Rodney D. Bennett abruptly announced his resignation as chancellor of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln effective next week after a year of budget-driven program cuts and a faculty no-confidence vote. Bennett had been charged with closing a $48 million deficit and oversaw proposals that led the Board of Regents to eliminate several academic programs, triggering strong faculty backlash and the first-ever Faculty Senate no-confidence vote at the campus. The regents approved cuts to earth and atmospheric sciences, statistics, educational administration, and textiles and fashion design; internal tensions over process and metrics contributed to Bennett’s departure. Interim leadership returns to a campus confronting morale issues, accreditation scrutiny and the longer-term challenge of balancing budgets while maintaining academic capacity.