The Final Perl

University Communications Author

04/04/2016 Added

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On April 1, 2016 the University of Nebraska-Lincoln celebrated the 15-year tenure of Chancellor Harvey Perlman. This is a recording of the complete hour-long live event.

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[00:00:12.283](tone beeps)
[00:00:19.417]♫ There is no place, there is no
[00:00:23.483](group loops chorus)
[00:00:30.150]♫ There is no place
[00:00:35.617]♫ There is no place
[00:00:40.517]♫ There is no, there is no place, there is no
[00:00:43.583]♫ There is no place
[00:00:48.483]♫ There is no, there is no place
[00:00:53.850]♫ There is no, there is no place
[00:00:59.150]♫ There is no, there is no place
[00:01:04.383]♫ There is no place
[00:01:06.950]♫ Like Nebraska
[00:01:09.750]♫ There is no place like Nebraska
[00:01:13.350]♫ Dear old Nebraska
[00:01:15.117]♫ You will all stick together
[00:01:18.383]♫ In all types of weather
[00:01:20.317]♫ For dear old Nebraska U
[00:01:24.350]♫ There is no place like Nebraska
[00:01:28.083]♫ Dear old Nebraska
[00:01:30.150]♫ You will all stick together
[00:01:33.317]♫ In all types of weather
[00:01:35.083]♫ For dear old
[00:01:36.217]♫ Nebraska U, there is no place
[00:01:38.750]♫ There is no, there is no place
[00:01:41.217]♫ There is no place, hail to the
[00:01:42.917]♫ Like Nebraska, team
[00:01:44.517]♫ Dear old Nebraska, hail to the
[00:01:46.383]♫ You, Scarlet and Cream
[00:01:47.917]♫ Will all stick together, cheers for a victory
[00:01:49.717]♫ In all types of weather, echo our loyalty
[00:01:51.417]♫ For dear old Nebraska U
[00:01:54.317]♫ Oh, there is no place like Nebraska
[00:01:57.917]♫ Dear old Nebraska
[00:02:00.017]♫ You will all stick together
[00:02:03.150]♫ In all types of weather
[00:02:04.917]♫ For dear old Nebraska U, there is no place
[00:02:08.417]♫ There is no place
[00:02:11.050]♫ There is no place like Nebraska
[00:02:14.383]♫ Dear old Nebraska
[00:02:16.250]♫ You
[00:02:17.683]♫ Will all stick together
[00:02:19.217]♫ In all types of weather
[00:02:20.983]♫ For dear old Nebraska U
[00:02:24.517]♫ There is no place like Nebraska
[00:02:27.850]♫ Dear old Nebraska
[00:02:29.550]♫ You
[00:02:31.183]♫ Will all stick together
[00:02:32.750]♫ In all types of weather
[00:02:34.450]♫ For dear old Nebraska U, there is no place
[00:02:37.550]♫ Like
[00:02:40.617]♫ Nebraska ♫
[00:02:44.550](audience applauds and cheers)
[00:03:19.283]Good afternoon,
[00:03:20.583]and welcome to this special event,
[00:03:23.083]The Final Perl.
[00:03:24.983]Thanks to our music group Roctavo for their performance.
[00:03:28.117]I'm Rick Alloway, a member of the faculty
[00:03:29.917]in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications,
[00:03:32.183]and we welcome you here today for
[00:03:33.950]what is a special day in the life of
[00:03:36.350]the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
[00:03:37.883]This is Harvey Perlman's last
[00:03:40.750]state of the university speech.
[00:03:42.717]And before we're through,
[00:03:44.417]we'll let him have the last word,
[00:03:45.950]but first we thought it would be helpful to recap
[00:03:48.917]just a few of the highlights of his 15 year tenure.
[00:03:52.983]The year was 2000,
[00:03:55.183]Harvey Perlman was named Interim Chancellor
[00:03:57.550]on the heels of James Moeser's departure for North Carolina.
[00:04:01.550]Chancellor Moeser left us with (piano plays)
[00:04:03.350]a new alma mater, a song which was
[00:04:05.217]to be sung by everyone in Memorial Stadium
[00:04:07.583]before each game. ♫ Nebraska
[00:04:10.550]♫ Nebraska
[00:04:13.283]♫ We pledge you our true loyalty ♫
[00:04:18.450](music cuts out) (laughter)
[00:04:19.483]Yeah, Harvey gave that the ax.
[00:04:21.417](audience laughs)
[00:04:22.983](audience applauds and cheers)
[00:04:24.717](Rick tuts)
[00:04:25.883](audience applauding)
[00:04:27.917]Harvey increased his appreciation for
[00:04:29.917]cooked beef after a close encounter
[00:04:32.083]with an annoyed mouth-foaming steer
[00:04:34.450]at a command performance at the Governor's
[00:04:36.117]Celebrity Cattle show at the state fair.
[00:04:38.550]Harvey vowed revenge. (audience laughs)
[00:04:40.850]And Will Spinar, Harvey's first grandchild
[00:04:43.417]was born that year.
[00:04:45.183]In 2001, Harvey Perlman was named
[00:04:47.517]the permanent Chancellor, beginning April 1st of 2001,
[00:04:50.983]and here we are 15 years later, well,
[00:04:53.617]16 if you count his interim service.
[00:04:55.817]We didn't realize then how permanent
[00:04:57.683]that interim would be. (audience laughs)
[00:04:59.583]In January of 2001, the Omaha World-Herald
[00:05:02.417]pronounced our university mediocre
[00:05:04.883]in a full page week-long series.
[00:05:07.583](audience laughs) Problem is, it was.
[00:05:10.683]The preceding fall, our US News and World Report
[00:05:13.517]ranking had fallen into third tier.
[00:05:15.517]Research was lagging, budget cuts were looming,
[00:05:18.383]and parking was a problem.
[00:05:20.117]And faculty morale was at an all-time low,
[00:05:22.950]just like usual.
[00:05:24.350](audience laughs)
[00:05:26.217]Harvey was installed as our Chancellor that year and,
[00:05:29.317]an aside, mentioned his dream of playing his
[00:05:31.817]five string banjo on the Lied stage someday.
[00:05:35.450]Well, that was also the year that Harvey hired Prem Paul
[00:05:38.150]as Vice Chancellor for Research in Enthusiasm.
