The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is facing a governance crisis after Chancellor Rodney Bennett announced his resignation and a separation agreement revealed a $1.1 million payout to the departing leader. Faculty groups, including the campus AAUP chapter, denounced the severance while the university moves forward with program eliminations and staff reductions designed to address a structural budget gap. Bennett’s departure follows months of contested cost-cutting proposals that prompted a historic no-confidence vote from the faculty senate. Critics accused senior leadership of poor fiscal stewardship and argued the methodology behind program cuts was flawed; an auditor retained by faculty raised questions about the depth of the claimed budget emergency. The revelation of the chancellor’s sizable one-time payment has intensified calls from faculty for a pause on layoffs and program eliminations. The board of regents approved program cuts last month and campus leaders say implementation must proceed to address deficits. Faculty governance bodies have demanded transparency on the severance terms and urged regents to reconsider program eliminations while litigation and public scrutiny continue.