska and engaging with community members. His main reason for the visits is to gather ideas, about what Nebraska residents think the University system is doing well, not doing well, and what it can do better. Gold will be gathering input from Nebraskans to form a strategy for the next five to ten years of higher education.
Gold also envisions a collaborative effort between educational institutions outside of the University of Nebraska System. Together with two-year community colleges, high schools, and others, Nebraska will be able to deliver everything possible for a long, fulfilling life for its children. “It’s the job of the education system from K-12, higher education, and absolutely the job of a public higher educational institution.”
A collaborative educational system would have a system with common course numbering and a common curriculum. Gold admitted the University needs to be the driver of some of those things.
“We need a better pathway, dual enrollment. We shouldn’t be competitive but collaborative. Not only dual enrollment but dual registration, so students can take a few years if they need them and know they have guaranteed acceptance. We’re big enough to have scale and small enough to be flexible. We are Nebraskans. We have a strong work ethic, the necessary humility, and the vision to continue to make this University great.”
Gold added that he wants to hear from all Nebraskans and alumni about the University’s future.
