UC San Diego students were well represented at the UC Regents Meetings at UCSF yesterday and today! Here are a few brief updates of the meetings and my experiences:
The most inspiring part of the meetings were the public input sessions where the Regents ever so kindly allow each person 60 seconds to speak. UCSD students, many of which had driven 8+ hours to San Francisco were able to get on the speakers' list and voice our opinions!
The UCSD Black Student Union co-chairs Fnann Keflezighi and David Ritcherson spoke and gave a presentation along with Victor Sánchez, the President of the UC Students Association about recent racial incidents. Ritcherson asked all the UC students who attended the meeting on Wednesday to stand up and show our numbers and solidarity, and reminded all of us that all of the regents “work for us!” Keflezighi and Ritcherson also clarified that the actions taken by the UCSD administration and the plans proposed were all created and put into action by the students and not the administration. They also elucidated how incompetent the UCSD administration has been in dealing with issues of diversity and the need for real experts on campus climate and racial issues.
The most inspiring part of the meetings were the public input sessions where the Regents ever so kindly allow each person 60 seconds to speak. UCSD students, many of which had driven 8+ hours to San Francisco were able to get on the speakers' list and voice our opinions!
The UCSD Black Student Union co-chairs Fnann Keflezighi and David Ritcherson spoke and gave a presentation along with Victor Sánchez, the President of the UC Students Association about recent racial incidents. Ritcherson asked all the UC students who attended the meeting on Wednesday to stand up and show our numbers and solidarity, and reminded all of us that all of the regents “work for us!” Keflezighi and Ritcherson also clarified that the actions taken by the UCSD administration and the plans proposed were all created and put into action by the students and not the administration. They also elucidated how incompetent the UCSD administration has been in dealing with issues of diversity and the need for real experts on campus climate and racial issues.
Throughout the meeting, many students expressed their support for the Irvine 11, the group of students arrested for interrupting Israeli ambassador Michael Oren during a lecture on campus in February. Irvine Chancellor Michael Drake presented on the issue and defended his role in the enforcement of the student conduct code, and received hissing by a number of audience-members.
Overall going to the Regents Meetings was an eye-opening and powerful experience. What struck me the most was seeing the lack of diversity of the regents themselves; there were very few women and even fewer people of color sitting at the table...It got me thinking about how regents are chosen because they certainly don’t seem representative of UC students or the California population!
Even if the regents may be only half-listening to us or too busy with their own agendas, it felt empowering to voice our opinions and to build community with all the activists that attended!
- Here is my one-minute public input blurb:
My name is Melissa and I am a 2nd year student at UC San Diego and an intern at the UCSD Women’s Center. This year there are 8 student interns at the Women’s Center where we’ve been trained on social justice issues such as race, gender, and sexuality and we work with the LGBT Resource Center and the Cross Cultural Center to form the network of campus community centers that many students say are the only places on campus where they feel at home. However, next year, because our budget has been cut, the Women’s Center will not be able to hire as many interns or put on as many programs– and as a result the UCSD community will suffer. Given that racism, sexism, and homophobia are rampant on our campuses, it is clear that Campus Community Centers are crucial to the University in promoting diversity, tolerance, and community, and yet they remain extremely undervalued and underfunded. Why are we being asked to pay more to attend a university that is becoming increasingly less welcoming and comfortable for students of color and other underrepresented students? I realize economically the UC system is struggling, but we need to consider our priorities, and in order to decrease the racism, sexism, and homophobia on our campuses we must fund and support social justice centers and programs.
- Memorable quote from Wednesday's meeting: "That UC logo up there...that should read 'Let there be PROFIT!'"
- UCSD students are on TV for a few seconds! Look for us around 30 seconds sitting on the left.
- You can check out videos from yesterday's meeting here: http://www.ustream.tv/regentsmeeting
- The Daily Californian: Regents Discuss Changing Admissions Policy in Light of 'Toxic' Racial Climate
- San Francisco Chronicle Article: UC Regents Sorry for Acts of Hate on Campuses
