Omaha attorney says University of Nebraska should make selection process public

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – When Trev Alberts walked away from his high-dollar position of athletic director at the University of Nebraska to take the same job at Texas A&M, the entire state was shocked.

“It wasn’t the money,” said Omaha Attorney Mike Kennedy. “He had a very good and lucrative contract. I think Trev said yesterday about leadership and a lack thereof, and I think it’s important to get this process opened up.”

Kennedy is the current Vice President of the Millard Public Schools Board of Education. He believes this entire ordeal started because of vacancies in the university’s top leadership positions.

He points to a 2016 bill — LB 1109 — which became law for the delay.

“It exempted the university from announcing its finalist, so basically the public only get to see the one that they’ve pretty much already selected,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy wants the Nebraska Legislature to repeal that law and make the selection process of top university officials visible to the public eye.

“It’s our university,” Kennedy said. “It’s a state university. It’s a public university… the public should be a part of the process. When it’s not, bad decisions get made. I’ll just say this: We’ve had a lot of turnover in the presidency since we’ve had [LB 1109] in place.”

The university’s system President Ted Carter left to become the next president at Ohio State last fall. Alberts was the third athletic director at Nebraska-Lincoln since Tom Osborne stepped down in 2013.

But some members of the Nebraska Board of Regents would argue that they have to keep the process secret in order to attract top candidates.

“I think having a public process, we’re going to get people come forward who actually want to be here. If you don’t want your name out in the public, then don’t apply for the job,” Kennedy said. “I know all eight of these regents care about the university or they wouldn’t take to be unpaid. But I think it’s time to open up process. That would put a timeline on it and the public could weigh in on whoever the candidates are.”

George Achola, the president of the Husker Football Letterman’s Association, believes it’s important to get the school’s top leadership in place before a new athletic director is hired.

“The president has to trust the AD, and the AD has to trust the president,” Achola said. “If there’s not a trust level within that relationship, the rest of the dynamic fails.”

Achola says his group wants more transparency — and a seat at the table when it comes to selecting new leadership at the University of Nebraska.

“I think having leadership at the top makes a significant difference on how that eventually unfolds,” Achola said. “I think we can have a say in that as well.”

Kennedy says he has let the office of Gov. Jim Pillen know that he’ll be reaching out to the Speaker and other state senators.

He understands it’s late in the legislative session, but he hopes if lawmakers start speaking out, then maybe the selection process of a new president would move more quickly.

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