Cassie Wade
NEWS EDITOR
Last week, University of Nebraska President Hank Bounds announced a series of listening sessions to be held Tuesday on the search for the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s new chancellor.
The listening sessions – which are being held in the Milo Bail Student Center Ballroom and are open to the public – will gather “stakeholder input on the qualities, characteristics and experience” university and community members would like to see in a new chancellor, according to Bound’s message.
Each listening session is geared toward a specific group of stakeholders, but since they’re open to the public, stakeholders can attend the session that’s the most convenient.
The session times are:
•8:30-9:15 a.m. – Faculty session
•9:30-10:15 a.m. – Student session
•10:30-11:15 a.m. – Staff session
•11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. – Community session
•12:30-1:15 p.m. – Open session
The announcement of the listening sessions occurred one day after Bounds announced the members of the chancellor search advisory committee. A total of 15 members were appointed out of almost 250 nominations.
“Choosing a 15-member committee wasn’t easy, but I’m confident that this committee- representing a diverse range of UNO constituencies, including students, faculty, staff and the community – will be successful in working with me and our professional search firm to identify a rich and diverse pool of candidates that exemplifies UNO’s unique and vital metropolitan university mission,” Bounds said in his message.
Theresa Barron-McKeagney, associate dean on UNO’s College of Public Affairs and Community Service, and Michael Yanney, a leader of Omaha’s business and philanthropic communities and chairman emeritus of The Burlington Capital Group LLC will co-chair the search committee.
Bounds, NU Vice President and Provost Susan Fritz and the search advisory committee will host the listening sessions.
UNO Student Body President Patrick Davlin, who is a member of the chancellor search advisory committee, said he is “looking forward to channeling student input” during the new chancellor selection process.
“The listening sessions are critical because they provide UNO constituiencies with the opportunity to provide input on what our job requirements for the next chancellor are,” Davlin said. “They also let us inform President Bounds and the search committee of our needs now and in the future so we can help choose a leader that fits us as a community.”
