San Francisco State University is a public research university in San Francisco, California. As of 2026, the university claims to have 21,000 students, 300,000 alumni, and 1,600 faculty. ¹

San Francisco State University maintains several “Equity and Inclusion” programs. These programs are operated by the university’s Division of Equity and Community Inclusion, which opened in 2017. The division is situated within the university’s Student Affairs and Enrollment Management office.  ²

Background

San Francisco State University is a public research university in San Francisco, California. The university was established in 1899, and its parent institution is California State University. As of 2026, the university claims to have 21,000 students, 300,000 alumni, and 1,600 faculty.  ¹

Equity and Inclusion Programs

San Francisco State University maintains several “Equity and Inclusion” programs. These programs are operated by the university’s Division of Equity and Community Inclusion, which opened in 2017. The division is situated within the university’s Student Affairs and Enrollment Management office. ²

Department of Athletics

The Department of Athletics at San Francisco State University maintains an “Athletics DEI Statement” on its website. The statement supports the critical race theory-influenced concept of equity, including phrasing such as “we aim to center the voices of those who are marginalized and underrepresented due to structural, systemic, and institutionalized racism and heteropatriarchy that continue to exist in the world of athletics.” ³

The page includes links to GLAAD’s media reference guide. GLAAD, formerly the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, is a media criticism and LGBT-interests advocacy group. It also links to Racial Equity Tools’ glossary; Racial Equity Tools is a project of the charitable and advocacy nonprofit Equity in the Center. The glossary includes describes abolition as “getting rid of prison, jails, police, courts, and surveillance,” refers to the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to interpret the 14^th Amendment through a “colorblind manner” as “set[ting] the United States back decades,” and defines “heterosexism” as “prejudice against anyone who does not conform to binary gender norms based on the assumption that heterosexuality is the normal/correct sexual orientation.” ^{4 5}

College of Ethnic Studies

San Francisco State University’s College of Ethnic Studies runs a program called “Race & Resistance Studies.” The program advocates an approach to civic studies that is “comparative/relational, interdisciplinary, intersectional and centered in a praxis of resistance.” ⁶

In 2023, SFSU’s College of Ethnic Studies released a statement on Gaza, which demanded a permanent end to a supposed “Israeli genocide.” The statement continued, stating “We also condemn the equation of criticism of the Israeli nation-state, its apartheid regime, and its expansion through military occupation as antisemitic. We denounce longstanding Zionist efforts to punish us for speaking out against Israeli colonialism and for educating our students on the links between our struggles.” ⁷

People

As of 2026, Lynn Mahoney was the president of San Francisco State University. She began her position at the university in 2019. Previously, Mahoney was the provost and vice president of academic affairs at SFSU from 2015 to 2019. She is also an appointee to California State University’s Graduation Initiative 2025 Advisory Committee and has sat on the boards of the Bay Area Council, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and the Workforce Investment Board. ^{8 9}

1. “About San Francisco State University.” About San Francisco State University | San Francisco State University. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.sfsu.edu/about.
2. “Equity & Community Inclusion.” Equity & Community Inclusion | San Francisco State University. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://equity.sfsu.edu/.
3. “Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion.” sfstategators.com. Accessed March 14, 2026. https://sfstategators.com/sports/2022/6/15/athletics-dei-statement.aspx
4. ^[1] “Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion.” sfstategators.com. Accessed March 14, 2026. https://sfstategators.com/sports/2022/6/15/athletics-dei-statement.aspx.
5. “Glossary.” Racial Equity Tools. Accessed March 14, 2026. https://www.racialequitytools.org/glossary
6. “About Us.” About Us | Race & Resistance Studies. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://rrs.sfsu.edu/about-us.
7. “College of Ethnic Studies Chair’s Council Statement on Gaza.” College of Ethnic Studies Chair’s Council Statement on Gaza | Race & Resistance Studies. Accessed March 14, 2026. https://rrs.sfsu.edu/news/college-ethnic-studies-chairs-council-statement-gaza.
8. “Lynn Mahoney – San Francisco State University.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 16, 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-mahoney-678004a/.
9. “Biography.” Biography | Office of the President | San Francisco State University. Accessed March 16, 2026. https://president.sfsu.edu/biography.