[00:05:41.283](audience laughs) And that marked
[00:05:43.183]the start of a whole new focus
[00:05:44.817](audience applauds) on research.
[00:05:46.350](audience applauds and cheers) (Rick laughs)
[00:05:51.483]Clearly infectious.
[00:05:52.983](audience laughs) The College of Journalism
[00:05:54.383]and Mass Communications moved into
[00:05:55.783]the renovated Security Mutual Building,
[00:05:57.650]soon to become known as Andersen Hall.
[00:05:59.917]And then in 2002, Othmer Hall opened,
[00:06:02.850]giving the College of Engineering a new hub on campus.
[00:06:06.050]The first wave of new research grant wins
[00:06:08.850]came in rapid succession, three within
[00:06:11.083]just two weeks, including 5.7 million
[00:06:14.217]from the NSF, to establish the prestigious
[00:06:16.717]Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at UNL.
[00:06:20.083]And 10 million from the National Institutes of Health
[00:06:22.850]to create the Nebraska Redox Biology Center.
[00:06:25.883]Little Red donned a lab coat in the first
[00:06:28.150]of a new tradition to celebrate major grants.
[00:06:31.717]Then in 2003, Teachers College,
[00:06:34.017]under the leadership of Dean Jim O'Hanlon,
[00:06:36.050]merged with the College of Home Economics,
[00:06:38.083]under the leadership of Dean Marjorie Kostelnik,
[00:06:40.650]to form the new College of Education and Human Sciences.
[00:06:44.283]O'Hanlon returned to being on the faculty
[00:06:46.450]after serving as dean for 20 years.
[00:06:48.917]Budget cuts were coming in waves,
[00:06:50.950]the university incurred a budget reduction
[00:06:52.817]of 8% for 2002, 2003.
[00:06:56.350]And for the following year, the Governor
[00:06:58.117]proposed an additional 10% reduction.
[00:07:01.450]Among other cuts, Harvey proposed elimination
[00:07:04.150]of the research division at the state museum,
[00:07:06.417]and the termination of his tenured faculty,
[00:07:08.650]and argued that he followed AAUP guidelines,
[00:07:11.617]but some in the faculty said it called for
[00:07:13.483]a no confidence vote to be held the following fall.
[00:07:16.450]Harvey asked for an immediate vote of the entire
[00:07:18.783]faculty with the Lancaster County Election Commissioner
[00:07:21.383]as the ballot counter to assure fairness.
[00:07:23.883]89% of the faculty voters supported Harvey,
[00:07:27.250]so there, Donald Trump.
[00:07:28.950](audience laughs)
[00:07:31.583]The new Van Brunt Visitor Center opened.
[00:07:34.317]The first ever UNL Research Fair was held to celebrate
[00:07:37.183]research successes and to gear up for more.
[00:07:39.950]And both Love Library South
[00:07:41.683]and the Schmidt Law Library were renovated.
[00:07:44.317]And Ava Spinar, Harvey's second grandchild was born.
[00:07:47.350](audience laughs)
[00:07:48.550]2004, entertainment icon and University of Nebraska alumnus,
[00:07:52.350]Johnny Carson announced a gift of 5.3 million dollars
[00:07:55.817]to support the Hixson-Lied College
[00:07:57.383]of Fine and Performing Arts' Department of Theater Arts,
[00:08:00.483]the 100 year old Temple building where Carson
[00:08:02.883]got his start in theater was renovated and expanded.
[00:08:06.583]Ted Kooser was named US Poet Laureate.
[00:08:09.517]UNL won a five million dollar NSF grant
[00:08:12.650]to launch Math in the Middle, focused on
[00:08:14.950]improving middle school math education.
[00:08:17.750]Avery Hall reopened as the new home of mathematics,
[00:08:21.083]as well as computer science and engineering.
[00:08:23.383]And we welcomed a new football coach.
[00:08:25.950]Then in 2005,
[00:08:27.917](audience laughs and applauds)
[00:08:31.683](Rick tuts)
[00:08:33.050]UNL geoscientists brought in
[00:08:35.250]12.9 million dollars in grants from the NSF
[00:08:38.250]to lead the US portion of the multi-national Antarctic
[00:08:41.083]geological drilling project known as ANDRILL.
[00:08:44.917]UNL added its data crunching horsepower
[00:08:47.117]to a global super-computing network,
[00:08:49.183]analyzing data from the large Hadron Collider.
[00:08:52.250]And Tommy Lee came to campus
[00:08:54.350](audience laughs) playing in a marching band,
[00:08:56.383]made many people nervous, including Harvey.
[00:08:59.150]Fortunately an NBC primetime series called
[00:09:01.950]Tommy Lee Goes to College ultimately
[00:09:04.483]proved a boost to recruitment.
[00:09:07.017]♫ Let good times roll ♫
[00:09:13.517](upbeat comical music)
[00:09:37.817](audience laughs)
[00:09:39.117](upbeat comical music)
[00:09:48.917](tense music)
[00:09:58.583](audience laughs)
[00:10:00.283](dramatic music)
[00:10:23.850](comical ominous music)
[00:10:30.417](audience laughs)
[00:10:46.683](military music)
[00:10:57.683](audience laughs)
[00:11:02.850](audience laughs)
[00:11:09.150](heavy metal music)
[00:11:17.183](Harvey laughs) OK (laughs).
[00:11:23.450](gun firing)
[00:11:24.517](dramatic music)
[00:11:37.083](Rick tuts) (audience laughs)
[00:11:39.083](audience applauds)
[00:11:44.583]Also in 2005,
[00:11:46.550]Marco Spinar, Harvey's third grandchild was born.
[00:11:49.217](audience laughs)
[00:11:50.417]Then in 2006, the Diocles Laser Laboratory opened,
[00:11:54.050]positioning Nebraska as a leader
[00:11:56.083]in high field physics and laser research.
[00:11:58.617]Located immediately south of Memorial Stadium,
[00:12:01.183]it has the potential to vaporize opposing quarterbacks.
[00:12:04.717](laser firing)
[00:12:06.317](audience laughs)
[00:12:07.650]The Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research
[00:12:10.250]was created with a new partnership
[00:12:11.717]with the Nebraska Public Power District.
