[Husker] UNL invited to join CIC

[Mike Nolan]

UNL has been invited to join CIC, a consortium that consists of the 
Big Ten schools plus the University of Chicago (a former member of 
the Big Ten).

It isn't as exciting as the TV contracts, scheduling prognostications
or Texas-bashing, but in academic terms this is a rather big deal
and will mean a lot to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln over time.
--
Mike Nolan

Here's what Chancellor Perlman had to say about it to the UNL faculty and staff:

This afternoon we received notice that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been invited 
to join the Committee on Institutional Cooperation. The CIC is a group of Big Ten universities 
plus the University of Chicago. I am told the vote was unanimous; that all 12 CIC provosts 
affirmed the invitation. This affiliation will bring many academic benefits to UNL. 

Our full membership in the CIC begins July 1, 2011, the same time as our membership in the 
Big Ten, however, the CIC will be working with our academic leaders and faculty during the 
coming year to connect UNL with the resources and networks of the CIC. The letter indicates 
that the membership of the CIC believes "the University of Nebraska will be an excellent 
fit with our academic values, collaborative spirit, and strategic initiatives." We will of 
course formally accept the invitation.  Kudos to all of you who have worked so hard over 
the last several years to put our academic programs in a position to be so recognized.

Many UNL faculty have ties to the Big Ten and CIC schools. Approximately 302 UNL faculty 
members of all ranks have received their highest degree is from a Big Ten institution, 
plus 13 more from the University of Chicago. Approximately 30 percent of our tenure-line 
faculty earned their highest degree at a CIC institution.  

We are honored by this invitation and grateful to the CIC for its quick action to extend 
this invitation for us to become a member.