[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6077276,"mediaKeyId","2965163-e2456af7337c7bdcf223979a0ddbb02f","parentId",2965163,"title","UNO leaders tell regents they’re pivoting to a skill‑based economy with microcredentials and paid internships","audioSeconds",744,"startMs",1896000,"endMs",2640000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2965163-e2456af7337c7bdcf223979a0ddbb02f&start=1896&end=2640","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2965163-e2456af7337c7bdcf223979a0ddbb02f/thumbnail_1896000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6077276/Nebraska/UNO-leaders-tell-regents-theyre-pivoting-to-a-skillbased-economy-with-microcredentials-and-paid-internships","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6077276-06ea3fc2b0666a89f0776cc82a6e153c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138349&Signature=CrexkbqZO1ZoZ6YmB5m0zBWcxFEN4zaeR8kjTI5u7~i1b0XHIEVJWBVubm6Raxv63FVgGORiPyPouzpaGEVxBJiRaHXr3iW34BpmUApEE3IS6vpAlITQS4W8TcsItFi990j1cfi7mZzjPwXceUhE8TmRfHWDP8FjnMAlBBuxLS34sVLnZWrSPDJoMAjMftz1ywYN0eTvgzND3ftmNFiQW6ch2WdMYPUaYSDpT25CjYs4yVREtLR3IWxtQbcx-F1YRAoVv26iuIj8Z67S2k1zOg29Jyqr4j6epRrwKug5hT0qyBUe8DTTPR6syNL6Wj2PQf78QpgbglYcgtwpoAw6lA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","University of Nebraska System, NE","date","2025-04-11T21:37:58.857Z","article","University of Nebraska at Omaha leaders presented the Board of Regents with an overview April 11 of campus‑level initiatives aimed at aligning higher education with employer needs in a skill‑based economy.

Chris Moore, professor of physics and director of UNO’s STEM Trail Center, described modern teaching spaces, summer camps and the center’s outreach: nearly 2,000 UNO undergraduates used the new classrooms this year and the center reports direct impact on more than 16,000 youth through camps and planetarium programming. Moore said UNO faculty have produced curricula used by more than 1,000,000 students nationally and that the center is leading campus efforts to integrate AI into pedagogy.

Chancellor Jolie (UNO) and Moore framed a broader campus strategy they called “Advancing in a Skill‑Based Economy.” The strategy emphasizes making degrees faster and less bureaucratic for adult learners, expanding competency‑based learning and microcredentials, and strengthening employer partnerships. Moore and the chancellor highlighted specific initiatives: Career Connect (a paid internship commitment with more than 11,400 paid internship postings on UNO’s Handshake platform and 54 employer partners), 26 microcredentials offered on topics from AI to grant development, and a soon‑to‑be‑established Competency Skills and Workforce Development Hub (seeking NU center status).

UNO leaders said the campus is piloting a cooperative education (co‑op) program in logistics and supply‑chain management with employer partners such as Valmont and Union Pacific; they identified partners on microcredential discussions including WoodmanLife and United Way. The campus also reported nearly 1,000 users of an enterprise generative AI platform and 70 faculty redeveloping courses to include applied AI experiences.

Presenters said UNO’s transfer partnership with Metropolitan Community College (MCC) has helped increase transfer enrollment (noted at +13% for new transfer students last fall) and cited data that 81% of UNO graduates remain working in Nebraska one year after graduation and about 67% at five years. The campus framed the emphasis on competency, microcredentials and paid experiential learning as both a response to employer hiring practices that increasingly value skills over degrees and a strategy to retain talent in Nebraska.

Regents thanked UNO presenters for the tour of the STEM Trail Center and commended campus leaders on the variety of workforce‑oriented experiments and partnerships. The presentation did not require a board vote; regents said they would consider formal approvals for center status and hub designation in future items.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","University of Nebraska Board of Regents Meeting: April 11, 2025.","oneSentenceSummary","University of Nebraska at Omaha leaders presented the STEM Trail Center and a system of skill‑based initiatives — Career Connect paid internships, microcredentials, competency‑based courses and an AI learning lab — as strategies to meet employer demand and adult learner needs.","taxTitle","Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska, Elected Officials, Organizations, Executive, Nebraska","taxId",29123,"location","Nebraska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6077280,"Regents approve new programs, design changes and construction actions across University of Nebraska campuses",19,6091000,6110000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2965163-e2456af7337c7bdcf223979a0ddbb02f&start=6091&end=6110","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2965163-e2456af7337c7bdcf223979a0ddbb02f/thumbnail_6091000.jpg","/articles/6077280/Nebraska/Regents-approve-new-programs-design-changes-and-construction-actions-across-University-of-Nebraska-campuses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6077280-3a20e98d69652c36afec4a962cd320e9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138349&Signature=eYikE3FgBYuNp35RxBSqgv5-~I8EaIlEr9LDPtMYx-oVxiodl2plLSeT955kn~3xK4c0DUVgEVkSxauFi6A6ibT-i9v03Lfsrnh3432OUK6vgsxTXhSGvlu7EbL-TIErfKK0Rbyr3ZF7Nb81jU1xD3ak2NAMGvaoDsjQYht-LJ~Z~OW~ZqX9kY0lYQt-O2qqjbcQURS8Kb1OHNK7D6V2FUGOaFVXCtXxZeDQG7mr6ZACFyTloDj-rNisKjkA~BVzCrZ0YBCvjAUr4aQ8bD-rN6NixgymssEBsbRXrmmezmHTUpSg8~CuSd5Sz0KgHbd7wN709XdD5pLtOFVIHZiF2w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The University of Nebraska Board of Regents on April 11 approved multiple academic and capital items across system campuses, including new program proposals, program eliminations, collective‑bargaining amendments and several construction change orders and naming requests.

