UNL Chancellor Rodney Bennett set to resign January 12

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Rodney Bennett announced his intentions to resign.

In a letter to the UNL community on Monday, Bennett said he would conclude his service as Chancellor on Jan. 12.

This decision comes a month after Bennett orchestrated $27.5 million in budget cuts at the university, causing outrage among students, faculty and staff.

SEE ALSO: NU Regents approve UNL’s plan to slash $27.5 million from its budget

That led to the UNL Faculty Senate overwhelmingly passing a vote of no confidence against Bennett at an emergency meeting on Nov. 18.

“I don’t think anyone is jumping up and down and having a kumbaya moment at all.” said faculty senate president, John Shrader.

The group voted 60-14 — with three abstentions — in favor of a resolution expressing no confidence in Bennett’s leadership.

SEE ALSO: UNL Faculty Senate overwhelmingly passes vote of no confidence against Chancellor Bennett

In his letter, Bennett said his leadership stabilized overall enrollment, set new records for first-year student retention, advanced statewide extension and natural resource development, and developed a plan for financial sustainability.

Bennett continued in his statement:

Most importantly, I want to express my appreciation to our outstanding students, for all that you bring not only to the university, but also to the city of Lincoln and the state of Nebraska. Your energy, your enthusiasm, your optimism, and your determination to do your part to make our communities, our state, and our world better are an inspiration to us all, and it has been my highest honor and privilege to have served as your Chancellor. You are the reason we are all here, and I look forward to witnessing how you will embody our belief that every person and every interaction matters, as you change the world for the better.

University System President Jeffrey Gold also released a statement:

I am grateful to Chancellor Bennett for his service to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. During his tenure as UNL’s 21st chancellor, he led the campus through a period of significant challenge and progress. His work to stabilize the campus’s financial position, strengthen fundraising and advance student success and retention has helped position UNL well for the future. He has consistently emphasized listening to and learning from students, whose talent, resilience and ambition continue to define this campus. He has also served as a strong leader for key systemwide decision making to build on our strategic planning and many other areas.

Chancellor Bennett has often spoken about the deep pride Nebraskans feel for this university—as alumni, Husker fans, research partners and beneficiaries of UNL’s statewide engagement. That pride, and the strong foundation it rests upon, will continue to guide the university forward.

To ensure continuity in leadership, Gold said Kathy Ankerson will serve as interim chancellor following Bennett’s departure.

Ankerson served as UNL’s executive vice chancellor from 2022 until her retirement in 2024.

Some said they’re ready to work with her.

“I hope they work with us to help repair the damage that’s been done on this campus. I have confidence that they all will.” Shrader said.

But others said this does almost little to nothing to ease concerns.

” I am very worried about the choice of the interim” said AAUP-UNL President Sarah Zuckerman. “And I also think it is dis concerning because she’s been away from the university for about the past year.”

“With UNL’s current budget challenges being addressed and joint accreditation with the University of Nebraska Medical Center on the near horizon, UNL is well-positioned to continue to engage in thoughtful, future-focused planning,” Gold said. “We understand that the news about Chancellor Bennett is one change on top of many other changes. It will be critical that every member of our UNL community has the opportunity to share their thoughts and help to shape our path forward.”

Gold said that he and Interim Chancellor Ankerson plan to hold several listening sessions to this end; details for those sessions will be shared soon.

For many on campus, Bennett’s resignation marked a turning point — but questions remain about if meaningful change is still to come.

“I think we’re going to see more people leaving, and not just the people whose programs were cut, but I think we’re going to see more faculty and staff leave the university.” Zuckerman said.