This event is endorsed by the Santa Cruz Faculty Association

SAVE THE DATE!:

Forum for the Future: Democracy and Anti-Racism at the UC!

Wednesday, May 12, 4-7 pm, Location: Merrill Cultural Center
The changes taking place at the UC, as well as recent instances of blatant racism on UC campuses, raise many questions about race, racism, and democracy in California: What does privatization of the UC mean and what is its relationship to race and racism in higher education? How does privatization affect different communities differently, especially communities of color? What is the UC Commission on the Future? What is the role of democracy in the university? Of the university in a democracy? What does privatization mean for education in a democracy? For anti-racist struggles?

This event will mix performance, participation, and education to explore the links between privatization and racism in the University of California system. It will offer participants the opportunity to construct alternative, anti-racist and democratic visions for the future of our university. Through performance and collaboration, we hope to shape a new and hope-filled view of an anti-racist and democratic university.

Download the flyer by clicking here: Forum for the Future flyer

Dear Chancellor Blumenthal:

We write as faculty alarmed by the University’s disciplinary actions regarding the November 19-22 activities in and around Kerr Hall, and more specifically, the “Voluntary Resolution” agreements recently issued to students by Director of Student Judicial Affairs, Doug Zuidema. We worry that the implementation of the student judicial procedure in these cases violates constitutional due process and basic principles of fairness. These disciplinary actions also create a chilling effect on political dissent in the campus community.

Of particular concern are the following:

1. The “Voluntary Resolution” agreements skirt due process procedures by asking students to incriminate themselves for “alleged violations” of University regulations committed in relation to activities in and around Kerr Hall without sufficient presentation of the evidence against them. According to the ACLU, the right to due process prior to the imposition of discipline is a fundamental constitutional protection, especially at institutions of higher learning (ACLU Letter to Chancellor Birgeneau, April 6, 2010, p.9, emphasis added). It is also a principle of basic fairness to allow the accused the opportunity to see the nature of evidence against him or her before deciding whether to enter into what amounts to a plea bargain.
2. The “Voluntary Resolution” agreements hold individual students accountable for acts in which they may not have engaged. Addressed to individual students, these letters describe, in general terms, events and acts alleged to have occurred in and around Kerr Hall, including property damage, and then accuse the individual in question of violations of the Code of Student Conduct without indicating specific acts that s/he is alleged to have taken. It seems that Student Judicial Affairs is more intent on punishing students than determining the facts of the case.
   1. The situations of two students merit special mention in that they well illustrate Student Judicial Affairs’ disregard for determining the facts regarding each individual’s involvement in the Kerr Hall occupation: one student accused of violating the Code of Student Conduct is a student journalist who was covering the occupation for the Project Newspaper Collective; another is one of five students who entered into negotiations with representatives of the administration (the other four were either never summoned or held not responsible).
3. The identities of the staff alleging that specific students engaged in specific violations remain anonymous. Again, fairness dictates that before entering a plea bargain, the accused should be allowed to see the evidence against him or her.
4. These “Voluntary Resolution” agreements appear to be a form of coercion: students may either opt for self-incrimination (in the letters’ proposed resolutions) or risk more extensive, but unstated, punishment.
5. Finally, aside from problems in due process, we also note that the disciplinary procedure has proceeded without consideration of students’ rights of free speech and assembly. The actions at Kerr Hall were collectively executed by a group of considerable size and diversity, in public expression of grievance against the University. The proposed resolution does not separate accusations of criminal behavior from protected speech acts; it implies that any form of participation in these actions is tantamount to vandalism. Such an equation will have a chilling effect on necessary speech and debate in the campus community. The “Voluntary Resolution” agreements present an implicitly constant threat of criminalization in cases where the University has a substantial stake in minimizing the effects of a coordinated protest action.

We request that due process and fair treatment be honored in this and future disciplinary actions not only because we wish to defend students’ right to assemble and protest, but also because we, as faculty, have a profound interest in the health of the University as a place of free exchange, inquiry, speech, and assembly. The University can rightly preside over disciplinary processes as part of its charge to educate students and to coordinate an academic community in accord with shared principles, but we fear that the University’s disciplinary process has gone awry in this instance.