[00:12:13.817]The new Schorr Computer Science Center
[00:12:15.983]opened in the renovated South Stadium.
[00:12:18.017]Housing the most powerful super-computer in the state.
[00:12:21.283]A group of community leaders known as Vision 2015,
[00:12:24.417]along with Chancellor Perlman and other university leaders,
[00:12:27.217]developed a set of pillars to improve
[00:12:29.083]the city of Lincoln and the university.
[00:12:31.217]Including creating a research campus
[00:12:33.117]on what was then the state fair property.
[00:12:35.817]In 2007, research expenditures topped
[00:12:38.683]229 million dollars.
[00:12:41.150]The International Quilt Study Center and Museum
[00:12:43.583]opened at 33rd and Holdrege.
[00:12:45.917]Through ping pong diplomacy the Confucius Institute
[00:12:48.717]was established on the UNL campus with
[00:12:50.983]our Chinese partner university Xi'an Jiaotong.
[00:12:54.050]And so began Harvey's extended commute to China.
[00:12:57.183](audience laughs)
[00:12:58.717]Harvey appointed Jim O'Hanlon as the
[00:13:00.417]Interim Director of the Alumni Association.
[00:13:02.683](audience laughs and applauds) (Rick tuts)
[00:13:05.617]A legislative committee heard a university proposal
[00:13:08.117]to move the state fair to Grand Island.
[00:13:10.017]And we welcomed a new football coach.
[00:13:12.050](audience laughs) In 2008,
[00:13:14.417](audience laughs and claps)
[00:13:17.050]the Raikes Foundation provided a lead gift
[00:13:19.583]in a campaign to support students
[00:13:21.217]in the J.D. Edwards Program, the program was
[00:13:24.017]renamed, becoming the Jeffrey S. Raikes
[00:13:26.483]School of Computer Science and Management.
[00:13:28.983]A nationally recognized program attracting
[00:13:31.317]top students from across the nation.
[00:13:33.717]The Ken Morrison Life Sciences Research Center opened,
[00:13:36.417]a 21 million dollar facility housing UNL virologists,
[00:13:40.017]affiliated with the Nebraska Center for Virology,
[00:13:42.517]one of the university's signature research programs.
[00:13:45.283]And the legislature called for the state fair
[00:13:47.383]to move to Grand Island and for the land
[00:13:49.783]to be transferred to the university by 2010.
[00:13:52.550]Harvey celebrated by eating a hamburger.
[00:13:54.817](audience laughs)
[00:13:56.217]And Caleb Larson, Harvey's fourth grandchild was born.
[00:13:59.483](audience laughs)
[00:14:00.783]In 2009, Harvey appointed Jim O'Hanlon,
[00:14:03.217]Interim Director of the Durham School
[00:14:04.750]of Architectural Engineering and Construction in Omaha.
[00:14:07.817](audience laughs)
[00:14:09.850]In 2010, the university became
[00:14:12.183]the 12th member of the Big Ten Conference.
[00:14:14.883]The 8.7 million dollar, 30,000 square foot,
[00:14:18.217]Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center opened,
[00:14:20.617]adjacent to the Nebraska Union.
[00:14:22.350]The largest such center at any
[00:14:24.250]public university in the United States.
[00:14:26.817]The Whittier Research Center opened--
[00:14:28.550](audience applauding)
[00:14:32.550]The Whittier Research Center opened
[00:14:33.917]with much needed space for UNL's growing
[00:14:36.150]research enterprise after a 24 million dollar renovation
[00:14:39.483]to the building that was originally a junior high school.
[00:14:42.517]And Jorgensen Hall opened, the new home
[00:14:44.583]for Physics and Astronomy on campus.
[00:14:47.183]The Water for Food Institute was founded
[00:14:49.217]with a 50 million dollar gift from
[00:14:50.717]the Robert B. Daugherty foundation,
[00:14:52.717]to bring university expertise to the challenge
[00:14:55.017]of global food security.
[00:14:56.917]Making the most of water resources and agriculture.
[00:15:00.017]Pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding
[00:15:02.050]with the institute, USAID appointed
[00:15:04.783]Harvey to its initiative in the Arab countries
[00:15:07.117]in the Middle-East and North Africa.
[00:15:08.883]There is no evidence the disappointment
[00:15:11.317]had anything to do with the rise of ISIS.
[00:15:13.350](audience laughs)
[00:15:14.650]Harry Truman Foundation honored UNL
[00:15:16.850]as one of two institutions cited
[00:15:18.383]for encouraging students to pursue careers
[00:15:20.550]in public service and to win Truman scholarships,
[00:15:23.517]and the university's 100th homecoming was celebrated.
[00:15:27.150]The legislature designated 25 million dollars
[00:15:30.083]to be invested in the Nebraska Innovation Campus,
[00:15:32.850]and Harvey appointed Jim O'Hanlon,
[00:15:34.583]the Interim Dean of the College of Engineering.
[00:15:36.717](audience laughs)
[00:15:39.283]As part of the lead center series on aspiring artists,
[00:15:42.383]Harvey signed up to play the banjo solo
[00:15:44.750]but failed to appear, and appearing
[00:15:46.950]on his behalf instead was concert pianist Paul Barnes.
[00:15:50.617]The Marguerite Scribante Professor of Music,
[00:15:52.950]Paul Barnes has collaborated with world-renowned
[00:15:55.817]composer Philip Glass for over 20 years now,
[00:15:58.750]and has performed all around the world.
[00:16:01.217]From his latest CD called New Generations,
[00:16:03.650]Paul will perform Etude No. Six followed by
[00:16:06.450]his own transcription of Glass' Dance for Akhnaten.
[00:16:12.150](quick paced melancholy piano music)
[00:16:58.117](surging tense piano music)
[00:17:14.250](frantic piano music)
[00:17:43.383](surging tense piano music)
[00:18:35.350](tense piano music)
[00:18:46.683](surging dramatic piano music)
[00:19:00.083](gentle piano music)
[00:19:03.617](frantic piano music)
[00:19:36.050](tense piano music)
[00:19:38.883](frantic piano music)
[00:20:26.150](surging dramatic piano music)
[00:21:03.317](tense piano music)
[00:21:19.950](frantic piano music)
[00:22:08.017](surging dramatic piano music)
[00:22:40.317](frantic piano music)
[00:22:47.617](audience applauds and cheers)
[00:22:55.617]Paul Barnes, ladies and gentlemen.
