UNO Chancellor Nancy Belck resigns – Omaha World-Herald
UNO has lost a great chancellor. It’s an absolute travesty when problems with the athletic department bring down someone who’s done so much good for the university.
I could go on and on about how many great things Belck has done, but I want to talk about the hypocrisy in this state.
The UNO Athletic Department has clearly gone through some mismanagement, and Chancellor Belck decided to divert some university money to help keep the program going. You can make an argument on both sides whether this was right or wrong, but ultimately, this isn’t what brought Belck down.
Then came revelations that her top aide, Vice Chancellor Jim Buck, had been receiving perks funded out of the athletic budget, including a Cadillac and country club membership, even as the department was seriously in debt.
After prevailing in a public records dispute, The World-Herald last week published the full extent of Buck’s spending of university funds. He spent thousands of dollars on trips to the NCAA Final Four, travel by his wife, expensive dinners and golf outings, even billing athletics for his own charitable donations to the department.
It isn’t really clear if people are mad about this because it was happening, or if people are mad about this because it was happening while the athletic department was in debt. If offering perks is wrong, then we need to AUDIT THE UNL ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT FINANCES IMMEDIATELY.
Most students at UNO were not directly impacted with the problems at the athletic department, but these problems forced the resignation of our chancellor and now every single student is impacted.
In the words of Regent Chuck Hassebrook of Lyons. “I have confidence in Nancy Belck. It would be a shame, highly unfortunate, if we took down a chancellor over problems in the athletic department.”
If the Omaha World-Herald has created a standard that offering perks through the athletic department is wrong, then that standard needs to apply to every university in the state. If you were to audit the athletic department at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, I would be frightened to see what’s going on. WARNING: This is my very personal opinion… I think auditing the UNL athletic department would reveal “perks” that are 100 times worse than what was happening at UNO.
So, why isn’t anyone calling for an audit of the UNL athletic department. Is it because they’re not in debt? Is it because the Board of Regents love UNL and think UNO is a red-headed step-child? Or, is it because you are Un-Nebraskan (similar to unAmerican or unpatriotic) if you question anything relating to the Huskers?
I’m sure it’s a combination of all three.
The sad thing is if UNL was audited and “perks” were revealed, the athletic department would say it’s a cost of doing business. But, in UNO’s case, it’s tagged as inappropriate.
Maverick Values, Husker Values, Nebraska Values. It seems they’re not all the same.
It’s absolutely phenomenal that when something like this happens at a University, people immediately attack the head of the Univserity. But when the country is notified that our President is going outside of his privilages spelled out in the constitution, hardly anyone budges. A bit of a tangent, but applicable nonetheless.
I hear we’re you’re coming from chief, but I gotta disagree. She did a lot of great things to build up this University from the joke that it was to the university it is now. But that doesn’t absolve her of guilt in this matter. Nor does the fact that it probably happens in Lincoln, either. She allowed incompetence and corruption to happen all around her, and, at least in part because of that, the athletic department operated at a loss for a few years in a row. The problems in the athletic department had a direct effect on the university itself, because she diverted academic funds to help the athletic department.
You’re right, this matters mostly because the UNO Athletic Department is losing money. It isn’t a pressing matter for the Board of Regents to audit UNL. Certainly it’s not news to us that the Board of Regents is heavily biased towards UNL. But the problem stems deeper than the athletic department. It’s a lack of leadership on Belck’s part to allow her second in command to take these perks, especially while the department is in debt.
There are only two explanations in my mind, either Belck was oblivious to these things, in which case she was incompetent, or she looked the other way, in which case she was corrupt. It had a direct effect on the academic budget and overall image of this university at a time when we are struggling to earn the respect of this state again. We need more representation for UNO on the Board of Regents. But just because they may have been hypocritical, doesn’t mean that Nancy Belck shouldn’t have resigned. It’s a failure of leadership.
