January 30, 2025 – Addressing Concerns Regarding Federal Changes and University Budget

Dear Campus Community, 

I want to take a moment to acknowledge the uncertainty and concern many on our campus are feeling this week, as we witness proposed changes coming from the federal level and substantial cuts at Sonoma State.  

The staffing and programmatic cuts at a fellow Northern California CSU campus are difficult to process. I share your deepest sympathies with our colleagues and students at Sonoma, and I recognize that it spurs many questions about our fiscal situation here at Chico State. I can assure you that while our budget continues to face challenges amid enrollment and state budget projections, our situation is different, and we all must have a clear picture of our budget situation. I look forward to sharing more details on the budget and our fiscal outlook at the State of the University on February 17.  

Additionally, the near-daily news about potential changes from the federal government creates uncertainty. As information comes in, we, like many of you, are continuing to work to understand how it may affect our campus. We have been working closely with the Chancellor’s Office and University leadership to assess possible impacts to our students and employees so that we know how to best navigate any changes while upholding our commitment to serve our students and ensure their success. Many of these things take time to review. We appreciate your patience, and as we are able, we will share information with campus.  

In the meantime, I look forward to working with the University Budget Committee and receiving a recommendation for budget strategy and allocations for 2025–26 and beyond. Our mission as an institution and our commitment to our campus community remain steadfast. We will continue to support students and employees in every way we can, and I appreciate your support of one another.  

Thank you, Steve Perez