Hello Toros,
I look forward to using this space on an ongoing basis to share with you updates, points of pride, celebrations, and opportunities to engage as we move forward at this wonderful university. My role here may be interim, but by no means is my commitment or pride over being part of this community limited by that term.
First, let me congratulate everyone for the hard work and successes we achieved as we close the books on 25-26. While the fiscal year may not have the same valence at a university as the academic year, for CSUDH, and the financial challenges we have endured, the budget has taken on wider meaning for the entire campus.
Because of your work to reduce spending, identify opportunities for improved service, and seek innovative solutions to some of our more vexing problems, we have substantially reduced the university’s overall budget deficit—from a projected $8.8 million at the end of 24-25 to just $1.5 million today. That is an outcome that did not come easy, and one we should all be congratulated for.
When I arrived here, I set out to work with the campus community to improve our financial situation and bring our enrollment realities closer to our targets. Since that time, Toros have come together and made tremendous strides in these areas—particularly the Enrollment Management team, whom I have asked to do things they had never done before. In fact, it was the work of so many of you, from every part of the university, that contributed to this result, from the staff who called admitted students to share with them what makes CSUDH a great place to be, to the faculty who met students at Toro Admit Day. I thank you again for your dedication to the university.
We will not be slowing down, though. There are university-wide priorities that we must tackle to ensure CSUDH is able to move forward in a higher education environment that looks different from any that have come before. We will need to transform our academic portfolio; bring focus to the student journey at CSUDH, by leaning into what is working and identifying what can be strengthened; and improve our institutional structures and talent strategy. We will discuss these priorities in greater detail and with deep, collaborative engagement in the days and weeks ahead.
For me, the last six months have been a time of excitement and opportunity. I have spent my days and nights envisioning a future CSUDH, and working with faculty, staff, administrators, students, and the broader Toro Community to build the capacity to take us there. Seeing our university profiled in the L.A. Sentinel not once but three times since I’ve arrived is such a thrill. Whether it’s with the more than 100 political leaders, community partners, and donors whom I’ve met; the alumni who support student success; the students who inspire us; the staff who animate the university; or the faculty who drive us forward, I come away from every conversation more excited than ever about what is coming next.
Sincerely,
Mary Ann Villarreal, Ph.D.
