Faculty Senate Budget Representative Report - June 9, 2025

Introduction 

The WWU Budget continues to be challenged by the recent Washington State budget cuts to higher education as well as continued revenue shortfalls due to enrollment declines since the Covid Pandemic. Expense cuts are anticipated to increase in FY26 and FY27 both as temporary support for balancing the budget and as permanent cuts in the base budget. 

Important Links 

New Insights and Highlights

The recently approved Washington State Operating Budget for the 2025-27 Biennium included significant cuts to the WWU budget, including an overall cut as well as a reduction in the amount the state contributes to compensation and benefit increases provided by CBA and COL from 70% to 51% (known as the “fund split”).

Budget Shortfall: $26.4 million for FYs 2025-26 and 2026-27, including an additional $13.4 million in cuts for WWU

  • The original estimate of the budget shortfall was $18 million. To date, $13 million has been cut from the budget with another $5 million anticipated to be needed for FY26.
  • After the State Budget was signed by the Governor on May 20, the budget shortfall is now anticipated to be a total of $26.4 million for the fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27, adding another $8.4 million to the $5 million previously needed to be cut.

Several budget-reducing strategies are currently under consideration to achieve the reductions needed. The permanent reductions are currently forecasted to total $15.6 million in FY 26 and $7.5 million in FY 27 (see proposed budget for Board of Trustees Approval on June 13, 2025).

Strategies That Apply Primarily to Faculty 

  • Accelerated retirement for faculty meeting certain criteria, which must be authorized and approved by the State of Washington
  • Merger or elimination of programs and/or departments
  • Continued reductions in sections offered consistent with reduced enrollment
  • Further restructuring to eliminate non-academic positions
  • Reductions in “Goods and Services” spending
  • Increased fees throughout the university

Impacts to Faculty Hiring

  • Approximately six new faculty will start in Fall 2025.
  • Faculty hiring for FY 26 and 27 will depend on faculty retirements on a case-by-case basis.
  • Staffing cuts announced in Fall 2024 are ongoing.
    • A total of 71 positions were eliminated during the 2024-25 year.
    • The Provost initiated a base reduction in NTT faculty allocation in Fall 2024 to each college. College Deans were responsible for implementing this base reduction through elimination of “parallel structures” and course sections with low enrollment.  

Enrollment Outlook

  • According to a new graph comparing total enrollment to total faculty FTE, enrollment has ticked up slightly and FTE has ticked down slightly in 2024-25.
  • WWU President Randhawa and Provost Johnson have increased engagement with community colleges to develop relationships that will hopefully increase transfer student enrollment.
  • The College in the High Schools program has expanded to 20 sections taught in three high schools. Plans for the next two years include expanding the course offerings to high schools throughout Washington State. Students who enroll in this program gain WWU credit toward their degree program.
  • Despite these efforts, enrollments for the coming years are anticipated to be flat. The budget forecasts stable enrollment for next year and anticipates no significant increase in enrollment for the foreseeable future.

Important WWU Budget Meetings

  • The University Budget Committee (UBC) meets monthly. This report covers meetings in March, April, May, and June.
  • Each quarter, the Provost’s office meets with the FSBR (Kristi Tyran, Deputy FSBR (Tesla Monson), and Faculty Senate President (Michael Slouber).
  • On May 1, these Faculty Senate representatives met with Brad Johnson (Provost), Joyce Lopes (VP Business and Financial Affairs) and Faye Gallant (Assistant VP, Strategy, Management, and Budget) to discuss budget issues related to the faculty.
  • The Spring University Budget Forum was held on May 29th.
  • The President and Provost both released campus-wide messages related to the 2025-26 Budget year.
  • The Board of Trustees will meet on June 13th to consider approving the proposed budget for July 2025-June 2026.

Wrap-Up

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Faculty Senate Budget Representative over the past Academic Year. Next year, Tesla Monson (monsont2@wwu.edu ) will be the FSBR and Bidisha Biswas (biswasb@wwu.edu) will serve as the Deputy FSBR. Please contact either of them with any questions or concerns that you would like raised in future budget discussions.

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spring quarter