Perlman announces union expansion, international study program

Plans will move forward to incorporate a student-approved multicultural center into the Nebraska Union at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Chancellor Harvey Perlman announced today.

In his annual State of the University address, Perlman said a commitment of $1 million from the University of Nebraska Foundation, through its grants committee, will enable the project to advance. Facilities planners at UNL will complete a program statement for the estimated $8.7 million project before sending it to the NU Board of Regents for its November meeting.

"A new multicultural center would be an important step in securing and expanding the progress we have made in our diversity efforts," Perlman said today in his address. "It has both programmatic and symbolic importance. Our student body has expressed its support for the project with a lopsided vote in favor of increasing student fees to support one half of the construction cost if we could raise the other half through donations.

"With board approval and additional success in fund raising, we hope to open the new multicultural center as an addition to the Nebraska Union in the fall of 2009."

In addition to the announcement of fall 2006 enrollment figures showing an 8 percent increase in first-time, full-time freshmen, Perlman announced a new Lieding international study program, from a 2004 gift by the late Harold Lieding. The $4 million program, named for Harold's late son, Christian Lieding, will be used to provide scholarships for students to study abroad.

Perlman also committed to focusing on a unified strategic plan for the life sciences and announced the hiring of a new named professor in plant sciences. Brian Larkins of the University of Arizona, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, will join the faculty in April as distinguished university professor of life sciences and associate vice chancellor for research.

The State of the University address is available online at www.unl.edu.

CONTACT: Meg Lauerman, Director, University Communications, (402) 472-0296