Thank you Chair Kimbell and greetings to the Board of Trustees, campus presidents, and guests both in person and virtually.

I would like to join the chorus in recognizing the leadership of Acting Chancellor Relyea. Thank you for not just stepping up in our difficult time, but also for your steadfast leadership and commitment to supporting our institution’s success and for your continued support of our students.

Before I begin, I would like to recognize the leadership demonstrated by the student’s who shared today in public comment. It is truly a privilege to represent our students here and their comments are powerful reminders that, though we may intend to do good by them and support them, that is not always the impact. And though I operate and will continue to operate under a decorum that recognizes the authority of my position in presenting to you all, I also believe the voices of our students are powerful in all forms. Our students are not only the best advocates for our system’s successes, they are also foundationally the whole reason we are here. If we are to be accessible, we must hear out our community, even when their voices threaten the nature of our privilege. In this way, may we put our values of transparency and accessibility into practice.

With that said, I wish you all a happy Women’s History Month and hope you all are remaining healthy and safe amidst the continuation of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In the spirit of our month, I am reminded of the words of Audre Lorde, a self described “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet” when she shared with us the sentiments “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own”. Though her sentiments were shared in very different contexts, the ideals ring true for us all. So as we continue through this month celebrating and acknowledging the incredible women who’s contributions, both personal and professional, have gone historically ignored and demeaned, let us also choose to inhabit a space of solidarity that continually pushes for an institution that holistically supports the incredible women who keep us operating.

In terms of CSSA updates, I am happy to report that we have had a very productive session. First, our Systemwide Affairs Committee and Board of Directors have voted to unanimously support the recommended amendments to Title V that would discontinue the use of standardized tests for undergraduate admission. We hope that this is a first step along a path of much broader systemic change throughout our system. I’d like to thank and recognize our Vice President of Systemwide Affairs, Fabiola Moreno Ruelas, who is here with me today, for her leadership in bringing this forward to our board.

Additionally, Our students have descended on the capital, albeit virtually, with an ambitious agenda for our annual California Higher Education Student Summit. In this agenda was support for the CSU budget request, support for student legislative priorities including financial aid reform and our sponsored legislation, AB 1625 which would create a grace period for the student trustee positions, as well as continual advocacy on our policy agenda.

We also announced two of our awards to individuals who embody the mission of CSSA – to improve the lives of California State University (CSU) students by advocating for student needs and engaging students in system wide, state, and federal higher education policy making. With this I would like to recognize our Legislator’s of the Year: Assemblymember Jose Medina and Senator Connie Leyva. These statewide leaders have been steadfast supporters of student success, maintaining an eye on the student perspective. On behalf of our nearly half a million students, I hope you all will join me in thanking these indefatigable leaders for their incredible work.

Additionally, I also wish to recognize our student advocate of the year. This award is given to a notable student who’s advocacy centers the mission of CSSA and though historically this award is given to an ASI student leader who’s reach is farther than their own campus, I am happy to report that this year our Executive Committee has chosen to recognize a student organizer from San Francisco State University, Manmit Singh. Through the efforts of not just Manmit, but the broader coalition of students fighting for recognition of caste oppression, the CSU has moved to recognize such oppression in our anti-discrimination policies. As an organizer, it fills me with joy and as President I am honored to recognize the exemplary leadership of this coalition in creating a lasting legacy for future students.

Last in my updates for CSSA, I am happy to announce that we have remained steadfast partners in the broader CSUCCESS initiative. CSSA remains firm in our commitment to eradicating digital inequity and will be convening all stakeholders from Apple’s Higher Education team as well as our leaders within the Chancellor’s Office. My goal in this convening is not just to assess how we can leverage the leadership within our partnership to ensure the programs growth and development, but also to outline how a properly designed digital infrastructure on our campuses can be leveraged to build the future of higher education, right here in the CSU.

