Resolution: Affirming the Value of Arts & Humanities & Naming the Harm of Program Discontinuances
WHEREAS, the elimination of Arts & Humanities programs at Sonoma State University, including Women & Gender Studies, Philosophy, Theatre Arts, Dance, Art Studio, and the English MA program, represents a fundamental dismantling of intellectual traditions vital to a comprehensive university education; and
WHEREAS, these programs have historically provided essential educational and mentoring spaces for students, which in turn has lead to consistent further placement in higher educational programs, jobs, as well as in nonprofit and service-based positions that serve the entire region, particularly those students from historically marginalized communities, including first-generation students, LGBTQI+ students, and student of color, their removal signals not just the loss of academic fields but an institutional disregard for the students these programs were created to serve; and
WHEREAS, the California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) has affirmed in its 2023 resolution, “English Matters to Everything,” that Arts & Humanities are essential to civic engagement, democracy, and student success, and the loss of these programs represents a crisis for public higher education as a whole; and
WHEREAS, these cuts were implemented without transparent planning, without a clear path for impacted students, and without meaningful faculty governance participation, directly violating shared governance principles and faculty rights; and
WHEREAS, faculty were notified of their terminations in an impersonal email with the words “See attached,” stripping them of dignity, denying them due recognition of their years—sometimes decades—of service, and leaving them in financial and professional limbo with no academic job search prospects until Fall 2026; and
WHEREAS, the SSU administration has failed to provide a clear or actionable plan for addressing the consequences of these cuts, as evidenced in the HSSA meeting with the President and Provost, where faculty raised concerns about the loss of critical thinking courses in Philosophy and the elimination of Women & Gender Studies internships and the Queer Lecture Series, and the Provost responded 'We’re gonna have to figure it out'—a statement demonstrating a lack of foresight, planning, and accountability; and
WHEREAS, remaining faculty are now expected to absorb the workload of entire eliminated departments, including increased teaching loads in GE courses, student advising, and administrative duties that were previously distributed among eliminated faculty–all while compensating for the destruction of entire academic fields without recognition or relief–creating conditions that are unrealistic, unsustainable, and unethical, creating conditions for burnout, diminished educational quality, and further faculty attrition; and
WHEREAS, the people and programs being eliminated are not fungible—they are scholars, mentors, and educators whose knowledge, labor, and impact cannot simply be reassigned or replaced;
WHEREAS, the SSU’s administration’s justification for these cuts ignores the full scale of harm done to students, faculty, and the university as a whole, and fails to provide substantive financial transparency regarding the decision-making process; and
WHEREAS, SSU’s administration’s acknowledgment alone is not sufficient to rectify these harms, and meaningful accountability requires concrete actions, including professional and financial support for displaced faculty and protections for remaining faculty against unmanageable workloads;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate of Sonoma State University formally affirms the irreplaceable value of the Arts & Humanities, recognizing these fields as critical to a comprehensive university education, civic engagement, and student success; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we recognize that the recent program eliminations extend beyond the Arts & Humanities and affirm our commitment to advocating for all affected faculty across disciplines.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate formally acknowledges and condemns the harm caused by the elimination of Philosophy, Women & Gender Studies, Theatre Arts, Dance, Art Studio, the English MA program, and other critical disciplines, including the displacement of faculty, the loss of student opportunities, and the long-term damage to our “Hispanic-Serving” institution’s academic integrity, status as a COPLAC member, as well as its overarching long-term sustainability and viability as an institution; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate demands that the SSU administration publicly acknowledge the harm done—to the faculty laid off, to the students who have lost programs central to their education, and to the remaining faculty forced to carry an untenable burden—and that this acknowledgment be made without justification, minimization, or excuse; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Academic Senate calls upon the administration to issue a public written acknowledgment–such as an open letter, a dedicated webpage, or a press release– recognizing the faculty members impacted by these cuts and the loss of their expertise, ensuring that their contributions are formally recognized rather than erased from institutional history.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate calls upon the administration to take immediate, concrete steps to rectify this harm, including but not limited to:
