(Courtesy: University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
In an effort to address the budget deficit at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), emerging Chancellor Rodney Bennett is proposing various budget reductions totaling the remaining $12 million.
“For multiple years UNL has carried forward a structural deficit that now totals $12 million. In order for us to reach our full potential and expand our role as a national leader in higher education, we must act to eliminate this deficit,” said Chancellor Bennett in his Message from the Chancellor column.
An itemized layout of the proposed budget reductions:
- Instructional Efficiency < $2,014,733 > – Units across campus will employ measures to increase instructional efficiency while reducing instructional costs.
- Operational Efficiency < $1,443,870 > – Opportunities will be identified to increase efficiencies in the job families of IT, Facilities, Communications, Business Services, and Student Success. The Zero-Based Budget exercise currently being completed will inform these decisions.
- Diversity & Inclusion < $800,000 > – UNL’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion will be restructured to primarily support university-wide priorities and initiatives with a greater focus on DEI efforts occurring at the college and unit level.
- Undergraduate Education & Student Success < $460,000 > – Reduction of state-aided programming.
- Student Affairs < $139,496 > – Reduce state-aided budget.
- Research & Economic Development < $194,315 > – Reduce state-aided budget.
- Administrative Costs < $2,907,281 > – Reduce administrative positions, pools, and stipends across the university.
- Executive Vice Chancellor Units < $2,890,305 > – EVC state-aided budget rebasing and reductions.
- IANR Units < $1,150,000 > – IANR state-aided budget rebasing, reductions, and reorganizations.
The above cuts total $12,000,000.
Chancellor Bennett is pushing for the cuts to take effect soon rather than later, he writes, “I have asked the Academic Planning Committee to expedite its review process, providing recommendations in early December. This aggressive schedule is essential to protect our university’s cash reserves. Acting expeditiously also gives us time to focus on next steps.”
Unfortunately, this may not be the final budget cutting process the university considers in the foreseeable future.
“I would like to be able to reassure you that there will be no further budget reductions, but that is not the case,” Bennett admitted, “Our reality is that additional reductions will likely be necessary, and we have already reduced the budget as far as we can without considering academic program eliminations. To that end, I have instructed university leaders to begin planning now for what future reductions may include. I believe this will best position us to make strategic decisions that address our fiscal challenges while shaping us into the institution we want to be in the future.”