The Guardsman The Truth Shall Make You Free
Vol.
17 9,
I ssue
7
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M ay
2
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14,
2025
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City
Colleg e
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Fran c is co
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Sin ce
1935
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F R EE
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www.th e gua rdsma n .co m
Update on Immigration
Photojournalist Robert Nickelsberg
Women's Badminton
page 3
page 5
page 8
PART 2
In the Fog of Ghosts, How to Prove You’re the Real Deal By Abby Sigler, Marrion Cruz and Tom Whitehead
I
n the battle for limited class seats this semester, showing up can make all the difference. When Gauri Santhosh arrived for the first day of class despite seeing a full waitlist, she took a chance that paid off. “Ghost students made it uncertain if classes were actually full, so I just showed up to class and it worked out for me,” Santhosh said. Her partner wasn't as fortunate. Despite using the same strategy for an Intermediate Writing Fiction class, the seats were legitimately filled with real students. This practice has become standard for City College students facing an unprecedented wave of fraudulent registrations, leaving them unsure whether “full” truly means full. Faculty have implemented various strategies to distinguish real students from ghosts. Nico HaBa experienced this firsthand in upper-level online writing courses. “Professors gave discussion question assignments in the first couple of weeks to prove you're a real student,” HaBa explained. He also observed a significant shift in class size. “Looking at the class list, it went from 60 to 20, and it could just be because the classes are hard, but you're wondering, ‘where did everyone go?’” HaBa added. These “proof of life” assignments have become increasingly common as faculty try to distinguish between real students and potential fraudulent accounts. Despite these efforts, a particularly troubling dimension has emerged in online classrooms: some ghost accounts submit AI-generated work and participate minimally, not for educational purposes but to maintain their enrollment status long enough to receive financial aid.
Illustration by Kyra Young
GHOST STUDENTS continued on page 3
NEWS BRIEF Judge Halts Sonoma State’s Sweeping Academic Cuts By Tabari Morris
SFSU Budget Cuts Ignite Campus Protests, Threaten Transfer Pathways
tmorri47@mail.ccsf.edu
By Tabari Morris
Sonoma County Superior Court judge issued a temporary restraining order that slowed the Sonoma State University plan to cut more than 20 departments and programs by the end of this year, a plan first proposed as a means of addressing a significant budget deficit. The restraining order was the result of a student-athlete-led petition, enacted on the grounds that the university's process for cutting the departments was against campus policy. While the cancellation of the academic programs is still pending a May 1 hearing, the temporary restraining order does not address the student's request to freeze the university's cancellation of all NCAA Division II athletics. The lawyer for the students, Ross Middlemiss, described the court's ruling as a firm affirmation of the gravity of the procedural improprieties that the university leadership is accused of having committed. Both the students and faculty are left out to dry as they await the next move by the court and the university's reaction to the ongoing legal struggle.
tmorri47@mail.ccsf.edu
A
H
undreds of San Francisco State University students and faculty marched throughout campus to City Hall in recent days to demonstrate in opposition to drastic budget cuts in the California State University system and demand an increase in funds for public higher education. Their grievance: that the cuts harm not just San Francisco State but also threaten California's overall future in public higher education, including City College of San Francisco students planning to transfer to CSU campuses. “I feel outraged. I have never felt more disrespected as a student in three years. This university has been treating me and people whom I care about like we're a liability, whether it's a 35% increase in tuition, eliminating sports teams, or laying off scores of lecturers year after year.”
City College Transfer Pathways at Risk The proposed $375 million cut to the CSU system—nearly 8%—would have ripple effects across the state's education pipeline. City College students would have fewer admissions to CSU campuses, fewer courses available, and longer degree completion times after transfer. “Anything that might hinder the process of community college students as they continue their education is a concern for us,” said Alex Breitler, Director of Marketing and Communications at Delta College, echoing concerns felt at City College. Faculty and students at SFSU warn that these cuts are already making it harder to graduate on time. Courses required for graduation are being eliminated or offered less frequently, and class sizes are swelling. One SFSU student stated their graduation was delayed because of cuts to summer courses, like their senior seminar. These delays can directly affect City College students who plan to transfer and finish their degrees in a timely manner.
A Warning for Community Colleges SFSU has already let go of hundreds of lecturers, a move that not only impacts current students but also signals what could happen at the BUDGET CUTS continued on page 2
CAMPUS PULSE Election Season is Here
Student Chancellor Malinali Villalobos reported there were more than 40 applicants this year for various positions, the highest ever. Now is your last chance to cast your votes for student leaders. Vote for your next Student Trustee, Student Chancellor and more at www.ccsf.edu/aselections. Polls close on Sunday, May 4, at 11:59 p.m.
Free City Campaign Resolution Passed
On April 18, the Associated Students executive council passed a Free City College campaign resolution. The resolution, authored by Ellen Estrada and the Free City Coalition, calls upon Mayor Daniel Lurie, the Board of Supervisors and college officials to renegotiate the memorandum of understanding.
Student Trustee Awarded Leader in California
Student Trustee Heather Brandt is one of three people recognized this year by California Community Colleges with the Student Leader Award. “These remarkable student leaders have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advocacy, equity and civic engagement across their colleges and communities,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian.
Award-Winning Gender Studies Department
Professor Shella Cervantes of the Women's and Gender Studies Department is the recipient of the 2025 Regina Stanback Stroud Diversity Award. Their Project SURVIVE classes empower high school students through intersectional public health education and real-world activism. “This is not just an honor for Shella and the department but for the college as a whole,” Department Chair Council President Darlene Alioto said.
Physics Department Chair Passes Unexpectedly
The Board of Trustees meeting on April 24 was adjourned in honor of Physics Department chair Steven Swingle, who passed unexpectedly, leaving many community members still in shock. Department Chair Council President Darlene Alioto said: “Steve was an excellent chair who cared deeply about his department, his facility, and his students. And he was an even greater colleague. He will be missed.” April 24 would have been his 54th birthday.