Top Takeaways Volatile enrollment has had a domino effect on some campus finances. CSU leaders hope a “fiscal health monitoring” process will identify brewing problems and possible solutions. Campuses continue to cut costs while experimenting with ways to attract and retain students. California State University is increasing financial oversight across its 22-campus network after a pair of fiscal crises in the past 18 months led to severe budget cuts and restructuring at two of its campuses.The increased financial oversight comes at a time when enrollment has dropped at some campuses even as others see gains. Sonoma State canceled academic programs, suspended its NCAA athletics program, and took other measures to close its budget gap. And Cal Maritime merged with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, a larger and more stable peer.At the CSU Board of Trustees meeting this week, early results of a new fiscal health monitoring process showed more campuses are facing financial risks, including in areas outside of core academic functions, such as housing, athletics, and on-campus dining. “This is long overdue,” said trustee Julia Lopez. “If we’d had this over the last few years, we would have saved ourselves a lot of headaches.” California lawmakers in June required CSU campuses suffering “sustained enrollment decline” to submit turnaround plans to the CSU chancellor’s office as part of the 2025 budget act. The chancellor’s office will submit a summary of those reports to the state Department of Finance and Legislature by March 1. CSU leaders, in addition, have asked all…
