UNL to close Office of Diversity and Inclusion [Video]

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced that it will be closing its Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

UNL Chancellor Rodney D. Bennett made the announcement in a letter to students on Tuesday.

“We will reimagine how we approach this work at UNL,” Bennett said in a press release. “I fully grasp the weight of this decision and its implications, but a centralized approach to this work is no longer right for our institution.”

The position of Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion will be eliminated, as well.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion was originally created in 2018. The existing Diversity Advisory Board, comprised of external stakeholders, will be elevated and serve as the Chancellor’s Advisory Board on Community and Belonging.

In November of 2023,Bennett proposed budget cuts totaling $12 million, which is part of the NU system’s $58 million shortfall projected over the next two years. One major proposal would’ve cut $800,000 from the …