Lani Zimmerman, Chairperson, Adult Health & Illness
Louise LaFromboise, Professor, Adult Health & Illness
Myra Schmaderer, Instructor, College of Nursing

Items of interest scheduled for this meeting:

Privately Funded Research: General Affairs Committee

New commercial opportunities, patent laws, and federal policies, as well as growth in private-sector support for research, have contributed to changing collaborative relationships between universities and private industry. While such partnerships have existed for decades, these new relationships are generally more varied, wider in scope, and more aggressive and experimental, and they are attracting more interest on the part of the public and policy makers. William B. Lacy, Vice Provost of University Outreach and International Programs at the University of California, Davis, is a widely published authority on the current state-of-the art in university-business research relationships. He will discuss his views on this issue with the members of the Board of Regents.

Peer Group for University of Nebraska System: Item XI-A-1

The Board of Regents has historically identified a group of peer institutions for each of its campuses. Recently the board has discussed development of a list of university systems comparable to the University of Nebraska. The peer group can be used for comparing organizational patterns, best business practices, technology and distance learning developments, and policy issues. Two consultants, Dr. Charles B. Reed, Chancellor of the California State University System, and Chancellor Emeritus Donald N. Langenberg of the University of Maryland System, were asked to recommend systems for the peer group.

Joint Ph.D. Program in Information Technology: Item XI-A-2

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska at Omaha propose to offer a new joint Doctor of Philosophy degree in Information Technology. This will be a multidisciplinary program integrating theory and practice in applied computing, information systems, Internet technologies, advancements in telecommunications and the management of information systems. Very few other universities offer multidisciplinary programs in the field of information technology. An external reviewer of the proposal noted that “this could become a signature program helping to move the University of Nebraska into the top ranks of universities, nationally and internationally.”Students would be able to enter the program on either campus. A joint doctoral program committee would supervise the program.