The University of Nebraska Lincoln has been seeking ways to address a budget shortfall of 28 million dollars.
One of their proposed solutions? Eliminating a half dozen programs of study.

Now, one local governmental body is telling the state's largest school they feel that cutting one of those programs would cause more problems than solutions.

From Southeast Nebraska, the Jefferson County Commissioners expressed their support for one of the degree programs potentially on the chopping block: the Community and Regional Planning Program.

"Eliminating CRP would harm Nebraska's ability to prepare planners, weaken community partnerships, and undercut UNL's commitments to research, teaching, and service," board chairman Mark Schoenrock wrote in a letter to the school on behalf of the Jefferson County commissioners. "At a time when communities face urgent challenges - from flood recovery to rural healthcare and aging populations - the CRP program is more vital than ever."

The commissioners' message to the university notes that Nebraska's CRP program develops students and alums who develop projects that "directly benefit local governments and its residents." It's also the only such program in the state that is certified by the national Planning Accreditation Board. 

"CRP faculty and students have led nearly 40 community-engaged projects in Nebraska over the past seven years, directly benefiting local governments and residents," the letter states. "The program has also secured more than $3 million in competitive research funding and is nationally ranked for its research excellence."

This degree is a masters-level program offered by UNL's College of Architecture. A link to apply for this program remains active despite its potential elimination.

"The Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP) Program is a nationally accredited, professional degree with a strong orientation toward excellence in urban, suburban, rural and regional planning practices," the program's website states. "A master’s degree serves as the standard academic credential for roles in planning and related fields, and our accomplished MCRP graduates demonstrate exceptional skills and expertise in diverse careers spanning public, private and nonprofit organizations."

The Jefferson County board sent the letter to the university's Academic Planning Committee, and to NCN, at the start of last week. Schoenrock, himself a 1978 Nebraska graduate, called the CRP program essential to the University and the state.

Community and Regional Planning is one of six programs the university has publicly revealed is being considered for elimination.