Finance Fundamentals for Academic Leaders
Course ID: 26CN00021
February 6-27, 2026
Livestream via Zoom
Paid 4.0 ANCC
Registration Starts on November 15, 2025
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Course ID: 26CN00021
Date: February 6-27, 2026
Fridays |1-2pm CSTCourse Description
This professional development course is designed specifically for new Deans and emerging academic leaders. It provides foundational knowledge and practical strategies for navigating financial planning, budgeting, and resource management within academic institutions. Participants will gain insights into governance and reporting structures, budget formats, revenue generation, philanthropy, and grant management.
Through interactive webinars led by experienced academic finance professionals, participants will explore real-world scenarios and develop skills to proactively manage budgets, ensure accountability, and align financial decisions with institutional goals.
Target Audience
This accredited continuing education activity is designed for new Deans, Assistant/Associate Deans, and academic leaders with limited experience in financial management.
Educational Objectives
At the conclusion of this activity, the participants should be better able to:
- Describe organizational and finance structures in academic settings and how these impact funding, budgeting, and accounting.
- Discuss various budget formats including RCB, performance-based, and priority-based budgeting.
- Explain essential budget line items and types of expenditures relevant to education.
- Describe strategies for revenue generation and philanthropic engagement.
- Navigate grant budgeting and management processes.
- Discuss university-specific budgeting, to include discretion, accountability, budget information access and grantor-grantee negotiations.
- Describe how the social and political landscapes impact academic financing.
Faculty
- Camtrice Botos, MM, MPA – Director of Development, UNMC College of Nursing
- Derek Lankford, MBA – Assistant Dean of Finance & Operations, UNMC College of Nursing
- Shane Moser, PhD, CFA – Associate Professor of Practice in Finance, UNL College of Business
- Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, DNP, RN, FACDONA – Dean, UNMC College of Nursing
- Marna Stack, MPH - Research Development & Compliance Administrator, UNMC College of Nursing
Accredited Continuing Education
In support of improving patient care, University of Nebraska Medical Center is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center designates this activity for 4.0 ANCC contact hours. Nurses should only claim credit for the actual time spent participating in the activity.
Co-sponsored by
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Schedule
Date Topic & Description Friday, February 6, 2026 Organization and Finance Structures - Classify and compare state, federal, revolving, and foundation fund types to determine appropriate applications within academic finance.
- Explain the impact of institutional governance and reporting structures on financial decision-making, accountability, and budgeting flexibility.
- Apply institutional case studies, including the UNMC College of Nursing, UNL Business Center, and the Diagnostic Lab, to illustrate how funding models affect operational outcomes.
- Evaluate strategies to align financial structures with institutional efficiency and innovation goals.
Presented by Derek Lankford, MBA – Assistant Dean of Finance & Operations, UNMC College of Nursing
Friday, February 13, 2026 Types of Budget Formats - Identify essential budget line items within key expenditure categories (personnel, operating, capital, student support, and technology) relevant to academic programs.
- Differentiate among common budget formats (line-item, responsibility-centered, target-based).
- Discuss how different budget formats impact decision-making and flexibility.
- Explore strategies to balance program budgets with available revenue sources while maintaining mission-critical priorities.
Presented by Shane Moser, PhD, CFA – Associate Professor of Practice in Finance, UNL College of Business
Friday, February 20, 2026 Funding
Partnering for Impact: Academic Fundraising Strategies- Discuss the structure and strategies of academic fundraising, including types of philanthropic support and levels of giving.
- Explore best practices for collaborating with development professionals to align fundraising efforts with institutional priorities.
- Discuss how leaders can influence philanthropic initiatives.
- Identify framework leaders can use to foster philanthropic relationships.
- Explore what works and what doesn't in philanthropic strategies.
- Recognize key principles of grant budgeting, including common contractual mechanisms, allowable costs, and sponsor requirements.
- Describe how grants contribute to broader institutional success, such as augmenting operational budgets, building partnerships, and promoting prestige.
Presented by:
- Camtrice Botos, MM, MPA – Director of Development, UNMC College of Nursing
- Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, DNP, RN, FACDONA – Dean, UNMC College of Nursing
- Marna Stack, MPH - Research Development & Compliance Administrator, UNMC College of Nursing
Friday, February 27, 2026 University Specific Budgeting - Describe how discretion, accountability, and institutional priorities shape budget authority in academic programs.
- Develop strategies for advocating effectively within grantor-grantee relationships and internal budget negotiations.
- Discuss how politics and access to information influence budget outcomes in university settings.
Presented by Shane Moser, PhD, CFA – Associate Professor of Practice in Finance, UNL College of Business
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This program is not available to login currently.
Please contact Valeta Creason-Wahl for more details
Email: vcreason@unmc.edu
Call: 402-559-7487