I think the problem people have with the perks is that they were (**speculation**) probably not part of the budget. An audit is not necessary for UNL, they give out a ton of perks to a lot of people, but I would imagine it is part of their large budget. In fact, these perks are a part of employment contracts for Athletic Department employees and other employees. I’m sure UNL sends Harvey Perlman and his wife on a lavish “official” visit to the Final Four since UNL actually has the possibility of going to the Final Four. This is fine by me because that is the level UNL is at, and it is the standard for a large budget Div-IA school. On the other hand, Vice Chancellor Buck really grinded my gears since he has no reason to be officially representing Div II University of Nebraska at Omaha at the Div I-A Basketball Champtionships. He must of been officially representing us since he charged it to the Athletic Department right? Additionaly, it doesn’t help people were fired from the Athletic Department because of a budget shortfall (perhaps created by this spending?).
Oh yea I forgot one thing I forgot to add to my post
**Disclaimer I am a UNL Athletic Booster and Football Ticket Holder**
Michael P Says:
I’m sure UNL sends Harvey Perlman and his wife on a lavish “official” visit to the Final Four since UNL actually has the possibility of going to the Final Four.
– We should send the Perlman to the final four so he knows what it looks like and can tell everyone how great it is?
Michael P Says:
On the other hand, Vice Chancellor Buck really grinded my gears since he has no reason to be officially representing Div II University of Nebraska at Omaha at the Div I-A Basketball Champtionships. He must of been officially representing us since he charged it to the Athletic Department right?
– Actually, you may forget that UNO Hockey is Division 1. UNO has a great opportunity at hosting the Frozen Four at the newly expanded Qwest Center, and I’m sure there were a lot of NCAA decision makers at the basketball final four. I could easily make the argument that UNO spending at the basketball final four was warranted and much more useful than UNL doing the same thing.
“We should send the Perlman to the final four so he knows what it looks like and can tell everyone how great it is?”
By we you mean the money of a fully self suficient Athletic Department that is funded by football revenue and donors? If so it’s their right to spend their money if they think it beneifits them somehow. But I also said they are sending them there not he is going on his own and charging it to the Athletic Department.
Actually UNO would never host the frozen four because venues host NCAA championships and UNO is just a mere renter of the Qwest and have no ties to it. MECA and the Qwest center may put a bid in which would kick ass.
Speaking of venues. What does everyone think of that committee saying UNO should build their own hockey venue and get out of Qwest? I think it is a bad idea because it assumes costs of renting the Qwest stay the same (good assumption but we can pray they give us a price break) and that the attendance stays the same. If UNO follows another suggestion of marketing UNO hockey more I would bet more people would show up. Honestly I wouldn’t know when a game was if I didn’t see the dates on the board at Qwest or went to the website.
This blog needs a feature to edit posts because I feel like an idiot posting multiple times
. I retract my statement about UNO not hosting. They very well could, schools use facilities that are not their own to host championships often. But if your scenario was true wouldnt’ sending the Athletic Director be smarter?
Every NCAA championship event (no matter where it is) has to be tied to a university. Creighton is the school that hosts the College World Series. Although the volleyball championships are in Omaha this year, UNL is the host school for that championship event. If Omaha were to bid for hockey, they would use UNO as the host school, and they couldn’t bid for the hockey without that university attachment and their permission.
You’re right I was mistaken. I was under the impression that the high level championships like basketball and hockey did not have school affiliations (I knew that things like water polo and swimming did), but even basketball does. UT-San Antonio is the host of the 2008 Final Four at the Alamo Dome.
“So, why isn’t anyone calling for an audit of the UNL athletic department. Is it because they’re not in debt? Is it because the Board of Regents love UNL and think UNO is a red-headed step-child? Or, is it because you are Un-Nebraskan (similar to unAmerican or unpatriotic) if you question anything relating to the Huskers?”
yes, to all.
I didn’t want to shake that woman’s hand when I graduated anyway. Let’s remember how she responded to the Pamela Owens protest. It shows how much she cares about the student opinions and voice on campus. I feel that UNO sports are much safer without her. Belck probably hates sports because she is like four feet tall.