Board of Regents approves elimination of four UNL departments after hours of public comment

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 acti…