Sonoma State University has imposed a hiring freeze as it faces a $21 million budget deficit for the 2025-26 academic year because of falling enrollment.
The freeze, effective immediately, was announced Thursday at a town hall meeting with faculty, staff and students led by Interim President Emily Cutrer.
“We have got to begin planning for that $21 million deficit. That is a huge number, especially after all the campus has gone through and has done,” Cutrer said.
The deficit is blamed on an 8% state budget reduction, higher operating costs, pay increases for faculty and staff, and several years of 6% to 10% enrollment declines, the university said in a news release.
Enrollment for 2024-25 is 5,783, down 38% from its peak of 9,408 in 2015, the university said.
Sonoma State would need to add 3,500 students to erase its current deficit, according to the university.
The university confronted a $17.3 million deficit in 2023-24, narrowing it to $7.4 million by 2024-25 through attrition, streamlining some business and academic operations, and employee buyouts.
In July, the academic departments were restructured into three colleges: the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts; the College of Science, Technology, and Business; and the College of Education, Counseling and Ethnic Studies, according to the university’s website.
In addition to the hiring freeze, the university will suspend non-essential travel and non-essential purchases.