Local View: My prescription for NU
Lincoln Journal Star | September 23, 2026
Nebraskans invest in the University of Nebraska with their tuition, taxes, work and loyalty. They deserve a university that puts students first, uses public resources responsibly, and protects opportunity.
I'm the son of immigrants whose University of Nebraska education opened doors I could not have imagined. My wife, Dawn, and I are raising our three children here, and I want Nebraska families to have that same opportunity.
Our university’s greatest challenge is not its budget, but a growing doubt that higher education can still transform lives. I believe it can. With the right leadership, NU can be more affordable, academically ambitious, and ready for Nebraska’s next generation. I believe our best days are ahead of us.
Keep the university affordable
Tuition has climbed 17% since 2023. An NU education is increasingly becoming out of reach for a generation of Nebraskans. Before asking students and families to pay more, we need to streamline the bureaucracy, examine leadership compensation and remove unnecessary costs.
I've proposed consolidating administrative overhead across campuses into unified colleges and departments. This means one dean for our teachers colleges and one chair for our English departments. Breaking down department silos will also foster more interdisciplinary learning and intercampus collaboration rather than competition. Reform should not mean disruption for its own sake but rather careful changes that strengthen the people and programs doing the University’s essential work.
University leaders are public employees. Their compensation should be competitive but also appropriate for a public institution. A $1.1 million exit package for an outgoing chancellor is difficult to reconcile with years of frozen salaries for faculty and staff.
Put students and academic excellence first
Students deserve a university where academic excellence is every bit as ambitious as athletic excellence. Their degrees should open doors and prepare them for the workforce.
My “NIL for academics” proposal would attract and reward high-achieving students and faculty. We also need AI capability across majors so graduates are career-ready and can harness this technology in their fields. Our university should be home to Nobel laureates researching cures to cancer, precision agriculture, and advancing the arts and humanities that strengthen our state.
The university can increase enrollment by recruiting nontraditional students, career changers, working parents, veterans, and others seeking advancement through online learning and flexible scheduling. That means accepting community college credits, professional certifications, and relevant work experience wherever academic standards allow. A modern university should serve students where they are, not the other way around.
Be honest, transparent and accountable
Nebraskans deserve transparency. People are understandably concerned about the costs of a stadium remodel, a hospital buyout, and other capital projects while tuition rises and academic programs face cuts.
As regent, I will explain what is on the agenda, why it matters, and how I intend to vote. The board should not be a political stage, but neither should it be a rubber stamp. The University’s mission affects all of us, and Nebraskans should not be in the dark about its future
Protect fairness and Nebraska's loyalty
Fairness matters on the playing field. Women’s athletics gives young women opportunities to compete, lead, and build skills that last a lifetime. Protecting fair competition and dedicated opportunities for female athletes is a matter of fundamental equity. We can protect those opportunities while treating every student with dignity.
Loyalty matters, too. Working families have invested generations of time, passion, and hard-earned dollars in supporting Husker athletics. As ticket prices and required donations rise, Nebraskans risk being priced out of traditions they helped build. Husker fans are not simply consumers. They are the foundation of the program. Ticketing should honor long-term dedication, and donors who support the University’s academic mission should receive meaningful access to athletic benefits.
I believe in our University because I have experienced its transformative power firsthand. I'm a graduate, former Student Regent, and neurosurgeon who has worked in the U.S. Senate, the State Capitol, and the White House. I'm grateful for the education NU gave me, and its impact is reflected in the patients and families I serve every day.
Our University is facing unprecedented challenges, and the stakes are high. NU will need bold leadership, fresh ideas, and change; a new generation of leaders for the next generation of Nebraskans to open doors of opportunity and help Nebraska become the place they choose to call home.
Dr. Jeremy Hosein is a board-certified neurosurgeon in Lincoln and a candidate for the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. He and his wife, Dr. Dawn Hosein, are both University of Nebraska graduates and are raising their three children in Lincoln. He is a former White House Fellow with experience in state and federal public policy.
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