Academic approvals on the consent and academic agendas included: establishment of the Nebraska Children’s Justice and Legal Advocacy Center at UNL’s College of Law (private funds anticipated to support the initial merger of existing programs); an undergraduate certificate in irrigation and agricultural water management at UNL; and a graduate certificate in emergency nurse practitioner administered by the UNMC College of Nursing. The board also approved elimination of the Bachelor of Arts in Geology at UNL (retaining the Bachelor of Science option) and the UNO Biomechanics Research Building Phase 3 program statement and budget ($17.1 million, donor funded).

Business and finance actions included collective‑bargaining agreement amendments for UNK (salary distributions for the 2025–27 biennium) and UNO AAUP (salary distributions for the 2025–27 biennium); change orders and construction agreements for Husker Vision enabling work at Memorial Stadium; a change order for the outdoor track replacement at UNL; authorizing additional budget for UNL’s LB 384 Pershing Military and Naval Sciences Building renovation (budget increase of $685,300, noted in board materials as a 6% increase to previously approved budget funded from LB 384 allocation); change orders and ratifications for Westbrook Music Building; a core building mechanical/electrical upgrade at UNMC; and an electrical switch relocation budget increase at UNO (capital increase of $2,000,000 to address equipment cost escalation). The board also approved naming the Bob Devaney Sports Center’s arena as John Cook Arena; board packet notes the work and signage are donor funded with estimated donor cost $400,000.

Board members and presenters discussed workforce needs tied to program approvals — notably that the UNMC emergency nurse practitioner certificate is designed as a hybrid program to upskill family nurse practitioners already working in rural hospitals and clinics. UNMC leaders said much of the coursework will be online with local practicum supervision and pointed to historic retention patterns (for example, Kearney training retention) in support of the program’s rural impact.

Most items were approved after committee recommendation and roll‑call votes; several items passed unanimously and others passed after recorded roll calls. Board materials and committee chairs recommended the items; where budget increases were requested, the administration said funds were available within previously approved LB 384 allocations or contingency budgets so no additional state appropriation was being requested.

The board’s action package reflects a mix of academic workforce initiatives, deferred maintenance work, and donor‑funded campus expansions that the administration framed as targeted responses to workforce and infrastructure needs across Nebraska.","At its April 11 meeting the Board of Regents approved a slate of academic programs, certificates, facility contracts and budgets — from a children's justice center to an emergency nurse practitioner certificate and campus construction change orders — mostly by roll call.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6077284,"Regents approve $2.19 billion Project Health IDR and contracting agreement to expand clinical and research capacity",1090,5295000,6385000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2965163-e2456af7337c7bdcf223979a0ddbb02f&start=5295&end=6385","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2965163-e2456af7337c7bdcf223979a0ddbb02f/thumbnail_5295000.jpg","/articles/6077284/Nebraska/Regents-approve-219-billion-Project-Health-IDR-and-contracting-agreement-to-expand-clinical-and-research-capacity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6077284-33e822ec60ef108cd5681f12787063ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138349&Signature=AehjK1fSpOzI0tQmQ-dv-Nb3zQfvKCYwYnFffckxRusTV9VTjPH5Hrawqz1XXccM0HZXSRhIpM45xyPKtCgOFQtqifV-HEeYjhtXlrL3bg~TVz7ED9Lkn6kRm56ZJ1TJTdHtdkPnWvARdJ8HncLEQARpuBf2TlNffL8RyiZGM5vhYmbS29YZIzGhI0USGiKQkUG1ZLHyBqMtRIv6AqhtLANsZcHq3PsVdKCF5-YBNu2ZuLeCv8JJjrkO2VgkiV9KZDFnABptGgjfbAagp9-4YqyitEHZca4qtrozYfF3SAYXxgJam~rygkdYSdhOLCIhd1gXkdVJOIcflVK2lPD0YA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The University of Nebraska Board of Regents voted April 11 to approve Intermediate Design Report (IDR) No. 1 and to authorize an Integrated Project Delivery Agreement for Project Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), a multi‑phased initiative the board says will expand clinical research capacity and health‑profession education across the state.

Board materials describe Project Health as a statewide facility program intended to increase clinical research opportunities and health‑care training, with an overall program statement budget of $2,191,000,000. The IDR approved April 11 authorizes enabling work including demolition, storm‑water and drainage preparation, site excavation and preconstruction activities for heavy building components.

