On March 7, 2025 at 2:30 p.m., Portland State’s Vanguard and Subbasement Studios sat down for a press conference with President Ann Cudd. Using a list of questions supplied by students, the press conference shed some light on the future of PSU and its student body.
Isaiah Burns sat down with Cudd in her office to start the conference. While the questions ranged from past issues, present dealings and future problems, there can be no denying that there was a bit of tension.
Cudd started with a preamble that ensured the safety of the students no matter what state the university was in, stating that PSU is about “inclusion, not exclusion. We’ll keep operating as we always have.” She ended with an announcement that PSU’s homecoming game would be at Providence Park. While this was meant to be reassuring, it felt slightly like a reassurance sandwich, with bad news sandwiched between “good” news.
Burns moved into a question regarding what Cudd views as some of the biggest accomplishments of her administration, to which she replied that she is proud of surviving her first year, graduation day being the best. This was all said despite her admitting to the current decline in enrollment.
When questioned about that decline, especially in the midst of the 18 million dollar deficit in the budget, she said that this happens and that enrollment generally ebbs and flows.
“I’m hoping for the flow,” Cudd said.
She then went into PSU’s talk of a strategic plan to attract new students and improve retention and graduation rates. According to Cudd, she has a vision for a “20/30” future that creates clear pathways, leads the Pacific Northwest in serving marginalized communities and empowers employees.
“Our future depends on Portland’s future,” she said.
Cudd said that making our campus more welcoming to families and ultimately driving a resurgence of Portland is essential to PSU’s own enrollment. This initiative to make our campus safer feels like a slap in the face in the midst of many incidents and lack of responses from campus safety. Finding human feces and drug paraphernalia on the sidewalks outside campus buildings does not create an atmosphere that promotes any family’s safety. Many students who have had to call campus security have been turned away with no help or followup.
Part of Cudd’s new initiative includes campus expansion as many new buildings go up, to which Burns responded with what was on everyone’s mind: is this justified in our current financial situation?
She responded that buildings like the new Vernier Science Center and the new Arts + Culture Center will require operating expenses, but does not anticipate them contributing to overall expenses as they are a “longterm investment.” [See this article for more information about some of our PSU buildings.]
She mentioned that many buildings such as these are funded by donors and state bonds that “we don’t have to pay back,” and that such debt is carried by the state.
Burns switched the conversation with a few questions regarding the upcoming layoffs and what that means for faculty and students alike. With a union strike looming, Cudd responded with a brief summary of current negotiations and plans for the future.
“We have to avoid a strike. We’re working really hard . . . That would be disruptive,” she says.
Cudd explains that she feels a great deal of sympathy for those affected by the layoffs since members of her own family felt those effects. She assured that remaining faculty members will be able to maintain the new workload as things shift. And then, she reassured listeners that in the face of a strike, classes will remain.
“We know that there are going to be a fair number of faculty available, and we will be hiring outside . . . We are of course making plans for worse case scenario,” she says.
As Burns wrapped up the interview, Cudd closed with a statement that students should keep the future in focus and be proud of their time here at PSU.
“Hang in there. The best is yet to come.”
For a more in-depth look at this press conference, please visit https://youtu.be/nA81wfXNO3E?si=5t4zXXidc3kDBonz to watch the other exchanges and questions presented by Vanguard, as well as to formulate your own opinions and questions to bring up to your very own student government, ASPSU.
