Sonoma State University faced a $24 million budget deficit and announced significant cuts to academic programs. However, a lawsuit filed by students resulted in a judge granting a temporary restraining order against these cuts, citing the university's failure to involve the Academic Senate as required by its own policies. The cuts could have severe implications for athletes at the university, but the order currently applies only to academic programs. Enrollment has decreased significantly, leading to financial difficulties, prompting these drastic measures.
At the heart of the lawsuit is a fight over athletics, which Sonoma State plans to cut entirely. All seven plaintiffs played various sports at the university, which competes at the NCAA Division II level. However, the judge's ruling did not halt the administration's plans to eliminate athletics.
The University has had a budget deficit for several years. It is attributable to a variety of factors—cost of personnel, annual price increases for supplies and utilities, inflation—but the main reason is enrollment," Interim President Emily Cutrer wrote in an announcement.
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