Stanislaus State faces tough challenges ahead. The university needs to cut $8.1 million from its budget for the 2025-26 school year. This comes as the entire California State University (CSU) system braces for a $375 million reduction in state funding.
In contrast, Sonoma State University, which has a student population less than half that of Stanislaus, is dealing with a much larger deficit of $24 million. They have already made significant cuts, including eliminating six academic departments and laying off many faculty members. Intercollegiate athletics has also been cut from their programs.
While the proposed cuts for Stan State are serious, they aren’t as extreme as those at Sonoma. Dr. Dave Colnic, a political science professor at Stan State, highlighted the impact of these reductions, stating, “These cuts would be severe. It’s a difficult situation to explain.” Some CSU campuses started layoffs last year, indicating that this issue is widespread across the system.
Meghan O’Donnell, a lecturer at Cal State Monterey Bay, shared that many lecturers have faced job losses or reduced hours due to fewer classes being offered. Unlike tenured faculty, these lecturers have less job security, making them vulnerable during budget cuts. Affected campuses include Chico, East Bay, Humboldt, and Los Angeles, among others.
Even though the governor’s spending plan has not been finalized, there is hope for changes. Colnic expressed cautious optimism about potential revisions. “I trust the legislature and the governor will notice how severe these cuts are and find ways to lessen the impact,” he said.
Enrollment in the CSU system saw a peak of 485,000 students in 2020 but has declined in recent years, struggling to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic. As of last fall, around 450,000 students were enrolled in the system. Stan State did exceed its goal for new student enrollment last year, but overall numbers remain lower than pre-pandemic levels. In the fall of 2024, the university had around 9,291 students, compared to about 11,000 before the pandemic.
The proposed nearly $400 million cut to the CSU system equals the funding needed to educate 36,000 students, representing about one-eighth of total enrollment. These changes underline the significant challenges facing California’s universities and the communities they serve.
