The undergraduate student government unanimously passed a resolution calling for University of California President Janet Napolitano to comply with a list of demands compiled by students from multiple UC campuses.
The resolution passed after members of the Undergraduate Students Association Council changed its original wording and meaning multiple times, namely changing a clause that would have expressed no confidence in Napolitano’s ability to lead as UC president until she complied with their demands.
UC officials appointed the former Secretary of Homeland Security and Arizona governor as UC president in mid-July. In response, students voiced concern about the record number of deportations that occurred during her term and the effects of her appointment on undocumented students in the University.
The resolution USAC passed demands that Napolitano hold “mandatory annual sensitivity training for UCPD to mitigate racial profiling,” promote general educational courses about the experiences of undocumented students on all UC campuses, and prevent federal immigration laws from being implemented on UC campuses.
External Vice President Maryssa Hall, Student Wellness Commissioner Savannah Badalich, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Jessica Trumble and General Representative Lizzy Naameh said they drafted the resolution after speaking with students at UCLA and other schools.
About 30 students showed up to the meeting to watch or give public comments, but the majority left before USAC discussed or voted on the resolution. Of the students who gave public comments, 18 voiced support for the resolution and five urged USAC to vote against it.
Fourth-year Afro-American studies student Eric Adams told USAC that voting for the resolution would show that the council was responding to students.
“You are here to speak for me and you are here to listen to us,” he said. “And I need you to vote yes for this resolution.”
Other students commenting at the meeting said that the resolution did not understand the role of the UC president and that USAC should direct its demands toward people who had the power to fulfill them.
Before the meeting and the changes to the resolution, councilmembers stood divided on the issue. But after a three-hour discussion, councilmembers had made sufficient amendments to the resolution to agree on it.
Some councilmembers voiced concerns that the resolution would sever ties with Napolitano before she had a chance to act as UC president.
Councilmembers also said they were worried about student safety and parts of the resolution that called for Napolitano to prohibit riot police from acting on UC campuses. But the authors of the resolution responded that some students might feel unsafe on campus if the clause was redacted.
Councilmembers decided to change the clause to emphasize that riot police refers to non-UC police.
The council also decided to strike a clause calling for Napolitano to prohibit the use of E-verify, which checks social security numbers of UC employees, since it called for Napolitano to interfere with federal grants given to the UC.
Councilmembers repeatedly cut each other off at the meeting, and at one point USAC President John Joanino had to stop Internal Vice President Avi Oved and Badalich from arguing with each other.
The authors of the resolution said that they supported changing the resolution to not include a vote of no confidence because they thought the demands listed in it were more important than the vote of no confidence.
After the vote was taken, councilmembers said they were pleased that they voted unanimously and said they hope to work with Napolitano in the future.