There is much to be thankful for this holiday season, UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., said during Monday’s forum, including the opening of the cancer center in June, the record growth of the research enterprise and the growing number of collaborative relationships with UNO.
As the state’s fiscal challenges unfold, Dr. Gold, said the university would continue to work hard to grow its way out of the difficulty while continuing to provide mission-driven programs that benefit Nebraskans.
Hear audio from Monday’s forum.
And, while budget challenges are concerning, he said he remains optimistic about the future, and the university’s progress to date.
Also Monday, university employees received an email update on the Budget Response Team (BRT) process from Marjorie Kostelnik, senior associate to the president, outlining the university’s progress toward its $30 million cost-cutting target, updates from individual BRTs, and common questions and answers.
To date, the University of Nebraska has:
- Captured $6.6 million in BRT savings (this is equivalent to a 2 percent tuition increase) enroute to reducing NU’s spending by $30 million in the next several years.
- Cut 61 positions through attrition and the elimination of unfilled positions.
The future remains unclear, Dr. Gold said, noting the uncertainty surrounding the federal health care budget and the Nebraska economic forecasting board’s recent decision to further lower its revenue projections.
Still, he said, “my personal approach is to grow our way through this and build programs of value to the communities we serve.”
If deeper cuts are needed, beyond those already identified by the BRT groups, Dr. Gold said the university would work closely with faculty, staff and students in an “engaged fashion across campuses.”
The audience and livestream questions spanned a variety of topics including:
- Early retirement buyouts — “There is not a systematic institution-wide plan to do that” at this time, Dr. Gold said.
- The effect on research if, per current federal talk, tuition remission is taxed for graduate students — “This could have an adverse effect across all universities,” Dr. Gold said. “We’re working hard so our federal delegation is aware of this.”
- Any consideration of a holiday shutdown in late December similar to that of the Lincoln, Kearney and Omaha campuses — “We’re pretty much a 24/7 organization,” Dr. Gold said, with research and clinical components.