Faculty and undergraduates express concerns as budget cuts impact advising positions, potentially delaying graduation and reducing support.
Updated Nov. 5, 2025
Since Western Washington University first implemented its multiyear plan to reduce its operating budget in March, the total cuts for this coming fiscal year have grown to $26.2 million.
The full cuts, announced early this summer, reduce the university’s annual operating budget of $235 million by over 11%. Officials cite lingering revenue shortfalls from the COVID-19 pandemic, insufficient state funding and increased operational costs.
About $13 million in permanent reductions have been identified, with another $5 million still expected.
This means the elimination of 74 staff positions, 36 of which were vacant. The reductions mainly affected administrative and support units.
‘Cutting funding for the one person who keeps
students at Western is like cutting the trunk of a tree.’
The College of Business and Economics lost its advising manager, a role that supported student enrollment and academic planning. Some students expressed uncertainty following the change.
“Cutting funding for the one person who keeps students at Western is like cutting the trunk of a tree. Advisors keep us on track to graduate, you cut them, you’re cutting out your own foundation,” said Kebba Bayo, a business and economics student.
Bayo had been working closely with the adviser after switching majors — psychology to business management — relying on her to map out a detailed plan for the next year and a half, including guidance on academic pathways and even work-related opportunities like preparing presentations for business students. He said that she was extremely proactive, sending emails, checking in consistently and managing a large number of students, which made her guidance extremely valuable.
“It felt like the carpet was pulled out from under me. I had built my entire plan with my advisor and now that support system is gone,” he said.
Questions remain about long-term capacity for faculty advising, as planned academic affairs reductions take place next year. Administrators emphasize that critical courses like English 101 and mental health resources will continue to receive funding.
Ed.: A comment in a previous version of this story inaccurately represented adviser resources in the EECE department and has been deleted.
Sharon Schmidtz, a data specialist in enrollment management, was laid off in June this year. She analyzed enrollment drops and student graduations and optimized advisory resources.
Guidelines for emergencies
Article 32 of the 2023-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement permits the university to eliminate positions during fiscal emergencies, provided that the outlined procedures are followed.
Kristi Tyran, the 2024-2025 Faculty Senate Budget Representative and professor of Management at Western, said unions allow position elimination in fiscal emergencies.
Tyran said she had to advise more pre-majors this year since her college’s advising position was eliminated. “We had a pre-major advisor in this college, and that position was eliminated,” she said. “I had a lot more students that I had to advise who were pre-majors than majors.”
‘Academic advising is an essential part of any healthy university.’
Cuts reflect a broader trend. The state legislature reduced higher education funding across public universities, leaving schools like Western more reliant on tuition revenue. Administrators say this worsens pressure on services like advising.
Western has consolidated several offices under Academic Affairs, including advising, enrollment management and outreach. Centralization aims to reduce redundancies, though students say it doesn’t fully replace dedicated advisers. Fall and winter advising sessions continue in virtual or hybrid formats.
Provost Brad Johnson said while advising remains largely unaffected in most departments, challenges persist in the College of Business and Economics, where students rely on redistributed support.
“We’re working to strengthen advising processes across the institution. But in the College of Business and Economics, we recognize this reduction is difficult. Our focus is on ensuring students can still navigate their majors effectively,” he said.
Destabilizing success
Meanwhile, affected students are being directed to the Counseling and Wellness Center for additional support.
While some departments, such as Communications, have avoided advising cuts so far, staff say that losing these roles would destabilize students’ success.
Johnny Cook, academic adviser in the Communications department, called advising a “retention tool” tied directly to Western’s financial health.
Other university officials, including Faculty Senate President Michael Slouber, said faculty advising remains intact for now, with no immediate impact on students’ time to degree. However, cuts like the College of Business and Economics’ advisor role have created gaps in some departments, leaving students to navigate redistributed support systems.
“Academic advising is an essential part of any healthy university. It is certainly not a luxury.” Slouber wrote in an email, “New students need advising, and students who have declared majors also need advising to ensure that they take the courses they need and graduate in a timely manner.”
— By Mabaindu Mbawa
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• “School districts push back against threats to cut federal funding,” March 4, 2025
• “Commentary: A tale of two student uprisings,” June 26 2024
• “Island schools avoid perfect storm menacing budgets,” May 5, 2023