The UNL Faculty Senate has scheduled an emergency meeting Nov. 18 for a vote on a resolution of no-confidence in Chancellor Rodney Bennett.
The resolution is part of a 12-page document prepared by a group of faculty members and submitted to the Senate at its Nov. 4 meeting. The document was emailed to Senate members before the meeting and introduced by Elizabeth Lewis, a professor in the department of teaching, learning and teacher education.
“Chancellor Bennett’s current tenure,” the document states, “has eroded faculty trust, destabilized the university’s strategic direction, and jeopardized the institution’s standing within Nebraska and among its Big Ten peers.”
The text of the resolution the Senate will vote on Nov. 18 is as follows:
Resolution of No Confidence in Chancellor Rodney Bennett
WHEREAS, the Chancellor has failed to uphold the duties of leadership, financial stewardship, and governance integrity as mandated by the Board of Regents Bylaws (Chapter II, §2.8.1), resulting in substantial loss of confidence among the faculty of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln; and
WHEREAS, administrative decisions under the current chancellorship have undermined shared governance processes, violated established consultation norms with faculty and staff, and caused measurable harm to institutional morale and trust; and
WHEREAS, the Chancellor’s fiscal management practices, including the use of external consulting entities and the implementation of non-transparent budgetary reductions, have eroded confidence in the University’s commitment to responsible public stewardship; and
WHEREAS, these failures collectively constitute a breach of the Chancellor’s fiduciary duty to the people of Nebraska and compromise the University’s mission to serve the public good through education, research, and extension.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:
1. That the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Faculty Senate formally declares a Vote of No Confidence in Chancellor Rodney Bennett, citing documented failures in strategic leadership, fiscal stewardship, governance integrity, external relations, and personnel management.
2. That this declaration be transmitted to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents and the President of the University, with a formal request for immediate review of the Chancellor’s continued fitness to serve.
3. That the Faculty Senate urges the Board of Regents and the President to initiate proceedings under Board policy for removal or negotiated resignation, consistent with contractual obligations and system bylaws.
4. That all further academic program discontinuance proceedings be suspended until such time as an interim Chancellor is appointed and shared governance processes are demonstrably restored.
Lewis said in an email after the meeting that about a dozen faculty members collaborated in writing the text. Many more faculty contributed information and observations based on their experiences as members of various faculty committees, including the Academic Planning Committee, she said.
The document contends Bennett has violated five of the responsibilities for chancellors in Regents Bylaw 2.8.1. Those responsibilities include providing strategic leadership, exercising fiscal stewardship, protecting academic integrity and shared-governance processes, representing the university’s interests to outside groups, and fostering a positive work environment. In all of these areas, Bennett has fallen short of expectations.
In order to consider the no-confidence motion before the next scheduled Senate meeting (Dec. 2), the Senate had to vote to declare it an emergency measure. The motion to do so passed, and the Senate agreed to hold a meeting solely to consider the motion on Nov. 18. The meeting will be at 2:30 p.m. in the Platte River Room in the city campus union. In the meantime, senators were urged to talk with their colleagues and constituents about the proposal.
Much of the criticism of Bennett in the no-confidence documents focused on the pending budget cuts of $27.5 million and the process Bennett used to make his recommendations for cuts. But in response to questions earlier in the meeting, Bennett suggested he had little control over the process.
Colin Meiklejohn, an associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences, asked Bennett whether the highly compressed timeline for considering the proposed cuts had been within his control.
Bennett said it wasn’t. “Very little of the process is my choice,” he said. “I would have taken a very different path. I’m happy we have a process, but none of what has happened is what the chancellor of this campus would want.” When asked who set the timeline, Bennett, after a pause, said it was the government structure.
For some senators, the degree of Bennett’s responsibility for the budget situation raised questions. Disentangling the chancellor’s authority from that of NU President Jeffrey Gold was a concern of Pasha Stevenson, an assistant professor of practice in the department of English. “I want to understand what his authority is,” and the answer to that question might call for revising the language of the resolution.
Physics professor Tim Gay said, “In a way we’re going after the wrong guy. We should be going after Gold.” He added that Bennett may deserve the no-confidence vote for failing to engage with the faculty, students, donors and alumni about the program cuts.
Barney McCoy, a professor of broadcasting, asked: “What does a no-confidence vote mean for faculty and the university? Should we also ponder a vote of no-confidence for the Board of Regents and for the State Legislature?” Their decisions have meant revenue shortfalls and underfunding this year and beyond, which hinder the university’s efforts to give students the best possible education, he said.
In other business, the Senate:
- Heard reports from the Research Council and the University Commencement and Recognition Committee. The Research Council report was its last because it is being replaced by a new mechanism for awarding internal research grants to faculty.
- Approved a Motion to Support the Work of the Academic Planning Committee. The motion thanks the committee for its work on the proposed budget cuts but does not endorse any of its conclusions or recommendations.
- Approved a change to the Faculty Senate Syllabus Policy that requires the addition of a statement about whether the instructor has a policy regarding the use of artificial intelligence and what that policy is.
- Received proposed changes to the composition of the University Commencement and Recognition Committee. The changes would make all faculty members on the committee voting members, shift the registrar to a voting member and add a representative of University Communications as a non-voting member. The proposal will be voted on at the Dec. 2 Senate meeting.
