Milliken's speech on podcast
Keeping up with technology, University of Nebraska President James B. Milliken's State of the University address is available via podcast for the first time this year.
Milliken's recorded speech was made available to listeners at midnight Feb. 9. The speech was also available in a downloadable PDF document.
Milliken did not formally deliver the speech, but held a telephone conference with a small press contingency to discuss the address.
Milliken read from a short prepared speech and fielded questions, including some regarding the switch in format.
In the past, the address was given at one of the four campuses in the system. With the switch to podcasting, Milliken is hoping to reach more students and create a wider audience. However, he is realistic.
"I don't expect this to be on any student's top 10," he said.
Milliken pointed out the importance of recruiting quality faculty for NU classrooms and further defined his commitment to the seven planks of the university's Strategic Framework.
He stressed the importance of reaching out to the increasing numbers of Latino students in Nebraska.
Milliken also discussed the three legislative bills going to the Unicameral this year that will directly affect day-to-day operations on all four campuses.
The three bills discuss everything from environmental clean up to rising energy costs.
Milliken lauded state efforts to increase student aid and to continue research funding, citing a 200 percent increase in research dollars in the last 10 years.
"One of the great positives of this stronger level of state support is that we were able to keep tuition increases to the lowest point in almost a decade," he said. "The highest priority of the university is to provide affordable access to Nebraskans to get a higher education."
Legislative bill 603 has been drafted to fund building renovations across all four campuses. Another bill would provide $6 million in assistance to offset rising energy costs. Each of these bills would be designed to allow for future increases.
The third piece of legislation would be for a one-time allotment to clean up the facilities at Mead. The waste at the Mead site was disposed of properly at the time of its disposal, but no longer meets Environmental Protection Agency standards
Milliken said that efforts to maintain and strengthen existing ties with the private sector, as well as establishing new arrangements, will be vital to the economic development of the state of Nebraska.
Milliken also laid out plans for the next year. Citing a desire to increase enrollment throughout the NU system, he said that the university will strive to increase the numbers of under represented minority enrollment.
There will also be efforts to promote entrepreneurial growth through education, Milliken said.
"That's a strategy for the growth of Nebraska."
The podcast can be downloaded at nebraska.edu/sotu2006.aspx
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