Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission approved a package of policy recommendations aimed at shoring up the state’s seven public universities, voting 13–2 to push regular academic‑program audits and opening the possibility of mergers. The commission told the Legislature its analysis finds universities working to contain costs but still facing structural budget shortfalls driven by declining enrollment and constrained state revenues. Commissioner Michael Dembrow urged lawmakers to pair any policy changes with increased funding, noting Oregon’s per‑student appropriation of $8,625 lags the national average of $11,683. The report warns that without bold action—ranging from program consolidations to institutional mergers—Oregon’s public systems could exhaust fund balances within three to five years, forcing deeper cuts and program eliminations.