Dear Campus Colleagues,
Next weekend, 4,715 of our students will be crossing the commencement stage to receive their diplomas. Our role in changing the lives of our students, their families and our community is at the forefront this time of year and I hope you can pause to appreciate our collective impact. I know this has been a heavy year for many of us and I am grateful for your perseverance and for all of the support and guidance you have provided to our students and to one another.
While many of us have been focused this spring on the Article 22 process as part of our financial sustainability efforts, I wanted to share today that a Bridge to the Future 2.0 update has been posted as part of the materials for our upcoming Board of Trustees meetings. This report provides a helpful overview of the totality of our work to address PSU’s $35 million deficit, including cuts that have been made outside of our academic enterprise.
Some key points in the update:
- Since the launch of Bridge to the Future 2.0 in September 2025, the university has successfully transitioned from financial modeling to the active implementation of its phased reduction plan.
- $13.2 million in savings has been achieved for the 2026-27 fiscal year from instructional portfolio rebalancing and administrative and fiscal optimization. These savings are unrelated to the actions we may take through Article 22.
- A total of 61.8 FTE positions were eliminated during the current fiscal year, prioritizing voluntary transitions, including retirements and attrition before layoffs to minimize campus impacts. This number does not include the 52 FTE positions that may be eliminated next year as part of Article 22.
- At this point, we estimate that we will realize another $16 million-$21.8 million in savings during the 2027-28 fiscal year, including any actions that we may take under Article 22.
Here’s how the 2026-27 savings breaks out by unit, along with a chart showing the overall share of the E&G budget, also by unit:
You can read more details in the report, but I hope this information provides you with more clarity about the range of steps we are taking to achieve financial sustainability.
Thank you again for your dedication to this institution and to our wonderful students. This university is a special place and I hope you join me in looking forward to Portland State’s very bright future.
Sincerely,
Ann Cudd
PSU President