SEASIDE >> To maintain a balanced budget, Cal State Monterey Bay will be undergoing a hiring and travel freeze, president Vanya Quiñones announced in a memo to staff and faculty this week.

Quiñones clarified in the memo that the freeze is not in result of a budget crisis, but rather a preventative approach to ensure the university’s budget remains stable going into the next academic year. For the rest of 2024-25, CSUMB will cease hiring across state-supported positions and restrict non-essential travel.

“While we recognize the importance of staffing, we believe this step is essential to maintain our operational stability,” said Quiñones in the memo. “We understand that these measures may require adjustments, and we appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we navigate these changes.”

The decision was spurred by a 3% drop in fall-to-spring retention. This drop was a larger decline than previous years, said Quiñones, and resulted in 149 full-time equivalent students not returning for the spring semester.

The enrollment decline has led to a projected budget decrease. Quiñones is also looking ahead toward a potential decline in state funding, as Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2025-26 budget included a nearly 8% cut to the CSU budget.

“While Cal State Monterey Bay is in a more stable position compared to other CSU campuses, the budget situation remains fluid,” she said in the memo.

Quiñones clarified the university will move forward with recruitment for all job positions that are already actively looking for recruits. Any domestic or international travel that is non-essential to business operation and use state funds will be paused for the remainder of the year.

Essential travel, including travel required by the Chancellor’s office, will be allowed to continue according to university spokesman Walter Ryce. Employees that have travel plans not funded state-side can carry on with their plans if approved by their supervisors, said Ryce.

Quiñones also addressed federal changes in funding and programming as a result of the Trump administration’s approach to education and plans to slash the federal budget.

“Some orders are already implemented and others are still being finalized,” she said. “As a result, it is natural that many of us are feeling uneasy and uncertain about the future.”

Quiñones also stated that impacts of federal mandates are already being felt at CSUMB and the university has been notified of possible cuts to federal grants.

“I want to emphasize that any reductions resulting from these changes are not a result of our state budget, but are directly due to cuts in federal grants,” she said.

Last July, the university announced 16 layoffs and 86 voluntary separations, a cost-saving move that helped eliminate a $4 million deficit. At the time, Quiñones stated during a town hall that she couldn’t guarantee the university would have the funding to avoid any more layoffs.

University officials will share more information on the 2025-26 budget at a town hall on March 18. Quiñones stated there are still “several unknowns” that might change budget projections and “additional cost-saving measures may be necessary.”