Report highlights transfer growth, analysis of majors as steps toward financial resilience.
By Saige Washington, Staff Reporter
After eight months of data analysis, interviews and campus feedback, CSUDH released the findings of the Huron Report on Sept. 8. University leaders say the recommendations will provide a framework for navigating the current budget crisis while preparing for the years ahead.
Commissioned in January 2025, the study was carried out by Huron Consulting, which reviewed 27 data sources, conducted 41 interviews, and collected input from the campus community. The report outlines short- and long-term initiatives which administrators hope will strengthen CSUDH’s financial resilience and the integrity of its academic mission.
In May, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California faced a $12 billion budget deficit. Under his revised plan, the 23-campus California State University system absorbed an additional $143.8 million base reduction for the 2025–26 school year—or about 3% of its state funding.
For CSUDH, the change came on top of an existing $12 million cut to its operating budget.
When the university first contracted with Huron, some faculty and staff questioned the decision to hire an outside firm during layoffs and budget cuts. Others expressed concerns over what kinds of academic recommendations Huron might deliver.
Before the report’s release, CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham told the Academic Senate on Sept. 3 that Huron’s role was to provide recommendations, not to craft university policy.
Justin Gammage, the university’s interim vice president of information technology, attempted to further assuage any concerns during a Sept. 9 town hall presenting the findings of the Huron Report.
“One of the things that I do want to point out is Huron did not come to our campus identifying academic programs to be impacted,” Gammage said. “Instead, what they did provide is a market analysis.”
Psychology measures high; Leadership, ethnic studies rank low
As part of its analysis, Huron evaluated 49 undergraduate majors across four measures: student demand, regional market size, CSUDH’s market share, and labor market growth.
Undergraduate programs such as Psychology, Computer Science, Nursing, Child Development and Biology scored the highest in market alignment. The report highlighted these majors as areas of strength, citing both strong student demand and robust labor market prospects.
By contrast, some programs—including Chicana and Chicano Studies, History, and Biochemistry—scored lower in Huron’s market analysis. However, the report cautioned that programs tied closely to CSUDH’s mission—particularly in ethnic and gender studies—should not be evaluated solely on market demand when decisions about reorganization or consolidation are considered.
The report said faculty face challenges balancing teaching, research and governance because of a 4-4 teaching load and fewer tenured positions. Huron recommended creating structural incentives to expand interdisciplinary opportunities and foster greater collaboration.
Retention, increased enrollment essential to long-term sustainability
CSUDH’s most recent Fact Sheet reports that 14,262 students are enrolled for the 2025–2026 academic year—that’s down slightly from 14,299 reported by the university in the spring of 2024.
The Huron Report noted that, within a 50-mile radius, CSUDH competes with several other community colleges and universities—including CSULA, CSU Long Beach, CSU Fullerton, and El Camino College. It warned that enrollment initiatives at one campus can affect the student pipelines of the others, making regional competition an important factor in portfolio planning.
The report flagged retention as a critical factor in stabilizing CSUDH’s budget. CSUDH’s student headcount dropped 15% from 2019 to 2023, while faculty and staff grew slightly during that period. The university has since reduced its workforce, including the layoff of 32 staff members in January 2025.
On Sept. 4, Parham noted that the university recently gained eight percentage points in student retention—a reversal he said shows the university’s efforts are starting to pay off.
Huron highlighted transfer students as a major area of opportunity. Last fall, CSUDH welcomed 1,873 transfers, including 1,697 from California community colleges—outnumbering the 1,732 first-time freshmen.
“Transfer students will be a viable area in terms of enrollment growth. So not to move away from first-time, first-year freshmen,” said Gammage during the Sept. 9 meeting. “There’s an opportunity to take advantage of, as it relates to targeting transfer students.”