[00:22:57.550](clapping)
[00:23:00.617](audience applauding)
[00:23:04.683]We move on to 2011 when UNL left the AAU,
[00:23:08.750]the Association of American Universities,
[00:23:10.850]or vice-versa. (audience laughs)
[00:23:13.383]Causing our research and enrollment
[00:23:15.017]to subsequently increase.
[00:23:16.750](audience laughs)
[00:23:18.883](audience applauds and cheers)
[00:23:23.483]The bleak chemistry labs in Hamilton Hall
[00:23:26.083]were given a 1.6 million dollar face-lift.
[00:23:28.817]And Harvey appointed Jim O'Hanlon,
[00:23:30.750]the Interim Dean of the College of Architecture.
[00:23:33.017](audience laughs)
[00:23:34.717]And Finn Larson, Harvey's fifth grandchild was born.
[00:23:37.950](audience laughs)
[00:23:39.217]We move on to 2012, when William Ayers,
[00:23:41.683]a former member of the Weather Underground,
[00:23:43.550]was invited and then dis-invited to speak on campus,
[00:23:47.350]when a presidential candidate caused a national
[00:23:49.617]media firestorm disqualifying Harvey from consideration
[00:23:53.083]for the James Lake Academic Freedom Award.
[00:23:55.917]And bed bugs hit the news and the campus.
[00:23:58.617](audience laughs)
[00:23:59.783]The new Voelte-Keegan Nanoscience Research Center opened,
[00:24:03.150]a boost to UNL's strong materials and nanoscience research.
[00:24:07.150]A groundbreaking marked the start
[00:24:08.950]of construction of the Nebraska Innovation Campus,
[00:24:11.350]and ConAgra Foods was named as the first private partner.
[00:24:15.083]And Harvey appointed Jim O'Hanlon,
[00:24:16.917]the Interim Dean of the College
[00:24:18.250]of Journalism and Mass Communications.
[00:24:20.117](audience laughs)
[00:24:21.883]In 2013, we had a snow day,
[00:24:24.517]only it was at the most inopportune of times
[00:24:27.550]in May on the morning of the only time in history that UNL
[00:24:31.150]scheduled commencement at an outdoor venue.
[00:24:33.850](audience laughs)
[00:24:35.417]Commencement was cancelled, donations from
[00:24:37.983]the class of 2013 dried up immediately.
[00:24:40.850](audience laughs)
[00:24:42.017]And Harvey launched his
[00:24:43.450]Perl's of Knowledge social media series.
[00:24:46.317]And even the Chronicle of Higher Education paid attention
[00:24:49.017]and so did a lot of prospective students,
[00:24:51.117]as enrollment rose to new heights.
[00:24:53.650](dramatic aspiring music)
[00:24:59.150](clattering)
[00:25:05.083](crashing)
[00:25:06.383](upbeat music)
[00:25:12.917](animals snorting)
[00:25:27.150](audience laughs)
[00:25:41.283](audience laughs)
[00:25:50.450](cracking)
[00:26:20.750](crashing)
[00:26:22.250](dramatic aspiring music)
[00:26:32.283]Also in 2013, the Pinnacle Bank Arena opened,
[00:26:35.017]and the first event held there was
[00:26:36.650]UNL's August commencement.
[00:26:38.917]East Memorial Stadium was expanded
[00:26:40.983]to include more seating and fan amenities.
[00:26:43.217]Plus two major research facilities,
[00:26:45.217]the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior,
[00:26:47.917]and the Nebraska Athletic Performance Laboratory,
[00:26:50.783]thanks to a unique partnership
[00:26:52.283]between academics and athletics.
[00:26:54.617]In 2014, the university of Nebraska Foundation's
[00:26:57.783]campaign for Nebraska concluded with a celebration
[00:27:00.783]of a whopping 1.7 billion dollars in donations.
[00:27:04.617]800 million of those dollars now
[00:27:06.650]being put to work here at UNL.
[00:27:08.850]UNL won an 11.3 million dollar NIH grant
[00:27:12.383]to establish the Nebraska Center
[00:27:14.083]for Prevention of Obesity Diseases.
[00:27:16.717]Ground was broken for the John Breslow Ice Hockey Center.
[00:27:20.483]And we welcomed Mike Riley as our new head football coach.
[00:27:23.617](audience laughs)
[00:27:24.750]And Harvey appointed Jim O'Hanlon,
[00:27:26.350]for his second term, (audience laughs)
[00:27:28.250]as Interim Director of the Durham School of Architectural
[00:27:30.917]Engineering and Construction in Omaha.
[00:27:34.250]In 2015, enrollment hit an all-time high
[00:27:37.283]of 25,260.
[00:27:40.150]UNL was ranked again in the top 50
[00:27:42.750]public national research universities
[00:27:44.617]by US News and World Report.
[00:27:46.817]The Nebraska Innovation Campus held its official
[00:27:49.250]grand opening with the new Food Innovation Center
[00:27:51.717]and Greenhouse Innovation Center up and running.
[00:27:54.817]The Johnny Carson Foundation made
[00:27:56.683]a 20 million dollar gift to fund the Johnny Carson Center
[00:27:59.750]for Emerging Media Arts, in the former
[00:28:02.383]Nebraska Bookstore at 14th and Q.
[00:28:04.917]And Jim O'Hanlon returned to Emeriti Faculty status.
[00:28:08.350](audience laughs)
[00:28:09.750](audience applauds and cheers)
[00:28:16.950]That was also the year that Aven Larson,
[00:28:18.817]Harvey's sixth grandchild was born.
[00:28:21.283]So in addition to four dogs and two cats,
[00:28:24.483]it looks like that might complete the family.
[00:28:26.883]So that brings us to 2016,
[00:28:29.283]the year in which North Love Library
[00:28:31.117]turned into an academic learning commons,
[00:28:33.583]and Dunkin' Donuts became a campus icon.
[00:28:36.517]And it's the year in which Harvey completes
[00:28:38.283]15 years as Chancellor, having put together a team
[00:28:41.850]that most changed the momentum
[00:28:43.717]and the physical infrastructure of this university.
