Statement of L. Dennis Smith, president, University of Nebraska
Released 4:00 p.m., September 10, 2002
Today the chancellors on our four University of Nebraska campuses announced how they plan to implement budget cuts that now total over $31 million for this fiscal year. This has been a difficult process. These cuts will affect the lives of our students, faculty, staff and communities and citizens across Nebraska.
These cuts come at a high price. Across our four campuses and in central administration we are eliminating more than 260 jobs, some by not filling vacant positions but most through termination of staff and faculty. These are dedicated employees who have given decades of service to the university, and it especially painful to have to make personnel cuts of this magnitude. I want to assure our employees that we will provide whatever assistance we can, through our human resources staff, to those whose jobs are being terminated.
The University of Nebraska is a major part of the fabric of this state. The far-reaching nature of these cuts demonstrates that fact more clearly than any written report or speech could show. For more than 130 years we have taught your sons and daughters, created cultural opportunities, and conducted research that has resulted in scientific breakthroughs and medical miracles. We have provided educational outreach and direct service to virtually every community, large and small, in this great state.
Nebraska is now in a significant fiscal crisis. The University of Nebraska is playing a critical role in resolving this crisis, both by making cuts in state-funded programs and in continuing to generate economic growth. Despite the cuts that we are making, our primary goal is unchanged – that is to be among the best public universities in the United States and to provide our students with a quality education at an affordable price. I am confident we will reach that goal by focusing our resources on creating and maintaining quality academic programs.
As I look toward the future, I see a university that may be somewhat different in scope, perhaps more limited in its ability to serve the needs of the state in the way we would like. But I continue to see a university with outstanding faculty and staff, students who have unprecedented academic opportunities, pioneering research projects, and programs that serve the needs of both rural and urban Nebraskan. In short, this is a university in which Nebraskans can continue to take pride.
Summary of Budget Cuts and Adjustments
Program eliminations:
UNL/IANR:College of Arts & Sciences Nebraska Humanities Center
Division of Continuing Studies; division eliminated and functions reassigned
Family life specialists, North Platte and Norfolk (vacant positions)
Nebraska Center for Continuing Education Hotel
West Central Research and Extension Center Diagnostic Laboratory, North Platte
UNMC:College of Pharmacy proposed satellite location for training some senior students
UNO:Learning center
Masters degree programs, departments of Political Science and Sociology
UNK:Adaptive Physical Education graduate program
Center for Excellence in Leadership
German and German Education majors
Mathematics MS and Statistics and Actuarial Science majors
Printing office
MULTI:Grand Island, North Platte and Lincoln Learning Centers
NCTA:Agriculture Mechanics Technology program
Eliminate state funding/seek outside funds or become self-supporting
UNL:College of Business Administration, Council on Economic Education
UNMC:Biomedical communications
Four residencies in College of Medicine
Medical Resident Malpractice Insurance
UNMC Alumni office
UNK:Center for Rural Research and Development Director, College of Business and Technology
Mergers:
UNL:Nebraska Forest Service and Nebraska State Arboretum
School of Natural Resource Sciences and Conservation & Survey Division
Teachers College and College of Human Resources & Family Sciences
Downsizing/reduction in services:
UNL:Architectural and landscape services
College of Architecture, Department of Community and Regional Development, (enrollment suspended)
College of Law, faculty and libraries
NETV support personnel reductions and increased automation of technology classrooms
Recycling program
Reductions in personnel and early retirements in business and finance, student affairs, chancellor’s office
Summer sessions
IANR:Administrative staff
Communications and Information Technology
Nebraska Forest Service, including community tree replacement program
South Central Research and Extension Center, Clay Center facility to close; Research Farm and the Great Plains Veterinary Education Center will remain open
Veterinary Student Contract Program with Kansas State University
UNMC:Subsidies for contracted state social services
UNO:Course offerings in Philosophy, Religion, Sociology, Native American Studies, Chicano/Latino Studies, Women’s Studies, Foreign Language, English, UNO
Distance education
Personnel reductions in departments of recruiting services, institutional research, purchasing, facilities, human resources, finance, custodial services, university affairs, chancellor’s office, university television, payroll, information technology services
Reduce outreach/service/travel in College of Information Science and Technology, planetarium, faculty development, testing center, building repair and maintenance and athletics
UNK:Center for Teaching Excellence
Course offerings in mathematics, German, music
Intercollegiate athletics
Instructional TV operations
Museum of Nebraska Art
Personnel reductions in information technology, academic affairs, business and finance