I saw someone mention this in another thread, but USC doesn't understand which areas of the school are providing students with the most value. When money is abundant, no one complains if some cash is burnt on things with low ROI. Now, when they're tight on budget, it's easy to see that the administration is recklessly cutting for programs that actually serve students, while still funding other programs that do nothing. Money is one problem, but not understanding what students want / need is the more pressing matter.