[00:28:46.617]A look at the near doubling of our research enterprise,
[00:28:50.250]enrollment growth to more than 25,000,
[00:28:53.750]and the physical campus changes,
[00:28:55.983]define this era as productively changing this university
[00:28:59.483]into a Big Ten academic powerhouse.
[00:29:02.250]For that, our thanks to Harvey.
[00:29:04.283]Now, in a few minutes we'll let Harvey take over,
[00:29:06.617]but as you've just heard, a lot has happened
[00:29:08.817]over 15 years, and to help review we've asked
[00:29:10.983]students from the Glenn Korff School of Music for a recap.
[00:29:14.150]Under the direction of Kirk Schjodt,
[00:29:16.317]with lyrics by Kirk Bright, here are
[00:29:18.450]the Big Red Singers and a musical tribute
[00:29:20.950]to our Chancellor, Harvey Perlman.
[00:29:23.517](audience applauds)
[00:29:25.083](“We Didn't Start the Fire” by Billy Joel)
[00:33:22.217](audience applauds and cheers)
[00:33:32.550]So ladies and gentlemen, it is now my pleasure
[00:33:34.517]to introduce the man who is inarguably
[00:33:36.583]this university's happiest Chancellor,
[00:33:38.750]please welcome Harvey Perlman.
[00:33:40.717](cheering and applause)
[00:34:03.450]OK.
[00:34:07.350]Thank you all for coming.
[00:34:09.550]Thanks to Rick Alloway and the staff
[00:34:11.117]of University Communications for this
[00:34:13.150]journalistic review of the last 15 years.
[00:34:16.183]I must say they've gone quickly.
[00:34:18.450]And thanks also to Roctavo and Paul Barnes.
[00:34:24.617]Chancellor.
[00:34:25.983]Jim O'Hanlon. (audience laughs)
[00:34:28.050](audience cheers and applauds)
[00:34:34.317]For some reason, Human Resources
[00:34:37.050]selected me to present this very special
[00:34:39.917]certificate of appreciation to you.
[00:34:42.717]You'll note that it's not only to you,
[00:34:45.583]but it's signed by you as well.
[00:34:47.317](audience and Harvey laugh)
[00:34:49.417](audience applauds)
[00:34:58.483]Do you ever get one of these?
[00:34:59.683]Oh, several, you'll--
[00:35:01.217](audience laughs)
[00:35:02.850]You'll find it's not so easy to retire.
[00:35:04.683](audience and Harvey laugh)
[00:35:06.817](audience applauds)
[00:35:14.183]At this rate, he still may be Interim Chancellor.
[00:35:16.783](audience laughs)
[00:35:23.350]I've noted that as I approach the end of my term
[00:35:26.483]as Chancellor, I am increasingly free from
[00:35:28.583]the political restraints that limit what I can say.
[00:35:32.250](audience laughs)
[00:35:34.217]For those of you who might be getting nervous
[00:35:36.083]about my exercise of this freedom,
[00:35:38.550]and you know who you are,
[00:35:40.417](audience laughs)
[00:35:41.783]you can relax, I'm not going to do a Bo Pelini.
[00:35:45.150](audience laughs)
[00:35:48.250](audience applauds and cheers)
[00:35:53.283]You know what a Bo Pelini is,
[00:35:54.950]it's defined in the Urban Dictionary,
[00:35:57.183]“Expletive laced rant expressing outrage on leaving
[00:36:00.617]"a position that you didn't want in the first place.”
[00:36:02.983](audience laughs)
[00:36:04.283]Not gonna do it.
[00:36:05.717](audience laughs)
[00:36:07.017]I've been honored in every way to serve
[00:36:08.683]as your Chancellor for the last 16 years.
[00:36:10.950]It's been extraordinarily fun
[00:36:12.517]to share this journey with you.
[00:36:14.450]I want to thank my family, particularly Susan,
[00:36:16.883]for putting up with me.
[00:36:18.850]Our oldest grandchild, Will Spinar, was born
[00:36:21.083]shortly after I became Interim Chancellor
[00:36:22.917]and watching him grow up illustrates
[00:36:25.250]how quickly the time has passed.
[00:36:27.417]He thinks everyone watches Husker football from a SkyBox.
[00:36:30.450](audience laughs)
[00:36:32.583]And our newest and sixth grandchild, Aven,
[00:36:35.150]was born in the last year of my term.
[00:36:37.483]So you now understand that I decided to step down
[00:36:40.217]as an effort in population control.
[00:36:42.183](audience laughs)
[00:36:44.483]Certainly I want to thank everyone
[00:36:46.417]who served with me in this administration,
[00:36:48.217]many of whom have been with me for all the time.
[00:36:51.917]A few deserve special mention.
[00:36:54.350]Chris Jackson, a model of servant leader,
[00:36:57.417]was hired by my predecessor but
[00:36:59.217]started work about the same time that I did.
[00:37:02.083]Prem Paul, who was my first major
[00:37:04.050]Vice Chancellor appointment and who gave
[00:37:06.250]an identity and energy to our research enterprise.
[00:37:09.817]Beyond his playing an instrumental role
[00:37:11.750]in advancing this university,
[00:37:13.783]he has also become a dear friend.
[00:37:16.350]Michelle Waite, who was also a recent hire
[00:37:19.550]when I arrived but who had the unenviable task
[00:37:22.283]of explaining the university, and particularly me,
[00:37:25.883]to the Legislature and other constituencies.
[00:37:29.317]Bill Nunez, another early hire as Director
[00:37:32.117]of Institutional Research and Planning, and now
[00:37:34.017]my Chief of Staff, has the uncanny ability
[00:37:37.117]to read my thoughts before I think them.
[00:37:39.917]Juan Franco, who valued
[00:37:41.883]and touched students on a personal level.
[00:37:44.450]Ellen Weissinger, a long time campus citizen,
[00:37:47.183]who stepped in as Senior Vice Chancellor
[00:37:49.417]to modernize our academic operations.
[00:37:52.483]Ronnie Green, who proved that with the right leadership,
[00:37:55.683]IANR could be made to work for both
[00:37:57.750]agriculture and the university at large.
