University of Nebraska President L. Dennis Smith, Ph.D., announced today that he will step down from his position on June 30, 2004.
“Dennis has done an outstanding job during very difficult times. He has been a strong leader, focusing on academic priorities that have propelled the university forward,” UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., said. “At the same time, he has supported each campus as it implemented its strategic plan. As I have said many times, he has facilitated UNMC’s and The Nebraska Medical Center’s combined development, relying completely on the campus for leadership.”
Dr. Smith’s official announcement
This afternoon I will announce my intention to step down as President of your university effective June 30, 2004. It has been a tremendous privilege to be associated with the University of Nebraska, and to work with so many talented and dedicated people. In the fall of 2005, I look forward to returning to the classroom in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
My number one goal over the last decade has been quality – to make the University of Nebraska one of the best public universities in the country. To achieve that goal, I identified several areas that I believed were key to turning a good university into an excellent university, and that is where I have focused my efforts. These include:
- Establishing a process to set academic priority programs and ensuring that adequate funds were available to support those programs;
- Aggressively advocating for higher faculty salaries, so that we could attract and keep the very best faculty;
- Putting our buildings and facilities back into shape;
- Using technology to improve the efficiency of our business and administrative operations;
- And, encouraging collaboration – among the campuses, and with the business community – to build stronger academic programs.
It would be difficult to find a university anywhere that inspires as much pride in the people it serves as the University of Nebraska. Our students, faculty and staff, parents and friends, alumni, and even Nebraskans who have no immediate connection to the university are proud of the quality of education we provide, the pioneering research we conduct and the outreach and service we extend to all 93 Nebraska counties.
I want to thank you for the support you have given me, and the University of Nebraska, during my tenure here. We still have many tasks that need attention and I look forward to working with you to achieve our common goals during the year ahead.
Dennis