Dear Sonoma State University Community,
Over the past week, I have heard from hundreds of members of the extended Sonoma State community – students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends and supporters – expressing their disappointment over the recently announced actions the university is taking to address its nearly $24-million budget deficit.
Indeed, “disappointment” is an understatement. The SSU community is heartbroken.
I write to assure you that Interim President Cutrer and her leadership team hear you. I hear you. The CSU Board of Trustees hears you. We empathize with you. This is an extraordinarily difficult and painful moment for Sonoma State – and we share in your pain.
But as painful as these actions are, they are indeed necessary and were taken with a heavy heart and after due deliberation. They reflect the severity and unsustainability of the university’s fiscal challenges – challenges that will be greatly and unavoidably exacerbated if the governor’s proposed 8% budget cut to the CSU ($375 million dollars) is approved for 2025-26.
But please know that these actions do not signal the beginning of the end for Sonoma State. To the contrary, while it may be difficult to see in the moment, they are the painful steps needed to weather the current and worsening fiscal storm and to begin to reposition the university for the future – a brighter, more sustainable future. I know that I speak for the entire system when I say that we are fully and unwaveringly committed to Sonoma State’s service to the North Bay – and to its diverse and talented students – for generations to come.
As I indicated in an email to the campus community earlier this month, Interim President Cutrer will continue to serve in her role as we work through this challenging time. She has my full support, and I know she welcomes your input and collaboration as the university works collectively to address its fiscal and enrollment challenges and persevere through what is undoubtedly one of the most difficult moments in Sonoma State’s 64-year history.
I offer you my heartfelt thanks and deepest appreciation for everything that you do for Sonoma State and the California State University.
Warmly,
Mildred García, Ed.D.
Chancellor