By Sapphire Perez & Dylan Smith, Staff Reporters
With homemade signs, megaphones, and slogans of solidarity, Toros marched across campus on Feb. 18, demanding that CSUDH officials take immediate action to save jobs amid a University system-wide budget crisis. At least 150 students, faculty, and staff joined the rally, marching from the Loker Student Union to Welch Hall and the I&I Building.
Members of the California Faculty Association (CFA) and Cal State Employees Union (CSUEU) at Dominguez Hills organized the rally in response to layoffs last month.
Just days after the start of the semester, on Jan. 24, CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham sent an email to faculty and staff saying the university had “made the painful decision” to issue layoff notices to a number of campus employees. Parham cited a “lack of funds,” adding that “the vast majority of our staff will remain employed” and the university’s leadership team was “deeply grateful” for their contributions.
“We understand the significant impact that this news will have on our community, and together we will need to go through a time of operational adjustment,” Parham wrote.
On Feb. 15, a CSUDH spokesperson emailed The Bulletin confirming that more than 30 employees were laid off—including IT, custodial, and safety staff.
As onlookers gathered at the rally, sociology professor and CFADH leader La Tanya Skiffer voiced her disdain for the university’s rationale. She dubbed the president “Paycheck Parham” and criticized his actions for showing a lack of respect for faculty and staff.
Ayumi Nakamoto, who was a technical business analyst for DH, was among those laid off. Nakamoto had worked at the campus for eight years and told The Bulletin that at least five people were laid off from her department last month.
“I think that the campus has been having these ‘Lunch and Learns’ and [budget] town halls to make the appearance of being transparent,” Nakamoto said.
The layoff notices came as a surprise to the unions. According to Skiffer, the university’s lawyers previously told union leaders that there would be no layoffs during what she described as an unexpectedly short meeting.
“That meeting was scheduled for 2 hours—it lasted 30 minutes,” Skiffer said.
Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom approved a $375-million cut to the CSU system to help reduce the statewide deficit. CSUDH faces a $12-million operating budget cut next year
Despite the cuts, the Chancellor’s Office announced on Feb. 5 that the University would partner with leading tech companies “to establish the CSU as the nation’s first and largest AI-powered public university system.”
Amy Bently-Smith, the CSU director for strategic communications and public affairs, said the $17 million deal would be paid out of the Chancellor’s Office—not CSUDH’s operating budget. Bently-Smith added the cost is less than the current and planned expenditures for these technologies, which include offerings from Microsoft, NVIDIA, and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.
At a town hall meeting on Feb. 13, CSUDH Vice Provost Ken O’Donnell discussed strategies to avoid further layoffs, such as leaving vacancies unfilled. Monica Ponce, the assistant vice president for human resources, explained that within each job group, employees with more seniority will have priority in keeping their positions. Individual merit was not a factor in layoff decisions, she said.
Such reassurances from the university offered little relief to some faculty and staff. English faculty member Julia Talante told The Bulletin she’s worried about how AI tools could affect instruction in the future.
“I see often—not just with students, but I’ve seen this, unfortunately, with the people who should know better—use ChatGPT like Google,” Talante lamented. “It is incidentally correct just because statistically the correct answer is out there more … however, it will also do things like make up sources—it will get very basic calculations and stuff wrong.”
Skiffer, the CFADH leader, argued that AI tools need to be regulated first so students can learn how to use them effectively.
“It’s been thrown in our face and shoved down our throats without consultation,” she said.
Bently-Smith said CSU recognized the timing of the deal was “difficult,” given the budget issues, but she believes investing in AI tools will offer students more opportunities.
“There is little more important than enabling our students to gain the skills and experience necessary to be successful in their careers, and our choice to invest in AI tools is being made with this in mind,” she said.
Meryah Fisher, an adjunct professor of Africana Studies, rebuked the deal as counterproductive.
“What is the point of me being here if students are not even going to engage in the work that I’m supposed to be doing with them,” Fisher said. “If they’d rather just throw a prompt into ChatGPT … whatever output comes out, they use as their thoughts.”
Fisher told The Bulletin that she’s modified some assignments to encourage critical thinking skills and mitigate cheating. She’s concerned that lower-level courses may become AI-generated, and there would be fewer adjunct faculty, who are contracted on a semester-to-semester basis.
According to Skiffer, CSUDH signed a “multimillion-dollar” partnership with Huron Consulting Co. to help balance the university’s budget. The deal has sparked outrage among some Toro staff and faculty, who criticized it as an unnecessary expense during a critical time.
Finance professor and former budget committee chair Rama Malladi told The Bulletin that hiring the firm could cost $425 per hour. He expressed concerns about the university’s hiring practices, and he argued that funds would be better spent on essential improvements and preventing further layoffs.
President Parham offered clarity on the budget shortfall and the layoffs in an email to The Bulletin on Feb. 19. Parham said he supported CSUDH employees’ right to express themselves, because such feedback helps to inform the administration’s decisions. However, he cautioned against “attacking each other,” saying the campus community should instead direct frustrations toward the state, “who is imposing these cuts.”
Parham also addressed the “misconception” that reserve funds could be used to offset cuts or layoffs.
“The $22 million campus reserve figure that has been circulating is largely comprised of encumbered dollars for expenses already incurred, and student aid,” he explained. “The remaining residual monies represent less than one month’s payroll for an institution that should have at least six months of reserves for financial health.”
Regarding the contract with Huron Consulting, Parham reiterated that the university is “utilizing both internal and external experts to chart the best path forward.” He added that “consultants make recommendations, not decisions,” and a parallel task force of CSUDH students, faculty, and staff would be formed to evaluate the issues facing campus.
News stories about CSUDH seldom mention the school’s financial woes, Skiffer said. She accused the University system of making decisions behind closed doors, ultimately.
“The CSU has been able to control the narrative where we’re having this conversation on their terms,” Skiffer said. “This rally is a way for us to take back that narrative and let people know what’s happening to the campus.”
CSUDH recently launched a newsletter to provide updates about the budget situation and “reimagine” the campus’ future.
