Dear UNL Staff,
As we begin a new academic year, I am honored to serve as your Staff Senate President. While this is a time typically marked by energy, optimism and new beginnings, we find ourselves navigating significant uncertainty.
The recent announcement of a 27.5-million-dollar budget reduction has left many of us feeling concerned. These concerns are not only about financial implications but also about how these changes will affect the people and programs we care about.
Despite the challenges ahead, I believe moments like this reveal the strength of our community and our ability to come together with purpose.
Here is what your Staff Senate is doing right now:
We are ensuring your voice is at the table. Staff Senate holds two seats on the Academic Planning Committee (APC), which will guide this budget process. We are committed to advocating for fairness, transparency and recognition of staff as essential to the university’s success.
We have already been listening. Over the summer, Staff Senate hosted two Town Halls to hear directly from you. The insights shared during these sessions have been compiled into a Staff Senate Town Hall Feedback Report, which is already informing conversations with campus leadership.
We are advocating for transparency and recognition. We are meeting with NU President Jeffrey Gold and have requested a meeting with Chancellor Bennett and the Executive Leadership Team. We are calling for clear communication about the decision-making process and are pursuing formal recognition of Staff Senate by the NU Board of Regents, bringing us into alignment with Faculty Senates across the system.
We are calling on you. Whether you serve on Senate, attend meetings or share your ideas and concerns, your voice matters. This is a moment to lean in and engage. Together, we can shape a stronger and more inclusive future for all UNL staff.
I also want to take a moment to recognize Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance Mike Zeleny, who will be departing UNL on September 2 to serve as senior vice president, chief financial officer and chief operating officer at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Mike was instrumental in helping create the UNL Staff Senate and seeing it through to the finish line. He consistently showed up, engaged with staff, answered questions and helped raise awareness of our work. We are incredibly grateful for his leadership, his advocacy for staff wellness and his ongoing support of staff across campus. On behalf of the Staff Senate, I extend our deepest thanks to Mike and wish him the very best in his next chapter.
As we move forward, I am committed to building on what has been started, continuing the important work of the Workplace Culture and Engagement Task Force and launching new initiatives focused on staff stability, communication and support. These efforts are vital to ensuring that every staff member feels valued and equipped to thrive.
I believe deeply in the work we do here. I have seen how meaningful staff voice can be, how it can influence policy, build community and shape the direction of our university. I am excited to lead with transparency, purpose and collaboration as our guiding principles. There is a great deal of work ahead, but I know we are up to the task.
It is an incredible privilege to be part of this university, to serve our land-grant mission and contribute every day to making Nebraska the best place it can be.
This is a time to come together, not retreat. I truly believe that when staff are respected, supported and empowered, the entire university community thrives.
Thank you for all that you do.
Jessie Brophy
Staff Senate President