Earlier this year, during SSU’s spring semester, some cutbacks included cuts to majors, MA programs, and athletics, which raised serious concerns about the university’s future. Cuts included all of the university’s NCAA Division II athletic departments, many academic departments and majors, as well as laying off staff and faculty. This decision affected the entire school, impacting enrollment, student life, and income due to the declining enrollment.
Since the news was released last semester, the university, students, and faculty are still attempting to readjust to the impact and change that is currently underway on campus. With the large number of students unenrolled, the Communication media outlet courses are not filling up as much as they have in the past.
“I have definitely noticed a decline in students [on campus],” said Alexandra Souza, a senior studying communication and media studies at Sonoma State. “Although I don’t live on campus anymore, I’m not seeing it constantly. When I am on campus, I hardly see people walking around, even during prime passing period hours. As for communication classes, I feel like they’re always on the smaller side, but I’ve heard KSUN used to be drastically bigger compared to what it is now.”
Although Communication and Media Studies is a popular major, it is not among the school’s most popular and largest majors. The department offers a strong and engaging curriculum that emphasizes theory and practice. Each communications student is required to enroll in a media outlet class to fulfill their graduation requirements. These outlets include Studio Blue, Primitivo, The Sonoma State Star, and KSUN, and are courses to provide real-world experience for students when they enter their post-graduate career.
Each department specializes in different areas, with KSUN focusing on radio, which is located in Ives Hall. With the initial cuts, KSUN faculty adviser Gina Baleria’s reaction to them was “It wasn’t about the cuts, which I expected and understood because we had a budget … It was the choices about the cuts that seemed very top-down and external”. Although with the new money given to Sonoma State, “KSUN is still doing what it does, and the cuts really came down to programs that they felt didn’t have a lot of participation and to cut resources to save money”.
Despite the difficult challenges the university is facing, many faculty members and students are determined to keep Sonoma State’s media outlets alive and thriving. There are still questions on how the university will continue to operate and rebuild enrollment numbers after the deep cuts of last semester. Programs such as Studio Blue, Primitivo, The Sonoma State Star, and KSUN suggest that even though the university may be facing a hard time transitioning, these creative courses allow students to keep creativity, storytelling, and communication skills alive.
