The University of Nebraska Board of Regents voted on Dec. 5, 2025, to approve a set of academic reorganizations and eliminations at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln that the campus says are necessary to close a recurring structural budget gap. The board approved the proposed elimination of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS); the Department of Educational Administration (EdAd); the Department of Statistics; and the Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design (TMFD). The board also approved two planned reorganizations in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Board leaders and UNL officials framed the decisions as painful steps required to stop drawing down cash reserves and to preserve the university’s long‑term fiscal stability. Chancellor Rodney Bennett told the board that campus leaders used established UNL metrics and the campus shared‑governance process to reach the recommendations and that alternatives had been considered. President Jeffrey P. Gold, who opened the meeting, said the choices were made to protect the institution’s future while pursuing strategic priorities such as joint accreditation with UNMC and investments in research and new programs.

The actions drew prolonged public comment. Over several hours more than 100 speakers — including faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, alumni, donors, employers and extension professionals — urged the regents to delay the vote or adopt alternatives. Speakers emphasized that EAS trains meteorologists and geoscientists who work for the National Weather Service, state agencies and private employers, and argued that eliminating the program would weaken Nebraska’s ability to prepare for extreme weather, manage water resources and support emerging critical‑minerals projects. Statistics faculty, students and employers warned that eliminating the state’s only statistics department would hollow out training for data science and AI‑related work and would cost tuition and grant revenue. Other speakers argued EdAd and TMFD supply unique workforce pipelines and research value to Nebraska communities.

Board debate focused on the tension between those local and programmatic impacts and the campus’ reported fiscal trajectory. Regents who supported the plan said continuing to defer structural corrections would endanger the university’s viability; those opposed pointed to the campus’ dependence on contested metrics, risks to public‑safety capacities and the loss of revenue and donor relationships.

Votes and outcomes
- Item 11.a.1 — Eliminate Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (savings cited: $1,850,000): motion passed by roll call. Several Regents spoke in favor while others opposed or requested delay.
- Item 11.a.2 — Eliminate Department of Educational Administration (savings cited: $1,690,000): motion passed by roll call; one Regent recorded an abstention.
- Item 11.a.3 — Eliminate Department of Statistics (savings cited: $1,750,000; campus proposed a distributed statistical model to preserve core training): motion passed after roll call (some abstentions recorded).
- Item 11.a.4 — Eliminate Textiles, Merchandising, and Fashion Design (savings cited: $1,450,000): motion passed.
- Items 11.a.5 and 11.a.6 — Combine Entomology with Plant Pathology and combine Agricultural Leadership/Education/Communication with Agricultural Economics into new interdisciplinary schools (each cited ~$1,000,000 savings): both motions passed.

Implementation and student pathways
UNL said students currently enrolled in affected programs would be assigned transition coordinators and that the campus planned teach‑out pathways or alternate majors so students could complete degrees. Campus leaders repeatedly told the board they sought to minimize disruption and to preserve degree completion options; many public commenters disputed the campus estimate that most affected students would remain at UNL under a revised pathway.

Context and next steps
UNL leaders and several regents said the university has been drawing on reserves for years and faces a multi‑million dollar structural gap that, if unaddressed, could force deeper cuts later. Several Regents urged colleagues and the public to press state legislators for sustained funding. The board also approved a set of nonacademic actions that were described as donor‑funded or athletics‑funded — including travel and multimedia agreements and UNO athletics facilities program statements — and approved a privately funded Lied Center addition budget increase and updated covenants for Nebraska Innovation Campus.

The Board of Regents said some policy items will be revisited or tabled to the February meeting for additional discussion. The campus will now move into implementation planning for the approved eliminations and reorganizations, including transition coordination for students and personnel processes for affected employees.