Budget updates and thanks to the University Budget Advisory Committee

July 14, 2023 - I want to thank members of the University Budget Advisory Committee (UBAC) for their dedication and collaboration on recommendations for the 2023-24 budget. This year was unique in that there were no new operating funds identified for special projects, new positions, or increased baseline allocations. Rather, UBAC was asked to consider campuswide reductions to address an anticipated budget shortfall resulting from ongoing collective bargaining negotiations. I know that the committee spent significant time weighing the effect of reductions on student success, diversity initiatives, enrollment, safety, and operations. Although every reduction has an impact, they did not shy away from the important responsibility of recommending reductions to achieve a balanced budget.

Despite the state’s overall deficit, driven by decreased revenues, the governor and Legislature maintained their commitment to the CSU by providing a $227 million funding increase. Unfortunately, this minimal increase is far short of the full amount requested by the Trustees to address compensation increases and, accordingly, warrants a conservative spending plan to make sure that we have sufficient funds to pay those increases. At this time, our estimated Sources of Funds is $421,334,000, an increase of $25,565,000 from last year. In comparison, our estimated Uses of Funds is $424,246,000, leaving a shortfall of $2,902,000. This amount would be significantly higher without UBAC’s work and recommendation to reduce each division’s budget by 5% of their past year initial allocations, for a total reduction of $9,700,000. When calculated against last year’s $395,769,000 total budget, the reduction is 2.45%, and is much less than the cuts we weathered together in 2021-22.

I have carefully considered and fully support UBAC’s recommendations for division budget reductions and for reserves to cover the $2.9 million budget shortfall. I also support their recommendations for all University expenses and lottery funding, and am particularly pleased to see funds approved to hire a full-time American Sign Language interpreter on campus. I am also glad that lottery fund carryforward amounts will enable us to fund more classroom and laboratory computer equipment, which was an area that saw budget reductions in the previous year.

I also want to thank UBAC for focusing their attention on Athletics’ structural deficit. Over the past few years, this structural deficit has worsened as we’ve seen scholarship, housing, food, and travel expenses increase significantly because of inflation and because of new demands from the NCAA. I agree with UBAC’s recommendations to use resources strategically to begin to alleviate this structural deficit, and I directed the central Budget Office to begin more frequent expense monitoring to assist Athletics in identifying and avoiding future shortfalls. I also directed the Athletics department to identify cost-cutting measures that it can implement as we develop a reasonable and prudent budget for this year and coming years.

Over the next few weeks and months, Sacramento State will continue to learn more about funding allocations and the outcome of collective bargaining. While final budget numbers are likely to change, it is my recommendation that campus reserves cover any additional shortfalls, if necessary, rather than implementing the 8% or additional reductions. Thank you again to UBAC for your collaboration and recommendations and continuing to hold student success as our highest priority. I am confident that this budget will provide a solid foundation for a new chapter under incoming President Luke Wood, one that will exceed all expectations.

Dr. Sarah Billingsley is leaving Sacramento State

July 11, 2023 - As I approach my own departure from Sacramento State, I write to announce the departure of a trusted and much-loved member of my Cabinet. Chief of Staff Dr. Sarah Billingsley is leaving Sacramento State and will transition out of her role at the end of July.

Dr. Billingsley has been a valued member of Cabinet since 2018, when she joined the Office of the President as Special Assistant and then Deputy Chief of Staff. In summer 2021, Sarah stepped in as Chief of Staff, taking on the role permanently in early 2022. Sarah has led through some of the most challenging times our University has faced, always with passion, energy, and enthusiasm. Sarah was instrumental in numerous campus initiatives and projects. She spearheaded Carmencement in spring 2021, when COVID-19 kept us from holding a traditional Commencement, she led the creation of our 2023-28 Strategic Plan, and she conceptualized and drove the creation of the Outstanding Staff Awards. When I announced I wanted to be roasted in lieu of giving my last Spring Address, Sarah jumped in to ensure that event was filled with humor and lots of Hornet love. Sarah has left a lasting and positive mark on me and on Sacramento State in countless ways.

Sarah bleeds green and gold. She is a passionate Hornet with a deep love for Sacramento State. As a three-time graduate, she has been a dedicated member of the Hornet Family for many years, as a student, as an alumna, and, of course, as a valued employee for the past nine years.

I am grateful for Sarah’s commitment to Sacramento State, and I will miss her positivity, creativity, and her quick smile. We are a stronger Hornet Family because of the heart that she brought to all that she did for us. Please join me in thanking Sarah for her leadership and her service, and in wishing her all the best in her next endeavor. Stingers Up!

Come out to the Homeless World Cup at Hornet Stadium this week

July 10, 2023 - The Homeless World Cup is underway at Hornet Stadium, and it is even more exciting than I could have imagined. Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 11, games move to the evening, 5-10:30 p.m., as the last day of qualifying-stage matches wraps up, and we move into group-stage competition. Those games take place every evening through the rest of the week, with semifinals on Friday, July 14, and finals and closing ceremonies 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday, July 15.