1. Redacting the proposed cuts to faculty positions, including those in the disciplines and programs mentioned.
2. Providing professional and financial support to all laid-off faculty, including early job placement assistance, access to institutional resources, and severance protections;
3. Implementing immediate workload protections for remaining faculty, recognizing that the loss of entire departments has created an unsustainable burden;
4. Ensuring that core educational opportunities in the Arts & Humanities—including critical thinking, equity-focused curricula, and creative disciplines—are actively maintained and not quietly dismantled; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate rejects the premise that these losses can simply be "absorbed" by remaining faculty, and demands that the administration acknowledge, in writing, the real consequences of these discontinuances, including faculty burnout, diminished student access, and the destruction of entire fields of study; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate commits to ongoing advocacy to protect and restore programs in the Arts & Humanities, including the establishment of a working group to monitor the long-term impact of these cuts and provide recommendations for faculty and student support moving forward.
Across California State University (CSU) campuses and nationwide, the systematic dismantling of liberal arts, humanities, and language programs threatens the foundation of higher education and our democracy. These cuts have already reached California’s community colleges, with devastating effects on K-12 scholars and teachers.
At Sonoma State University, the elimination of Arts & Humanities programs, including Women & Gender Studies, Philosophy, Theatre Arts, Dance, Art Studio, and the English MA program, is not just a budgetary decision—it represents a fundamental dismantling of intellectual traditions essential to a comprehensive liberal arts university. This elimination signals an abandonment of SSU’s mission to provide an accessible and well-rounded education. These programs have long
provided critical learning spaces, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized communities, and their elimination directly contradicts SSU’s stated commitments to equity, diversity, and student success.
Despite overwhelming faculty, student, and community opposition, these cuts were made by SSU Administration under the direct supervision of the CSU Chancellor without transparency, without transition plans for students, and without regard for the faculty and staff being discarded. Faculty were informed of their terminations through an impersonal email titled ‘See attached,’ a callous move that ignored their years—sometimes decades—of service. Meanwhile, those left behind are expected to absorb the workload of entire eliminated departments, an exploitative and impossible demand.
The administration has attempted to justify these eliminations using Gray Data, claiming that these programs were financially unsustainable. However, Robert Atkins, CEO and Founder of Gray Decision Intelligence—the very firm behind the analytics used—has explicitly warned that ‘cutting programs based solely on perceived value or size can be a costly mistake… Eliminating these programs may seem like a quick fix, but it ultimately reduces your institution’s overall margin and can lead to further financial strain’ (Atkins, 2024). Rather than stabilizing SSU’s budget, these cuts threaten to deepen the financial crisis by removing revenue-generating programs that serve critical student needs. This reckless financial miscalculation is not just a numbers issue—it has severe academic and human consequences, stripping students of essential learning opportunities and leaving faculty and staff to navigate the fallout of an administration that has failed to plan responsibly.
The administration’s complete lack of foresight was clear in the 2/19/2025 HSSA meeting with President Cutrer and Provost Moranski, where faculty raised urgent concerns about the elimination of critical thinking courses in Philosophy, WGS internships, and the Queer Lecture Series. The Provost’s dismissive response—"We’ll have to figure it out."—confirmed the administration’s failure to plan or care about the impact on students, faculty, or the broader SSU community.
This crisis extends beyond SSU. A 2023 resolution from the California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) affirms that Arts & Humanities are essential to civic engagement, democracy, and student success. SSU’s decision to gut these programs is part of a larger betrayal of public higher education, undermining its purpose and leaving students with fewer pathways to intellectual and professional development.
The arts and humanities are not just about culture—they equip students with critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills essential to every profession, from medicine to engineering. Employers recognize this (see the article in the Harvard Business Review: “Yes, Employers Do Value Liberal Arts Degrees”), yet SSU is cutting those programs that provide these competencies. Moreover, in 2022, California voters overwhelmingly supported Proposition 28, allocating $1 billion for arts & humanities education—a direct rejection of SSU’s austerity logic.
The liberal arts are the foundation of Democracy. Thinkers from John Dewey (1922) to Paulo Freire (1998), Henry Giroux (2020), bell hooks (1994), and Morrell (2008) have written extensively about how humanities-based education fosters critical engagement and social responsibility. International bodies, including UNESCO (2005), affirm that cutting these programs weakens democratic institutions.
