Millie Watch in Sacramento Draws Strategic Protest

The much-anticipated “Millie Watch” event on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at the Sheraton Sacramento was promoted as a “networking opportunity to connect CSU alumni, campus presidents, and members of the capital community.” However, the event quickly turned into a flashpoint for faculty advocacy as CFA members arrived to protest Chancellor Mildred García’s leadership and financial mismanagement.

The event was framed as a celebration of CSU’s impact, but faculty members saw it as another opportunity for García’s disconnect from the challenges facing the system’s students and faculty. Andrea Terry, CFA Sacramento Political Action and Legislative Committee Chair and Sacramento State professor, captured this sentiment, stating, “What she didn’t mention were the ways she is harming our campuses through massive financial cuts and program closures. She didn’t talk about her plans to merge two of her ‘children,’ and she didn’t mention the harm being done to instruction with millions invested in a partnership with OpenAI while mass lecturer layoffs continue.”

Chancellor García referred to the 23 CSU campuses as her “children,” a statement that left many faculty members questioning why, if she cared so deeply, critical academic programs remained underfunded and faculty job security continues to erode. This paternalistic view also disregards students’ autonomy and suggests that the chancellor, rather than the students, knows what’s best for them.

More than 40 CFA members gathered both inside and outside the event. Some students who had registered in advance were reportedly denied entry after being identified as protest participants. Signs reading “Honk if you love public education” lined the sidewalks, reinforcing the faculty’s call for greater investment in instruction and student support.

In a continued effort to criminalize advocacy efforts, the Chancellor deployed a clear, noticeable security presence. Terry attempted to engage directly with Chancellor García but was met with silence. “After the talk, I waited to speak with the chancellor. Despite being five feet away and attempting to make eye contact, I was ignored,” Terry recounted.

García’s departure from the event was swift, with five security guards ushering her through the kitchen exit, accompanied by Sacramento State administrators. Faculty members noted the irony of their advocacy efforts being treated as a security threat. “This is not new behavior from Mildred Garcia. She acts as though faculty are a danger to her, sneaking in and out the back door when all we want is to be heard and taken seriously. This kind of unaccountable leadership must stop,” Terry asserted.

As the CSU faces ongoing financial mismanagement, faculty layoffs, and resource reallocation, the events at Millie Watch only intensified existing frustrations. For CFA members, the evening served as yet another reminder of the growing divide between the administration’s rhetoric and the reality on campuses. The fight for faculty advocacy continues, with CFA members determined to hold leadership accountable for the future of California’s public higher education.