Final Budget Reduction Plan Implementation

The information below details the implementation of the permanent state-aided budget reduction savings for FY26 (based on the permanent budgets from July 1, 2025).

These itemized reductions complete the Final Budget Reduction Plan that was shared with the campus on Nov. 10, following the campus’ shared governance processes. Academic program and department eliminations were approved by the Board of Regents on December 5, 2025. Personnel in affected positions were notified no later than March 30, 2026.

 

Academic Program Eliminations ($6,740,000)

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences ($1,850,000)

The department and its programs, including the BS in Meteorology-Climatology, the BA/BS in Geology, the MS and PhD in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and the associated graduate minors, will be eliminated. Permanent savings will be spread over a two-year period to support degree completion. 

DescriptionAmount
Vacant Administrative Positions:
Eliminate vacant administrative positions, planned separations, and retirements. (0.6 FTE)

$92,664

Filled Faculty Positions: 
Eliminate filled state-funded faculty positions. (5.0 FTE)

$684,707

Vacant Faculty Positions: 
Eliminate vacant faculty positions, planned separations and retirements.

$607,164

Move Faculty Positions to Alternative Funding:
Eliminate permanent state-aided funds that support joint-appointments through relocating partial faculty FTE into another academic unit. (0.89 FTE)

$142,126

Vacant Staff Positions:
Eliminate vacant managerial/professional staff positions.

$76,349

Graduate Student/Student Worker Pools:
Eliminate permanent state-aided funds that support graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants. 

$187,916

Operating Budget:
Eliminate operating budgets

 $59,074

 

Department of Educational Administration ($1,690,000)

The department and its programs, including the MEd and EdD in Educational Administration; PhD and EdD in Educational Studies, with a specialization in Educational Leadership and Higher Education; Graduate Certificate in Community College Leadership; P-12 Administrative Endorsements; and associated graduate minors, will be eliminated. Permanent savings will be spread over a two-year period to support degree completion. 

DescriptionAmount
Vacant Administrative Position:
Eliminate vacant faculty positions, planned separations and retirements. (0.7 FTE)

$142,840

Filled Faculty Positions:
Eliminate filled state-funded faculty positions. (8.5 FTE)

$956,296

Vacant Faculty Positions:
Eliminate vacant faculty positions, planned separations and retirements.
$234,194
Vacant Staff Positions:
Eliminate vacant managerial/professional staff positions.

$145,007

Move Staff Position to Alternative Funding:
Eliminate permanent state-aided funds that support 1.0 FTE through relocating staff member into another unit. (1.0 FTE)

$65,340

Graduate Student/Student Worker Pools:
Eliminate permanent state-aided funds that support graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants.

$95,132

Operating Budget:
Eliminate operating budgets

$51,191

 

Department of Statistics ($1,750,000)

The department and its programs, including the BS in Statistics and Data Analytics, BS in Data Science offered through the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the MS and PhD in Statistics, and associated minors, will be eliminated. Permanent savings will be spread over a two-year period to support degree completion.

DescriptionAmount
Filled Administrative Position:
Eliminate filled state-funded administrative position. (1.0 FTE)

$257,906

Filled Faculty Positions:
Eliminate filled state-funded faculty positions. (9.0 FTE)
$965,618
Filled Staff Positions:
Eliminate filled office/service staff position. (1.0 FTE)

$77,153

Move Staff Position to Alternative Funding:
Eliminate permanent state-aided funds that support 1.25 FTE through relocating staff member into another unit. (1.25 FTE)

$93,104

Graduate Student/Student Worker Pools: 
Eliminate permanent state-aided funds that support graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants.

$317,448

Operating Budget:
Eliminate operating budgets.

$38,771

 

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design ($1,450,000)

The department and its programs, including the BSEH in Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design; MA and MS in Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design; PhD in Human Sciences, with a specialization in Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design; Graduate Certificate in Quilt Studies; and associated minors; will be eliminated. Permanent savings will be spread over a two-year period to support degree completion. 

