The atmosphere throughout the UC system has been one of turmoil following the events of last quarter ““ the UC Davis pepper spray incidents, protests on Berkeley’s campus and the UC Board of Regent’s decision to postpone their November meeting. But students should not take this as a cue to become bitter and should surely not reject the idea of working together with the Regents.
On Wednesday, Sherry Lansing, chair of the Board of Regents, announced the May regents meeting would be held in Sacramento so that students, alumni, faculty and regents could rally at the capital together to “spotlight the adverse effects that cuts in state funding have had on the university and to build public support for re-investment in higher education,” according to a statement released by the UC Office of the President.
This marks a small, but significant, step on the part of the regents in alleviating tensions built on years of student frustration with budget cuts and fee increases.
In recent years, students seemed to have lost faith in the people meant to represent and support them, an indication that dialogue between students and campus and system administrators has been stalled.
Rather than being at odds with one another, students, faculty and regents should be looking toward the root cause of budget turmoil ““ the state.
Participating in the rally at the capitol would not only present a united front, but it would also show Sacramento the seriousness of the effects that budget cuts have had on the UC, while helping to create an open forum for students and administrators to brainstorm solutions.
The protest is set to take place on May 17. It has been proposed that students be given a leave from classes to be able to drive up to the protest.
This seems wise, as a show of numbers would also be a show of support and allow for students to take advantage of the opportunity to have their voices heard.
“When we have the opportunity to shape a protest, we need to take the opportunity,” said Joelle Gamble, the Undergraduate Student Association Council external vice president.
Most students likely did not anticipate the drastic state budget cut that has cut funding to UCLA by half ““ $1.4 billion since 2009.
Recently, the University of California Student Association, agreed to support the regents’ rally at the capitol in May by organizing groups of students to join the protestors.
This show of faith in the regents is not only a restoration of faith in our leaders, but also a good show of teamwork.
Meeting at the capitol would not only demonstrate that both regents and students are united in achieving a mutually acceptable solution to state fund decreases, but would also show that both groups are serious about calling attention to this issue, and the capitol should take note.
Rather than maintaining a distinct separation, the UC Regents and students should be working to create an atmosphere of collaboration and cooperation. Protesting together at the state capitol would do just this.
It is imperative that leaders from USAC and our campus administration work to mobilize our resources to create a strong presence at the capital.
Protesting together is a show of support for students by the regents, trying to involve students in their brainstorming processes as they try to think of ways to mitigate budget shortfall.
With both students and administration working together, it is more likely that a solution accepted and created by both parties can be reached.
The Board of Regents recently met with UC Riverside students in order to discuss their proposal for an alternative way to fund the UC.
This openness to hearing what students have to say should be continued at the capital in May, but students also need to meet the regents more than halfway in order to make the rally meaningful and proactive.
Email Chu at bchu@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to opinion@media.ucla.edu, or tweet at us @DBOpinion.