KEARNEY, Neb. — Some students and faculty at the University of Nebraska at Kearney are facing a difficult reality. They might soon see their degree program cut or a favorite professor let go. 

On Monday, they made sure their feelings about proposed budget cuts were heard.

First, a protest at Cope Fountain. Then a forum led by student government at the student union.

They were an outlet for students like freshman Wagon Spicka of Wahoo. After being at school for just six weeks, the theatre program is among those on the cut line.

“I picked this college for that reason and now they’re deciding to cut all of it," Spicka said. "Not all of it, but a lot.”

Senior Nikki Knoell of Holdrege will finish her degree soon. She wants future students to have the same opportunities.

“Arts is what’s kept me wanting to go to school, wanting to keep going in school," Knoell said. "I want to teach, I want to teach English and theatre and all these things, and I wouldn’t be able to do that if we didn’t have it.”

The cuts are a result of a $58 million shortfall across the whole university system. UNK is tasked making up $4.3 million of that. A working draft of the budget reduction proposal includes eliminating 14 degree programs and 33 positions in 14 departments.

Dr. Sharon Campbell chairs the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance, which would be hit hard by the proposed cuts.

“I think it becomes a trade school," Campbell said. "That’s what we’re afraid of, is that it no longer is a university with a comprehensive education and a resource for democracy in Central Nebraska.”

Those are fears shared by the administration. But with inflation causing salaries and benefits to balloon and with enrollment declining, school officials say they need to focus on the programs that match what employers want.

“We’re trying to listen to their needs and make cuts based on those needs,” Interim Sr. Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Julie Shaffer said.

“What about our needs?”

“That’s a good point, but we have to cut $5 million from our budget,” Shaffer said.

The budget reality evokes the same emotion among effected students and faculty.

“That was just so heartbreaking," Knoell said. "I couldn’t imagine not having theatre on campus.”

“It’s heartbreaking, frankly, to try to continue offering the beautiful education that we offer to our students while contemplating being deeply reduced and no longer able to offer that,” Campbell said.

Feedback from a faculty advisory committee is due to administration before the end of the month. There’s another forum scheduled for November. UNK’s budget plan must be submitted to the university president’s office by December 1.