DescriptionAmount
Filled Administrative Position:
Eliminate filled state-funded administrative position. (0.5 FTE)

$81,986

Filled Faculty Positions:
Eliminate filled state-funded faculty position. (7.5 FTE)

$881,268

Vacant Faculty Positions:
Eliminate vacant faculty positions, planned separations and retirements.
$208,309
Filled Staff Positions:
Eliminate filled office/service staff position. (1.0 FTE)

$76,683

Vacant Staff Positions:
Eliminate vacant managerial/professional staff position.

$45,337

Graduate Student/Student Worker Pools:
Eliminate permanent state-aided funds that support graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants.

$134,861

Operating Budget:
Eliminate operating budgets.

$21,556

Department Realignments

Four academic departments are proposed for realignment into two new schools for a total savings of $2,000,000.

Department of Entomology and Department of Plant Pathology ($1,000,000)

Pending APC Process

DescriptionAmount
Filled Administrative Position:
Eliminate filled state-funded administrative position, planned retirement. (1.0 FTE)
$253,556
Vacant Faculty Positions:
Eliminate vacant faculty positions, planned separations and retirements. 

$746,444

 

Department of Agricultural Economics and Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication ($1,000,000)

Pending APC Process

DescriptionAmount
Filled Administrative Position:
Eliminate permanent state-aided funds that support 1.0 FTE of administration through returning to a 1.0 FTE faculty position supported through alternative funding.

$249,322

Vacant Faculty Positions:
Eliminate vacant faculty positions, planned separations and retirements.

$705,553

Vacant Staff Position:
Eliminate vacant office/service staff position.

$45,125

College Budget Reductions ($1,600,000)

Four colleges will have their budgets reduced for a total of $1,600,000 in savings.

College of Engineering

DescriptionAmount
Graduate Student/Student Worker Pools:
Eliminate permanent state-aided funds that support graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants.

$225,000

 

College of Arts and Sciences

DescriptionAmount
Graduate Student/Student Worker Pools:
Eliminate permanent state-aided funds that support graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants.

$325,000

 

College of Architecture ($700,000)

DescriptionAmount
Vacant Administrative Positions:
Eliminate administrative stipend budget associated with vacant positions, planned separations, and retirements.

$6,170

Vacant Faculty Positions:
Eliminate vacant faculty positions, planned separations and retirements.

$151,897

Move Faculty Positions to Alternative Funding:
Reduce state-aided funding for faculty positions by replacing with alternative funds. (3.35 FTE)

$320,561

Graduate Student/Student Worker Pools:
Eliminate permanent state-aided funds that support graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants.

$221,372

 

College of Fine and Performing Arts ($350,000)

DescriptionAmount
Move Administrative Positions to Alternative Funding: 
Reduce state-aided funding for administrative positions by replacing with alternative funds. (0.31 FTE)

$54,726

Filled Staff Positions: 
Eliminate three staff positions in administrative and business operations. (3.0 FTE)

$230,666

Move Staff Positions to Alternative Funding: 
Reduce state-aided funds for managerial/professional staff positions by replacing with alternative funds. (0.82 FTE)

$64,608

Elimination of Faculty Positions through VSIP ($5,500,000)

Through a Voluntary Separation Incentive Program, faculty positions will be eliminated across the university. 

DescriptionAmount
Vacant Faculty Positions: 
Eliminate vacant faculty positions, planned separations and retirements.

$5,500,000

Student Life ($850,000)

Eliminate the state-aided budget in the Division of Student Life. 

DescriptionAmount
Move Administrative Positions to Alternative Funding: 
Reduce state-aided funding for administrative positions by replacing with alternative funds. (1.00 FTE)

$339,362

Vacant Staff Positions: 
Eliminate vacant managerial/professional staff position and reduce adjustment/pool line.

$118,742

Move Staff Positions to Alternative Funding: 
Reduce state-aided funding for staff positions by replacing with alternative funds in TRIO Programs, Services for Students with Disabilities, and Nebraska Unions Facilities Operations. (2.958 FTE)

$274,992

Operating Budget: 
Reduce operating budgets and transition some to alternative funding in Vice Chancellor’s Office, TRIO Programs, and Services for Students with Disabilities.

