Judge makes the Sonoma State Plan to reduce academic programs

A judge in Sonoma County temporarily blocks the leaders of the State University of California since the reduction of academic programs at Sonoma State, for now, stopping a plan that had to save on the cashier bound by tens of millions of dollars.

The judge of the Supreme Court of the Sonoma County Kenneth English issued a temporary restraining order today and set a new hearing for May 1.

This is a victory for the seven athletes, sued the temporary president of the Sonoma State and the System Chancellor for the decision of the campus leadership in January to Terminating more than a dozen specialties For the school year 2025-26, including philosophy, economy, modern languages ​​and physics. The campus also plans to remove the sports teams of the National Athletic Association of the School.

Students’ lawyers say Sonoma State does not comply with systemic procedures for termination of academic programs. The school is said to have been provided to the academic senate, a full -time professors authority who shares the obligations to manage the school administrators on academic matters.

“There should just be a process of offering a plan, receiving feedback, getting a recommendation from academic senate, in addition to other steps that have not been respected,” says Ross Middlemis, a lawyer of the athletes and he himself a Sonom State and a former school football player.

The Sonoma State academic senate did not learn about the proposed abbreviations until January 22, the day on which temporary President Emily F. Cutrer publishes his administration’s plans. The claim also claims that Sonoma state leaders have not complied with their own rules for informing students about changes in their specialties. The President of the Student Body on campus learned only 10 minutes before the decision to be public.

“The lack of consultation with all enrolled students or student leadership not only violated the regulations, but also left the president of the student body without the ability to deal with countless questions and concerns about confused and angry students,” said the case, which was brought on March 7th.

Cal State wants cuts to fight budget shortages

The judge’s decision today blocks the state of Cal to terminate only academic programs; Middlemiss and other lawyers wanted the judge to also stop the cut of sports teams. They will make their case during the May 1 hearing and hope to win an order that will further prevent Cal State from going through its cuts.

Middlemiss said Cutrer had already asked for Sonoma State Teams Sports Conference are in To give up the teams of future programming. This is one of the reasons for lawyers to rush to turn the cuts. “If they are removed from NCAA, the return process is expensive and uncertain and takes a long time,” Middle said.

Sonoma country is confronted with a budget shortage of $ 24 million After a steep decrease in enrollment – from about 9,000 students in 2018 to 5800 now. The school has reduced almost $ 26 million in costs, from not aimed at the faculty until less management positions.

The proposed cuts are intended to stabilize the school’s budget. Middemiss said he and other plaintiffs’ attorneys doubt the system’s claims that cutting sports programs would save the campus nearly $ 4 million. He said the athletics in Sonoma State is neutral to the budget and can even generate money. The school’s moves would lead to dozens of cuts, including professors.

The Sonoma state is the ultimate example of the Cal State’s escalating budget crisis. The 23 campus system struggles with several years of budget shortages in hundreds of millions of dollars. May also lose $ 375 million state support – A decrease of 8% – if a plan of governor Gavin Newo, which the state MPs spelled last year, passed this summer. But now legislators are advocating to reduce or completely turn these planned budget cuts.

“I will say that as a sonoma state, as is now a resident of fourth -generation Sonoma County, it’s not only disappointing, it’s just unacceptable,” said Senator Mike McGuireState Senate Leader, At a forum yesterday Discuss the future of the Sonoma state. It damaged the management of the CAL state system for having an insufficient plan to help Sonoma State. “I have made to take advantage of“ he said yesterday. “You feel you are trying to leak the clock.”

A spokesman for the Chancellor of the Cal State Chancellor did not answer questions about the court decision on the press time.