A population trained in the Arts and Humanities is equipped to adapt to new challenges, fostering empathetic individuals who can shape policies and professional practices that honor the diversity of human experiences. Arts and humanities education cultivates creative and visionary approaches to conflict resolution, ensuring that future leaders can navigate disputes with diplomacy rather than division. It also nurtures the skills necessary to care for and educate young and vulnerable populations, which is critical for regional and national stability and growth. More than just job preparation, the humanities promote leadership rich in moral integrity, ethical reasoning, and aesthetic appreciation, shaping not just competent professionals, but principled and thoughtful global citizens. At a time when geopolitical tensions continue to rise, the ability to build friendships rather than foes across the world is a critical skill that only a deep, humanistic education can provide.
Faculty and students have testified repeatedly about the devastating impact of these eliminations. These voices must not be ignored or buried in unread reports. Our colleagues in departments slated for discontinuance, our colleagues who were callously laid off, have shared countless testimonials in public forums and to EPC about their critical importance to SSU. In the responses to EPC from the Google survey, there were countless arguments against the discontinuance of these vital programs–I highlight some of them today so that they are not lost in a packet that is never read.
Dr. Scott Horstein warns:
Without the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance and the other programs being cut, students earning professional degrees risk earning career-specific degrees without learning how to sit in joy and discomfort with each other, to breathe the
same air, and to learn how to dream as a community of citizens making the world together. Theatre Arts & Dance is a necessity, not a luxury.
Dr. Christine Cali poignantly evidences the centrality of Dance to our liberal arts college:
Many academics and administrators tend not to understand dance as an academic field of study (we are always fighting for value, to be considered, and rationalizing our existence in academia and parentheses, however, critical thinking, anti-oppressive, pedagogy, embodied, and experiential practices are paramount to our work. The body is political, the body is the side of deep research, the dancing body is cultural, about craft and skill – building, deeply rooted in scholarship, transformation, and innovation. We actually have more in common with WGS, AMCS, CALS, STEM, History, Philosophy, Sustainability, Athletics, etc. than one might think. We are not on the periphery or an extra curricular, we are the embodied center, the soul, the heart, the rhythm, the breath, the wisdom, the vibration, the life.
The Women & Gender Studies faculty state:
Eliminating WGS creates immediate loss and long-term harm for LGBTQ+ students, BIPOC students, survivors of violence, and others who rely on these courses for academic and personal empowerment. We are the department that centers BIPOC and LGBTQ+ curriculum, and this curriculum retains students. Our faculty are experts in reaching diverse student populations, providing transformative education that cannot simply be 'replaced' by other departments.
In addition to the GE critical thinking, pre-law, and First-Year Learning community courses that will be eliminated by cutting philosophy, as one SSU colleague writes, "Killing the Philosophy degree is tantamount to killing us as a liberal arts institution. Philosophy cultivates reasoning, ethical decision-making, and critical thinking—precisely the skills students need to navigate an increasingly complex world." SSU students affirm:
● “Studying philosophy allows me to understand human nature, challenge assumptions, and engage in critical thinking."
● "Philosophy teaches you how to communicate clearly, argue effectively, and address opposing viewpoints, skills that are essential in every field."
● “Philosophy teaches you how to clearly express ideas and engage in thoughtful debate… improving your ability to argue effectively while also understanding and addressing opposing viewpoints.”
● “Studying philosophy offers an opportunity for me to understand human nature, purpose, and existence better than before… to challenge assumptions, refine my beliefs, and engage in critical thinking.”
The elimination of the Art Studio BFA is another devastating loss, both for students currently pursuing a career in the arts and for the North Bay’s creative ecosystem. As one alum who is now a professor of drawing and printmaking at Santa Rosa Junior College put it:
Before I went to SSU, I did not know what I was going to do with my life. It was in SSU's Art Studio BFA program, including the rigorous art history requirements, that I first learned about printmaking—the thing that has become the foundation of my career. If these programs are cut, my students at SRJC—many of whom dream of continuing their studies at SSU—will no longer have a locally accessible path to earn their four-year degrees. To see the door I passed through to my own life and career slammed in the faces of my students is a hard thing indeed.
