Sonoma State University, facing a $24 million budget deficit, is implementing drastic cost-cutting measures, including the elimination of all intercollegiate athletic teams and the discontinuation of over 20 academic degree programs. These actions are aimed at addressing declining enrollment and ensuring the university's financial sustainability.
Sonoma State University , a campus within the California State University system, is facing a significant budget deficit that has ballooned to nearly $24 million. In a message to the university community, Interim President Emily F. Cutrer outlined the dire financial situation, attributing the deficit to a confluence of factors including rising personnel costs, increasing prices for supplies and utilities, and most notably, a substantial decline in enrollment.
Since reaching a peak in 2015, Sonoma State has witnessed an alarming 38% drop in student enrollment.Cutrer emphasized that while the university had implemented various cost-cutting measures over the past two years, yielding $6.8 million in savings, these efforts proved insufficient to bridge the widening gap. These measures included voluntary employee separations, personnel reductions, academic and operational downsizing, shared services, hiring freezes, and the utilization of reserves. To address the mounting crisis, Cutrer announced a series of drastic actions, including the elimination of all intercollegiate athletic teams. Furthermore, 46 faculty positions, encompassing tenured, tenure-track, and adjunct instructors, will not be renewed for the 2025-26 academic year. An unspecified number of lecturers will also be notified that they will not be re-employed in fall 2025. Additionally, over 20 academic degree programs will be discontinued. The list of affected programs spans various disciplines, including Administrative Services Credential in Education Leadership, Applied Statistics BA, Art History BA, Art Studio BFA, Executive MBA, Dance BA, Earth and Environmental Sciences BA, Economics BA, Education Leadership MA, English MA, French BA, Geology BS, Global Studies BA, History MA, Interdisciplinary Studies BA and BS, Interdisciplinary Studies MA and MS, Philosophy BA, Physical Science BA, Physics BA, Physics BS, Public Administration MPA, Spanish MA, Theatre Arts BA, and Women’s and Gender Studies BA.Cutrer stressed the urgency of these measures, stating that they are essential to ensure Sonoma State's financial stability and its capacity to effectively serve its current and future students while navigating the evolving landscape of higher education
Sonoma State University Budget Cuts Intercollegiate Athletics Enrollment Decline Academic Programs Discontinued
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