Academic Senate Implementation of Sonoma State Commitment Plan
WHEREAS, the California Legislature enacted the Sonoma State Commitment in the 2025–26 Budget Act (the statute), appropriating $45 million to Sonoma State University
WHEREAS, the statute allocated a $9,000,000 discretionary fund, to be used “in consultation with faculty, students, and community stakeholders” for “enrollment increases, restoring prior
reductions, and new academic degrees degrees to address the regional and statewide workforce needs”; and
WHEREAS, the Academic Senate on May 15, 2025, approved the Ad-Hoc Committee’s Comeback Plan recommendations, including the idea of establishing a faculty-led oversight council to monitor the implementation of any adopted recovery or restructuring plan and charged the Structure and Functions Subcommittee with recommending the form of such council; and
WHEREAS, the Sonoma State Commitment now constitutes the University’s adopted recovery plan, requiring transparent, accountable, and collaborative implementation in line with the oversight framework endorsed by the Senate on May 15; and
WHEREAS, the Academic Senate on May 15, 2025, further called for consistent, fact-based updates on institutional progress to be provided to legislative partners and community stakeholders, in coordination with the Faculty Senate and university leadership;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate affirm its role, consistent with its May 15th 2025 senate action, in exercising faculty-led monitoring and accountability role in the
implementation of the Sonoma State Commitment, ensuring that all $45,000,000 of state funds
appropriated to Sonoma State University are administered transparently and in accordance with our university’s mission and enrollment goals; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the the Academic Senate interpret the statutory requirement of “faculty consultation” in the allocation of the $9 million discretionary funds to mean genuine, active participation in shaping priorities, processes, metrics, and outcomes, as required by the Faculty Consultation in University Decision Making Policy -not a passive role of being informed after decisions are made; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate direct the Structure & Functions Subcommittee, consistent with the May 15 Senate action, to bring forward a proposal to establish the Oversight Council to carry out this charge, through APARC by means of a dedicated Commitment Implementation Panel (CIP), and that its composition reflects the principles of shared governance and the spirit of the statute, by including faculty, administration, staff, students, and community stakeholders; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council shall monitor the implementation of the Sonoma State Commitment, review progress toward enrollment, academic, and fiscal benchmarks, and ensure transparency, accountability, and timely reporting to the Academic Senate, the campus community, and legislative partners, serving as the forum where academic and fiscal priorities are developed collaboratively to restore or/and reimagine programs, increase enrollment, and
address regional workforce needs through shared governance.