Workforce Planning
As we work together to align our operations in accordance with our financial resources, every division on campus has been working to reduce deficit spending. To address the deficit while still meeting operational needs, each division relinquished positions, reduced operations, and pivoted to more financially sustainable ways of conducting some core operations.
Divisions merged departments, paused backfilling positions at all levels, and consolidated programs with an overall year-over-year reduction of 63 full-time equivalent employees. For the work that has been done to date, thank you. And for the work that is still to come, we thank you again. Here are a few measures currently in place:
Temporary to Probationary/Permanent Employment Status
In the 2024/25 year the University, committed to enhancing employee job security and transitioned 83 temporary staff employees to probation/permanent track positions. This reduced costs and disruption associated with high turnover and continuous retraining. Additionally, offering stability to valued employees can boost morale and productivity, leading to more engaged and efficient teams, and supporting the goals of our Chico State Playbook and Employee Engagement Initiative. Investing in long-term talent also helps maintain service continuity, ensuring critical functions remain effective despite financial constraints.
Position Management Strategy
Vice presidents have been charged with reviewing employment-action-related requests in their division (pay increases, classification adjustments, and recruitment requests) before approving. In addition to ensuring adequate base funding is available, vice presidents evaluate requests against Division priorities and the University’s core values. All recruitment requests are brought to Cabinet for consideration, with a commitment to starting with internal recruitments to fill any approved positions wherever possible and prioritize the employment opportunities for existing employees. Centralizing the review and approval process fosters accountability among departments, ensuring that staffing decisions are data-driven and aligned with the institutional mission. Further, each division office has strategically utilized salary savings to award temporary stipends and bonus opportunities to employees who are experiencing temporary workload increases due to attrition. For those who have taken on additional duties, we are grateful and want to honor those contributions.
We continue to explore all ways to evaluate and adjust our workforce wherever possible. New and ongoing cost-savings measures will be shared during University Budget Forums and presidential communications. Learn more about Chico State’s budget process.