Update Regarding State Budget Directives

The following message from University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, was shared with faculty and staff on July 17, 2026.

Dear Colleagues:

Last week, President Gold sent a message to the University of Nebraska community addressing a memo from Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen that directs state agencies, including the University of Nebraska, to reduce current fiscal year spending of state funds by 5%. Each campus, including UNO, is expected to contribute its share toward meeting the requested reduction. For UNO, that amount is 5% of our $74.9 million state allocation equaling $3.7 million.

I am working diligently with university leadership led by Carol Kirchner, Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance and Dr. Phil He, Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs on strategies to resolve our portion of the reduction. To make this reduction, it is important that we continue to be fiscally responsible and disciplined in our hiring, travel, and operating expenses.

We will continue to work collaboratively as a campus to evaluate opportunities, improve operation efficiencies, and reduce costs throughout the remainder of the fiscal year. Should additional measures be needed, we will communicate them clearly and provide additional guidance to our UNO campus community.

I am deeply grateful to our faculty and staff for meeting these challenges with resilience, creativity, and thoughtfulness. Your unwavering commitment to our mission and to one another continues to strengthen our university, even in the face of uncertainty.

Sincerely,

Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA

Chancellor