UNO Hosts Forums for University of Nebraska (NU) System Priority Candidate Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.

Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., the priority candidate to be the next president of the University of Nebraska (NU) System, was eager to meet with university community members and the public when visiting the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) campus on Monday and Tuesday.

Gold discussed his experiences and perspective in leadership, listened to community feedback, and answered questions.

Gold’s confidence in the university’s future potential starts with a unified mission of excellence and a supportive culture.

“In Omaha, we have to meet our students where they are. We have to make our faculty and staff feel welcome. They have to have a sense of belonging and a belief in a bigger goal, an aspirational goal, of what we're trying to do together.”

Student success is central, and Gold noted that the simplest way to give a student the best chance at success is to understand that each student’s needs are different. So, the help and tools provided should fit that student’s situation.

That kind of service is a recurring theme in his background, from being asked to serve in leadership positions that he did not seek out, to providing his best care as a medical doctor to his patients, and to his time in academics where he could see that “very small amounts of generosity can have a huge lifetime impact” on students.

He was asked about budget concerns in the University of Nebraska system, such as possible department reorganization or budget cuts, and how decisions would be made to address those concerns. He responded that he would be strategic and focused with any changes while maintaining clear communication and trust.

“Change for change’s sake is a waste of time and a waste of money,” Gold said. “It never works. It has to be driven by expected outcomes and goals. It has to be done transparently with a lot of stakeholder input and a lot of discussion.”

He spoke of the positive changes and “dramatic growth” seen at UNMC under his decade of leadership, which he attributes to a smart allocation of resources and clear goals.

Gold currently serves as the vice president and provost of the NU System and chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).

Gold was selected on March 20 as the priority candidate for the presidency role and is now going through a required 30-day public vetting period. That vetting process includes public forums like these, where the university community and the public can meet the candidate, ask questions, and provide feedback before the vetting period ends on Saturday.

After the conclusion of the vetting period, if the NU System Board of Regents deems it appropriate, the Board will vote on Gold’s appointment as the university’s president-elect.