Therefore we, the undersigned, request that no students be separated from their student status or be charged with restitution for participation in the events in and around Kerr Hall, or for other political actions past and future, unless legitimate material evidence links them to specific acts of property destruction. We also call for a suspension of the student disciplinary procedure in these and future cases involving political dissent until the problems we note have been addressed.

We note that section 104.20 in the Student Policies and Regulations Handbook states that “final authority for administration of student discipline rests with the chancellor.” We are optimistic that you, as a University administrator acting in the public trust and with an intrinsic interest in the protection of free speech, free inquiry, and open dialogue, will recognize the urgency of these procedural failures and take immediate steps to correct them.

Sincerely,

Jordi Aladro, Professor, Literature

Mark Anderson, Assistant Professor, Anthropology

Bettina Aptheker, Professor, Feminist Studies

Anjali Arondekar, Associate Professor, Feminist Studies

Gabriela F. Arredondo, Associate Professor, Latin American & Latino Studies; Director, CLRC

Noriko Aso, Assistant Professor, History

Gopal Balakrishnan, Associate Professor, History of Consciousness

Karen Barad, Professor, Feminist Studies

Karen Bassi, Professor and Chair, Literature

Dilip Basu, Associate Professor, History

Hunter Bivens, Assistant Professor, Literature

Robert Boltje, Professor, Mathematics

David Brundage, Professor, Community Studies

Edmund Burke, Professor, History

Sean Burns, Lecturer, Community Studies & American Studies

Brian Catlos, Associate Professor, History

Giulia Centineo, Lecturer, Languages

James Clifford, Professor, History of Consciousness

Christopher Connery, Professor, Literature

E.G. Crichton, Associate Professor, Art

Ben Crow, Professor, Sociology

Gina Dent, Professor and Chair, Feminist Studies

Maria Elena Diaz, Associate Professor, History

Nathaniel Deutsch, Professor, Literature and History

Tim Duane, Associate Professor, Environmental Studies

Barbara Epstein, Professor and Chair, History of Consciousness

Shelly Errington, Professor, Anthropology

Dion Farquhar, Lecturer, Literature and Crown College

Mayanthi Fernando, Assistant Professor, Anthropology

Kathy Foley, Professor and Editor of Asian Theater Journal, Theater Arts

Maria Frangos, Lecturer, Literature

Dana Frank, Professor, History

Carla Freccero, Professor, Literature

Rosa-Linda Fregoso, Professor, Latin American and Latino Studies

Hiroshi Fukurai, Professor, Sociology

Susan Gillman, Professor, Literature

Per Gjerde, Professor Emeritus, Psychology

Wlad Godzich, Distinguished Professor, Literature

W.L. Goldfrank, Professor Emeritus, Sociology & LALS

Jennifer Gonzalez, Professor and Chair, History of Art and Visual Culture

Deborah Gould, Assistant Professor, Sociology

Shelly Grabe, Assistant Professor, Psychology

Chris Hables Gray, Lecturer, Crown College

Miriam Greenberg, Assistant Professor, Sociology

Jody Greene, Associate Professor, Literature

Kirsten Silva Gruesz, Professor, Literature

Lisbeth Haas, Professor, History

Gildas Hamel, Senior Lecturer, History

Craig Haney, Professor, Psychology

Donna Haraway, Distinguished Professor, History of Consciousness

Gail Hershatter, Distinguished Professor, History

Christine Hong, Assistant Professor, Literature

Emily Honig, Professor, History

Minghui Hu, Assistant Professor, History

Catherine Jones, Assistant Professor, History

L.S. Kim, Associate Professor, Film and Digital Media

Sharon Kinoshita, Professor, Literature

Norma Klahn, Professor, Literature

Regina Day Langhout, Assistant Professor, Psychology

Kimberly Lau, Associate Professor, American Studies; Provost, Oakes College

H. Marshall Leicester, Professor, Literature

Ronnie D. Lipschutz, Professor, Politics

Leslie Lopez, Lecturer, UCSC

Andrew S. Mathews, Assistant Professor, Anthropology

Dean Mathiowetz, Assistant Professor, Politics

Robert Meister, Professor, Political and Social Thought

Helene Moglen, Professor Emerita, Literature

Megan Moodie, Assistant Professor, Anthropology

