University of Nebraska Public Policy Center


July 3, 2009NU | UNL | UNMC | UNO | UNK | IANR 

News and Events

The 2009 Nebraska Disaster Behavioral Health Conference

The 2009 Nebraska Disaster Behavioral Health Conference will be held on July 17, 2009 at Embassy Suites in Omaha.

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A Note from the Director

JUNE 17, 2009

Effective this coming fiscal year (beginning July 1, 2009), there has been a recommendation to substantially reduce the (“state”) funding of the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center. If this recommendation is implemented, it will certainly be a fiscal challenge to the Center’s operations in the short term. However, the proposed reduction in funding will not interfere with the Center’s ability to carry out its existing obligations nor will it limit our ability to undertake research and engagement activities for the benefit of Nebraska and the nation in the near or long term. The proposed reductions in state monies impact less than 10% of the Center’s expenditures. Like other University units, the Public Policy Center has done some preliminary contingency planning in the event of a budget reduction. We will continue to explore a variety of strategies over the upcoming months to identify efficiencies, re-examine our priorities, and ensure we are able to manage the budget reduction in ways that continue to advance the Center’s and University’s missions.

As UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman recognized in his statement announcing his decision to recommend a reduction in the Center’s state funding, the Public Policy Center has increased its projects and funding each year for the past four years. The Chancellor anticipates the Center’s growth trajectory in the future, based on our history of successes, will allow us to cover the costs of our operations that will offset a reduction in state funds. We agree.

The staff members of the Center are cognizant of the difficult position the University of Nebraska has been placed in because of the recent economic downturn and in light of the less than optimal appropriation the University received from the Legislature this past session. A shared sacrifice is required across the University, and other individuals and units at the University will have outcomes far worse than the Public Policy Center. We sympathize with the many others in our community and across the nation (and globe) who have been and will be economically impacted to a far greater degree than we.

To read about UNL’s budget cuts, click here.

Citizen Input for Budgeting and Performance Management in Lincoln

The long-term goal of the project is to enable public managers and policymakers/elected officials to be intentional and evidence-based in selecting the components of their citizen involvement techniques used in budgeting, performance measurement, and management processes. This will maximize the value for both citizens and mangers.

 

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Nebraska Minority Justice CommitteeNebraska Minority Justice Committee

The Nebraska Minority Justice Committee (MJC) is a unique statewide collaboration that works to develop and implement just and sustainable policy reforms that will not only improve the system of justice but will also strengthen public trust and confidence in our laws and court system. The Committee is a joint effort of the Nebraska State Bar Association and the Nebraska Supreme Court, appointed by the Supreme Court in May of 2003 in response to a Task Force’s two-year investigation of racial and ethnic bias and discrimination in Nebraska’s justice system.

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NE211.org

ne211.org

The ne211.org website is a collaboration of Nebraska organizations working to ensure that individuals have an easy means to search for health and human service agencies and programs and find the help they need. Ne211.org combines resource information from organizations who maintain databases on several thousand agencies, programs, and services across the state. The ne211.org database is updated on an ongoing basis.

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Join Policy Talk

The Public Policy Center invites you to join us in our policy endeavors and stay informed about activities and events coordinated by the PPC through our e-mail listserv, PolicyTalk. If you are interested, click on our link below.

PPC Student Achievements

Two Public Policy Center Students were recently accepted into two highly competitive programs: one interning as a psychologist in training and the other studying abroad through a summer language scholarship.

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Center Report, Results for Nebraska, Models for the Nation

The Public Policy Center's "Results for Nebraska, Models for the Nation" Report provides an overview of the Center's activities over the past few years and indicates some of our future directions.
Click here to download a PDF version of the report