NEWS UPDATE
A Victory Landscape Architecture and Community and Regional Planning and the Nebraska Community
Thank you for the incredible show of support for our Landscape Architecture and Community and Regional Planning programs. More than 3,800 alumni, professionals, and community members rallied behind these disciplines, underscoring the excellence and impact of our faculty, students, and licensure pathways.
After thoughtful deliberation, the Academic Planning Committee voted 19–2 in favor of preserving both degree programs and praised the College’s alternative proposal to unify operations, curriculum, and community engagement.
We are thrilled to share that Chancellor Bennett has officially endorsed this proposal, securing the future of these vital disciplines while meeting the university’s budgetary goals.
This outcome is a testament to the power of collective advocacy and the essential role these programs play in shaping Nebraska’s communities, supporting our workforce, and driving growth across the state.
We’ll continue to share updates as details unfold—but today, we celebrate a future strengthened by interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation, and deep community connection.
Thank you for standing with us. Together, we build the future.
For those who wish to contribute to the Bridge to the Future fundraising campaign, which demonstrates continued community support and helps ensure the program’s long-term sustainability, please click on the link below.
LA POINTS OF PRIDE
Labor Force Needs
Nebraska has a strong and growing demand for planners and landscape architects. Closing these
programs will reduce the number of trained professionals in-state, creating workforce shortages
that will affect communities large and small.
• According to the 2025 Goss and Associates report, Nebraska’s occupational job growth
exceeded U.S. growth by 206.2% in Landscape Architecture.
• Two of the top 10 design/planning firms are headquartered in Nebraska.
• LA reports a 100% job placement rate.
• In 2024, 70% of our graduates stayed in Nebraska.
Economic Impact
• Nebraska Annual
• 2024 COA Contributions to Gross State Product: $25.2 Million.
• 2024 COA Earnings Income: $14.8 Million.
• UNL’s CoA produces $12.21 of Nebraska’s earnings for every $1.00 of state tuition support.
• 2024 Community projects across the state = $1.9 million
Alumni lifetime contribution (40 years) of our Nebraska alumni yields:
• $1.4 billion in total economic output for Nebraska
• $111.3 million in combined state and local taxes
Community Engagement
• These programs are deeply connected to Nebraska communities through service-learning
and engagement projects. Eliminating them would significantly reduce UNL’s ability to
partner with towns, cities, nonprofits, and state agencies.
• Over the last four years, LA has contributed $1.15 million in in-kind time to Nebraska
communities.
Examples of Nebraska impact include:
• Nebraska Game & Parks Commission/LA collaboration to improve state parks equally to
25,000 hrs of community based design at no cost to the state.
• Valentine/LA: Main Street collaboration delivered $350K in enhancements, boosting retail
and tourism.
• Nebraska’s Indigenous Communities/LA: Since 2023, students and faculty have
dedicated 15,600+ hours to design projects with tribal and cultural partners in Nebraska.
Enrollment and Student Choice
• Students who want to study these fields are unlikely to switch to other majors at UNL; most
will leave Nebraska to pursue their education elsewhere. This would reduce enrollment,
contribute to outmigration, and result in revenue loss for UNL.
• Our college has had record enrollment for the last decade.
• LA enrollment has grown by 40% in the past nine years.
Brain Drain
Nebraska already struggles to retain young professionals. Without these programs, more
students will leave the state for their degrees—and many may not return.
• Together, CRP and LA contribute nearly $2.2 million in Brain Gain in 2024 by recruiting both
nonresident and Nebraska high school students
ASLA Points Licensure Fact Sheet College Economic Impact -(Goss Report)