Hundreds Gather to Save Our Sonoma State

Hundreds of animated and boisterous CFA members, staff, students, and community members made their presence felt at Seawolf Plaza at the center of Sonoma State last Thursday. The decimation of a CSU Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) is unconscionable and immoral in every way. Join the more than 4,000 supporters who have signed our petition to Save Sonoma State.

“It was so uplifting to see students, faculty, and staff all have each other’s backs in such a massive, smart, and joyful display. I’ve seen estimates as high as 1,500 for the people who were on a campus with roughly 6,000 students. It felt like anything is possible, and it felt like hope,” said Scott Horstein, CFA Sonoma Membership & Organizing Chair and Theatre Arts Professor who received a layoff notice.

Sonoma State administration announced drastic cuts to faculty, staff, athletics, departments and programs last week. The assembled crowd gathered to watch a virtual town hall on those proposed budget reductions. Boos and chants from the angry crowd frequently drowned out the discussion as the town hall was broadcast over a large television in the quad. See photos from the rally.

To start the meeting, Sonoma State Interim President Emily Cutrer read a message from CSU Chancellor Mildred García. Despite claims of empathy and concern, the letter did nothing to dissuade the crowd’s palatable frustration. In fact, García wrote that despite the difficulty and pain, the cuts must happen. Town hall participants were limited to one minute to provide feedback, and many questions were ignored. Cutrer announced that she would speak face-to-face with groups of Sonoma State community members over the next several weeks.

North Bay legislative leaders announced that they will be “conducting in-person meetings with campus and community stakeholders and a legislative hearing on the proposed severe budgetary reductions and program eliminations” planned by the CSU system at Sonoma State. The hearing will be held on February 21 at 2 p.m. More details to come.  

Read our item on how CSU Trustees responded to the devastating cuts at Sonoma State.

With these cuts, Sonoma State administration is laying off over 25 percent of its faculty. These devastating budget cuts express the vision and future of the CSU, according to Chancellor Mildred García and the CSU Board of Trustees, where resources have been diverted to fund high-paying administrative salaries, capital projects, and – most significantly – hundreds of millions of dollars in debt service while crucial instruction and essential student services are viewed as an afterthought.

We know that this approach to running the CSU system will not end with the cuts and layoffs at Sonoma State. That’s why CFA members need to do all they can to fight the layoffs and cuts to programs and departments detrimental to students. If García’s regime can cut Sonoma State so deeply, we know other campuses are next in this race to the bottom.