Focus on Higher Education - Regents
For the in-between time between election cycles
Higher Education
Voters elect two groups of leaders in higher education: the Board of Regents for the University of Nebraska system, and the Board of Governors for the community colleges. [The state colleges, Peru, Wayne, Chadron, are managed under the auspices of a Governor appointed Board.] Each of these groups has its own responsibilities and resources. This month, we will focus on the Regents’ responsibilities.
Board of Regents
The University of Nebraska system includes the following schools:
- University of Nebraska at Lincoln, including the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture
- University of Nebraska at Omaha
- University of Nebraska at Kearney
- University of Nebraska Medical Center
According to their bylaws, the Board of Regents governing these schools is made up of eight members, elected for six-year terms, in addition to four nonvoting student members (the elected student body president of each university).
The Board is responsible for choosing University Presidents/CEOs and administering the budget. The Board also confers degrees and must approve curriculum and degree paths. New programs that involve multiple departments or external partnerships also require Board approval – such programs might focus on anything from fundraising to research to tutoring to addressing “other emerging problems and issues.”
The Board broadly supervises. They delegate the responsibility of determining decisions to the Presidents of the universities, as well as to “faculty and recognized student groups,” who are allowed to create their own plans for how to run their departments, their budgets, and their staff. The bylaws empower administrators and faculty to decide how to run their classes and programs day-to-day, while soliciting student input, while determining which major decisions require a vote by the Board.
For example, Universities’ budget requests and appointments of higher ranks of administrators are subject to approval by the Board. The Board also determines whether new academic or administrative departments can be created, combined, or dissolved. Final decisions regarding curriculum required for academic programs are also subject to Board approval.
The Regents’ oversight responsibility has a major impact on the Universities; their decisions and voting records are worth watching. This year alone has had some significant votes, with another still to come.
In February 2025, in response to the Trump administration’s February 14 “Dear Colleague” letter requiring that educational institutions eliminate race-based discrimination and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, the Regents voted 6-2 to amend their policies to comply, so as not to lose federal funding. The four non-voting student regents all opposed the amendments.
In June 2025, as in other recent years, the Regents voted on a plan that both cut the budget and raised tuition for 2025-2026. They had requested a 3.5% increase in the budget, to match inflation, but were granted a 0.625% increase.
In December 2025, the Regents will be asked to decide whether UNL can eliminate 6 departments, and combine some others, in their attempt to eliminate a $27.5 million budget shortfall. University leadership states they have been gathering and analyzing university-wide data on departments for the last several months. The proposed changes include the following:
- Eliminate 6 departments, saving $7.7 million
- Community and Regional Planning
- Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Educational Administration
- Landscape Architecture
- Statistics
- Textile, Merchandising, and Fashion Design
- Departments to be realigned into “new interdisciplinary schools,” saving $2 million
- Entomology and Plant Pathology would join together.
- Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication would join together.
- Budgets reduced for graduate assistantships, saving $550,000
- College of Engineering
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Elimination and combination of administrative positions, saving $17.3 million
Some faculty in the affected departments claim that these decisions were made without notice and without input, are based on bad data, and would eliminate programs necessary to Nebraska and unavailable elsewhere in the state. They are requesting that the Board postpone their vote while their concerns are addressed. UNL administrators stand behind their plan and their methods, stating that they did share information with department leaders.
Besides the budget, one of the main issues in the upcoming election for the Regent who represents the western 2/3 of the state is based on viewpoints in the University of Nebraska system. Both candidates, State Senator Matt Williams and Kathy Wilmot, a former member of the State Board of Education, are concerned about a liberal-leaning focus in the NU system. Williams sees it as an administration issue and would like to replace leadership at UNL, while Wilmot sees it as a more complex issue, with curriculum decisions perhaps being an important factor.
Voters interested in how the University of Nebraska system is run, then, could review the voting records of the Regents representing their areas. When evaluating current Regents or those who are running for a Regent position, voters could probe the candidate’s priorities in budgeting, leadership, curriculum, and accountability. VIP encourages concerned voters to contact the Regent representing their area.
Maybe these suggested questions would help you open a conversation with your representative:
Example Idea #1: What kinds of classes/curriculum can be eliminated for better use of finances? Personally I would like to see…..
Example Idea #2: If a member of your board were to commit a crime, would you consider censuring, or even demanding resignation?
