What does a regent do?
The Board of Regents makes decisions for the University of Nebraska system, including approving the budget and tuition rates. There are eight elected regents representing individual districts. The office is nonpartisan, meaning party affiliation does not appear on the ballot.
Incumbents are running in all four of the races on the ballot this year. Regents serve six-year terms.
What’s the big deal?
In short: an elected regent will spend the next six years ensuring UNL remains in the Big Ten and debating whether or not to consolidate the university system. They also will have to navigate a tumultuous leadership landscape that has faced criticism from Gov. Jim Pillen, a former regent.
Before former NU President Ted Carter left, he spearheaded the idea to consolidate the University of Nebraska system in order to deal with a $58 million deficit.
Some reporting has raised concerns about UNL losing its place in the Big Ten. UNL is the only Big Ten university that does not belong to the Association of American Universities.
In addition to recent happenings, NU is one of the state’s largest employers and about 76% of University of Nebraska-Lincoln students in fall 2023 were in-state residents — meaning decisions made for the university affect thousands of Nebraskans. Regents raised tuition by 3.5% for 2024-25.