Board of Regents approves academic program changes, $500 million financing authorizations and Project Health application; president’s performance pay approved

The Board of Regents met Aug. 14 and approved a slate of academic program changes, financing authorizations and administrative items affecting the University of Nebraska system.

Key votes at the meeting included board approval to: authorize the University of Nebraska Facilities Corporation to issue facilities bonds up to $500,000,000 to finance capital projects (board resolution; maximum maturity authorized up to 40 years, though actual maturities expected at 30 years or less); establish a commercial paper notes program authorizing up to $500,000,000 of notes outstanding at any one time to provide short-term financing flexibility; and finalize the application to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to request state grant funds for the Project Health proposal under Nebraska’s Transformational Project Act. The board also approved revisions to chapters 4–6 of the Board of Regents bylaws that had been published and reviewed at prior meetings.

On academic matters the board approved multiple items across campuses, including establishment of a field endorsement in science (grades 7–12) for the Bachelor of Science in Education at University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK); a master of arts in education with a health-education track at UNK; elimination of a standalone Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Economics at University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) with the curriculum to be folded into a specialization in agricultural economics; elimination of a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and renaming of UNL…