Jeffrey Gold began his tenure as the ninth president of the University of Nebraska system on July 1, 2024. Gold was previously the chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center from 2014 to 2024, the chancellor of the University of Nebraska, Omaha from 2017 to 2021 and the executive vice president and provost of the University of Nebraska system from 2021 to 2024. In his investiture ceremony on Sept. 5, 2024, where he was officially installed in the position, Gold outlined his goal of taking the University of Nebraska on an “odyssey to the extraordinary.” Gold reflects on the state of the University system after his first year as president of NU.
With the 2024-2025 academic year coming to a close, how would you describe the year and summarize what has taken place within the University system at this time?
I would say it’s been an exciting year for me. The year’s not quite over, but I get asked all the time, “Is it everything I expected?” And the way I usually answer is yes. Everything and more. There have been just a number of important things we’ve done. We’ve certainly been very engaged in strategic planning for the future. We’re working very hard on creating a sustainable budget for the future. We are, of course, responding as best we can to some of the federal changes that are actively ongoing. We’ve initiated and completed a very successful search process for the next chancellor of UNK. We continue to see growth in our research science programs widely across the university. We had a first time of actually increased enrollment system-wide in many years this year, and hopefully, well, that’ll be sustained into the future. And so it’s been an exciting year, and I will tell you, you know, just from a very personal perspective, as I travel across the state and attend orientation sessions, graduations, town hall meetings, rotaries, etc., I am reminded endlessly of how important the university is to the rural and urban communities of our state, and how critical it is that we maintain that full responsibility of continuing to grow our support of farming and ranching, of healthcare, of engineering and so many other different critical areas in the state. I also get reminded, all the time, of how important our athletics programs are, and because they’re obviously not just important for the student athletes and for the campuses, but they’re critically important ways that we bring Nebraskans and others together to celebrate with their families and to enjoy the richness of the university environment.
When you were officially installed in this role in September 2024, what were your goals for the University system, and do you feel that you have accomplished them?
So, yes and no. Some of the major goals that were in my control, our control, I would say, strategic planning, program development, recruitment of the UNK Chancellor, some changes in the vice president roles here in Varner, all of those things were successfully completed. We constructed a sustainable budget model back in August for the university. It was passed by the Coordinating Commission of public higher education in September, and we’re now having that budget debated on the floor of the unicameral legislature, literally as we speak. So, in terms of constructing a viable budget and delivering it to our legislators for their consideration and hopeful appropriation, we can check the box for whether they are able to live up to that and make it happen and turn it into a reality remains to be seen within the next several weeks, obviously. One of our key goals is to maintain affordable, accessible, high-quality education for all of our students, to recruit and retain the highest quality faculty, to do everything we can to have high-impact research science and discovery programs, and that is all directly connected to the budget. You know, the economic impact of the university, which we studied over this last year as well, has shown continued increased impact of the university system to $6.4 billion and a $10 return for every state dollar invested in the university. That is up year over year, decade over decade. Three years ago, it was $9. Six years ago, it was $8 returned for every state dollar. So, we remain and are an increasingly good investment of every state dollar that we get. Graduation rates are up. We will graduate this year over 11,000 students. And so, in terms of being successful and that component of our mission, we’re quite successful as well. But, you know, the changes that are ongoing on the federal level, and the impact of the state fiscal crisis or concerns that they are facing have produced some challenges that we are just going to have to work with in the future.
What is the greatest change that has occurred within the University system during the 2024-25 academic year?
You know, at the investiture on September 5, I talked about the odyssey from being an excellent university system to being an extraordinary university system. And there is no question that we are on that Odyssey. We are actively defining what extraordinary means at the student level, at the faculty level, at the community level, and working towards those goals. We are working very hard to do all of that in the context of what I would call unique existential challenges on both federal and state levels. But, you know, the value of higher education, particularly public higher education that we offer, has never been higher for our students and for the future generation. And we need to, as I like to say, keep the big thing the big thing, and that is to be sure that our students are successful, and that we maintain an environment that is welcoming and embracing, that brings out the best and creates opportunity for all of our students to achieve their maximum goals.
What is the greatest challenge facing the University at this time?
One could look at the day-by-day challenges as it relates to some of the federal research funding challenges. One could look at state budget, etc. But I would say the biggest challenge for all of us, yourself included, is to work together to define what the future extraordinary university is, and to make sure that we optimize your time and your talent and your treasure. When we ask you to help pay for your tuition and when we ask the state to use precious taxpayer dollars, that we’re getting the absolute best return on that investment. And I don’t mean financial return, but I mean pay it forward and create the next generation of Nebraskans who are fully equipped to continue to make this a wonderful place to live and work and raise a family.
How has your perception of higher education and public universities changed since becoming NU president?
I think the only changes that I really feel is the urgency of maintaining the mission of what public higher education does. I mean, it is the single most important vehicle to create social mobility, to uplift individuals out of poverty, and to protect the democracy of our nation, and all of those are critically important factors. You know, Thomas Jefferson once said that the most important thing to a successful democracy is an educated electorate, and right now, that has to involve university-based education on the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels.
