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A Message from Chancellor Gold | Managing Our Resources

Chancellor Gold address recent questions on how UNO and the University of Nebraska system manage our resources.

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Dear Faculty and Staff,

Thank you for all that you do for UNO. I’m writing to address recent questions on how UNO and the University of Nebraska system manage our resources.

As Nebraska legislators debate their investment in higher education, these questions have surfaced in media coverage and legislative hearings. Perhaps you might have fielded these kinds of questions from colleagues, friends and neighbors.

I’ll echo the sentiments conveyed by Board of Regents Chairman Rob Schafer and Vice Chairman Tim Clare in a recent letter to legislators: we have a great history and a bright future – both of which involve careful stewardship of our resources and thoughtful, intentional growth to best serve students and Nebraska.

As we celebrate new enrollment records, national recognition, and research breakthroughs, we are truly doing more with less:

  • Only 18.2 percent of the UNO budget comes from state tax dollars. Ten years ago, this percentage was 32.9 percent, 14.7 percent less. Twenty-four percent of UNO's budget comes from tuition. The remaining 58 percent comes from designated grants, contracts and other sources.
  • The national rate of inflation during this same time period was just over 17 percent; thus, the purchasing power of a dollar today would be just more than 82 cents a decade ago.
  • From 2015 through 2018, the UNO state appropriation has increased by 4.6 percent, representing only 0.8 percent of the total UNO budget.

Of course, the statistics don’t tell the entire story – for that, you need to look at the people behind the numbers. Our strategic investment in talent pays off for students and for Nebraska.

What you do every day is extraordinary. UNO and our state are fortunate to have so many innovative, dedicated, and experienced faculty and staff. Together, we build the university-educated workforce of tomorrow, discover new frontiers, and provide remarkable levels of community engagement.

UNO Professor Emeritus Robert T. Reilly wrote that a university is a “place of the spirit.” Our people are the force behind that spirit. You and the entire UNO family have my sincere gratitude and that of our leadership team for your hard work and continued dedication. Thank you.

Know that I welcome any questions you might have, and that you can always reach me at jeffrey.gold@unomaha.edu.

Most sincerely,

Jeffrey Gold, M.D.

Chancellor