María Morris, Lecturer, Languages

Loisa Nygaard, Professor, Literature

Gregory O’Malley, Assistant Professor, History

Marcia Ochoa, Assistant Professor, Community Studies

Micah Perks, Associate Professor, Literature

Juan Poblete, Associate Professor, Literature; Provost, Kresge College

Cynthia Polecritti, Associate Professor, History

Mary Beth Pudup, Associate Professor, Community Studies

Catherine S. Ramírez, Associate Professor, American Studies

Renya Ramirez, Associate Professor, American Studies

Craig Reinarman, Professor, Sociology

B. Ruby Rich, Professor and Chair, Community Studies & Social Documentation

Lisa Rofel, Professor and Chair, Anthropology

Don Rothman, Senior Lecturer Emeritus, Writing

Danilyn Rutherford, Associate Professor, Anthropology

Zack Schlesinger, Professor, Physics

Roger Schoenman, Assistant Professor, Politics

Peter Scott, Professor Emeritus, Physics

Dan Selden, Professor, Literature

Warren Sack, Associate Professor, Film & Digital Media

Vanita Seth, Associate Professor, Politics

Carolyn Martin Shaw, Professor, Anthropology

Richard Terdiman, Professor, Literature

Megan Thomas, Assistant Professor, Politics

Avril Thorne, Professor and Chair, Psychology

Anna Tsing, Professor, Anthropology

Michael Urban, Professor, Politics

David Wellman, Research Professor, Community Studies

Rob Wilson, Professor, Literature & Creative Writing

Dan Wirls, Professor and Chair, Politics

Karen T. Yamashita, Professor, Literature

Pat Zavella, Professor and Chair, Latin American and Latino Studies

Eileen Zurbriggen, Associate Professor, Psychology

For more information on the U.C. budget, please visit the website created by the UCSC’s Graduate Student Organizing Committee (GSOC).

Click here to be redirected to their highly informative site.

To: The UCSC Community

From: Some UCSC Faculty (signatures below)

We write to object to CPEVC Kliger’s report issued on Thursday March 4 at 9:50 am regarding the demonstration.

It is true that the demonstration successfully stopped “business as usual” on the UCSC campus. While this may have represented an inconvenience for some, it perhaps bears repeating that no significant social change occurs without some inconvenience.

Many faculty participated in the campus closure, some for the entire day, starting early in the morning. A number of us who were present at the two main entrances and at key intersections throughout the day can say with confidence that metal pipes, clubs, and knives were nowhere to be seen.

Further, the many health care workers who arrived at the two entrances were allowed to enter campus with almost no delay. Indeed, the student organizers had created an orderly and respectful protocol for speaking with people in cars who were attempting to enter the campus. Testament to their understanding of the complexities of choosing to close campus, the strike organizers had made arrangements with Family Student Housing for easy and safe access and egress. Additionally, we did not witness anyone being prevented (by protesters) from leaving the campus.

The students organizing the campus closure also made arrangements for incident monitoring and witnessing. Several received training from the National Lawyer’s Guild; there were also NLG legal observers whose role it was to remain neutral and to document. We hope these observers will attest to the specifics of reported incidents.

Some of us witnessed drivers aggressively trying to break through lines of protesters, a dangerous reaction to peaceful protest that the administration has referred to as “road rage.”

To our knowledge, administrators from Student Affairs were nowhere to be found. Campus administrative leadership was also notably absent.

The event was an impressive example of the ability of our students to educate themselves and others about the state of the California budget and the increasing privatization and corporatization of the UC and public education in California generally. Further, the event demonstrated students’ capacity to build coalitions among various university groups and with other sectors of public education and organized labor, which were represented in the rallies on campus and in downtown Santa Cruz on Thursday.

