October 30, 2024
Dear Campus Community,
Over the last several weeks, we have heard from many of you who were alarmed and upset by news related to the notice of notices sent to some of our non-tenure track faculty members on campus as a result of our efforts to address PSU's ongoing budget deficit. We have also received feedback at our public meetings and other forums that sometimes our language regarding PSU's financial challenges has been difficult to receive. We hear you, and we want to acknowledge that while this year will be challenging, we want this year to put us on a path toward financial sustainability.
We remain committed to our new strategic vision of creating clear pathways for our region's learners while maintaining our position as the Pacific Northwest's leader in serving underrepresented students. The university will continue to invest in high-impact practices that support student success and ensure PSU remains accessible and affordable for our students.
These are challenging circumstances. We recognize that budget reductions are not just moves on a spreadsheet. These changes impact people's lives and campus leaders are working hard to mitigate the impacts, but they cannot be avoided entirely.
As trustees at PSU, we are all volunteers who care about and are committed to the success of our community. However, as trustees, we are also fiduciaries for the institution responsible for Portland State University's long-term success. This includes ensuring that fiscal integrity and academic quality align with our mission. As we move forward with the work of the financial sustainability plan, we will continue to support the campus community and administration as they support each other through transformational changes with our Future in Focus.
As part of our standing Executive & Audit Committee meetings, we will hear updates on the work being done to support the efforts of the Strategic Plan along with the work taking place to address the budget deficit. Our next Executive & Audit Committee meeting is on Thursday, October 31, at 3:30 pm, where we will discuss the key performance indicators (KPIs) for the Strategic Plan and hear an update on the Financial Sustainability plan. As always, all board meetings are open to the public, and I encourage you to visit the board website for the most up-to-date meeting information.
Additionally, to keep you informed of the work of the board, we will provide regular updates via email ahead of each board meeting. Please note the following meeting dates:
November 21, 2024
January 24, 2025
April 4, 2025
June 6, 2025
We encourage you to share any additional feedback or questions directly with us at trustees@pdx.edu or by using our feedback form.
Benjamin Berry
Chair, Board of Trustees