$85,789

Central Benefits Pool:
Reduce Benefit Pool held centrally by Chancellor’s Office.

$31,115

Decrease Unfunded Remissions ($2,500,000)

Remissions are being reduced and replaced with privately funded scholarships.

Executive Administrative and Staff Efficiencies ($2,950,000)

Administration and staff positions are being eliminated in units reporting to the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor, and Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance.

DescriptionAmount
Filled Administrative Positions:
Eliminate filled administrative positions in the Chancellor’s Office, Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor, Graduate Studies. (2.8 FTE)

$312,210

Move Administrative Positions to Alternative Funding: 
Reduce state-aided funding for administrative position by replacing with alternative funds in the Chancellor’s Office. (0.14 FTE)

$31,527

Vacant Administrative Positions:
Eliminate vacant administrative positions in the Chancellor’s Office and Business and Finance. (1.5 FTE)

$396,301

Filled Staff Positions: 
Eliminate filled staff positions in administrative and business operations, student services, and information technology within the Chancellor’s Office, Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor, Graduate Studies, Business and Finance, Institutional Equity and Compliance, and University Communications and Marketing. (6.0 FTE)

$540,225

Move Staff Positions to Alternative Funding:
Reduce state-aided funding for staff positions by replacing with alternative funds in Academic Services and Enrollment Management. (2.0 FTE)

$121,780 

Vacant Staff Positions:
Eliminate vacant managerial/professional and office/service staff positions and reduce adjustment/pool lines in Business and Finance, University Communications and Marketing, Facilities Maintenance and Operations, and Human Resources. 

$1,029,185

Operating Budget:
Reduce operating budget in the Chancellor’s Office.

$518,772

College Administrative and Staff Efficiencies ($753,500)

Streamlining within colleges, including curricular and other operational efficiencies.

College of Business 

DescriptionAmount
Vacant Administrative Positions:
Eliminate vacant administrative positions, planned separations and retirements.

$311,800

 

College of Engineering

DescriptionAmount
Vacant Faculty Positions: 
Eliminate vacant faculty positions, planned separation/retirement.

$91,700

 

College of Journalism and Mass Communications ($350,000)

DescriptionAmount
Vacant Faculty Positions:
Eliminate salary pool associated with vacant faculty positions, planned separations and retirements.

$281,005

Move Staff Positions to Alternative Funding:
Reduce state-aided funding for staff positions by replacing with alternative funds. (0.5 FTE)

$37,257

Move Student Worker Pools to Alternative Funding:
Reduce state-aided funding for undergraduate student workers by replacing with alternative funds.

$31,738

Rescission ($4,610,000)

All state-aided budgets across the campus will be reduced by approximately 1.15% through the elimination of open positions and vacant salary pools.

DescriptionAmount
Move Administrative Positions to Alternative Funding:
Reduce state-aided funding for administrative positions by replacing with alternative funds in the Chancellor’s Office and Lied Center (0.80 FTE).

$185,063

Vacant Administrative Positions:
Eliminate vacant administrative positions, planned separations and retirements.

$127,640

Summer Sessions Instructional Budget:
Eliminate a portion of the instructional budget for summer sessions, distributed across all colleges that receive funding from the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor, and proportional to their current distributions (13.9%).

$379,501

Vacant Faculty Positions:
Eliminate vacant faculty pool, faculty positions, planned separations and retirements.

$2,359,315

Vacant Staff Positions:
Eliminate vacant office/service staff positions.

$442,897

Move Staff Positions to Alternative Funding:
Reduce state-aided funding for staff positions by replacing with alternative funds. (5.34 FTE)

$400,278

Filled Staff Positions:
Eliminate staff position in administrative and business operations in Research and Innovation. (0.43 FTE)

$27,939

Graduate Student/Student Worker Pools:
Eliminate permanent state-aided funds that support graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants.

$178,638

Building Reserve O&M Budget:
Reduce operating budget for building operations and maintenance.

$508,729

Last updated 5/4/2026