We think that the administrative leadership of UCSC should recognize the students’ commitment to defend public education in calling attention to the ongoing crisis with a day of public action.

Sincerely,

Jordi Aladro Professor, Literature

Mark Anderson Assistant Professor, Anthropology

David Anthony Associate Professor, History

Anjali Arondekar Associate Professor, Feminist Studies

Gabriela Arredondo Associate Professor, Latin American & Latina/o Studies Dept.
Director, Chicano/Latino Research Center

Noriko Aso Assistant Professor, History

Gopal Balakrishnan Associate Professor, History of Consciousness

Karen Bassi Professor, Literature and Classics

Hunter Bivens Assistant Professor, Literature

Margaret Brose Professor Emerita, Literature

Giulia Centineo Lecturer, Languages

Alan Christy Associate Professor, History

Vilashini Cooppan Associate Professor, Literature

E.G. Crichton Associate Professor, Art

Cindy Cruz Assistant Professor, Education

Nathaniel Deutsch Professor, History and Literature

Timothy P. Duane Associate Professor, Environmental Studies

Dana Frank Professor, History

Carla Freccero Professor, Literature

Rosa-Linda Fregoso Professor, Latin American and Latino Studies

Ron Glass Associate Professor, Education

Deborah Gould Assistant Professor, Sociology

Chris Hables Gray Lecturer, Crown College

Herman Gray Professor, Sociology

Miriam Greenberg Assistant Professor, Sociology

Jody Greene Associate Professor, Literature

Kirsten Silva Gruesz Professor, Literature

Gildas Hamel SOE Lecturer, History

Donna Haraway Distinguished Professor, History of Consciousness

Lisbeth Haas Professor, History

Christine Hong Assistant Professor, Literature

Emily Honig Professor, History

Christine King Lecturer, Kresge College

Sharon Kinoshita Professor, Literature

Norma Klahn Professor, Literature

Regina Langhout Assistant Professor, Psychology

H. Marshall Leicester Professor, Literature

Leslie Lopez Lecturer, Latin American and Latino Studies, Writing

Lourdes Martinez-Echazabal Associate Professor of Literature

Helene Moglen Professor Emerita, Literature

Maria Morris Lecturer, Languages

Marcia Ochoa Assistant Professor, Community Studies.Christine King  Lecturer, Kresge College Transformative Action Class

Juan Poblete Associate Professor, Literature & Provost, Kresge College

Eric Porter Professor, American Studies

Catherine Ramírez Associate Professor, American Studies

Renya Ramirez Associate Professor, American Studies

Craig Reinarman Professor, Sociology

Don Rothman Emeritus SOE Senior Lecturer, Writing

Danilyn Rutherford Associate Professor, Anthropology

Felicity Schaeffer-Grabiel Assistant Professor, Feminist Studies

Zack Schlesinger Professor, Physics

Vanita Seth Associate Professor, Politics

Deanna Shemek Professor, Literature & Provost, Cowell College

Dana Takagi Professor, Sociology

Richard Terdiman Professor, Literature

Megan Thomas Assistant Professor, Politics

Rob Wilson Professor, Literature

Karen Tei Yamashita Professor, Literature

(58)

The undersigned, though not present when these events took place, would like to add their names in support of this letter:

Christopher Connery Professor, Literature

Rebecca Braslau Professor, Chemistry

Shelly Errington Professor, Anthropology

Barbara Epstein Professor, History of Consciousness

Susan Gillman Professor, Literature

Gail Hershatter Distinguished Professor, History

Robert Meister Professor of Social and Political Thought

Adriane Steinacker Adjunct Professor, Astronomy and Astrophysics

———————————————————–

March 4, 2010

To: UCSC Community

Fr: Campus Provost David Kliger

Re: Update on Campus Protest

Earlier this morning, protest activity at both campus entrances rendered our main campus inaccessible to vehicle traffic. Reports of protesters carrying clubs and knives, smashing a car windshield with a metal pipe, denying a resident of faculty/student housing the right to exit the campus, and keeping a campus health care worker from getting to work, escalated this morning’s protest into behavior that is disruptive, intimidating and destructive.

