In addition to the possibility of fewer academic options, according to the California Faculty Association \u2014 the union that represents CSU professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches \u2014 an estimated 40 jobs will be eliminated at Cal State Dominguez Hills if this plan is approved.<\/p>\n
What’s the university’s position?<\/p>\n
The CSU system is facing a $2.3 billion budget gap<\/a>, despite tuition increases. The gap is rooted in cuts to state funding and increased labor costs. <\/p>\n Keep up with LAist.<\/p>\n If you’re enjoying this article, you’ll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less. <\/p>\n “The university\u2019s current financial constraints limit our ability to invest in new or expanded programs,” university spokesperson Lilly McKibbin said via email.<\/p>\n She added that no final decisions have been made and that the process to end a program would give faculty a chance to “review data and hear from the campus community.”<\/p>\n If the proposed cuts are made, McKibbin added, “all students enrolled in these programs will be able to finish their degrees at CSUDH.” She also said the campus “does not anticipate layoffs of tenured or tenure-track faculty as a result of program discontinuation.”<\/p>\n “As course offerings are reduced,” she added, “it will result in less work available for lecturers.”<\/p>\n What the programs mean to students and faculty<\/p>\n University faculty say the programs are an essential part of the university living up to its values.<\/p>\n \u201cThese programs are not expendable \u2014 they are essential,\u201d said Stephen McFarland, a labor studies professor at the campus and a CFA executive board member. \u201cEliminating them would narrow students\u2019 opportunities at a moment when they need more pathways, not fewer.\u201d<\/p>\n At a rally Tuesday against the proposed cuts, several labor studies students told LAist they chose to study at Cal State Dominguez Hills because no other CSU campus in southern California offers this major. <\/p>\n “It’s the only reason that I’m here,” said senior Isaac Shtil. “The fact that I can work toward a future in which I can make things better for my community \u2014 and for every community \u2014 is really important to me. And I don’t want to be the last person that gets to do that. I want other students to come here and enjoy the privileges I’ve [had].” <\/p>\n Shtil noted that while his campus contemplates eliminating his major, UCLA recently launched a labor studies program<\/a>, with plans to offer a master’s degree. <\/p>\n Students at the rally also believe that cutting classic majors like art history and philosophy would be unthinkable at elite universities. That this is being contemplated at Cal State Dominguez Hills, where Black and Latino students make up the majority of the student population, is alarming, said senior Jamil Amin. <\/p>\n![\"chart](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765523112_440_thumbnail.jpeg\")
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