Hate crimes spark Regents’ dialogue on campus climate, diversity

The recent wave of hate crimes at various University of California campuses took center stage at the UC Board of Regents meeting today, as regents, campus chancellors and students came together to discuss the campus climate and diversity of the university.

The recent events include an off-campus party mocking Black History Month and the hanging of two nooses at UC San Diego, along with the discovery of a swastika found carved into a dorm room door at UC Davis.

UC President Mark Yudof described the events as “the worst acts of racism and intolerance that (he has) seen on college campuses in 20 years.”

In the wake of those acts of hate, the regents convened at UC San Francisco to address the attitudes that resulted in these actions and presented strategies by which similar incidents could be prevented in the future.

Already the administration has taken preliminary measures to improve the climate of the university, Yudof said. These steps include a renewed call to re-evaluate the campus admissions processes to ensure diversity throughout the university.

“I want an admission system that is more in-depth and fair and that more effectively considers multiple factors beyond test scores and GPA,” Yudof said. “I believe that we can be inclusive and fair without violating the ban on affirmative action approved by the voters of California.”

Current admission practices are uneven and inconsistent across the UC system, Yudof said. Although all campuses apply a system of comprehensive review, some opt to use a rigorous holistic approach, while others use a more mechanical point system.

The need for admission reform was echoed by Regent Eddie Island, who said the blame for the recent racially charged events lies in the admissions practices of the UC.

“It is the absence of inclusion that frees hatred and bigotry and allows it to go unchallenged,” Island said.

According to Christopher Edley, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law and adviser to Yudof, there is hope for a bright future for the UC system if the proposed initiatives are implemented with transparency and accountability.

“There’s a history of decades of failure to implement programs, so this is a challenge not only of thinking of things to do, but it is important also to get the implementation right,” Edley said.

Other steps Yudof has taken include reviewing student-proposed legislation, appointing Edley as a special advisor on racial issues at UCSD and calling for community members to raise scholarship funds to support underrepresented minorities on UC campuses.

In addition, Student Regent Jesse Bernal proposed protecting the UC’s ethnic studies programs and enhancing funding for student-initiated outreach in order to create a safe and welcoming environment for underrepresented minority students.

Yet despite attempts by the UC Regents and campus chancellors to address the recent events, the current campus environment at UC San Diego is “toxic,” according to David Richardson, a UCSD student and co-chair of the UCSD Black Student Union.

“It is an issue of student safety. There’s a lot of racial tension on campus, and it is really toxic on campus,” said Richardson, a fourth-year international economics and African American studies student. “Students don’t feel safe going to class, or staying in their dorms.”

Richardson was one of three UC student leaders invited to present their experiences and appeal for action from both the UC Regents and campus administrators.

“We need to take action and step away from 49 years of inaction,” said Fnann Keflezighi, a third-year ethnic studies student at UCSD and co-chair of the Black Student Union. “The UCSD climate is not conducive to me being a student.”

But while the students illustrated the need to prioritize campus diversity and increase representation from minority students, Regent Bonnie Reiss suggested that this is not possible without adequate funding for public higher education.

“Funding for higher education in the short term is so critical because when Cal Grants are cut and enrollment is cut, it is our diversity which takes the worst hit,” Reiss said.

Victor Sanchez, president of the UC Student Association, noted that students of color have been disproportionately affected by the recent fee hikes.

This issue has become increasingly pertinent because of the state’s steady disinvestment in higher education, which has contributed to the $1.2 billion budget shortfall facing the university in 2010-2011.

But State Assembly Speaker John Pérez said he would work at the state level to restore support for higher education, such that public universities would continue to be fully accessible to all qualified students.

“We need to work harder to make our campuses more reflective of the rich diversity of this great state,” Pérez said.

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