Here are answers to some Frequently Asked Questions about Bridge to the Future 2.0. This webpage will be periodically updated based on community feedback. Notifications of updates to this page will be included in Currently, the weekly faculty and staff email newsletter at PSU.
How will decisions about budget cuts be made? Who will make them?
PIVOT tracks 1 and 2 will be used to classify academic and academic support programs into different categories that identify where programs might need attention or orderly sunsetting.
For operational units outside of Academic Affairs, a similar process will be used to classify operations that might need reengineering or could be phased out. We will engage each unit in a process of defining and collecting data, including information about budget and personnel trends, and performance metrics. We will ask directors to identify performance metrics and to develop narratives that describe how their units align with our mission and how they contribute to our strategic imperatives. We will also ask for feedback on these narratives from the stakeholders of each unit.
President Cudd is accountable for all decisions in the Bridge to the Future plan. Each strategy and tactic has a different set of stakeholders that will be responsible for providing key information to inform those decisions, and others who will be consulted and informed.
A complete RACI chart (Responsible, accountable, consulted, informed) is provided in the full Bridge to the Future 2.0 plan.
How will we uphold our shared governance processes?
Shared governance is central to PIVOT. Governance bodies will:
- Review data and frameworks to ensure indicators are accurate and meaningful.
- Provide input on program and unit classifications before final decisions.
- Maintain determinative authority in curriculum matters, such as program creation or elimination.
- Advise consultatively in other areas, such as budget allocations or administrative structures.
This dual role ensures faculty expertise and values are embedded in decision-making, while recognizing that some decisions ultimately rest with executive leadership.
How will you engage with staff as these processes play out?
Staff are included in the Bridge to the Future Steering committee which will meet monthly over the next two years.
What is the role of the Bridge to the Future Steering Committee?
The steering committee is made up of members of the university leadership team, faculty and staff. This group will advise the administration on the best ways to talk about the "Bridge to the Future" financial plan and how it connects to the "Future in Focus" vision, especially to staff, faculty, and students. They will also provide feedback on how the university is putting its financial sustainability plans into action, ensure transparency and accountability for the goals set out in the "Bridge to the Future" plan and ensure alignment among the different parts of the plan, including alignment with the Plan for Institutional Vitality and Organizational Transformation (PIVOT).
What is the timeline for making these decisions?
As mentioned in the Bridge to the Future Plan, a final budget for Fiscal Year 2027 will be shared with the Board of Trustees in the June 11-12 board meetings. Thus, all decisions that will affect the 2027 academic year will need to be made by then. But some major milestones between now and then include the following:
- January 2026: Final classifications and fiscal modeling - PIVOT and Non-Academic Administrative Structure Review
- February 2026: Implementation planning for PIVOT and Non-academic administrative structure review
- March 2026: Initial decisions about program and unit eliminations/reductions
- June 2026: final decisions about program and unit reductions that will impact the FY 2027 budget.
Why are our strategies only in FTE reductions?
Personnel costs, specifically salaries and benefits, make up over 80% of our budgeted E&G expenses. With another 10% dedicated to fixed costs like utilities and debt, the vast majority of our budget is tied to personnel.
To make a meaningful and necessary difference in our financial health, our strategies must focus on our largest expense category: FTE reductions.
While we're also exploring revenue increases from new programs, that process is a long-term strategy that requires time and resources. We will also continue to look for reductions in other areas, and any savings found there could potentially reduce the number of FTE reductions needed.
How did you tie annual targets to each of the strategies?
The targets are tied to each strategy by calculating the estimated savings and possible FTE reductions for each initiative, then combining them to create the overall annual goal. The FY2025-26 Final Personnel Budget provided the baseline data for these calculations.This provides a clear, data-driven link between the actions we're taking and the results we expect to achieve.
Here is a breakdown of how the targets were derived:
- Instructional Portfolio Rebalancing: This strategy's target is a sum of savings from multiple academic tactics. The targets were calculated by applying a low and high percentage reduction to the overall number of budgeted faculty and then distributing the resulting FTE and savings, with roughly one-third in FY2026-27 and two-thirds in FY2027-28.
- Administrative & Fiscal Optimization: The targets for this strategy were determined by applying percentage reductions to the budgets of administrative and academic support units. The specific FTE and financial targets were calculated by applying a low and high percentage reduction to the total expenses for different employee types—such as APs, Classified, and Unclassified.
- Enhanced Position Management: This strategy’s targets were created by estimating the savings from managing faculty and staff attrition. These projections are based on historical vacancy rates and the anticipated number of retirements net of refills.
We will track our progress and adjust our approach between strategies as needed to ensure we meet our overall university goal of $35 million by FY2027-28.
What is the role of fundraising and the PSU Foundation in achieving our 2030 Vision and supporting the Bridge to the Future 2.0 plan?
As always, the role of the PSU Foundation is to engage alumni, donors and community partners to inspire giving that supports the university’s people, programs and places. It fulfills this role by cultivating and managing relationships, sharing stories that instill pride, and building points of affinity and connection to Portland State.
The Foundation is committed to advancing the long-term vision for Portland State’s future described in the 2030 Vision plan, in which PSU is a national leader for social mobility and a driving force for Portland’s success.