Cal State San Bernardino leaders say they’re committed to student success even as the university faces budget troubles. But some faculty members said at a forum last week that the presentation didn’t go far enough and that they still want more answers about the university’s finances.
University officials shared during their annual budget open forum that CSUSB spent $311 million in fiscal year 2024–2025. Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Samuel Sudhakar said 74% of those expenditures went toward faculty and staff salaries and benefits, while about 14% or $43 million was allocated for student financial aid.
Sudhakar said the university is facing a $13 million deficit, prompting cuts to positions, larger class sizes, and delays to nonessential projects.
“Even during difficult budget times, the university remains committed to the strategic planning process,” Sudhakar said.
Budget reductions from the state and other economic challenges have required the university to prioritize strategic goals focused on student and faculty success, diversity, equity, inclusion, and welcoming international students, Sudhakar added.
However, the campus’ California Faculty Association is asking for more transparency. CFA President Tiffany Jones said misspending and budget cuts are hurting both students and lecturers.
“They're making cuts in classrooms,” Jones said. “They're making cuts for students, for faculty, and we just can't keep going. Our workload has increased, and we're at our max right now.”
Jones criticized the budget forum as “performative,” saying administrators avoided meaningful engagement with audience members who raised valid concerns.
“There was nothing in that budget that actually talked about how they move funds from stateside over into capital projects,” she said. “There was nothing in that budget that talked about job losses or losses of support for faculty and students. It was this supposed informational session that had very little in it.”
CSUSB spokesperson Alan Llavore said the university would not comment further beyond what was shared at the forum and directed questions to the university’s budget transparency webpage.
Cal State San Bernardino has been embroiled in controversy on several fronts. An August audit by the CSU Chancellor’s Office found the university’s housing department has lost more than $15 million since 2021, prompting the school to borrow millions from its operating fund and other campus accounts to cover the deficit.
The university has also faced criticism for failing to secure accreditation for its anticipated physician assistant master’s program. Last week, a jury awarded $6 million to former administrator, Anissa Rodgers, in a gender discrimination lawsuit against the Cal State Chancellor’s Office, CSUSB President Tomás Morales, and former Palm Desert campus dean Jake Zhu.
