Lead: Faculty at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln criticized a $1.1 million separation payment to outgoing Chancellor Rodney Bennett after he announced his resignation amid a contentious round of program cuts. Bennett, who stepped down effective Jan. 12, had proposed budget‑balancing program eliminations and staff reductions that prompted a historic no‑confidence vote by the faculty senate. Critics say the severance is unconscionable while academic programs and jobs are being cut; the UNL AAUP called for a pause to planned faculty reductions and for regents to rethink program eliminations. Why it matters: The dispute underscores governance fault lines when campuses enact rapid cost‑cutting. Trustees, institutional counsel, and finance officers will face pressure to justify executive payouts while sustaining academic capacity—raising governance and morale risks at public research universities under budget stress.