Parents, students and alumni of Sonoma State University joined a Zoom meeting to discuss concerns over the Sonoma State budget cuts on Jan. 30. The Zoom meeting was also broadcast to students on campus.

Fresno State California Faculty Association (CFA) members were invited to attend by an email sent out by Andrew Jones, the Fresno CFA chapter president.

During the meeting, those in attendance shared their frustration with administration, specifically with Interim President Emily Cutrer and Provost and Chief Academic Officer Karen Moranski.

On Jan. 22, students and faculty received an email from Cutrer informing the Sonoma State community of the budget deficit. This would require $24 million in cuts which resulted in some majors and the athletic program being entirely removed from the university.

According to Moranski, Sonoma State searched for “a year or two” to find solutions for the budget issue, meeting with consulting firms.

According to the CFA, the American Multicultural Studies department, which include all ethnic studies classes, will all be combined into one department while the following departments have been cut:

• Women and Gender Studies
• Philosophy
• Theatre Arts & Dance
• Art History

“I have to say that I’m appalled and disgusted by the actions taken by our president, Emily Cutrer,” Doug Luden, who attended the meeting, said. “You have lied and misled the CSU board about your open communication regarding these cuts. Your communication has been non-existent and completely self-serving.”

Political science major Dino Ortega, feels that the Sonoma State University left him and students “out to dry” and that administrators want to destroy futures for the sake of profit.

“These draconian decisions, to cut athletics, to cut entire academic departments, to destroy the mature careers of tenured professors and the emerging and blossoming careers of young students without any democratic decision making…how dare you,” Ortega said.

Regarding comments about hasty decision making and concerns over Sonoma State leadership, Cutrer reassured parents, students and donors saying that administration is listening to the voices of the community.

“Please understand we’re listening to them,” Cutrer said.

Trish Malone’s, mother to a Dance major, main concern is moving her daughter to another school after they had just paid Sonoma State’s student fees.

“Are we going to get help past the deadlines to move to other schools?” Malone asked. “What help are we going to get from you? We’ve asked this question multiple times.”

Malone’s concerns about moving past deadlines will be receiving adequate support, according to Cutrer.

“We will do whatever we can to help you, and I think there’s a great deal that we can do to help you, particularly if she’s interested in staying in California, because we have the whole CSU system to work with,” Cutrer responded.

Multiple soccer alumni spoke as a response to the university cutting all athletics. The men’s soccer team even went as far as starting a petition to “save seawolves sports.”

Sports itself was a major portion of the meeting’s discussions with three soccer alumni choosing to share their concerns about the cuts to athletic departments as a whole.

Tyler Varnadore, a soccer alumnus from 2010 to 2014, is concerned with the lack of clarity over the removal of athletics, citing that many people and organizations give large amounts of money to several sports programs.

“Sonoma State is surrounded by successful individuals, businesses and organizations that have donated hundreds of millions of dollars over the years to the local athletic community,” Varnadore said. “Why didn’t you consider being transparent with the community, alumni, staff, faculty, and try to work together to come to a solution to save the programs being cut.”

Cutrer said in the Zoom meeting that they plan to have in-person meetings in the near future.