LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Jerome Wohleb is challenging Rob Schafer for his District 5 seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. Also in the race is Gary Rogge.
District 5 includes southern Lancaster County and the counties of Seward, Saline, Jefferson, Thayer, Gage, Johnson, Pawnee, Richardson, Nemaha, Otoe and Cass.
We sent questionnaires to each candidate in the race. Responses from candidates are posted verbatim and not edited for spelling, grammar, or content.
Jerome Wohleb
District 5
Website: https://jeromewohlebforregent.com/
1. Please provide a brief overview of your background and what drives you to seek membership on this board.
I have been a faculty member for nine universities, participated on several non-profit Boards including leadership roles, I have attended all four Nebraska universities early in my career, and have had decades of experience leading change and improving cultures as a director in healthcare. I have a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, a Master’s in Business Administration and over 30 years of growing programs while balancing budgets.
The Board of Regents is responsible for many decisions that are key to the future success of the university and the state. As a regent I want to bring needed change by addressing 1) the ongoing attrition in experienced and effective University leaders, 2) improve the university’s “average” national ranking, and 3) attract enough students to meet our labor needs for highly trained graduates.
2. What issues in higher education would you like to tackle?
Several issues present which are critical to the success of the universities and our Nebraska’s economy.
- 1. Access to a college education (due to high tuition costs & limited scholarships).
- 2. Perception or reality that a college education is not worth it (declining applicants for our universities)- UNL is the lowest return on investment in the Big 10 for student dollars.
- 3. Decline of qualified teachers, doctors, pharmacists, and many other professionals that we expect from our universities in our communities.
- 4. Disconnect between the Board of Regents and University leadership including multiple levels within the universities. Many are put in a position to compete for resources versus sharing or collaborating for better outcomes. This is causing recruitment problems, retention problems and discontent across all campuses.
- 5. Research is critical to build if we want to grow and use less tax dollars! Huge opportunity in this area.
- 6. Fiscally sound decisions to generate results for monies allocated. Spending less may be the answer, but generally it is about resourcing the needs appropriately to create growth which brings additional revenues. Imagine how new “billion-dollar industries” in Nebraska could make a difference! They will not come without our universities creating talented labor and opportunities.
3. The University system has had to face significant budget cuts over the last few years – how would you balance the budget and preserve programs for students?
Every leadership role I have had over the last 30 years has faced the same question and, in every situation, I have been able to increase value (preserve programs) and cut the budget. This is a complex question to answer without the facts available for me to address effectively. However, most organizations have waste, most organizations compete for budget dollars (operational or capital) that need prioritization. We need to work with our businesses, our partners in the communities, our external funding sources (endowments, grants, research, etc.) towards a common win-win solution. In general, you cannot keep cutting resources and expect to have a successful outcome.
4. How would you work to support the University’s efforts to recruit students from across the state and the country?
This is a very appropriate question and needs immediate action. Nebraska high school graduation rates are projected to decline by 15% creating fewer college applicants and a reduction of skilled graduates. We must be able to recruit students from beyond the Nebraska bounders to meet our needs in Nebraska. I have been able to double our department staffing over 10-years due to recruiting across the United States. We need to create an environment that students will want to come to Nebraska, whether that is an improved athletic program (volleyball is a great example) or academics that pull in faculty and research to grow our programs. Given the proper leadership, incentives and focus, students will come, especially if we create a reason for them to stay after university training.
5. In the last few years there has been quite a bit of leadership turnover at the University System. With a new President coming in, as well as other new administrators, how will you help keep those leaders in place and increase stability for the University of Nebraska?
This is a big reason why I am running for a Regent position. As I understand, the Regents may be part of the reason why they are leaving. During my campaign, I have visited with Deans, faculty and others about this topic. The general consensus relates to: ineffective communications and collaboration between the regents and many at the universities.
This is another primary reason why I am running for regent. There needs to be effective collaboration and alignment of strategies, a listening ear, and a culture change. These are related to top leadership which appears to be related to Board actions. We must be able to retain our top talent and build a growth mindset. We currently have two open presidential roles for two of our universities. It is very challenging to lead without key roles in place or expecting leaders to do multiple roles.
6. Research is a priority for the University. How would you support those efforts as a Regent?
I totally agree that research is and should be a top priority. However, it is challenging to bring in new research or faculty when we are cutting or eliminating programs. Although we have a start, we are not competing with the rest of the Big 10 universities. The technology growth in Indiana and Kansas is happening now. For example, Kansas University of Engineering is the only Tier-1 designated institution in the state and immediate region. Undergraduate engineering students at KU learn from and work alongside world-renowned faculty members in state-of-the-art facilities. We need to push more resources into research and partner with investors and businesses to grow more talent and development in Nebraska.
7. What are your thoughts on the leadership of the Athletic Department over the last few years? Is there anything you would do differently?
I was under the impression that the vast majority of Nebraskans respected and valued Trev Alberts in this role. If you look at the improvements for many programs, it would suggest he was creating many successful programs. I hope we are able to recruit and retain similar talent going forward.
8. What are your thoughts on renovating Memorial Stadium?
I do understand there is an interest to renovate the South end of Memorial Stadium, but I have heard mixed responses from both ticket holders and fiscal conservatives. I would recommend getting more feedback on the rationale to make sure it is both cost effective and desired by our loyal fan base, especially the current ticket holders.
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