University leaders told the board the project remains on schedule and within the previously approved program budget. President Jeff Gold and UNMC leadership framed the project as a state‑wide resource intended to increase clinical trial enrollment and clinical training capacity; they noted roughly 30–40% of the facility program would be dedicated to education and clinical research and highlighted examples — including improved access to advanced treatments through clinical trials for patients across Nebraska.

During the board discussion a regent and student regent each voiced support, saying the project will improve student clinical training and address provider shortages in rural areas. The board received a recommendation from the Business and Finance Committee and then conducted a roll call; the transcript records that one regent abstained from the vote. The motion carried.

The board also approved the Integrated Project Delivery Agreement, described in board packets as superseding the earlier tri‑party interim agreement and formalizing the contract relationships among owner, architect and contractor as the project moves into major construction phases. Board materials and discussion indicate the immediate action funds enabling work but do not change the total program budget previously approved by the board.

Regents directed staff to continue project oversight and to return to the board with subsequent IDR submissions as Project Health proceeds through design and construction phases.","The Board approved the intermediate design report and an integrated project delivery agreement for Project Health at UNMC, keeping the program within its $2.191 billion program statement; one regent abstained.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6077289,"University of Nebraska regents approve changes to equal‑opportunity language amid public protest",0,8766000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2965163-e2456af7337c7bdcf223979a0ddbb02f&start=8766&end=8766","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2965163-e2456af7337c7bdcf223979a0ddbb02f/thumbnail_8766000.jpg","/articles/6077289/Nebraska/University-of-Nebraska-regents-approve-changes-to-equalopportunity-language-amid-public-protest","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6077289-5c46785d7deb4add9759aa8ea006b6f5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138349&Signature=f26xDA1Q5XIRXwYq3viWRaB8GBdO6BbTwrXBtlnnaJu0fkQ0QELLjVeuZzr-3EXwE5lN8iiF756I8Ardt9sYZPiI2LrwRn9bCM52mJcND~o1rZ9f7j4kRB73NSuuS6cp~EX7UV4GxpAw6nkT6pnWQ0ihhPABrg-VldyOF04JBOhMvaU72fgLfxhwkhA~5P9WNC1LUUW10QQgs1f81fcFshg7epoiznp~i5GvfGnnsV3Nb3yQuab~UPsSVaEpnDaz7bP-azwO3PjpJG0Qal-i3mcUZ5tmrvpmXVBsc-hjbDYwRXDpUZ4hYGUTwhOmogZlM2NSZZc3KsmjSJiPLUy7Yg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The University of Nebraska Board of Regents voted April 11 to amend board bylaws and system policies governing equal opportunity and related language, a change the board’s supporters said was required to align policy with recent federal guidance and executive orders and that critics said undercuts campus diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

The vote came after a public‑comment period in which students, faculty and staff urged the board not to remove references to race, ethnicity and gender identity from bylaws and policies. Speakers told the regents they had collected hundreds of postcards and written statements opposing the change and argued that decades of higher‑education research show removing explicit protections and commitments reduces retention and graduation rates for minoritized students.

Proponents said the bylaw edits were prompted by a federal executive order and a Department of Education “Dear Colleague” letter directing federal contractors, including universities, to modify certain practices. Regents who supported the measure said the board’s legal team advised that policy language must be brought into compliance with current federal direction to protect university funding; at least one regent cited cases where institutions that tried to comply still faced federal scrutiny.

During the meeting, multiple student regents and faculty representatives spoke against the changes. “When we don’t have programs and policies that explicitly reflect who our students are and say that we will protect them, student success goes down,” said a student speaker who identified herself as someone who studies higher education and who told the board the proposed edits appeared reactionary to recent federal actions. Crystal Garcia, introduced herself as an associate professor of educational administration at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and told the board the removal of explicit DEI language would harm students and shield inequities from research attention.

Members of the board debated whether the legal risk of noncompliance with federal contractor requirements outweighed the potential institutional harms critics described. Several regents said they had received large volumes of constituent letters and postcards opposing the change but said they were weighing the practical risk to funding and federal relationships. One regent explicitly cited the University’s responsibility to maintain Pell and federal research funding as a factor in voting to change the policy.

The amendments considered under item 12 C 2 were approved by roll call. The transcript records mixed votes and one abstention during the roll call; the motion carried. Separately, the board adopted additional bylaw and policy edits (including a parental leave consolidation and other administrative updates) in subsequent votes that were announced during the meeting.

The meeting record shows the bylaw changes were brought forward as part of a broader package of updates to board bylaws and policies; additional chapters of bylaws and policies will return to the board for final votes at the June meeting. Several regents and student regents said they plan to press for broader campus education and implementation planning to accompany the changes.","The Board of Regents voted April 11 to amend bylaws and policy language on equal opportunity and related programs after public comment urging caution; several regents spoke against the change and some student and faculty speakers warned it could harm retention and support programs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

UNO leaders tell regents they’re pivoting to a skill‑based economy with microcredentials and paid internships

Regents approve new programs, design changes and construction actions across University of Nebraska campuses

Regents approve $2.19 billion Project Health IDR and contracting agreement to expand clinical and research capacity

University of Nebraska regents approve changes to equal‑opportunity language amid public protest