Example Idea #3: What plans does NU have for using AI?
Example Idea #4: According to this article, I read that NU is now paying more for administrative positions than for faculty. I'm concerned about budgeting priorities--can you help me understand why money is being directed away from those who are teaching?
Example Idea #5: What process do you use in “vetting” the people being considered for university leadership positions? For example, how much do you consider their …..?
Example Idea #6: I hear UNL is working on a plan to save $27.5 million and plans to cut 6 departments. I think xxxx might be a good choice to cut.
In the following box are links to the various colleges which provide the departments/programs in each of them if you would like to investigate further.
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Munroe-Meyer Institute Developmental Disabilities |
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Our focus counties include Douglas, Sarpy, Cass, Lancaster, Washington, Seward, and Dodge.
For other counties, see the alphabetized list below. To identify your representative, go here, type in your name and county. Typically, the first item listed is your Regent district.
University Board of Regents
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District |
Name |
Phone |
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DOUGLAS COUNTY |
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2 |
(402) 333-0122 |
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4 |
(402) 704-7679 |
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8 |
(402) 516-5581 |
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SARPY COUNTY |
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2 |
(402) 333-0122 |
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5 |
(402) 228-3443 |
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CASS COUNTY |
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5 |
(402) 228-3443 |
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LANCASTER COUNTY |
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1 |
(402) 475-5100 |
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5 |
(402) 228-3443 |
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WASHINGTON COUNTY |
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3 |
(402) 371-6742 |
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SEWARD COUNTY |
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5 |
(402) 228-3443 |
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DODGE COUNTY |
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3 |
(402) 371-6742 |
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Districts not in our 7-county focus:
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District |
Name |
Phone |
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6 |
(308) 826-2507 |
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7 |
(308) 340-3987 |
From: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/about/regents_map.php
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6 |
Adams |
3 |
Cuming |
7 |
Greeley |
7 |
Loup |
2, 5 |
Sarpy |
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6 |
Antelope |
7 |
Custer |
6 |
Hall |
3 |
Madison |
3 |
Saunders |
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7 |
Arthur |
3 |
Dakota |
6 |
Hamilton |
7 |
McPherson |
7 |
Scotts Bluff |
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7 |
Banner |
7 |
Dawes |
7 |
Harlan |
6 |
Merrick |
5 |
Seward |
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7 |
Blaine |
7 |
Dawson |
7 |
Hayes |
7 |
Morrill |
7 |
Sheridan |
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6 |
Boone |
7 |
Deuel |
7 |
Hitchcock |
6 |
Nance |
7 |
Sherman |
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7 |
Box Butte |
3 |
Dixon |
7 |
Holt |
5 |
Nemaha |
7 |
Sioux |
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7 |
Boyd |
3 |
Dodge |
7 |
Hooker |
6 |
Nuckolls |
3 |
Stanton |
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7 |
Brown |
2, 4, 8 |
Douglas |
6 |
Howard |
5 |
Otoe |
5 |
Thayer |
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6 |
Buffalo |
7 |
Dundy |
5 |
Jefferson |
5 |
Pawnee |
7 |
Thomas |
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3 |
Burt |
6 |
Fillmore |
5 |
Johnson |
7 |
Perkins |
3 |
Thurston |
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3 |
Butler |
6 |
Franklin |
6 |
Kearney |
7 |
Phelps |
7 |
Valley |
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5 |
Cass |
7 |
Frontier |
7 |
Keith |
6 |
Pierce |
3 |
Washington |
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3 |
Cedar |
7 |
Furnas |
7 |
Keya Paha |
3 |
Platte |
3 |
Wayne |
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7 |
Chase |
5 |
Gage |
7 |
Kimball |
3 |
Polk |
6 |
Webster |
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7 |
Cherry |
7 |
Garden |
6 |
Knox |
7 |
Red Willow |
7 |
Wheeler |
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7 |
Cheyenne |
7 |
Garfield |
1, 5 |
Lancaster |
5 |
Richardson |
6 |
York |
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6 |
Clay |
7 |
Gosper |
7 |
Lincoln |
7 |
Rock |
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3 |
Colfax |
7 |
Grant |
7 |
Logan |
5 |
Saline |
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Research and writing by Vickie Hecker. Vickie is a state employee, but her postings on this site do not speak for the views of the state, its customers, clients, suppliers, or employees. Any links to state sites are provided for informational purposes only.