To the Faculty and Staff of the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵof Nebraska System:
Today we are announcing the public launch of the fourth comprehensive fundraising campaign in the history of the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵof Nebraska.
Put simply, this effort — called Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for our University’s Future — will transform our university system and the lives of those we serve. It is the most ambitious campaign in our history, with goals to raise $3 billion in private support from more than 150,000 unique donors. It has the potential to make a ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵof Nebraska education more affordable and accessible for countless students.
And it is possible because of the work you do each and every day to meet the needs of our 50,000 students, our state and the world.
The ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵof Nebraska is fortunate to be generously supported by alumni, friends and all Nebraskans. Elected leaders have consistently recognized the importance of a strong public university and have been engaged and supportive partners. Likewise, donors tell us all the time how inspired they are by your work and how excited they are to be a part of it. They believe in our mission to serve Nebraskans through world-leading education, research and engagement. They believe in our ability to build the workforce and economy of the future. Most of all, they believe in our students — Nebraska’s future leaders, all of whom deserve the opportunity to pursue a ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵof Nebraska degree, no matter their background.
This campaign will:
- Significantly increase support for student scholarships and financial aid — the campaign’s No. 1 priority.
- Expand support for our faculty, the lifeblood of our university and Nebraska’s greatest source of research and discovery.
Private support is not a substitute for the state funding that sustains our university’s day-to-day operations. Nor will any fundraising campaign reduce the need for us to be responsible, effective, efficient stewards of our resources. Private philanthropy does allow us to extend the university’s reach and impact further than what might otherwise be possible — which is why we so deeply appreciate both the public and private support we receive.
You can watch a recording of a livestreamed announcement about Only in Nebraska that the six of us delivered earlier today here. In addition, we invite you to visit OnlyinNebraska.org to learn more about the campaign, its priorities and our progress.
There’s never been a greater urgency around the need to create access and opportunity for more students, to educate a skilled workforce, to grow our state and to solve the most urgent challenges of the day.
The world is counting on our public universities to deliver. At the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵof Nebraska, we not only intend to deliver solutions, we plan to lead the way. This campaign will help us get there.
This is a bold vision, but we know we will achieve it — because of you, the faculty and staff whose work inspires and engages students and people here and around the world. Working together, we will build an even brighter future, like only Nebraska can.
Thank you for being a part of the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵof Nebraska at this very special moment in our history.
Ted Carter
President, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵof Nebraska System
Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.
Chancellor, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵof Nebraska Medical Center
Ronnie D. Green, Ph.D.
Chancellor, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵof Nebraska-Lincoln
Douglas A. Kristensen, J.D.
Chancellor, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵof Nebraska at Kearney
Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA
Chancellor, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵof Nebraska at Omaha
Brian Hastings
President and CEO, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵof Nebraska Foundation