The Academic Planning Committee will hold on Oct. 7 the first of three public hearings to gather feedback on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s $22.56 million in proposed Phase 2 budget reductions.
The budget reduction plan was announced by Chancellor Ronnie Green on Sept. 3. It is part of a larger plan to address a $38.2 million shortfall through 2023.
The first hearing will focus on the proposed elimination of the undergraduate dance program in the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts’ Glenn Korff School of Music. The deadline to register to speak during the hearing is noon, Oct. 5.
The deadline to submit written testimony in response to any of the three hearings is 5 p.m. Oct. 2.
All hearings are at 3 p.m. and, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be held virtually via Zoom video conferencing. The Oct. 7 hearing will be accessible online here. All hearings are open to students, faculty, staff and the public.
Complete details on how to register and to present testimony are below.
Other hearing dates, proposed reductions to be discussed, registration deadlines and Zoom URLs are:
Oct. 14
Topic: Elimination of the Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design in the College of Education and Human Sciences
Registration deadline: Noon, Oct. 12
Click here to access the Oct. 14 hearing via Zoom.
Oct. 21
Topic: General hearing on any proposed Phase 2 budget reduction, including elimination of the Masters in Athletics Administration in the College of Business, and the hospitality , restaurant and tourism management program in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
Registration deadline: Noon, Oct. 19
Click here to access the Oct. 21 hearing via Zoom.
How to offer testimony
Testimony in response to the proposed reductions can be filed live during a hearing or in writing.
To provide testimony during a hearing, individuals must register an intent to appear. The notice is non-binding and any individual or unit that expresses an intent to appear may decline. Individuals will be given five minutes to speak.
Details on how to register an intent to appear are available here.
Written responses to proposed budget reductions, which are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 2, are also welcomed by the Academic Planning Committee.
All written responses should include:
The item that is being addressed;
Name, email and phone number of the individual(s), department or unit head submitting the response; and
Be limited to a maximum of two pages.
Written responses should be directed to the Academic Planning Committee, c/o Karen Griffin, coordinator of faculty governance, at apc@unl.edu. They can also be mailed to Griffin at 135 Alexander Building, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0471.
Guidance on how to testify that a reduction, elimination or reorganization is inadvisable is available in Section V, Criteria of the Procedures to be Invoked for Significant Budget Reallocations and Reductions.The guidance is useful for testimony provided live during a hearing or via written response.
