Campus Budget Update

The following message from University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, was shared with faculty and staff on Jan. 28, 2026.

Colleagues,

In August, I shared that UNO was facing a manageable $1.9 million structural deficit, and that our approach would be thoughtful, strategic, and grounded in our values as an urban, metropolitan public research university.

I’m writing today with an update and with gratitude.

Because we planned for this budget environment more than a year ago, and because faculty and staff across campus were collaborative, insightful, and proactive, we have achieved our planned $1.9 million in reductions.

These adjustments were made by eliminating currently vacant positions or positions soon to be vacant through retirement, and by reallocating resources at the college level. This outcome reflects careful stewardship, shared responsibility, and a campus-wide commitment to our mission.

I am deeply thankful that we reached this goal with minimal impacts to academic programming and with no reductions of current full-time employees.

I also want to offer special thanks to the shared leadership and partnership of our deans and the offices of Academic Affairs and Business and Finance throughout this process. Their work toward this goal required a great deal of care and I am incredibly proud of what they accomplished.

Looking ahead, we must remain consistent, proactive, and disciplined in how we manage our resources. Universities across Nebraska and the nation continue to face significant budget headwinds, so thoughtful stewardship of every dollar will remain essential in the months and years ahead.

That is why I am happy to announce that we are in the process of establishing a Financial Planning Task Force. This group will contribute their perspectives and promote transparency in ways that will enhance overall financial strategic planning. I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming months.

Finally, I continue to be inspired by how our campus community supports one another with patience, grace, and generosity.

Time and again, you have shown the world that this campus is capable of rising to any challenge with poise, confidence, and innovation. And for that, I am deeply grateful.

Thank you,

Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA

Chancellor