Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission voted to recommend “institutional integration,” urging shared services, program consolidation and possible mergers to avert widespread fiscal distress across public campuses. The commission warned many Oregon institutions face depleted fund balances within three to five years without major change. At the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, faculty erupted after Chancellor Rodney Bennett’s sudden resignation and the revelation of a $1.1 million separation payment, a flashpoint as the campus implements program eliminations and staff cuts. Faculty groups have tied governance concerns, severance deals, and program review methods to wider questions about fiscal stewardship and transparency as states press institutions to tighten budgets. (Oregon Public Broadcasting; Higher Ed reporting on UNL.)