Dear colleagues:
Thank you for your hard work and steadfast dedication to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in support of our students, our mission and our state.
I know the past few months have been very challenging, as budget reduction plans have been under review. None of us want to be in this space, where the decisions we must make will inevitably impact the lives of individuals and change how we do some things on campus.
However, our reality is that UNL's expenses have been greater than its revenue for many years. We have a responsibility to practice sound financial stewardship and to ensure we do not continue to spend beyond our means, especially in an environment where future revenue remains uncertain.
I want to thank each person who has been engaged throughout this process. I strongly believe in the power of enabling faculty, staff and students to take part in a review of this nature without interference in order to provide unfiltered feedback, and advice on how to move forward. I am deeply grateful to the Academic Planning Committee for its leadership in synthesizing all input they received during their review period.
Today I am sharing the final budget reduction plan as submitted to the Board of Regents for consideration at its December meeting. Several areas of the original plan have been modified based on the input provided through the APC’s process.
I do not take any of these decisions lightly. Each reduction carries with it the weight of personal impact on individual students, faculty and staff, whose contributions to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln matter, regardless of how their unit’s productivity is measured.
I would like to take a moment to address some of the questions that have been raised regarding the reduction process.
The process for major campus budget reductions is prescribed in UNL’s formal Procedures to be Invoked for Significant Budget Reallocations and Reductions, which was most recently revised and approved in 2022 by the Academic Planning Committee, Association of Students of the University of Nebraska, and Faculty Senate.
The Executive Leadership Team and I worked hard to adhere to this comprehensive process — both in letter and in spirit — and to complete all steps within the provided timeline. A link to the detailed procedures is available on the Budget Process website, and I encourage you to read this information in its entirety.
Each academic program was reviewed in accordance with performance metrics that align with UNL standards and external accountability frameworks, including standards set by the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (CCPE). The metrics were also shaped through extensive consultation in the spring with academic deans, college leadership teams, department executive officers and the APC.
Programs that fell below performance standards and expectations were then reviewed with additional qualitative measures in mind, including assessments related to mission, workforce needs of the state, and public service and extension, in consultation with academic leadership in each area.
Each of the six academic programs that were originally recommended for elimination fell below the baseline standards established by CCPE or UNL performance expectations — or both — in instruction and research.
I have a strong conviction that even though what we are doing is very difficult, it is in the best interest of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s long-term future.
These are challenging times in higher education, and we must position ourselves in a place of financial sustainability to ensure we can continue delivering excellence in student success, research and service to communities throughout our state.
Thank you for your continued commitment to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln as we face each new horizon with courage, purpose and resolve.
Sincerely,
Rodney D. Bennett
Chancellor
Final Budget Reducation Plan