The English MA program is a pillar of SSU’s academic infrastructure, producing writing center mentors, first-year composition instructors, and community college educators. Cutting this program destroys a vital pipeline of skilled educators in the North Bay, undercutting SSU’s mission and harming student success. "Eliminating the SSU M.A. in English program would not only be a loss to the university but a significant disruption to the North Bay’s academic ecosystem, depriving future students of the mentorship and opportunities that generations have benefited from.
Also writing to EPC in opposition to the program discontinuances in HSSA, are our colleagues in STP, Nursing, Education, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies. Tenured and tenure-track faculty of the Computer Science (CS) department wrote a brief to EPC expressing their opposition to the discontinuation of the programs in Geology, Philosophy,
Physics/Astronomy, and WGS due to “the effects on our ability to deliver a high-quality CS program to our students.”
Outside of SSU, community members, businesses, parents, and neighboring junior colleagues have also expressed their unwavering support for the programs and departments slated for discontinuance. SRJC wrote to EPC that their Philosophy Department strongly opposes Sonoma State University’s decision to cut philosophy, warning that eliminating the program will “severely undermine the intellectual and civic development of students” and diminish SSU’s “pillar of academic excellence and community engagement.” Therefore, this Administrative decision breaks a long-standing academic relationship between SRJC and SSU, as “public trust is broken by the choice of SSU’s administration to eliminate the philosophy department,” forcing
SRJC to stop advising students to transfer to our University to further SRJC students’ philosophical studies.
These eliminations are not just administrative miscalculations—they are a reckless attack on the integrity of public education. This resolution provides and documents this attack and demands accountability, support for displaced faculty, and immediate protections for the remaining programs and students who are being forced to bear the burden of these decisions. SSU and the CSU’s Administration must immediately reverse course.
TO
Gavin Newsom, Governor of California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis
Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
U.S. Representative Mike Thompson
Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire (D-North Coast) Senator Christopher Cabaldon (D-Yolo)
Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) Assemblymember Chris Rogers (D-Santa Rosa) Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) California State University’s Chancellor’s Office
SSU Interim President Emily Cutrer SSU Provost Karen Moranski
SSU Vice President of Administration and Finance and Chief Financial Officer Monir Ahmed SSU Vice President for Advancement Mario Perez
SSU Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Ed Mills SSU Vice President for Student Affairs Gerald L. Jones SSU Chair of Staff Council Gillian Estes
SSU Associated Students President Vanessa Sanchez and Board of Director Academic Senate of the CSU Chair Elizabeth Boyds
California State University Provosts and Presidents California Faculty Association
California Department of Education
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing California Teachers Association
National Writing Project California English
County Offices of Education Teaching Preparation Programs
National Council of Teachers of English
Modern Language Association
Conference on College Composition and Communication American Association of University Professors
Emeritus and Retired Faculty and Staff Association (ERFSA) To the Chairs of the Faculty of all CSU Academic Senates
References
California Association of Teachers of English. (2023). Resolution on English matters to everything. https://www.cateweb.org/resolutions-2023/
Dewey, J. (1922). Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education.
New York: The Macmillan company.
Heller, N. (2023, February 28). The end of the English major: Enrollment in the humanities is in free fall at colleges around the country. What happened? The New Yorker. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/03/06/the-end-of-the-english-major.
Fay, Leah (n.d.) What can you do with an English major? [Infographic Poster for W.W. Norton & Company]. Retrieved March 4, 2023, from https://leahfay.com/infographics.
Freire, P. (1998). Pedagogy of freedom: Ethics, democracy, and civic courage. New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Giroux, H. (2020). On critical pedagogy. London, United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. New York:
Routledge.
Morrell, E. (2008). Critical literacy and urban youth: Pedagogies of access, dissent, and liberation. New York, NY: Routledge.
Pasquerella, L. (2019, September 19) Yes, employers do value liberal arts degrees. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from:
https://hbr.org/2019/09/yes-employers-do-value-liberal-arts-degrees UNESCO (2005). UNESCO and Education. Paris, France: UNESCO.
Approved by the Senate 2/27/2025