KEARNEY – The University of Nebraska at Kearney recently sent a proposed budget reduction draft to faculty and staff last week. The draft has since then been unofficially released to UNK students, alumni, Kearney community members and has spurred a wave of emotions.
The Draft
The draft currently proposes a reduction of 33 positions which include force in Cyber Technology, Teacher Education, Kinesiology and Sport Sciences, Art and Design, Communication, English, Geography, History, Math, Modern Languages, Music, Philosophy, Physics and Astronomy, and Theatre. The biggest attention has been on the proposed elimination of certain degrees, like Theatre, Music Performance Comprehensive in instrumental, Musical Theater, Music Comprehensive in business, Journalism, Sports Communication, and Geography.
Other degrees proposed to be eliminated include Modern Languages emphasis in French and German, Geography and GI Science, Geography 7-12 Teaching Subject Endorsement, Business Administration Comprehensive-Business Intelligence Emphasis, Recreation Management, and Montessori Early Childhood Education.
The budget cut that UNK is facing stems back to the $58 million shortfall that the University of Nebraska System (NU) is estimated to see by the end of the 2024-25 fiscal year. UNK’s piece of the shortfall is $4.3 million, with $3 million focused on academics and the remaining on operation cost. The NU system states the shortfall is due to a combination of inflation, declining enrollment, and muted revenue growth.
To address this, NU President Ted Carter released his 5-Point Plan that universities will have to implement to combat the budget cuts and close the gap. A piece of the plan includes short-term hiring freezes for universities that UNK has already implemented. Since July, UNK has frozen 70 full-time and 156 part-time positions. But one of the longer-term strategies is reviewing academic programs.
When creating the current draft proposal, some of the criteria that was considered was enrollment numbers, student-faculty ratio and major graduation rates. But the administration specifies that the draft is just a starting point for discussion.
According to UNK Senior Director Communication and Marketing Todd Gottula “It’s important to note that draft proposal cuts is just that, a draft. It’s nowhere near final, that’s a working document, but it’s a starting point.”
Part of the conversation includes hearing from faculty and staff through the Faculty Advisory Committee.
Last Monday was the first day the Faculty Advisory Committee gathered and received the draft by the administration, which was subsequently sent to faculty and staff. Created as part of the agreement between the board of regents and University of Nebraska at Kearney Education Association (UNKEA), the committee is tasked with providing recommendations to the administration on the budget reduction, which must meet the same cut of $3 million.
The Committee is made up of eight individuals that stem from the UNKEA Executive Committee, the Faculty Senate, the Graduate Faculty, the College of Business and Technology, the College of Education, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Library.
The Faculty Advisory Committee was introduced during the Sep. 14 campus forum.
The Committee has now until Oct. 25 to create recommendations for budget reduction for the campus, based on information, data and discussions with departments from the university. Faculty and staff were notified in August about the budget cuts, with the proposed draft just sent out last week on Monday.
Current Response
Since then, it’s been on the fore front of not just their minds, but also on students, alumni and community members.
Some questions currently be asked is what will become of students enrolled in the proposed degrees, other concerns have been around what will happen to facilities dedicated to certain programs, some on how the draft could impact enrollment and retention, and many more.
Theatre Program Director Darin Himmerich says he’s already had students ask what will happen next year if the draft is implemented.
“There are students on this campus who are going ‘if theatre is not here next year, how do I get my degree?’”
Other questions raised are on what will happen to UNK’s radio station ‘KPLR’ and notable newspaper ‘The Antelope’.
Senior Lecturer in Communications Ford Clark shared from the broadcast perspective, the impact the station has had for students.
“I can speak from a radio perspective, from a student station. My students, I have, every semester 6 or 8 student who are working for radio stations and TV stations in the area. I have been told by general managers of those stations that it’s very valuable stuff that they do. Not always on air work, but a lot of behind the scenes work as well. If we did not have that program that would go away,” said Clark.
So, far the university says a decision hasn’t been made as the draft is in the early stages.
On Monday, numerous students organized a protest outside by the campus Copeland fountain to voice their thoughts on the draft proposal. Students were heard chanting “Save the Arts.” In addition, members of the community and alumni joined students before they all made their way to the Student Forum at the Student Union.
During the Student Forum one student asked if proposed degrees did get cut, what would happen to students who have pursued those majors.
Interim Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Dr. Julie Schaffer addressed that the university would try to work to with students.
“So, the University has to help you graduate, we have to figure out ways to make that work, and it’s a commitment that all the campuses made to their students.”
Another student followed-up on what the process could look like.
“We would have to know classes for each student what classes they need and what the proposed eliminations will do to those classes and work out a plan how to get those covered without having student needing to transfer.”
What’s Next
Vice Chancellor of Business and Finance Jon Watts as approached after the forum and asked if it’s likely that degree and position will be cut.
“I think assumptions are always dangerous, but I do not how we don’t get through this without making really difficult decisions that impact student, faculty and staff and the community at large” said Watts.
Nothing is set in stone and the draft is subject to change. However, in the meantime, the faculty advisory committee will be working to provide recommendations to the Chancellor by Oct. 25. Afterwards it will be presented before the university in November, before the final proposal is received by NU President Carter Dec. 1