Chapter 4: Criterion Two

The institution has effectively organized the human, financial, and
physical resources necessary to accomplish its purposes.

Overview

The University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) has faced many changes and challenges over the past decade. As stated in chapter 3, UNK not only had to define its role within the University system, but it also had to adjust to changes within the administrative and faculty leadership. Still, with each change a stronger UNK emerged. For example, as faculty members retired, UNK has had notable success in recruiting quality replacements. Similarly, while enrollment has declined in the past ten years, positive steps have been taken to reverse this trend. In fact, the overall student quality has improved significantly in terms of high school class rank and entrance exam scores, which has led to an increase in retention and graduation rates.

While the campus has benefited from the addition of a new College of Education building and several major renovation projects, facilities maintenance remains a serious concern. Technology has changed radically over the past decade, and the University has taken steps to meet this new challenge.

Dating back to its days as a state college, UNK has had a history of under-funding relative to its peer institutions. The institution benefited from joining the University of Nebraska system and experienced several years of notable increases in state support. The recent state fiscal crisis, however, led to significant reductions to the base budget and represents a potential major problem for the future.

This chapter reviews these and other major issues in detail. It will demonstrate that the institution has effectively organized the human, financial, and physical resources necessary to accomplish its purposes.

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