Southern Oregon University’s governing board is set to vote on a plan that would cut roughly 66 full-time-equivalent jobs, eliminate three undergraduate programs, and overhaul academic operations—moves tied to a required one-time $15 million infusion from the Oregon Legislature. The university projects about $12 million in annual savings. The proposal would remove programs including human service, music industry and production, and financial mathematics, and consolidate multiple deans into a single-dean model aimed at reducing “structural silos.” It also includes reductions across student services and administrative roles, ending certain software contracts and requiring athletics to be financially self-sustaining by fiscal 2029. SOU officials described the crisis as both financial and “an identity crisis,” citing diminished public funding, AI-driven change, and shrinking traditional-age enrollment. Employees voiced concerns during a community meeting that the cuts will weaken the institution. ID: 685609bf79e3bf25 is expected to be a bellwether for how state-supported institutions restructure quickly to meet funding conditions as student demand shifts.