January 11, 2024
UNL Community,
Today, I am writing to inform you that I have finalized the plan to eliminate UNL’s $12M deficit that has been carried forward from FY23. This is an essential step to remain good stewards of the resources entrusted to us by the people of Nebraska. The final reduction plan mirrors the proposal shared with you on November 8 and updated with additional detail on November 21.
Before finalizing this plan, I carefully considered the Academic Planning Committee’s (APC) recommendations, which included concerns about reductions to Diversity & Inclusion and reductions aimed at instructional efficiency. I understand these concerns, but neither my engagement with the APC nor with shared governance partners have produced viable alternatives to these reductions, and we must act now. Earlier today in a memo to the APC, I communicated my intention to implement the plan as presented in November.
This was an important process for UNL. It was hard, but necessary, work. While we must continue to work towards balancing our budget and understanding our financial constraints, I look forward to engaging all of you in the coming weeks and months in conversations about our future — who we want to be and what we want to look like. I continue to believe our best days are ahead and that belief is rooted in all of you — our world-class faculty; our students poised as leaders of the future; and our talented and dedicated staff.
Thank you for all you do for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Rodney D. Bennett
Chancellor