Hundreds of faculty, staff and students across the University of Colorado system have protested a planned systemwide rollout of ChatGPT Edu under a three‑year, $2 million‑per‑year contract, saying the deal lacked transparency and technical oversight. Dissenters filed a letter raising concerns about student privacy, academic integrity, corporate influence and environmental costs; the system plans to make ChatGPT Edu available March 31 and cover more than 100,000 campus users. Campus critics asked for clearer governance, data‑use safeguards and a public assessment of procurement and risk. They also flagged faculty governance processes that they say were bypassed during contract negotiations. University leaders argue the platform supports pedagogy and operations but must now defend technical controls and academic policy changes. The dispute at CU underscores a wider sector challenge: universities are buying commercial AI products quickly while campus communities demand stronger review processes. Institutional IT, privacy and faculty governance offices will need to align procurement, academic policy and transparency to avoid similar escalations elsewhere.