Behavior that degrades into violence, personal intimidation, and disrespect for the rights of others is reprehensible, and does nothing to aid efforts to restore funding to the university.

These actions should cease. University police, Student Affairs staff, and others are doing their best to manage this situation. In the meantime, we commend members of our community for their patience.

Please continue to check the campus website http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/protest/03-10/ for updates.

———————————————————–

Message from the Chancellor

As the campus returns to full operations, I want to acknowledge the toll yesterday’s protests took on the campus community and renew our commitment to the students we are here to serve.

Thousands of UCSC students, faculty, and staff were impacted by yesterday’s demonstrations, which were part of a national Day of Action in Support of Public Education. It was a difficult day for many, and I thank you for your patience and understanding.

Many people went to extraordinary efforts yesterday to fulfill myriad aspects of the university’s three-part mission of teaching, research, and public service. Under trying circumstances, faculty and staff made numerous adjustments, and I appreciate their professionalism and flexibility. Ultimately, students bore the real brunt of yesterday’s events, as they were inconvenienced and many were unable to attend their classes.

There’s no question that the state’s reinvestment in public education is critical. I urge you to join me in advocating on behalf of UC Santa Cruz as we refocus our attention on continuing the upward trajectory of this great institution.

To UCSC students, staff, and faculty:

The University of California, San Francisco
Monday, January 25, 2010

This “teach-in” explores the origins and character of the current crisis at the University of California. It is both an educational and political event, designed to provide a progressive, alternative analysis of the budget crisis and a positive road forward for California, the UC system, and education at all levels in our state. We defend public higher education in the Golden State. We do not favor privatization of the University, austerity for the public schools, or furloughs, wage freezes, and fee hikes for staff, faculty, and students. We hope that the information and analysis generated by this teach-in will provide students, staff, faculty, and administrators with the weapons necessary to defend our university as it faces unprecedented attack.

Ahnika Kline

Graduate Student at U.C. San Francisco

“A Future Alumna on the Future of the University” Listen Here

Stan Glantz

Professor of Medicine, UCSF, past chair of UC Committee on Planning and Budget

“UC’s Budget Mess: How We Got Here and How Little It Would Cost to Get Out” Listen Here

Robert Meister

Professor of Political Science UC Santa Cruz, President, UC Faculty Associations

“Who Pays and Who Benefits? Higher Education and Taxation as Engines of Equality and Growth” Listen Here

George Lakoff

Professor of Linguistics, UC Berkeley, Author of California Democracy Act Ballot Initiative

“Privatization and Democracy: How We Can Change Our Future”

Listen Here

_______________________________

The University of California, Santa Cruz
Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Where do student fees go? A Public Forum on the UC Budget and Student Protests

Mike Rotkin

Vice President of UC-AFT, Lecturer and Field Studies Coordinator of Community Studies, UCSC

Listen Here

Bob Samuels

President of UC-AFT, operator of Changing Universities blog. Listen Here

Robert Meister

Professor of Political Science, UC Santa Cruz and President, UC Faculty Associations

Listen Here

Questions and Answers:

1. What if students went to their student portal and withdrew for a quarter, massively? Listen Here
   
2. What is a derivative? Listen Here
3. What kind of tools should we use to make sure our demands are met? Listen Here
4. A student class action suit against the University for the mismanagement of their funds? Listen Here
5. Building a state-wide movement: If the distribution to the campuses is as skewed as you say, how do you think we move through the problem of making common cause, with UCLA for instance, without splitting our movement 10 different ways according to how much each campus is getting per student currently? Listen Here
6. What is a hedgefund? Listen Here

A statement for all UC faculty (senate and non-senate) to indicate their support for the Day of Actions for Public Higher Education on March 4th, 2010. Regardless of whether you are on leave or sabbatical, not teaching on 3/4, have external funding, or are emerita/emeritus, we encourage you to sign. All faculty members have a stake in fighting for the future of public education in California.

Click Here to sign.