Deep Cuts Coming to Oregon Higher Ed

Oregon is facing a crisis in higher education. In the last 15 years, with few exceptions, enrollment has declined at most campuses. State funding remains below pre-recession levels. Federal scholarship programs face an uncertain future and rising tuition has prompted more families to question whether a degree is worth the debt.

Most of the state’s public universities are cutting their budgets.  Southern Oregon University plans to reduce its $71 million budget by $10 million. University of Oregon announced nearly $30 million in cuts, including the elimination of 176 full-time employee positions and 100 student worker jobs.

Portland State University, where I am employed, faces a $35 million budget deficit over the next two years. PSU’s proposed cuts could result in the elimination of more than 200 full-time faculty and staff positions.

PSU’s reductions come at a critical time for downtown Portland. The university employs thousands and draws 20,000 students to the city center. Yet according to Portland Clean & Safe, foot traffic downtown remains at half its pre-pandemic levels, 21 million pedestrians annually, down from 42 million in 2019. City officials have counted on PSU to anchor downtown recovery efforts, but PSU’s budget woes will set back recovery. 

PSU President Ann Cudd has said that because more than 80% of our budget supports personnel, workforce reductions will be required. Faculty union representatives disagree. As PSU faculty union president Bill Knight notes, “cutting this many positions will damage our ability to serve students and support Portland’s recovery.” 

The cuts also impact Portland State University’s adjunct faculty, classified staff, and graduate student assistants, represented by the Portland State University Faculty Association (PSUFA), SEIU Local 503 Sublocal 89, and the Graduate Employees Union (GEU).

The direct impact of cuts was addressed by a student at last January’s PSU Board of Trustees meeting. The administration, he noted, had already cut classes across a wide range of departments, impairing students’ progress toward their degrees.

When programs are eliminated and courses are canceled, students lose access to required classes, which can delay graduation. Some may have to change majors entirely. Others will face larger class sizes and reduced access to faculty advisors. Student support services, from mentoring to mental health counseling, often face the deepest cuts.

For students already struggling with rising tuition and living costs, these service reductions can mean the difference between graduating and dropping out.

A solution requires all hands on deck: state legislators increasing funding, donors investing in students, and university administrators working with—not against—employee unions to build a sustainable future for Oregon public universities and the educational quality our students deserve.

***Ramin Farahmandpur is a professor in the College of Education at Portland State University and former vice president for legislative and political action for the PSU local of the American Association of University Professors.***