University of Nebraska Board of Regents to meet April 19

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents will meet Friday, April 19, at Varner Hall, 3835 Holdrege St. in Lincoln. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. The meeting is open to the public and will also be live-streamed at www.nebraska.edu.

The meeting will include an update from Interim President Chris Kabourek on the University's "Five-Point Plan" to reimagine itself and become more competitive in academics, research and student recruiting.

University of Nebraska at Kearney Chancellor Doug Kristensen, who has announced his plans to step down from the chancellor's role at the end of the academic year, and University of Nebraska Chief of Staff/Corporation Secretary Phil Bakken, who has accepted a senior leadership position at the University of Pittsburgh, will both be honored by the Board. The four outgoing University of Nebraska student regents will also be recognized for their service.

A detailed agenda for the April 19 meeting is available here. Items for the Board's consideration include the following:

• Alcohol sales at Haymarket Park for Husker baseball and softball games (Addendum XI-B-2).

Kabourek and new Husker Athletic Director Troy Dannen have reached an agreement with NEBCO, which jointly owns Haymarket Park with the University, for revenue sharing if the Board approves alcohol sales. Under the agreement, all revenues from alcohol sales would be reinvested back into the Haymarket Park stadium, which is over 20 years old and in need of capital improvements.

Kabourek noted that there have been no significant alcohol-related fan incidents at other Husker events at which alcohol has been permitted, including men's and women's basketball games at Pinnacle Bank Arena, Volleyball Day in Nebraska, and the Big Ten wrestling championships. The University is committed to investing in alcohol awareness programs for students.

"This is about improving the fan experience," Kabourek said. "We do not make recommendations related to alcohol lightly, but our teams have shown that we can responsibly provide this amenity that our fans have been asking for and that almost all of our peers offer. I'm very pleased that we have reached this positive outcome with NEBCO and we couldn't be more grateful to continue the University of Nebraska's wonderful partnership with the Abel family and the entire NEBCO team."

Dannen said: "This is a win for our fans, Husker Athletics and the University of Nebraska. Not only does this added fan amenity bring Nebraska in line with national trends, but it gives us an opportunity to make much-needed investments that will make our facilities more competitive. All of us at Husker Athletics thank Jack and Jim Abel and the NEBCO team for their support and partnership and look forward to continuing our strong working relationship."

If approved by the Board on April 19, alcohol sales would be permitted at Husker events at Haymarket Park effective immediately.

• Authorization of Phase 2 design services from HDR for renovation of Memorial Stadium (Addendum XI-B-1).

The contract is part of the $45 million of Phase I improvements and planning approved by the Board last October. It requires additional Board approval given the contract exceeds $5 million. The contract represents the typical next step in the facilities planning process and would allow for continued conceptual design work for improvements to the stadium. No Phase 2 construction work will move forward until detailed construction and financing plans are brought to the Board for consideration.

"Right now we're doing our due diligence - taking time to fully understand the project, its rationale, timeline, cost and benefits. It's important for us to hear from everyone with a stake in this conversation, from our coaches, staff, fans and donors to the Board of Regents and administration," Dannen said.

"Any decision we make will be based on whether it helps us win. Our fans and all Nebraskans expect that we will invest every ounce of our time and resources into bringing the greatest possible benefit to Husker Athletics and the entire state."

• Naming of the Huskers' Go Big Facility the "Osborne Legacy Complex" in honor of Tom Osborne (Addendum XI-B-3).
• Acceptance of a private gift for renovation of the architectural complex at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and naming of the new wing at Architecture Hall the "HDR Pavilion" (Addenda XI-B-4 and XI-B-5).
• Funding allocation for the project planning phase of Project Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (Addendum XI-B-9).
• Plans for a residence hall at UNMC (Addendum XI-B-11).
• Naming of the ice rink at the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Baxter Arena the "Mike Kemp Ice Rink" in honor of Kemp, the Mavericks' first head hockey coach who is retiring next month (Addendum XI-B-12).

The April 19 Board agenda will not include consideration of the appointment of Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., as president of the University of Nebraska. Gold, who was named priority candidate for president on March 20, is currently undergoing a 30-day public vetting period. By law, the Board cannot consider Gold's appointment until after the 30-day vetting period concludes. Thus, the Board may convene a meeting to consider Gold's appointment on April 20 or anytime thereafter.

About the University of Nebraska

The University of Nebraska is the state's only public university system, made up of four campuses - UNL, UNO, UNK and UNMC - each with a distinct role and mission. Together the campuses enroll nearly 50,000 students and employ 16,000 faculty and staff who serve the state, nation and world through education, research and outreach. For more information and news from the University of Nebraska, visit www.nebraska.edu/news.