I hope you will come out to Hornet Stadium to cheer on these amazing athletes. Admission is free, and you can reserve a seat and see the full schedule online. You also are welcome to attend The Homeless World Cup Global Symposium, “Believing in Better: Bringing Hope and Healing to a Homeless World Crisis,” 8:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, in the University Union Ballroom.

This is truly one of the most inspiring sporting events I have ever witnessed. I look forward to seeing you at Hornet Stadium as we cheer for the athletes, and work for global change.

Stingers Up!, and go team USA!

Please join me tomorrow for the Outstanding Staff Awards

July 5, 2023 - I am looking forward to celebrating the recipients of the Outstanding Staff Awards, 2-4 p.m. tomorrow, July 6, in the University Union Ballroom.

We will be celebrating these Outstanding Staff Award recipients:

• Bridie Gilllespie-Carinci, first year orientation coordinator.
• Shelly Bingel, administrative support coordinator, Humanities and Religious Studies.
• Matt Heilmann, instructional support coordinator, Communication Studies.
• Michele Vincent, lead interpreter, College of Education.
• Heather Crummett, budget analyst, College of Health and Human Services.
• Pia Wong, associate dean, College of Education.
• Reva Wittenberg, assessment and workplace-wellness manager, Student Affairs.
• Gladys Glaude, director of University Events.
• Stella Pan, custodian, ABA.
• Carl Oakes, Network Infrastructure and Program security lead, IRT.
• Dante Jadavi, Payroll team lead, Human Resources.
• Janet Dumonchelle, pharmacist, Student Health and Counseling Services.

ASL-English interpretation will be provided for the program.

I hope you are planning to join me as we honor these outstanding members of the Hornet Family. Stingers Up!

Sacramento State is dedicated to access and diversity

July 1, 2023 - Sacramento State is dedicated to access, and we celebrate, cherish, and honor our diversity. This week, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered two decisions that are antithetical to the ideals, goals, and purposes of Sacramento State. These decisions will, indeed, block access for all to higher education. I am deeply disappointed in these decisions and their deleterious effect on our alumni, our students, and future generations who dream of achieving a college education, of having a job that pays as much or more than their parents make, and of contributing not only to our economy but to society, and to making the United States a better place for the next generation of students. The decisions are a serious, damaging setback for Sacramento State’s mission to transform lives by preparing students for leadership, service, and success. The value of diversity itself has been seriously damaged – we do, most definitely, learn from the varied experiences of others. Our classes are better when there is diversity in that classroom. Our University is better when all people are represented and present.

Because we have lived under Proposition 209, which blocks using race as a factor in admissions, on the argument’s surface the Supreme Court decision to prohibit the use of race-conscious admission policies doesn’t seem to affect California or Sacramento State. But to the contrary, the decision says that diversity is of little purpose at universities (especially insofar as the student body goes), and it further says that the goal of access to education for all is unimportant and inconsequential for our nation. As CSU, UC, and California Community College leaders stated in a message about the ruling, we know that diversity on college campuses matters. This decision has effects going light-years beyond admissions.

In another ruling, against a federal loan forgiveness program, the Supreme Court delt a blow to college graduates who struggle with student loan debt. Not everyone can work two jobs and carry a full load of courses. Not everyone comes from a family that can help pay tuition. Life often gets in the way of the road to a degree. Loans can be critical in making it to the end, in not dropping out. This decision hurts low-income students and their communities, and it will have a chilling effect on future generations of low-socioeconomic students. Once again, access to a college degree has been seriously damaged by a Supreme Court decision.

Access and diversity go hand in hand. In the CSU and at Sacramento State, we will continue to create programs and provide services that support diversity and seek to diminish the effects of historical inequities. We will continue to work again to double the number of scholarships for our students. We will urge Congress to double Pell allocations. Despite these rulings, at Sacramento State, we will continue to promote our core values of access, diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice.

Invitation to the Homeless World Cup

June 22, 2023 - As you may have heard, Sacramento will be the first U.S. city to host the Homeless World Cup, a world-class, international soccer competition to be held at Sacramento State’s Hornet Stadium July 8 – 15, 2023. Sacramento joins Paris, Oslo, Norway, Cardiff, Wales, and other beautiful cities across the globe that have hosted this inspiring, life-changing event. Athletes from cities in many countries will live and compete on our campus, while raising awareness about homelessness, an issue with which communities around the world are grappling.

Several matches will be played each day of the tournament.

Please come support the more than 500 athletes from 50 countries participating in the Homeless World Cup, along with these special festivities:

• Saturday, July 8, 9 a.m.: Opening parade and tournament kickoff.
• Wednesday, July 12, 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Global Symposium.
• Saturday, July 15, 9 a.m.: Closing Ceremonies.

The Homeless World Cup Global Symposium, “Believing in Better: Bringing Hope and Healing to a Homeless World Crisis,” will be Wednesday, July 12, in the University Union Ballroom. Further details will be forthcoming.

You can find more information about the Homeless World Cup, including the full schedule of events, on the event website. To get more involved, you can serve as an official volunteer for the event by emailing volunteer@streetsoccerusa.org.

The Homeless World Cup is meant to inspire global change, and I am incredibly proud that it will be my final event as Sacramento State’s president. I hope to see you there. Stingers Up!

