On Wednesday, Jan. 22, Interim President Dr. Emily F. Cutrer broke the news to the Sonoma State community that the university’s budget deficit has led to a series of harsh, necessary measures. The budget deficit has increased from approximately $21 million to nearly $24 million. 

These measures include 46 university staff members not receiving a renewed contract in the 2025-26 school year. Four management positions, 12 staff positions, several lecturers and the entire NCAA Division II athletics program will be cut. This includes about 11 sports teams made up of 227 athletes.

“Unfortunately, steps to ensure that athletics would be a part of the campus community were not taken and here we are now, cutting 60 years of Sonoma State athletics traditions,” men’s basketball coach Richard Shayewitz told The Star.

Apart from the athletic department, other educational departments including Art History, Economics, Geology, Philosophy, Theater and Dance and Women and Gender Studies will all be terminated, as well as two dozen degree programs. 

Sonoma State has organized a town hall meeting from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30. In their Student Center ballrooms, they will be discussing the matters at hand and what steps forward will need to be taken.  

Students anonymously expressed their feelings of great sorrow on Fizz, an app central to Sonoma State. “Welcome back seawolves there’s half of our academics programs gone and athletics go bye bye AFTER transfer portal closes #goseawolves,” said one student according to the Sonoma State Star. These students are left with no way to turn.

Truly, how does this happen?

“Management at Sonoma State has given up on finding solutions that don’t hurt students, and is instead intent[ionally] tearing down the university,” said the California Faculty Association at Sonoma. 

Unfortunately, I agree with them. These cuts are an insensitive way to “solve” the problem.

Many universities have faced budget deficits, leading them to have to implement similar types of precautions as Sonoma State into their campuses across the country. 

The Press Democrat addressed Cutrer’s belief in which she stated their significant budget deficit was caused by the steep decline of about 38% in student enrollments from the year 2015 until the present time. Though this may be true, nonetheless there had to be some sort of mathematical error leading to such a destructive state for the university. It doesn’t add up. There has to be something else going on.

Sonoma State had an adjusted base revenue budget of $147,411,623. $24 million is close to 17% of their total revenue budget meaning that is how much the university has gone over.

Cutrer expressed that past efforts were made and reductions were attempted in hopes of closing, or at least lessening, the gap of the budget deficit. However, even though this included an over $6 million savings plan, these efforts were simply not enough. The gap had stretched too far and much deeper action had to be taken. 

There is an unprompted history of schools failing to manage their finances properly to avoid situations like this, putting their students and faculty at risk. 

This is somewhat of a canon event throughout schools, especially universities, and it seems to always lead to someone getting hurt, whether it is the staff or students, but more often than not it is both. 

Finances have the power to make or break a school. As for Sonoma State, their finances were unfortunately not managed to the extent they should have been, for the ongoing years. This explains the now heartbreaking process students, parents, faculty, community members, etc., have to endure. 

As for the Sonoma State Star,a fellow CSU newspaper, we here at The Collegian, from our editors to yours, want to offer our solidarity and support to you.

The future is yet to unfold, but we are offering our strength and greatest wishes to you in hopes that you will remain untouched throughout this tragic time.

School-wide newspapers are considered treasures in the world of journalism. They are the bridge into the real world for aspiring journalists. For schools like Sonoma State, with their newspaper on the line and with little to no funding, what a sad reality to have to prepare for.

Schools, more specifically universities, need to do better. Students are relying on them to be the cornerstone of their careers, not the obstacle that takes them down on their way up.