PIVOT & Retrenchment at PSU

Welcome to the PSU-AAUP PIVOT & Retrenchment Hub

Portland State University has launched the Plan for Institutional Vitality and Organizational Transformation (PIVOT), a multi-year initiative designed to address a projected $40 million structural deficit by FY 2028. PIVOT builds upon the previous "Bridge to the Future" plan but introduces a two-track framework for evaluating both academic programs and administrative support units.

Why This Matters Now

Under Track 1: Academic Program Optimization, the administration is utilizing Program Vitality Reports (PVRs) to evaluate every academic program at PSU. These reports will integrate internal institutional data with external labor market metrics provided by Gray Decision Intelligence (Gray DI) to classify programs into one of five categories: Grow, Sustain, Revitalize, Start, or Sunset.

The "Sunset" classification—designated for programs identified for phased closure—directly implicates the job security of our members. Consequently, understanding the intersection of PIVOT’s financial modeling and our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is essential.

What You Will Find on This Site

This site is dedicated to demystifying the PIVOT process and ensuring every PSU-AAUP member understands their rights and procedural protections. Resources include:

• The PIVOT Framework: Breakdowns of the timeline, specifically the 2025–2026 planning year, and the specific metrics used to populate the Program Vitality Reports.

• Contract Protections: Detailed explainers of Article 22 (Retrenchment) and Article 23 (Retrenchment Hearings), which govern the procedures the university must follow if program elimination leads to layoffs.

• Gray Decision Intelligence (Gray DI): Analysis of the external software and metrics—such as "market demand" and "contribution margin"—that the administration is using to benchmark program viability.

We invite you to explore these materials to stay informed and engaged as we all navigate this difficult period together.