Please RSVP for the Outstanding Staff Awards ceremony and reception

June 13, 2023 - I hope that the entire campus community is planning to join me to celebrate this year’s Outstanding Staff Awards recipients. If you have not yet, please RSVP for the Outstanding Staff Awards ceremony and reception, taking place 2-4 p.m. July 6 in the University Union Ballroom.

ASL to English interpretation will be provided for the program. For additional accommodations, please contact events@csus.edu by June 29.

We will be celebrating these Outstanding Staff Award recipients:

• Bridie Gilllespie-Carinci, first year orientation coordinator.
• Shelly Bingel, administrative support coordinator, Humanities and Religious Studies.
• Matt Heilmann, instructional support coordinator, Communication Studies.
• Michele Vincent, lead interpreter, College of Education.
• Heather Crummett, budget analyst, College of Health and Human Services.
• Pia Wong, associate dean, College of Education.
• Reva Wittenberg, assessment and workplace-wellness manager, Student Affairs.
• Gladys Glaude, director of University Events.
• Stella Pan, custodian, ABA.
• Carl Oakes, Network Infrastructure and Program security lead, IRT.
• Dante Jadavi, Payroll team lead, Human Resources.
• Janet Dumonchelle, pharmacist, Student Health and Counseling Services.

I can’t wait to celebrate these outstanding members of the Hornet Family on July 6. Stingers Up!

John M. Melikian will be the new executive director for UEI

June 6, 2023 - I am pleased to announce that John M. Melikian will be the new executive director for University Enterprises, Inc. (UEI), effective July 16. John joined the Hornet Family in 2018 as general counsel for UEI, and I am very excited to welcome him to this new role.

John is a first-generation college graduate who believes deeply in the mission of the California State University. He received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fresno. After completing his college education, John worked for a public accounting firm in Fresno, where he earned his license to practice as a certified public accountant. A few years later, John earned his juris doctorate from UC Davis, and went on to practice law for nine years as a litigator for civil and criminal cases throughout California. While working as a litigator, John served as the president of the Kings County Bar Association.

John eventually changed his career focus to join California State University, Fresno Association, Inc. (that university’s commercial services auxiliary organization), where he served for over 18 years as its associate executive director and staff counsel. During his time at Fresno State, John provided advice and counsel to five other university auxiliary organization boards of directors. In 2018, John relocated to Sacramento and began working for UEI as its general counsel. He subsequently also was named UEI’s risk manager.

Please join me in welcoming John to this new role, and in thanking outgoing UEI Executive Director Jim Reinhart for his leadership over the past 14 years. Jim's last day will be Aug. 4. Jim, we wish you all the best in retirement. Stingers Up!

The 2022-23 annual budget year report is now available

May 30, 2023 - The Annual Report for Budget, Expenditures and Financial Information for the 2022-23 budget year is now available to the campus and community partners. It is provided as part of Sacramento State’s ongoing commitment to fiscal transparency. This report supports that goal by sharing the process and decisions regarding the budget and allocation of current-year operating funds.

You can access this year’s report by visiting the Budget Planning and Administration Annual Budget and Expenditure Reports webpage.

I appreciate the efforts of those across campus in planning, managing, and collaborating to make sure our budget works for Sacramento State. I especially want to thank the budget team in Administration and Business Affairs and the University Budget Advisory Committee for their dedication and hard work. Maintaining a balanced budget would be impossible without their guidance and expertise. As we make the transition to new leadership this summer, I have confidence that all will remain committed to prioritizing student success.

Stingers Up!

The COVID-19 federal public health emergency declaration has been lifted

May 26, 2023 - On Thursday, May 11, 2023, the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declaration was lifted. Although COVID-19 no longer is considered a public health emergency, the virus continues to evolve and spread in the community. It is still possible to get COVID-19 and develop severe complications. To help protect yourself and everyone in the Hornet Family, please continue to follow these guidelines:

• It is recommended that individuals wear a face covering if they have respiratory symptoms or significant exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Visit the California Department of Public Health recommendations for more information on when to consider wearing a face covering.
• If you are sick, have cold or flu-like symptoms, or have a known exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, taking a COVID-19 test is highly recommended. Most testing sites in the community now are closed. You may be eligible to order free at-home COVID-19 test kits, or purchase them at local pharmacies, such as CVS or Walgreens.
• Students should report positive COVID-19 cases through Student Health and Counseling Services, and employees should continue to report cases through Risk Management Services.
• Staying current on COVID-19 vaccine and annual immunizations is recommended. COVID-19 vaccines remain available free of charge.
• COVID-19 vaccines are highly recommended for all Sac State staff, faculty, and students, including students living in residence halls. A second bivalent booster is recommended for individuals 65 and older and those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. Find out where you can be vaccinated.

Student Health and Counseling Services will be open this summer, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, May 30 - Aug. 18. Beginning on Tuesday, May 30, masking in the student health center in The WELL will be highly recommended, but no longer required. Masking will still be required for all individuals experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms. For questions or concerns, please contact 916-278-6461 or shcs@csus.edu.

Thank you for continuing to take care of one another. Stingers Up!