I would also like to speak to the action item before this Board today regarding Title IX. Though we support assessments across the system of Title IX practices and policies, I wish to remind this body of the themes I have shared with you all since I first gave reports. I cannot stress how critical, especially in this moment, that we pull together all stakeholders to be empowered partners throughout this process. Within this is not just the inclusion of our student leaders, but also our campus community members in faculty and staff.

With that said, while these efforts on Title IX are beneficial and necessary, these are truly only the tip of the iceberg of what is needed. In the spirit of transparency, I think we have to be honest about the larger faults that brought us to this moment. It was not just the Title IX policies and procedures that failed us, it was also a failure in leadership. One that took advantage of powers entrusted and people left vulnerable by the trust instilled in said leadership. What has also become clear is that this is not just the fault of an individual, but an example of a systemic problem within the CSU. What has resulted is not just a gap within our leadership structure, but also a chasm dividing our campus students, faculty, and staff from our highest ranking leaders.

Though historically our system weathered the storms of crisis by relying on the trust expected from our students, faculty, and staff, I feel it necessary to remind this body that this is not an option in our present circumstances. The olive branch historically offered by our community is not available and the burden of establishing trust relies on our leaders.

Foundationally, trust has been broken within our campus with scars running much deeper than we may assume. As President of CSSA, the officially recognized voice of our CSU students, I cannot equivocate when I say that our students have been failed by our most trusted leadership and are not eager to build back together. Calls for systemwide camaraderie and unity will fall on deaf ears as those of us who lead from the ground hold our communities close and provide space to center those most impacted. Though all of us hold the identity of the CSU, some of us hold a title of greater weight: survivor. As a survivor myself, I hope this body, Trustees, Presidents, and guests alike hear me when I say that the scars left in us are deeper than just a loss of trust. This is personal and retraumatizing.

Trust is the backbone of our system, the foundation we build ourselves on. The CSU exists because of the trust our public instills in us and operates because of the trust of our dedicated staff and faculty who return to work and our powerful students who trust their future in us. This trust is not only our ability to continue to operate, it is our most valuable asset. The actions of the former Chancellor and the former Vice President at Fresno state demonstrate how ready our leaders are to dispense with the trust entrusted to us. And yet, the actions of this Board communicates a priority to absolve ourselves of guilt instead of recognizing the role we all play in the harm done. The action before this board today on Title IX assessment is step one in a long process in rebuilding trust within all of our communities.

In our attempt to forge a path through this crisis, we must rely on the leadership and perspective of our partners in staff, faculty, and students, in addition to the campus leaders whose tireless efforts to hear our campus community have maintained trust across their campuses. We must not only readily encourage a holistic investigation of the implementation of Title IX policies on our campuses, but also excavate the culture throughout the CSU that allowed for harm to be done and continued under the witness of our leaders.

As our Board will continue to discuss what qualities of leadership our students want and need within our system, I will continue to use my position here to provide thoughtful insights and feedback as to what is shared. I hope it is clear that, if we are truly committed not just to overcoming this crisis, but to renewing a commitment to the survivors who call our campus community home, we must be ready for a structural shift in our institutions. We must be ready to place all options on the table, bring in all stakeholders as empowered partners, and take all measures necessary to keep our community safe. I look forward to working alongside all of our systemwide leaders, trustees, presidents, faculty, and staff, to create a system worthy of our students. It is my hope and expectation that we will be active partners alongside my colleagues in our faculty and staff, who’s leadership will be critically used in all task forces, assessments, and investigations on Title IX and broader sexual assualt procedures within our system.

To this body, know that our community is due justice, healing, and peace and it is our responsibility as leaders to enact it.

To my students, whom I have the honor and privilege of serving, and whose trust I shall preserve and protect, it is my commitment to do right by you. Let us hold tight to the mantra of Assata Shakur:

“It is our duty to fight for our people,
It is our duty to win.
We must love and protect one another.
We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

With that, Chair Kimbell, I conclude my report.

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