Portland State University (PSU) is considering reducing or eliminating 19 academic programs in an effort to address a $35 million budget deficit. The university's president, Ann Cudd, identified the potential cuts in a process called retrenchment, which involves reductions in staffing. The criminal justice, history, economics, political science and philosophy departments could also see reductions. However, critics argue that these cuts will exacerbate the university's decline and further hinder its progress. No final decisions have been made on the cuts.