Portland State University announced a “final plan” after negotiating with its faculty union for months, approving layoffs and the closure of two departments to address a $35 million budget shortfall. The university said it would lay off 36 employees and close two departments, with the changes designed to close the gap over the next two years. The action follows the long pattern of budget pressure in higher education, but the union-negotiated process makes the announcement operationally significant: it sets immediate faculty workforce changes and potential program discontinuations that can affect students’ pathways. For institutions, the case underscores how quickly fiscal restructuring can translate into academic reconfiguration even when leadership seeks negotiated outcomes with faculty governance.