While issues of hate crimes at various University of California campuses dominated the UC Board of Regents meeting last week, academic funding was also a fundamental concern, as the board approved a statement clarifying that it has the right to change student fees at any appropriate time.
In the wake of racially charged incidents, including an off-campus party mocking Black History Month and the hanging of a noose at UC San Diego, which UC President Mark Yudof described as “the worst acts of racism and intolerance that (he has) seen on college campuses in 20 years,” the regents convened at UC San Francisco to address the attitudes that propelled these actions and to present prevention strategies.
Already, the administration has taken preliminary measures to improve the climate of the university, Yudof said. These steps include a renewed call to 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 most others use a mechanical point system.
Other proposals presented by the regents included enhancing funding for outreach and recruitment programs, and raising scholarship funds for underrepresented minority students, which would increase diversity system-wide.
Additionally, Yudof has reviewed student-proposed legislation and appointed UC Berkeley School of Law Dean Christopher Edley as a special advisor to UCSD on racial issues.
Yet despite attempts by the UC Regents and campus chancellors to address these recent events, the current campus environment is “toxic,” according to David Richardson, 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 at UCSD. “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.
But while the students illustrated the need to prioritize campus diversity and increase representation from minority students, Regent Bonnie Reiss suggested that it 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.
Because of the ongoing disinvestment by the state in higher education, the state has shifted more responsibility and larger tuition bills to students, including the 32 percent fee hike last November.
Previously, some students thought unexpected fee increases constituted a policy violation.
In the 2006 class-action lawsuit Kashmiri v. Regents of the University of California, the court ruled that the UC owed a group of former professional students $40 million after they were faced with fee hikes during the 2002-2003 school year.
However, the regents clarified their policy on fee increases by approving a statement that explicitly says nothing in their policy promises that fees will be limited. Thus, the clarification ensures that the regents can adjust fees without restriction.
“At the end of the day, the University of California is going to have to be leaner and more focused,” said regents Chairman Russell Gould.