LINCOLN — The University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced its final budget plan that includes eliminating four academic programs and cutting 51.5 faculty positions to save more than $27 million.
The programs facing elimination are Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Educational Administration, Statistics, and Textiles/Merchandising/Fashion Design.
"There are currently hundreds of students enrolled in these programs. And we don't know, and they, we don't have answers for them, and they're calling us worried about their future," said Sarah Zuckerman, Educational Administration Associate Professor and AAUP UNL Chapter President.
Zuckerman said the cuts will hurt Nebraska's efforts to retain talent in the state.
"People who leave for graduate school they may never come back. They may choose to find jobs in the city where they pursue their degree. And so, this is really just saying that we want to export our educators to be school leaders in other states," Zuckerman said.
The AAUP UNL Chapter President is also questioning the university's justification for the cuts. She said the AAUP conducted an external financial report that shows UNL is in strong financial standing.
"Based on a report that we had done by someone external to the university that the university is in strong financial footing. And so, the evidence that we saw in that report says they don't need to make any cuts, let alone cutting the core mission of the university, which is instruction," Zuckerman said.
Chancellor Rodney Bennett defended the decision in his announcement to faculty and media, stating he has "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."
The cuts to these four departments make up just under $7 million of the more than $27 million budget reduction plan. Some programs that were in the original proposal, including Community and Regional Planning and Landscape Architecture, have been spared.
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