University of Nebraska system
| Latin: Universitas Nebraskensis[1] | |
| Motto | Literis Dedicata et Omnibus Artibus |
|---|---|
Motto in English | Dedicated to Letters and All the Arts |
| Type | Public university system |
| Established | February 15, 1968 |
| Budget | $2.65 billion (FY 2019)[2] |
| President | Jeffrey P. Gold |
| Students | 51,835[3] |
| Location | , U.S. |
| Campus | 3 Universities 1 Medical School 1 Agricultural College 1 High School |
| Colors | Red and gold[4] |
| Website | www |
The University of Nebraska system is the public university system of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The system was formed in 1968 from the merger of the University of Nebraska and the University of Omaha. The system has since expanded to include the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, University of Nebraska Medical Center, and an online high school. Its flagship campus is the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
History
The University of Nebraska system was formed in 1968 from the merger of the University of Nebraska and the University of Omaha.[5] Upon the merger's completion, the system originally included the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which the University of Nebraska–Lincoln had previously acquired in 1902.[6] The system later added the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1990, and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in 1994.[7][8]
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Schools
| Name | Formed | Location | Joined | Type | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Nebraska–Lincoln | 1869 | Lincoln | 1968 | Research university | |
| University of Nebraska at Kearney | 1905 | Kearney | 1990 | [8] | |
| University of Nebraska Omaha | 1908 | Omaha | 1968 | [9] | |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | 1880 | 1968 | Medical school | [6] | |
| Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture | 1965 | Curtis | 1994 | Technical college | [7] |
| University of Nebraska High School | 1929 | Online | 2013 | Online high school | [10] |
Nebraska Institutes
The University of Nebraska has four interdisciplinary, University-wide institutes operating across the University of Nebraska system.
- Buffett Early Childhood Institute - Samuel J. Meisels, founding executive director
- National Strategic Research Institute - Robert Hinson, USAF Lt. General (ret.), founding executive director
- Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute - Peter G. McCornick, executive director
- Rural Futures Institute - Chuck Schroeder, founding executive director
Two of NU's campuses also partner in the Peter Kiewit Institute, a facility in Omaha, Nebraska that houses academic programs from both the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Engineering and the University of Nebraska at Omaha's College of Information Science and Technology.
NU Online Education
Online Worldwide is the virtual connection point to more than 100 online degrees, certificates, endorsements, and minors offered by the four campuses of the University of Nebraska system.[11] University of Nebraska High School is an accredited, university-based online high school. The online college preparatory curriculum allows students to earn high school credit or a diploma from anywhere around the world.[12]
Governance
Board of Regents
The University of Nebraska system is governed by the board of regents, a twelve-member panel consisting of eight voting members and a non-voting student body president from each campus. Voting members are elected by district to six-year terms; elections are held in even-numbered years. The board of regents meets at Varner Hall on East Campus and supervises the operation, expenditures, and tuition rates of each university in the system.
The Board of Regents was established as a constitutional office in the 1875 Nebraska State Constitution.[13] At the time, the regents were elected in partisan statewide elections to six-year terms.[14] In 1917, the legislature made the regental elections nonpartisan, and in 1920, voters ratified a constitutional amendment that provided for the election of the regents by district. The regents were elected from the state's congressional districts from 1923 to 1949, and from the Nebraska Supreme Court districts from 1949 to 1971. Beginning in 1971, the regents were elected in separate districts drawn by the state legislature, which are redrawn after each census.[15] In 1974, voters approved a constitutional amendment that added student members to the board of regents as nonvoting members.[14]
| District | Name | Elected | Seat up |
|---|---|---|---|
| District 1 | Timothy Clare | 2020 | 2026 |
| District 2 | Jack Stark | 2020 | 2026 |
| District 3 | Jim Scheer | 2024 | 2030 |
| District 4 | Elizabeth O'Connor | 2024 | 2030 |
| District 5 | Robert Schafer, Chair | 2024 | 2030 |
| District 6 | Paul Kenney, Vice Chair | 2022 | 2028 |
| District 7 | Kathy Wilmot | 2022 | 2028 |
| District 8 | Barbara Weitz | 2024 | 2030 |
| University of Nebraska at Kearney | Sam Schroeder | N/A | N/A |
| University of Nebraska–Lincoln | Elizabeth Herbin | N/A | N/A |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | Pranita Devaraju | N/A | N/A |
| University of Nebraska at Omaha | Ishani Adidam | N/A | N/A |
President
The president of the University of Nebraska system is appointed by and reports to the board of regents. The position was created in 1968 when the Municipal University of Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medical Center were absorbed into the University of Nebraska to create a state-wide system. Clifford M. Hardin was the first president and Ronald Roskens was the longest-tenured. Jeffrey P. Gold has been serving as Nebraska's president since July 1, 2024.[17]
See also
- Nebraska State College System, the other state institution of higher education
References
- ^ "Search". Internet Archive.
- ^ "University of Nebraska : 2019 Budget" (PDF). Nebraska.edu. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
- ^ "UN System Student Enrollment 2015 - Factbook" (PDF). University of Nebraska system. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ^ University of Nebraska Style Guide (PDF). August 18, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
- ^ "'University of Nebraska At Omaha' Officially Launched In Ceremonies". Telegraph. July 2, 1968. p. 14. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ a b "Omaha Medical College Becomes Connected With State University". Omaha Daily Bee. April 10, 1902. p. 1. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
- ^ a b "NCTA is on an upswing". Telegraph. March 6, 1994. p. 1. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
- ^ a b "Court Lets Kearney Join the N.U. System". Omaha World-Herald. May 18, 1990. p. 14. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- ^ "NU Grows By 8,000 As OU Officially Merged". Lincoln Evening Journal. July 1, 1968. p. 1. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ "About UNHS". University of Nebraska High School. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ "Online Degree Programs | University of Nebraska Online". Online.nebraska.edu. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ^ "University of Nebraska High School". Highschool.nebraska.edu. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ^ Article VII, Section 10, Constitution of Nebraska, 1875, retrieved February 14, 2025 – via Nebraska Legislature
- ^ a b Miewald, Robert D.; Longo, Peter J. (2011). The Nebraska State Constitution. Oxford University Press. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-19-977931-4. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
- ^ Yeargain, Quinn (2023). "Shadow Districts" (PDF). Cardozo Law Review. 45 (2): 424, 482–83. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ "Board Members & Districts". University of Nebraska Board of Regents. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ "A Welcome from President Gold". University of Nebraska System. Retrieved July 2, 2024.