By Aadi Mehta, November 4, 2025
The California State University system launched CSU Voices, an online advocacy platform designed to bring students, faculty and staff together by providing updates on higher education policies and opportunities to advocate on key issues, Oct. 16, according to a statement by Cal Poly Pomona Interim President Iris Levine.
According to Levine, CSU Voices will provide updates to local, state and federal policy developments while also giving users the chance to engage with others across various CSU campuses regarding legislative issues.
“As higher education faces increasing fiscal and policy challenges, it is vital that decision-makers hear directly from those who know firsthand the life-changing impact of the CSU and especially a Cal Poly Pomona education,” Levine said.
CSU Voices is a free online advocacy platform run by CSU Chancellor Mildred García’s office. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters can register to receive updates on state and federal policies that affect higher education. Once signed up, participants receive email alerts and send messages to legislators through a built-in tool on the website.
The platform partners with annual CSU advocacy events, including CSU Hill Day in Washington, D.C., where campus leaders meet with California lawmakers to discuss higher education matters.
The platform has received about 350 sign-ups in the first two weeks since its launch, according to David Alvarado, senior manager of public affairs for García.
“This isn’t an automatic signup; it’s entirely opt-in,” Alvarado said. “We want to build a community that chooses to be informed and take action when it matters.”
While Alvarado said CSU Voices allows people to turn shared values into action, including building stronger communities for millions of Californians, he said the biggest challenge is communication among different groups.
“Advocacy in higher education right now is like stepping into a crowded room where everyone is talking and you’re trying to find your friend,” Alvarado said. “It’s a very crowded space, and it’s difficult for folks to focus on what really affects them.”
Hilda Lunde, an education graduate student, believes the platform will give her the chance to get involved in something that is already put together. This includes voicing concerns about higher education and pay equity, two issues that have been put at the forefront of faculty advocacy in recent months, according to the California Faculty Association, which represents faculty across the CSU system.
“If any one of us, professors or students, feels that something is not just or we’re not being represented, I think CSU Voices is a good way to connect with those students,” Lunde said.
Lunde first attended CPP in the 1990s to get her undergraduate degree and said this time around she sees the university with a more inclusive perspective, calling it a “safe haven.”
“Cal Poly has really taught me to look out for those who are less fortunate or overlooked,” Lunde said. “The education program has opened our eyes to those deficiencies in education.”
Mariah May, a chemical engineering student, said since CSU Voices is still new, it may be reaching students but not fully engaging with them. While May said she cares about education as a broader issue, she does not see herself getting involved in the political process, which is what CSU Voices hopes to achieve.
“I just wanted to let them know I got the message and that I find this important,” May said. “I clicked on the link once but didn’t really explore it.”
Though Alvarado said the platform is a systemwide effort to mobilize voices, May said students like her will not see themselves playing a role in larger issues.
“Cal Poly Pomona is like a smaller part in a whole because this was sent out to all of the CSUs, so we’re just one small part helping shape policy,” May said.
Still, Alvarado remains confident about the future of CSU Voices and hopes by 2030, more than 3,000 people will use the platform to share their stories and make their voices heard — proof, he said, “real change” happened.
“I hope people see CSU Voices as a megaphone,” Alvarado said. “You take it, and suddenly your voice is 10 times louder.”
