The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska voted Nov. 21, 2025 to recognize and approve consolidation of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) into a single Higher Learning Commission (HLC)‑accredited administrative unit, authorizing the university president to set a formal consolidation date once remaining procedures with the HLC and the U.S. Department of Education are completed.

President Gold told the board the HLC confirmed approval of the accreditation consolidation on Nov. 11, 2025 and recommended the board recognize and approve the change so the president may set a formal effective date after final compliance steps. "A vote in favor of this action will authorize the president to continue moving forward in this process and to set a formal date of consolidation once all of the final remaining appropriate procedures with the Higher Learning Commission and the Department of Education have been completed," Gold said.

The consolidation drew both praise and concern during the meeting's public comment period. John Schroeder, identified as faculty senate president at UNL, told the board he and many in Lincoln feel the campus has been treated like "a branch campus," calling the process "top down" and urging greater transparency. "The Big Red, the flagship, the R1, the land‑grant institution is now a branch campus," Schroeder said, saying many faculty, staff and alumni will have questions about how the change was carried out.

At the same time, student Blake Aspen, a law student and president of the UNL FedSoc, urged the board to preserve stability and supported Chancellor Bennett, saying the university needs steady leadership during difficult budget decisions. Aspen said undermining the chancellor would not help the university's mission.

Susan Vander Ploss, a member of the UNL Department of Statistics, urged the board not to eliminate her department. She presented numeric claims about program value and savings: she said classes slated to be eliminated generate about $2,100,000 in value while the reported savings from cutting the statistics department are about $1,750,000, and she argued those figures, plus research grants and growing enrollment, mean the cuts could harm future revenue and student opportunity.

Board members and campus leaders responded in discussion before the vote, arguing the consolidation restores a historical single accreditation, improves opportunities for research collaboration and student mobility between campuses, and better positions the system for national research recognition. Several speakers emphasized that campus leadership structures—faculty senates, student governments and local leadership—are expected to remain in place.

By roll call, the board approved the consolidation; the chair announced the motion passes. Immediately after the approval, Regent Shearer moved that the board enter closed session under section 84‑1410 of the Revised Statutes of Nebraska to discuss real‑estate transactions and certain personnel matters; the board voted to enter executive session and proceeded to a closed meeting.

Next steps the board identified on the record were administrative: authorizing the president to set a formal consolidation date after final procedures with the HLC and Department of Education are completed. The board then entered executive session and adjourned the public meeting.

(Reporting based on the Board of Regents meeting transcript, Nov. 21, 2025.)