UNL puts six academic programs on the chopping block amid $27 million budget shortfall
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Rodney Bennett on Friday revealed proposed budget cuts to the university.
The university is cutting $27.5 million to account for various economic hardships.
In a letter to the Academic Planning Committee on Friday, Bennett outlined the plan for proposed cuts to academic programs.
Six academic programs are proposed for elimination for a total savings of $7.7 million.
| Academic Program | Savings | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Community and Regional Planning | $475,000 | The academic program would be eliminated. This includes the Master's in Community and Regional Planning, the undergraduate and graduate minors, and the Urban Design Graduate Certificate. Budget reductions will be achieved through the elimination of positions (4 FTE). |
| Earth and Atmospheric Sciences | $1,850,000 | The proposed plan would eliminate the academic department and all programs. This includes the BS in Meteorology & Climatology, the BS in Geology, the MS in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, the PhD in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and all of the associated undergraduate and graduate minors. Budget reductions will be achieved through the elimination of positions (12 FTE). High-performing faculty from the department may qualify for rehire within other UNL units to preserve educational pathways and research expertise. |
| Educational Administration | $1,950,000 | The academic department would be eliminated as well as the following programs: the PhD/EdD in Educational Studies, with specialization in Educational Leadership and Higher Education; the EdD in Educational Administration; the Community College Leadership Graduate Certificate, and associated graduate minors. University leaders are considering a plan that would retain the MA in Educational Administration, and Administrative Certification Endorsements would be retained elsewhere in the college. Budget reductions will be achieved through the elimination of positions (17 FTE). |
| Landscape Architecture | $225,000 | The academic program would be eliminated. This includes the Bachelor's in Landscape Architecture, and the associated undergraduate minor. Budget reductions will be achieved through the elimination of positions (2 FTE). |
| Statistics | $1,750,000 | The proposed plan would eliminate a standalone Department of Statistics offering BS, MS, and PhD degrees and moves the university toward a distributed model that leverages expertise embedded across IANR, UNL and the NU system. The plan proposes to strategically deploy a portion of the state-appropriated funds to continue to offer selected undergraduate and graduate courses and provide coordinated statistical consulting. Budget reductions would be achieved through the elimination of positions (12 FTE). |
| Textiles, Merchandising, and Fashion Design | $1,450,000 | The proposed plan would eliminate the academic department and degree programs. This includes the bachelor's degree, master's degree, PhD in Human Sciences with a specialization in TMFD, the associated undergraduate and graduate minors, and the Quilt Studies Graduate Certificate. Budget reductions will be achieved through the elimination of positions (11 FTE). |
To further the plan, four academic departments are proposed for realignment into two new schools for a total savings of $2 million.
| Department | Savings | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Departments of Entomology and Plant Pathology | $1,000,000 | The Departments of Entomology and Plant Pathology would be integrated within a news interdisciplinary school. This integration would ensure that teaching, research, and Extension remain aligned with workforce priorities and the long-term vitality of Nebraska's economy and communities. If the budget plan is approved, the faculty from the two units, working alongside administration, would have the 2026 spring semester to develop the framework for the new school - including the name, operational guidelines, bylaws, promotion and tenure processes, and other faculty governance structures. MS and PhD degrees in Entomology and Plant Pathology would continue to be offered. Budget savings would be realized through natural attrition, including the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program. |
| Departments of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication | $1,000,000 | The Departments of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication would be integrated within a new interdisciplinary school. This integration would ensure that expertise within these units is retained in IANR and teaching, research, and Extension programming is aligned with workforce priorities and the long-term vitality of Nebraska’s economy and communities. If the budget plan is approved, the faculty from the two units, working alongside administration, would have the 2026 spring semester to develop the framework for the new school — including the name, operational guidelines, bylaws, promotion and tenure processes, and other faculty governance structures. Current BS, MS, and PhD degree pathways would continue to be offered. Budget savings would be realized through an open staff position and natural attrition, including the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program. |
Also, two colleges will have their budgets reduced for a total of $550,000 in savings.
| College | Savings | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| College of Engineering | $225,000 | State aided funding for graduate assistantships will be reduced. |
| College of Arts and Sciences | $325,000 | State aided funding for graduate assistantships will be reduced. |
For all of these reductions, Bennett will work with the Academic Planning Committee to tweak the budget cuts and release a final plan.
“This plan was developed after close coordination with university leaders and has also incorporated the committee’s feedback,” Bennett said in the letter. “The reductions proposed here are consistent with the priorities of the university’s strategic plan and the governance rules of the university and its organizational units.”
The remaining $17 million in cuts aren’t as specific.
| UNL Administrative Reductions, Efficiencies, and VSIP | Savings | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Student Life | $850,000 | Reduce state-aided funding for positions and administrative expenses. |
| Decrease Unfunded Remissions | $2,500,000 | Reduce remissions through targeted philanthropy to fund scholarships. |
| Executive Administrative and Staff Efficiencies | $2,690,000 | Eliminate positions and create greater efficiencies (Chancellor's Office, EVC's Office, Business and Finance). |
| Administrative and Staff Efficiencies in Colleges | $1,100,000 | College of Business, College of Engineering, College of Fine and Preforming Arts, College of Journalism and Mass Communications. |
| Voluntary Separation Incentive Program for Faculty | $5,500,000 | See above article |
| Recission | $4,610,000 | Reduce all state-aided budgets by approximately 1%. |
For those cuts, Bennett will not seek recommendations from the committee but will welcome feedback.
They will be implemented through administrative actions and efficiencies, as well as a buyout program for faculty.
SEE ALSO: ‘The students will feel it’: University of Nebraska offers buyouts to 500-plus professors
Bennett said he is sharing these cuts with the committee in “the spirit of full transparency.”
Last month, Chancellor Rodney Bennett said UNL’s revenue has not kept up with its expenses.
Bennett blamed “downward trends” in state funding and tuition, along with “historically high inflation” of health care costs.
