San Bernardino, CA — Several California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) students and faculty marched through heavy rain on March 11 at the university’s campus as they demanded a halt on tuition hikes and what they consider to be a “lack of transparency” from the administration.
Chanting slogans such as “Hey hey, ho ho, the tuition hike have got to go” and “When students’ rights are under attack, what do we do? Fight back!” protesters voiced their frustrations over increasing costs and what they see as a disconnect between university leadership and the student body.
The demonstration was organized by Students for Quality Education (SQE), a student-led organization advocating for affordable and accessible education across the California State University (CSU) system.
As part of their protest, students delivered a letter of demands to CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales, outlining their concerns about tuition increases, reduced class offerings and a perceived lack of transparency from administrators.
“Being that this campus doesn’t really have a good connection between leadership and us, it’s hard to get our voices out there,” said SQE member Jesus Medra, speaking to Inland Valley News.
Protesters gathered in front of administrative offices before marching across campus, calling on fellow students to take action. One demonstrator urged passersby to consider the long-term impact of rising tuition costs.
“Are you going to let your application just go away from you because they make it so expensive, so unaffordable that we’re trapped?” the protester said.
Another demonstrator added to that question, stressing the need for solidarity among students.
“When are we going to start fighting for each other,” the protester said.
The letter of demands, drafted by SQE, represents student grievances that have been accumulating over time. According to SQE member Jorge Paz, the document serves as an official statement of what students want from the administration.
“The letter of demands is entirely built off of the concerns that we have been hearing and continue to hear from other students and puts into formal writing what we want from the president,” Paz told Inland Valley News.
He also emphasized the desire for improved communication between students and administrators.
“We want to work with them and make this university as great as it can be, but it can’t do that if it doesn’t have open communication between the administration and the campus community,” he said.
The protest was part of a larger initiative called “Not-So Love Letters for Change,” in which students and faculty were encouraged to write letters to President Morales detailing their frustrations with tuition hikes, campus policies and administrative decisions. According to SQE, over 150 students participated in the campaign, submitting letters and signing a list of demands.
CSUSB has not yet responded publicly to the protest or the letter of demands. However, students made it clear that they will continue to push for changes within the university.
As the demonstration concluded, protesters reiterated their commitment to holding university leadership accountable, with calls for greater transparency and student involvement in decision-making processes.
