The University of Nebraska Board of Regents unanimously voted to approve joint accreditation between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska Medical Center at a special meeting Friday afternoon.
University of Nebraska System President Jeffrey Gold said this is a “historic” move for the university.
“While building upon the storied legacy of our land grant flagship campus and of our world-renowned academic medical center, this accreditation change restores the single accreditation that was in place from 1913 through 1968 and sets the stage for extraordinary future growth and enhanced national and global recognition,” Gold said at the meeting.
Joint accreditation could also bring UNL closer to rejoining the Association of American Universities -- a group of 71 research universities.
In 2011, the AAU removed UNL from the group. UNL had held membership for nearly a century, and it was the first university to be formally voted out by members. Internal metrics used to measure the quality of a university’s research efforts had changed a year before, giving more weight to biomedical research and volume of federal grants — two areas where UNL was lacking.
Through joint accreditation, UNL and UNMC can jointly report their total number of research dollars as “The University of Nebraska” and essentially function as one institution.
UNMC Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies said combining the efforts of UNMC and UNL is the right move.
“We always want to make sure that UNL gets the recognition that they do, but I actually think that this should help all of us,” Davies said. “I think together -- UNMC, UNL thinking through as a university together -- can actually enhance student, faculty and staff experience.”
Regent Jim Scheer agreed more collaboration is beneficial.
“We’re the University of Nebraska System, and we have to -- to a certain extent -- quit considering ourselves as silos,” Scheer said. “I don't represent Lincoln, or the Med Center, or Kearney or UNO. I represent the University of Nebraska. UNL didn't go away. It's still here, just like any other part of that system.”
Regents discussed how joint accreditation could streamline the transfer process for medical students moving from UNL to UNMC. Students currently must apply twice, and some are considered “dropouts” when they leave UNL to finish their medical degree. UNMC graduates may be able to classify as UNL graduates as well.
The Higher Learning Commission approved the joint accreditation application on Nov. 11.
Accreditation from the commission functions as a quality assurance measure for higher education institutions. The commission measures an institution’s quality with several metrics, like “academic offerings, governance and administration, mission, finances and resources,” and a commitment to “continuous improvement.”
There are multiple regional accreditation groups in the country that report to the U.S. Department of Education, which keeps a running list of accredited institutions.
The special Board of Regents meeting came days after the UNL Faculty Senate approved a historic “no confidence” resolution, formally questioning the leadership of UNL Chancellor Rodney Bennett amid $27.5 million in potential cuts to the university budget. The approved resolution requested that the Board of Regents and President Jeffery Gold conduct a formal review of Bennett’s leadership.
Discussion of the no-confidence resolution was not on Friday’s agenda, and no information on potential actions related to Bennett was discussed publicly. Bennett was in attendance for the Friday meeting.