Labor Studies, Philosophy among programs under review as university grapples with financial woes and declining enrollment.
Facing declining enrollment and a growing budget deficit, Cal State Dominguez Hills is considering six academic programs for potential discontinuance. The review comes as the university reassesses its priorities in light of a $15 million budget shortfall.
On Nov. 21—the last school day before Fall Recess—outgoing interim Provost Philip LaPolt emailed faculty and staff with an update on CSUDH’s academic program prioritization process. LaPolt outlined the university’s worsening financial crisis, saying some programs would be notified after the break that they were under review for potential phase-out.
“Incremental cuts alone will not resolve our situation,” LaPolt wrote. “We must fundamentally examine how CSUDH operates and strategically position ourselves for a future of higher education that will look markedly different from today.”
LaPolt followed up with another email on Dec. 2, naming six undergraduate programs under consideration: Art History, Geography, Labor Studies, Philosophy, Earth Science, and Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding (NCRP).
LaPolt acknowledged that each program reflected years of faculty work and student ambition. However, the university needed to confront the “current financial reality with clarity and responsibility.” He said financial pressures and declining enrollment had “created serious fiscal challenges that require difficult decisions.”
“Our constrained resources are preventing us from investing in new programs aligned with emerging student interests and regional workforce needs,” LaPolt said. “Programs that could strengthen enrollment, expand educational opportunities, and serve our diverse student body and regional communities.”
The programs, LaPolt added, were flagged after a broad review of enrollment data, labor market demand, course patterns, community impact, resource use, and alignment with CSUDH’s mission.
In January, CSUDH hired Huron Consulting to audit university operations. Huron’s contract cost $228,000, according to a university spokesperson.
“Huron was a one-time expense,” the spokesperson said. “Any cost savings we engage in will reduce the CSUDH budget every year going forward.”
LaPolt invited the campus community to participate in the review process.
“We are committed to a process that is thorough, transparent, respectful of shared governance, and attentive to the impact on people’s lives and careers,” LaPolt said. “We will also work to ensure that currently enrolled students in these programs have clear pathways to degree completion.”
The university does not currently anticipate any layoffs of tenured or tenure-track faculty as a result of program discontinuation, said LaPolt in a Dec. 5 email to The Bulletin. As course offerings are reduced, he wrote, “this will result in less work available for lecturers.”
LaPolt added that the university would also consult with the California Faculty Association (CFA) about how the potential discontinuance could affect faculty working conditions.
A flawed analysis, faculty leaders say
Alfredo Carlos, a labor studies professor, was at Costco shopping for Thanksgiving when he received LaPolt’s first email.
“I was angry, but I chuckled a little because this isn’t the first time [the university has] done something like this,” Carlos told The Bulletin. “After all, I received another email about 66 programs that might be discontinued right before spring break.”
The school’s financial problems and enrollment issues are understandable, Carlos said, but the timing of the university’s email undermines any sense of community or trust. He called LaPolt’s Nov. 21 announcement “disrespectful.”
“People wanted to spend time with their families and celebrate the holidays … hearing [programs] might be discontinued, [and] some people do not have jobs coming back from break,” he said.
In his message to The Bulletin, LaPolt apologized for the timing of his first email, saying the university regretted “any additional stress this may have caused during what should have been a restful break.”
“The reality is that these communications require careful coordination and review,” he wrote. “In this case, that process was completed late in the week and we chose to send it right away because waiting another week would delay the consultation process.”
Faculty leaders, including CFA Dominguez Hills (CFADH), told The Bulletin they questioned the university’s methodology. Stephen McFarland, the Labor Studies chair, described the university’s analysis as “flawed,” saying data points from 2023 were used to predict outcomes for 2026.
“We want to run a whole new data test run so the University can have the budget in order … [the university] didn’t have the right information on which programs are competing in the region” McFarland said. “It was a very sloppy job. … If this were an assignment in my class, this would be a C-minus at best.”
McFarland added that CSUDH risks losing its identity by cutting programs. “If everyone comes for the same program, what gives the university value?”
CFADH leadership echoed McFarland, saying the amount of money saved—roughly $390,000, according to the university spokesperson—wouldn’t be enough to offset the budget shortfall.
Linguistics professor Iara Mantenuto, CFADH co-president, criticized the university over what she described as “a lack of transparency” and “a lot of false information.”
“This is very interesting, given the current time that most of our leadership is leaving the campus and there is a change,” Mantenuto wrote in a Dec. 4 email.
Elliot Gonzalez, a senior in labor studies and NCRP, told The Bulletin the university’s plan is upsetting.
“I thought I was leaving as a proud member of the NCRP program and the labor program, but this program’s discontinuation leaves me feeling disappointed because they stated these cuts are due to low enrollment,” said Gonzales, who also acts as vice president of Associated Students, Inc. “I wanted to help recruit—to tell people about these unique offerings. Now I’m in a position where I have to fight for them.”
Mantenuto, the CFADH co-chair, said the organization planned to rally “media coverage and political support” to elevate the concerns of faculty and “shine a light” on the university’s “misguided plan.” In addition, she said, CFADH has also requested a Presidential Memorandum on Programs Discontinuation that would outline the impact of any cuts.
“The possible discontinuance of these programs (and potentially more) takes away from the mission of CSUDH and the proposed ‘Student Success’ plan, that continues to be unclear,” Mantenuto wrote: “It takes away care and compassion for our diverse student population! CSUDH needs to do better!”