Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, will host a town hall at the Thompson Alumni Center on Friday, Oct. 20, from 10:30 A.M. to noon, for the UNO community.

Phil He (Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs) and Carol Kirchner (Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance) will also be in attendance to provide an update and answer questions.

To allow Chancellor Li, Dr. He, and Carol Kirchner to address as many questions as possible at the town hall, please submit your questions in advance by emailing budget-challenges@unomaha.edu. 

Attendees will also be able to ask questions during the town hall.

Three Things to Know

1. Parking is Available in the West Garage Without a Permit

The West Garage (to the south of the Thompson Alumni Center" is within walking distance to the Thompson Alumni Center. No permit is required to park there on Friday. 

2. A Live Stream Has Been Added

We've heard your feedback. If you cannot attend the town hall in person, you will now be able to watch it via Zoom. In order to access the Zoom link, you must be logged into your Zoom account with either your unomaha.edu or Nebraska.edu email account.

3. You Can Ask Questions By Email, Zoom Q&A, or In Person

To allow Chancellor Li, Dr. He, and Carol Kirchner to address as many questions as possible at the town hall, please submit your questions in advance by emailing budget-challenges@unomaha.edu. Attendees will also be able to ask questions in-person or via the Q&A feature in Zoom.

Brief Updates on the Major Components of Our Strategic Response

As discussed in the State of the University Address, the challenges facing higher education generally and UNO specifically go beyond any immediate budget crisis, we must prepare ourselves and the institution for a future radically different than the past.  While more detail and time for discussion will be provided at the Budget Town Hall, below are brief updates on the major components of our Strategic Response. We also have established the Strategic Budget Response website where we will share messages and available information. 

Academic Program Vitality

Senior Vice Chancellor Phil He is leading the Academic Program Vitality Initiative which includes a comprehensive review of all existing academic programs. Given the specific requests from the President’s Office and the current budget situation, we must address short-term goals and outcomes. However, we also must have a long-term strategy and process to ensure the ongoing success of our academic programs. 

Budget, Revenue, and Financial Planning

Vice Chancellor Carol Kirchner is leading our budget, revenue, and financial planning initiatives. The President’s five-point plan required immediate, temporary reductions as well as specific reviews and reports on zero-based budgeting for non-academic units. The plan also called for a review of five areas (Information Technology, Facilities, Admin/Business, PR/Communications, and Student Services) and their level of distribution and/or decentralization. These efforts are underway, and we are collaborating with units to complete the tasks by President Carter’s established deadlines.