A Look Back at 2025: Our Solidarity Is Everything! Eight Ways We Are Meeting the Moment

In a year marked by cruel and unjust actions by the Trump administration, our members have weathered the storm and pushed back in meaningful ways. 

Trump’s proposed cuts and policy changes to the Department of Education have led to, among other grievances, clashes with universities pushing for inclusivity and social justice reforms, the relentless targeting of transgender and gender non-binary students and educators, the cancelling of federal research grants, cuts in funding for Pell Grant recipients, reduced eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness applicants, further precarity for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients, hostility toward international students, and an alarming suppression of free speech and academic freedom on our campuses. Additionally, the administration’s cuts to Medicaid will affect disabled students’ access to necessary accommodations. Abductions of both undocumented and documented students and family members have led to widespread fear and panic at universities. The firing of thousands of federal employees and the banning of collective bargaining for more than a half-dozen federal agencies have upended the livelihoods of thousands, and the normal functioning of these agencies. 

Despite such setbacks, our members have demonstrated their resilience day in and day out. Even with an initially grim outlook for California’s state budget and the economic instability caused by federal policies, our members met the moment.  

1. We fought hard—delivering more than 10,000 petitions and letters of advocacy to the governor and legislators—to ensure that the CSU would come out triumphant. Against all odds, we secured a full restoration of the CSU General Fund, reversing the governor’s original proposed 7.95% cut (or $375.2 million) as well as the 3% ongoing cut he included during his May Revise. 

2. We rallied the Legislature to further eliminate a 3% reduction from 2026-27 onward by providing a 0% interest loan, which the chancellor has since approved. Now, we are calling on her to spend those funds on reversing cuts to instruction and academic programs. 

3. Our members also committed countless hours to canvassing, phone- and text-banking, and reaching out to colleagues, friends, and family to ensure the passing of Proposition 50. We defended our democracy and showed how organized labor in California can lead the way. 

4. Our Immigration Task Force has placed protecting undocumented faculty, staff, and students at the forefront of our work. We have developed rapid response networks on individual campuses that offer tools and structures to help defend our campus communities. We have also demanded that the chancellor take responsibility for further ensuring the safety of all our stakeholders.  

5. We have held firm on defending the principles of free speech and academic freedom on our campuses, fighting back against a chilling Time, Place, and Manner policy, a “Guidance on Other Conduct of Concern,” (OCC) and a directive that the chancellor has used to suppress our speech. We have made it clear to the chancellor that she will not control us through these authoritarian tactics, and that the CSU is a place for free exchange of ideas, not surveillance and fearmongering. 

6. In light of this, three campus’ Faculty Senates, specifically Sonoma State, CSU Los Angeles, and most recently San Diego State, have called for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor García, citing her lack of shared governance, transparency in decision-making, inability to protect students, faculty, and staff, and her failure to fulfill the core mission of the CSU. 

7. We have strengthened our relationships with our union siblings, our communities, and our legislators, who understand the value of protecting and furthering the mission of the CSU. Our rallies at the Chancellor’s Office have been nothing short of powerful, drawing in large crowds and garnering significant media attention. This work is not just vital to the CSU, but to the entire nation as we confront issues such as the impact of AI in academia, the erosion of academic freedom, and the misuse of university finances. At the request of our members, Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire recently sent a letter addressed to the chancellor, urging her not to spend it on preexisting administrative costs, but to invest it on instruction and academic programs. 

8. Bargaining is also underway, with our Bargaining Team presenting more than a dozen proposals to CSU management that impact all faculty, including longstanding salary, workload, and equity issues. The stakes are high here, but we know we can count on the strength of our members to see this fight through. 

These victories are only a part of the whole story. We’ve also won countless grievances for our faculty this year, pushed back against management during their town halls, organized a myriad of rallies, tabling events, and hall walking sessions to both inform, educate, and simply hear from our colleagues. These small actions make a big difference and serve to transform the very heart of our institution.

Together, we have truly become the leaders that we’ve been looking for.  

None of this would have been possible without the resolve of our members. Every one of you has been indispensable. While challenges will always remain, our courage and willingness to fight for a brighter future has never been stronger.

From our hearts to yours: thank you for everything you do for us and for our students.