CCE Students Raise their Voices on Staff Cuts

Photo Courtesy of The Catholic University of America

By Elliana Arnold

In an effort to restore the university to solid financial footing, Catholic University’s administration has pursued eliminating staff positions to reduce their operational budget. On May 19, 2025, the Monday after Commencement, the University shocked employees and supervisors by giving them extremely short notice of the elimination of their positions. The lack of previous warnings and the abrupt communications with staff members and the larger campus community have led many students to believe that the situation was handled unprofessionally, leaving many hurt. 

The Center for Cultural Engagement’s (CCE) top leadership was included in these cuts. Director Javier Bustamante, who has run the center for several years now, and Assistant Director Javier Oliver are among the staff members who have been let go. 

The CCE has served a myriad of CUA students ever since its founding in 2016, including members of cultural organizations, commuters, and students in the Take Flight program. Bustamante and Oliver have been vital leaders of this center and have touched the lives of many CUA students within the CCE and beyond, many of whom have been outraged by these recent decisions.

“This doesn’t feel like just a financial decision. It feels like erasure. It feels like our voices and our needs were never considered. And it hurts deeply” states Diarou Bayo, a rising junior nursing major.

In an effort to uplift not only these students’ indignation but also their love for this center and its leaders, we did an informal survey of these students to gauge their reactions to the CCE layoffs. Here, in their own words, is what they shared.

Sumera Ejaz (International Business Major, Data Analysis Minor, Class of 2026):

“The University’s decision to fire Javier Bustamante and Javier Oliver shows a lack of commitment to underrepresented communities here on campus. The CCE was a safe space for first-gen students, students of color, students of different sexualities, and students of different religious backgrounds. No matter which way you look at the situation, the erasure of the CCE hurts a variety of minority groups.”

Alexandra Sorto (Business Administration Major with specializations in International Business and Accounting, Class of 2027):

“This decision is not only unfair–it’s a devastating loss for the entire campus community. Javier was so much more than just a staff member. He was a light for so many of us, especially students of color and first-generation students who often feel invisible at a PWI [Predominantly White Institution]. He made it his mission to make everyone feel seen, valued, and at home. He never failed to greet you with warmth, to check in on how you were really doing, and to offer encouragement rooted in faith and compassion. He created a space where we felt safe to be ourselves–where we could breathe, laugh, cry, and grow.”

Diarou Bayo (Nursing Major, Class of 2027):

“This whole situation has left a lot of us shocked, hurt, and honestly just heartbroken. The removal of both Javier Bustamante and Javier Oliver feels like a direct blow to the communities they served, especially students of color. We feel like orphans right now, abandoned by the university and just completely left in the dark. Javier Bustamante wasn’t just a staff member. He was our mentor, our advocate, and the only person many of us felt truly supported by at CUA. He’s been doing this work for seven years. He is the reason so many of us chose to come here and the reason we stayed. And now, not only is he gone, but we were given absolutely no warning or explanation. No transparency. No input. Just gone.”

Khiya Kelly (Psychology & Brain Science Major, Class of 2026):

“The elimination of the 66 staff members was disrespectful and inhumane. To target innocent people with families and that make such an impact on the university might I add, because of someone else’s mistake with the money was dead wrong and unfair…Minority students, first generation students, commuter students do not feel safe nor supported on campus now that we know that the CCE pro staff was eliminated and that the office may be removed as a whole…We feel like nothing more than a statistic that is there to make the university look good right now.”

Xochitl Alicia (Psychology Major, Class of 2027):

“How are we supposed to feel like we are part of the CUA community when the ONE SPOT that was meant for us specifically is getting taken from us…Javier has done so much in the 7 years he has been there. He has made so many events to let us show our cultures. He has made us first generation students who come from immigrant families feel like we belong at the university, like we have a home.”

Anonymous Undergraduate Student:

“While I understand that layoffs are common components of budget planning, it doesn’t seem like these decisions were made with students in mind; the staff were only viewed as numbers instead of vital resources. Giving these people advanced notice about the future of their careers so that they could properly say goodbye to the students they’ve been supporting for years or even publicly acknowledging and thanking them for their work is the very least our president could have done. But instead, their lives were abruptly changed on a business day after graduation, after CUA could use them one last time.”

Emily D’Costa (Nursing Major, Class of 2027):

“I’m incredibly disappointed in the direction the university has taken. It’s clear that recent financial decisions–especially the elimination of certain programs and staff–were made without fully considering their impact on students. In particular, the removal of Javier Bustamante and Javier Oliver from the Center for Cultural Engagement is deeply upsetting. These individuals have been powerful advocates for minority students, offering support, encouragement, and a consistent voice in a space where many already feel overlooked or silenced. For years, they’ve created an environment where underrepresented students felt seen and valued. Their absence leaves a noticeable void, and the decision to let them go sends a troubling message about the university’s priorities.”

These students are calling for more transparency and inclusion in the decisions that will directly impact their experiences on campus. Many have reached out to the University, seeking clarity amidst their loss, anger, and confusion. 

Bayo shares, “At least 10 of us have sent emails in the past two days, a lot of emails, to every faculty member we could think of, including the Office of the President. And we’ve gotten zero responses. Nothing. We’re hurting, and we’re being ignored.”

The cuts to these faculty members have left CUA students, especially those connected to CCE, feel as though they have lost a home. Students and staff alike are reeling from these latest decisions and are wondering what will come next.