Cal Poly Humboldt Responds After Yesterday’s Occupation of Siemens Hall by Protestors

Stock photo of Cal Poly Humboldt

Cal Poly Humboldt officials say approximately 30 students participated in Friday afternoon’s brief occupation of Siemens Hall and confirmed that no arrests were made.

Protestors marched onto campus in the afternoon, where students entered Siemens Hall and presented three demands to administrators: adoption of a sanctuary campus policy, divestment from Israel-related investments, and support for Teamsters workers.

Melissa L. Hutsell, speaking on behalf of the university, provided written responses to questions from Redheaded Blackbelt late Friday.

Hutsell said classes that were in session “did finish,” and clarified that while “nobody was prevented from leaving,” access to enter the building “was limited.”

Members of the university’s Free Speech Support and Response Team were present and “were engaging with the protestors,” according to Hutsell.

When asked whether negotiations are ongoing, Hutsell said, “Campus representatives were in communication with the protestors and we’ve committed to continuing conversations.”

The university confirmed it has received the written list of demands circulated by demonstrators.

Regarding the protesters’ call to support Teamsters Local 2010 workers, Hutsell said bargaining does not occur at the campus level. “It’s important to note that bargaining negotiations—including decisions about funding and salary increases—happen at a CSU system level, not with the individual campuses,” she wrote.

She added, “Skilled trades employees are important members of the campus community. We all share a commitment to providing a positive educational experience for our students, and Cal Poly Humboldt values the important work our employees do every day to make this possible.”

In response to calls for divestment from Israel-related investments, Hutsell outlined the university foundation’s current investment structure.

“The Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation’s allocation to dedicated Environmentally & Socially Responsible (ESR) investing has significantly increased since 2023,” she wrote, noting that ESR-qualified funds increased from 33% on June 30, 2023, to 73% as of June 30, 2025.

She explained that the maximum achievable ESR allocation is 82% because real estate funds and local property holdings are not categorized as ESR.

Hutsell stated that the university’s endowment does not include direct investments in defense companies or Israeli-issued securities.

“The investments in the University’s endowment do not include any direct investment in defense companies or any securities issued by Israeli companies or organizations, or to defense firms,” she wrote.

Instead, she said the university invests through mutual funds rather than purchasing individual company stocks or bonds directly.

“Our estimates put the potential indirect investment in the areas that are asked about at less than 1% of the investment portfolio of more than $54 million,” she wrote.

According to Hutsell, potential indirect defense-related investments account for “less than 0.7% of the entire portfolio,” while indirect investment tied to Israeli organizations is “less than 0.1%,” both of which can fluctuate over time.

She noted that those securities are bundled within mutual funds and “could be sold by the fund manager at any time.”