[00:38:00.750]And, all of the others who have or continue
[00:38:03.217]to serve in these positions, thank you.
[00:38:06.383]Two personal shout outs,
[00:38:08.417]Meg Lauerman, who brought talent
[00:38:10.150]and professionalism to our communications effort,
[00:38:12.383]and who will join me this year in stepping down.
[00:38:15.383]And also Amber Williams who does not get the credit
[00:38:18.083]she deserves for fashioning a sophisticated,
[00:38:20.783]data driven recruitment effort.
[00:38:23.717]I'm often asked to assess my leadership style
[00:38:26.350]and identify my legacy.
[00:38:28.917]Neither task seems to lead to any particularly valuable end.
[00:38:32.817]As I think back on what our team tried to do
[00:38:35.750]to make a difference in the university,
[00:38:38.017]the universal truth is that we invested in talent.
[00:38:41.483]We made small and large bets on existing
[00:38:44.483]and prospective faculty who had creative ideas
[00:38:47.483]and the qualities necessary to implement them.
[00:38:49.817]This was not without risk,
[00:38:52.383]and we had both successes and failures.
[00:38:54.717]But I think on the whole it explains why the stature
[00:38:57.617]of this university is far higher than it was 15 years ago.
[00:39:02.750]A university at our time in its history had to take risks.
[00:39:06.517]The World Herald series in my first year
[00:39:08.550]headlined, and more significantly, documented
[00:39:11.150]the mediocre nature of this university's performance.
[00:39:14.550]This was not a time to be content with our status
[00:39:17.350]or to think we could be cautious in our actions.
[00:39:19.983]We had too much catching up to do.
[00:39:22.183]So we pursued targeted and largely
[00:39:24.150]controversial budget cuts rather than
[00:39:26.450]the less risky approach of cutting across the board.
[00:39:29.450]We merged colleges and other programs
[00:39:31.717]in order to achieve synergies and scale.
[00:39:34.250]We encouraged deans to bring us potential hires
[00:39:36.617]of established faculty at other universities
[00:39:38.817]who could make a difference here
[00:39:40.983]and we aggressively pursued them.
[00:39:43.250]We proactively sought the state fair grounds
[00:39:45.783]as the only property adjacent to the university
[00:39:48.817]that could free us to expand our research agenda
[00:39:51.417]through partnership with private enterprise.
[00:39:54.017]And we severed our historical institutional ties
[00:39:56.917]by moving to the Big Ten Conference.
[00:39:59.850]I want to particularly acknowledge
[00:40:01.750]the presidents of the university,
[00:40:03.683]and those members of the Board of Regents
[00:40:05.383]who risked their own political fortunes
[00:40:08.017]to support our efforts.
[00:40:09.950]I continue to believe such risk taking
[00:40:11.883]and such support will be crucial in the years ahead
[00:40:14.783]if this university's momentum is to be sustained.
[00:40:18.650]There are two other larger groups
[00:40:20.350]that I personally want to acknowledge.
[00:40:22.483]First, the business leaders who formed the original
[00:40:24.617]2015 visioning group and worked
[00:40:27.050]to energize the city of Lincoln,
[00:40:29.150]so it could create a metropolitan environment
[00:40:31.583]appropriate for a major university.
[00:40:34.183]The second group are our alumni.
[00:40:36.750]Whether by philanthropy through the University
[00:40:39.383]of Nebraska Foundation or by their advice
[00:40:42.050]and assistance through the Nebraska Alumni Association,
[00:40:44.983]they were critical elements of our success.
[00:40:48.083]The capital campaign that ended in 1999
[00:40:52.017]fueled our early growth and our most recent
[00:40:55.350]capital campaign will permit our momentum to continue.
[00:41:00.183]I know I could spend considerably more time
[00:41:02.550]reciting the individuals and their achievements
[00:41:04.683]that have, for good or ill, allowed me to
[00:41:07.350]sustain my enthusiasm for this position for 16 years.
[00:41:11.383]But since I'm not leaving town,
[00:41:13.083]nor am I leaving the university,
[00:41:14.917]I will have time to thank many of you
[00:41:16.717]personally in the years ahead.
[00:41:19.717]As I retreat back to the Law College and attempt
[00:41:22.150]to revive my teaching and research skills,
[00:41:24.950]I have pledged to myself that I will try hard
[00:41:27.550]to practice biting my tongue.
[00:41:30.983]I hope not to cast a continuing shadow
[00:41:33.283]over my successor, who I am sure will
[00:41:35.783]do things differently than I would.
[00:41:38.117]But now, on this occasion,
[00:41:40.383]which is the last time as Chancellor
[00:41:42.483]I can touch on the state of the university,
[00:41:45.217]I want to make a few quick points about the challenges
[00:41:48.317]and opportunities ahead, as I see them.
[00:41:51.783]First, Nebraska as a state cannot be competitive
[00:41:55.250]unless it has a strong, growing, cutting-edge
[00:41:58.850]comprehensive research university.
[00:42:02.350]And that university is the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
[00:42:05.983]This is certainly not to dismiss the contributions
[00:42:08.650]or the importance of our sister campuses.
[00:42:11.417]The university system is blessed to be structured
[00:42:13.917]so that it has four separate universities
[00:42:16.950]with four distinct missions.
[00:42:19.217]It is critical, in my view,
[00:42:21.217]that we stay true to that structure
[00:42:23.317]and that we pursue it vigorously.
[00:42:25.817]Nebraska must recognize the unique opportunities
[00:42:29.383]and unique needs of its flagship campus.
[00:42:32.683]And similarly we must acknowledge
[00:42:35.150]our unique obligations to the state and its people.
[00:42:39.983]Second, during the last 15 years many of us
[00:42:42.183]have worked hard to eliminate the unnecessary
[00:42:44.217]rivalries between UNL and UNO
[00:42:47.317]and between Lincoln and Omaha.
[00:42:49.483]We are pursuing several collaborative opportunities.
[00:42:53.083]Nebraska is not well served by those who still
[00:42:56.183]try to exploit these past rivalries for their own agendas.
[00:43:00.217]Each university and each city has important ambitions.
[00:43:04.283]For us, we must measure our competitive success
[00:43:07.883]not by looking East to Omaha,
[00:43:10.317]but beyond to Ohio State, to Penn State, and Purdue.
