United to Defend Public Education
Statewide Organizing Conference (Feb 22, 2025)
Program
9:00—9:30 Welcome and breakfast
9.30—10:30 Opening Plenary: The state and the stakes of public higher education
Land Acknowledgement & Interruption Statement
Video: How a Public University Turned into a Profit Mill
Bob Meister UCSC, Lark Winner UAW, Margarita Berta-Ávila, CFA
10:30—10:45 Platform presentation: Blanca Missé & Vi Lee
10:45—11:15 Discussion in Break-Outs
11:15—12:00 Vote
12:00—1:00 Lunch break
1:00—1:15 Action Proposals for Spring 25: Tati Avery & Brad Erickson
1:15—1:45 Discussion in Breakouts
1:45—2.15 Vote
2:15—2:30 Greetings from Charles Toombs & Congressmember Lateefah Simon
2:30—2:45 Break
2:45—3:45 Organizing Workshops 1
Organizing the National Day of Action—James Martel & Japneet Khanuja
Classroom Organizing Workshop—Sohrab Ford & Asia Baclay
Classrooms not cages: the campaign to shut down CA prisons and fund CA higher education—César Rodriguez & Will Clark
Building Power though Organizing Committee and Participatory Meetings—Maci Tolleson & Lark Winner
“TPM” and the Repression of Palestine Activism on Campuses - Omar Zahzah & GUPS
3:45—4:00 Break
4:00—5:00 Organizing Workshops 2
Organizing the National Day of Action - James Martel & Japneet Khanuja
Worker & Student Solidarity with Immigrant Communities—Tina Bartolome & Ana Terminel Iberri
Classroom Organizing Workshop—Sohrab Ford & Asia Baclay
Adding Insult to Injury: CSU's "AI-Powered University" Initiative—Martha Lincoln & Laura Mamo
5:00—6:00 Closing of Conference and formation of Coordinating Committee
Confirmed speakers
Lateefah Simon, US Representative for California's 12th Congressional District, CSU Board of Trustees (2016-2024)
Charles Toombs, CFA SEIU 1983 President
Lark Winner, UAW 4123 President
Bob Meister, UCSC, investment portfolios of public universities
Margarita Berta-Avila, CFA Vice President
Japneet Kanuja or Sohrab Ford from Student Union SFSU
Brad Erickson, CFA SFSU Chapter President
Blanca Missé, CFA SFSU Membership & Organizing Chair
Video: How a Public University turned into a Profit Mill, by Sohrab Ford and James Martel