Concern regarding the closures focuses on transparency, with faculty and lawmakers questioning Penn State leadership's commitment and the decision-making process behind the proposed campus closures.
At the heart of the lawsuit is a fight over athletics, which Sonoma State plans to cut entirely. All seven plaintiffs played various sports at the university, which competes at the NCAA Division II level. However, the judge's ruling did not halt the administration's plans to eliminate athletics.
"Our numbers simply have not rebounded to a sustainable level," Joshua Novak, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, said in the release.