[00:43:15.850]Third, by heritage and location
[00:43:18.117]this university, and the location of this university,
[00:43:21.517]if it is to be a great university,
[00:43:23.583]must be great in the life sciences.
[00:43:26.050]In many ways the world is coming to us
[00:43:28.850]to help solve emerging issues of scarce food supplies,
[00:43:32.183]climate change, water availability,
[00:43:34.750]and environmental sustainability.
[00:43:36.817]I believe there has been a significant reduction
[00:43:39.350]in the competitive tensions that existed
[00:43:41.450]between the East and City Campuses.
[00:43:43.617]We have even greater opportunities
[00:43:45.517]if these tensions continue to abate.
[00:43:49.150]The agricultural interests in Nebraska
[00:43:51.250]increasingly recognize the importance of many
[00:43:54.083]of the disciplines on the City Campus to their success.
[00:43:57.250]Indeed, the bigger challenge is to convince
[00:44:00.017]those disciplines that there is a larger role
[00:44:02.183]for them to play in the central issues
[00:44:04.517]associated with the life sciences.
[00:44:07.317]Earlier this year in my State of the University,
[00:44:09.450]I proposed a Task Force on Food
[00:44:11.750]to explore multi-disciplinary opportunities
[00:44:14.183]for all disciplines to participate in our food initiative.
[00:44:17.950]I was not able to get this accomplished.
[00:44:20.650]I continue to believe it is an opportunity
[00:44:22.717]that should be explored.
[00:44:24.783]Food is at the center of national and world politics.
[00:44:28.283]Internationally, food security is probably
[00:44:30.917]as large a threat to existing governments
[00:44:33.250]as nuclear proliferation.
[00:44:35.683]The Arab Spring was in part generated
[00:44:37.817]by hunger in the Middle-East.
[00:44:39.683]And how do we confront resistance
[00:44:41.317]to genetically modified crops,
[00:44:43.317]or chemically-based agriculture,
[00:44:45.450]or the treatment of food animals
[00:44:47.417]in the face of a growing global food shortage?
[00:44:50.883]I continue to believe there are many faculty,
[00:44:53.283]particularly those in the humanities
[00:44:54.917]and social sciences that could contribute
[00:44:57.917]to a food initiative and benefit themselves as well.
[00:45:02.683]Fourth, I am hopeful that my successor will continue
[00:45:05.617]our efforts to internationalize our university,
[00:45:08.250]to embrace the citizens of the world and to engage
[00:45:11.050]the scholarly community across the globe.
[00:45:14.750]International efforts are hard,
[00:45:17.017]often frustrating, and require adaptation
[00:45:20.283]of both teaching and research practices.
[00:45:22.850]This is not only critical to any pretense
[00:45:25.517]of being a great university but is also central
[00:45:28.883]to giving our students an experience
[00:45:30.517]necessary for their future success.
[00:45:33.783]In the greater world of higher education,
[00:45:35.883]Modern Language departments are under assault,
[00:45:39.050]in part for their concentration
[00:45:40.650]on traditional western languages.
[00:45:42.883]One way this discipline could increase
[00:45:45.150]its relevance is to take a leadership role
[00:45:47.717]in our international initiatives.
[00:45:50.150]Language, and language instruction,
[00:45:52.250]is the window through which we can better understand
[00:45:55.450]and better interact with cultures different from our own.
[00:45:58.717]We are naive if we don't recognize
[00:46:01.450]that our future potential partners
[00:46:03.617]and our future potential competitors
[00:46:06.017]will speak Mandarin and Arabic.
[00:46:09.383]Fifth, in the age of science and innovation,
[00:46:12.150]there is much concern nationally about the future
[00:46:14.450]of the social sciences and the humanities.
[00:46:16.883]Throughout our recent research growth,
[00:46:19.283]under Prem's leadership,
[00:46:21.050]this university has tried to celebrate
[00:46:22.950]and support the efforts in these disciplines.
[00:46:25.583]However, these disciplines also have contributions
[00:46:28.783]they could make to Innovation Campus
[00:46:31.417]and opportunities to interact with the private
[00:46:34.050]and public sectors to advance our research
[00:46:36.750]and economic development objectives.
[00:46:39.517]There has to be room at a great university
[00:46:42.450]for curiosity based research,
[00:46:44.883]research without known practical objectives.
[00:46:48.017]On the other hand, I believe the Arts,
[00:46:50.450]the Social Sciences, and the Humanities,
[00:46:52.983]while remaining true to their traditions,
[00:46:55.417]are not diminished if they also explore
[00:46:57.650]ways to contribute to very practical ends.
[00:47:01.283]Two of the most successful companies
[00:47:03.117]in today's tech-based world, are Amazon and Google,
[00:47:07.117]both of which are essentially marketing the humanities.
[00:47:10.883]And one of the key gaps in any national security strategy,
[00:47:14.483]gaps recognized by our military leadership,
[00:47:17.983]is the failure to employ the teachings
[00:47:19.950]of social sciences and the humanities.
[00:47:22.550]Our failure in the Middle-East is not
[00:47:24.583]the failure of military power, but the failure
[00:47:27.217]to account for the teachings of history,
[00:47:29.517]the failure to understand the Arabic people
[00:47:31.817]through their art, their language and their literature,
[00:47:34.883]and the failure to appreciate the social forces
[00:47:37.350]that tend to either hold or divide their societies.
[00:47:42.383]Sixth, Big Ten Universities are known for great
[00:47:45.450]business, agriculture and engineering colleges.
[00:47:48.783]With recent initiatives the Institute of Agriculture
[00:47:51.217]and Natural Resources can hold its own
[00:47:53.417]and indeed lead in many areas.
[00:47:55.817]The College of Business Administration
[00:47:57.683]is poised for significant achievement
[00:47:59.817]with its new building and a young and vibrant faculty.
[00:48:02.817]There is, however, an urgency in moving
[00:48:05.817]toward a Big Ten College of Engineering.
[00:48:08.417]That college faces significant barriers,
[00:48:11.150]the cost and scarcity of engineering faculty,
[00:48:13.683]the disinterest and lack of understanding
[00:48:15.917]among high school students about
[00:48:17.250]the opportunities for engineering careers,
[00:48:19.850]facilities that are outdated for modern
[00:48:22.083]engineering research, and the politics
[00:48:24.617]around the divided locations in Lincoln and Omaha.
