UNL and the AAU

[iamjacobm]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110429/N ... -drops-unl

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been kicked out of the Association of American Universities, UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman announced to faculty in a memorandum Friday.

UNL's membership in one of what some describe as the nation's most prestigious academic organizations was a factor in the Big Ten Conference's decision to invite UNL as a member last year.

All of the other Big Ten schools are AAU members -- and news reports indicate that other candidates for membership were ruled out because they were not AAU members.

[UNMCStudent]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110429/N ... -drops-unl

Perlman said the AAU's formula for ranking universities downgrades institutions like UNL that have a strong agricultural focus and lack a medical school.

Any thoughts about the University system re-organizing to regain admission ?  Maybe fold UN-L and UNMC into one 'campus' just called The University of Nebraska (we are in the Big10 now  :;):  ), re-name UNO as University of Omaha and UNK as Nebraska State  ... ?  I know that UNMC and UNL (as well as UNO) work closely together as it is, but when statistics are tallied, the sizable research dollars of UNL and UNMC are needlessly split.

[lnkS]

They won't regain admission anytime soon.  The AAU has seemingly been wanting to do this for a while and I find it unlikely that they will reverse course in the near future.

I understand that UNL was nowhere near the same level of prestige as many of the members but I do take issue with some of the schools that still remain (Oregon, Arizona, and even Iowa).  Especially with UNL joining the Big 10 and being allowed to associate with their new fellow schools and receive the benefit that comes with that I feel as if this decision could have been delayed longer.  Nothing happens fast in academia and Nebraska has been continually growing their commitment to research (and with it, research dollars) over the past couple of decades.  Penn State (though they admittedly have a much higher region to pull students) committed to a similar improvement upon joining of the Big 10 and most certainly received the benefit of association with the Big 10 brand (it really seems similar to high school and getting to hang out with the "popular kids" to increase your popularity).  

The decision is even more disappointing considering the opportunity Nebraska has to further improve their research profile with the development of the Innovation Campus.  I believe that there was previous mention of a potential joint progress with the USDA for a research building on the new campus - something the AAU seemingly would be endorsing.  I feel like the timing of the decision is a little unfair considering the development that was to hopefully come (and hopefully will still develop).

[iamjacobm]

The chairman of the AAU membership review committee is the President of UT-Austin.  The conspiracy continues!

[MTO]

How could they merge UNL and UNMC into one campus? if something like that ever happens UNO should splinter off and get UNMC, screw UNL.

[lnkS]

How could they merge UNL and UNMC into one campus? if something like that ever happens UNO should splinter off and get UNMC, screw UNL.

How is the College of Dentistry (a UNMC college) in Lincoln?  Universities have satellite campuses located in different cities all of the time.  It isn't that many of the other AAU schools have "merged" their School of Medicine with their main campus but rather that the College of Medicine is a part of the main campus, even if located elsewhere.  Apparently, if the UNMC research funds were factored into UNL's total it would have placed Nebraska above 11 other AAU member institutions in research funding.  However, I don't see how this could ever happen because of how things were established previously.

I also don't think that this would have changed the decision, just made it a little more difficult to justify, though it is difficult to deny that UNL is not on the same plane as the majority of the other member universities.  I think it more has to do with Nebraska being unwilling to pay professors enough to prevent them from taking jobs at other universities even if they offer much less lab space resulting in UNL not being able to retain nationally recognized professors and build clout, something the AAU (and it's member institutions, hoping to keep their professors happy with high salaries and honors) likely cares more about than actual research dollars and/or demonstrated commitment to improvement.

Again, it isn't terribly surprising that UNL was dismissed and I know it kills you as, I assume, an "anti-UNL person," but having UNL be associated with other AAU institutions was good for the state, and, Omaha.  The Omaha-Lincoln area is essentially one combined metro with students from Lincoln frequently driving to Omaha to spend money at local clubs, restaurants, and other entertainment venues.  I'm sure this frustrates people who think that the state's premier public university should be in the largest/best/whatever city or just don't like UNL, but it is most certainly still good for Omaha to have UNL be as strong as possible only 50 minutes away.