[00:48:27.650]These barriers are being addressed.
[00:48:30.250]Given the talent that exists in the college,
[00:48:32.950]our expectations for that college should remain high
[00:48:36.150]and we should anticipate significant growth
[00:48:38.483]in the next few years in both enrollment and research.
[00:48:41.750]But a sense of urgency here is important
[00:48:44.450]for the success of the university
[00:48:46.650]and the state of Nebraska.
[00:48:49.217]Seventh, our state,
[00:48:51.550]and accordingly our university,
[00:48:53.483]is becoming increasingly diverse,
[00:48:55.717]diverse by race, by religion, by nationality,
[00:48:59.283]by gender, by sexual orientation.
[00:49:02.117]However impactful our research,
[00:49:04.950]however stimulating our teaching,
[00:49:07.383]however effective our engagement
[00:49:08.983]with our community, the excellence
[00:49:11.683]of this university will increasingly be measured
[00:49:14.483]by its success in embracing diverse communities,
[00:49:17.517]by both respecting their differences
[00:49:19.817]and recognizing our commonalities.
[00:49:23.883]Finally, I have to acknowledge that,
[00:49:26.783]notwithstanding that I don't hire football coaches
[00:49:29.817]and I don't call plays, if my success
[00:49:32.983]as Chancellor is to be measured by the success
[00:49:35.050]of the football team, it would be regarded as a failure.
[00:49:38.617]I accept responsibility for my mistakes there.
[00:49:42.083]But I also had the misfortune of becoming Chancellor
[00:49:44.717]at the end of an extraordinary period
[00:49:46.317]in the history of Husker football.
[00:49:48.650]I have often thought that the critics
[00:49:50.350]during these last several years do not
[00:49:52.017]give sufficient credit to Tom Osborne
[00:49:54.750]who was, in fact, one of the extraordinary
[00:49:56.850]football coaches of the modern era.
[00:49:59.017]Whether that level of consistent high achievement
[00:50:02.017]can be replicated, in a very changing
[00:50:04.750]landscape of rules and realities, is not clear.
[00:50:08.117]I am confident that we are currently as well positioned
[00:50:11.183]as at any time since Tom retired as coach
[00:50:14.050]to reach a high level of success.
[00:50:16.550]We have the resources and the leadership
[00:50:18.817]to maximize our opportunities.
[00:50:21.850]I do think that athletics, particularly football,
[00:50:24.817]plays a unique and largely positive role
[00:50:27.517]within higher education and society at large.
[00:50:30.883]At the same time, my successor will
[00:50:33.083]need to understand that the landscape
[00:50:35.383]of intercollegiate athletics is rapidly changing
[00:50:38.150]and, in fact, as an enterprise,
[00:50:40.650]faces real existential threats.
[00:50:43.317]The NCAA has lost its moral leadership.
[00:50:46.850]It and the major athletic conferences are facing
[00:50:49.683]a series of lawsuits built on the premise
[00:50:52.183]that we exploit student athletes for financial gain.
[00:50:55.417]I do not believe this is true, but in an effort,
[00:50:58.483]doomed to failure, to level the playing field
[00:51:01.617]between high and more modestly resourced programs,
[00:51:04.150]the NCAA has adopted a set of rules
[00:51:06.850]that are increasingly difficult to justify.
[00:51:09.883]Unless institutions are able to adopt
[00:51:12.217]sensible reforms, courts may significantly alter
[00:51:15.950]or destroy any justification for the continuing
[00:51:19.483]involvement of higher education in this enterprise.
[00:51:24.017]Individual programs, as well as the major
[00:51:25.917]athletic conferences, will need to be careful
[00:51:27.783]and smart as they navigate through these
[00:51:30.117]perilous waters in the years ahead.
[00:51:32.483]I am confident that Nebraska can be
[00:51:34.317]a leader in providing its student athletes
[00:51:36.217]with a positive, healthy experience consistent
[00:51:39.217]with the values of higher education.
[00:51:41.617]But we should not assume
[00:51:43.617]that the world of high level college sports,
[00:51:46.183]particularly football and men's basketball,
[00:51:48.983]will remain the same as it is now
[00:51:51.350]without a sustained reform effort,
[00:51:53.850]an effort that in many ways Nebraska is leading.
[00:51:59.383]So that's about it for me.
[00:52:02.450]I want to particularly thank the talented staff
[00:52:04.683]in University Communications, particularly Dave Fitzgibbon
[00:52:07.517]who produced most of the recent versions
[00:52:09.983]of Perls of Knowledge and is one of the best
[00:52:11.950]and most creative videographers I know.
[00:52:15.083]And Annette Wetzel, who for 15 years
[00:52:17.483]has kept events like this from growing stale
[00:52:20.317]with her imaginative ideas and flawless execution.
[00:52:23.617]And, of course, thanks to each of you
[00:52:25.483]for your contributions to the university.
[00:52:28.750]Saying farewell is never easy,
[00:52:31.083]so to avoid the embarrassment of my own tears
[00:52:34.883]or watching your glee in seeing me go,
[00:52:37.850](audience laughs)
[00:52:39.750]we will end with The Final Perl.
[00:52:46.817](dramatic aspiring music)
[00:52:52.250](clattering)
[00:53:52.850](whistle blowing)
[00:53:55.750](ball thudding)
[00:54:01.517]("Good Times" by Tommy Lee)
[00:54:36.850](comical music)
[00:55:15.183](board member speaking)
[00:55:20.283]Not to one day be a potential--
[00:55:47.417](switch clicking)
[00:55:52.317](engine rumbling)
[00:55:55.683](train horn honking)
[00:56:08.783](audience applauding)
[00:56:16.350](audience laughs)
[00:56:30.850](audience and Johnny laugh)
[00:56:32.950](audience cheers and applauds)
[00:56:40.850](Johnny laughs)
[00:56:46.317]Come on, let's do it again.
[00:56:48.750]Let's do it again.
[00:58:12.583]("The Farewell Blues" by The Foggy Mountain Boys)

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The Final Perl

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