February 22, 2010
Dear Chancellor Drake:
I write to express my concern about your letter of February 17 and other aspects of the University’s response to 11 UCI students’ protest of the appearance of Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren and to student protest generally.
Much of the public discussion of the protest has debated whether or not the students’ protest tactics would be legally protected by the First Amendment. The narrow question of legal protection, however, does not define the set of issues that a university should think about on such an occasion. No university believes that its values are exhausted by what is legally required. Rather, universities should be sensitive to all speech and action that is principled, and should be mindful of traditions of civil disobedience. The complex and often illustrious history of civil disobedience in the U.S. includes illegal actions by definition. Many historical, philosophical, literary, and sociological texts commonly taught in the UCI curriculum acknowledge the benefits of such an approach. The idea that the spaces of democracy are kept open through challenges to their bounds and rules *by those who are formally excluded from these very spaces* is familiar and crucial to scholars of democracy.
The case of the protest at Michael Oren’s lecture raises questions about the availability and viability of other means by which the concerns of the 11 could be raised. In addition to Oren, a second speaker affiliated with the Israeli government appears on the UCI calendar this quarter—Daniel Taub, Principal Deputy Legal Adviser of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Feb. 10, 2010). I believe that no Palestinian official has spoken at UCI since Manuel Hassassian, ambassador of the Palestinian General Delegation to the UK, appeared at a forum with Prof. Edward Kaufman (formerly of Hebrew University) in 2006. Further, I’m concerned about the diversity of expression more generally. Over the last decade mainstream scholars have addressed concerns similar to the 11 students’—namely, that gains by the religious right in Israel have resulted in “new discriminatory policies and practices toward the Palestinian minority” and a climate in which extreme “policies of expulsion” are newly thinkable (see Nadim N. Rouhana and Nimer Sultany, “Redrawing the Boundaries of Citizenship: Israel's New Hegemony,” Journal of Palestine Studies 33 [2003], 5-22). As far as I can tell, the last speaker sponsored by UCI whose main topic was the plight of Palestinians may have been Prof. Saree Makdisi, as part of the conference “"Whither the Levant?," in December 2008.
Most of the UCI events sponsored by the Ford Foundation have featured speakers from the political center whose main topic has been the desirability of reconciliation. The UCI “difficult dialogues” are not really dialogic and not really difficult, however,unless they include the full spectrum of political opinion. This context may help one understand why the 11 students may have wanted to publicize their point in the way they did. It is worth assessing whether the “Difficult Dialogues” project is serving the needs of the student groups that truly differ, rather than those already occupying the center; and whether, by seeming to align itself with this center, UCI could be seen to be taking a de facto position in the Middle East conflict itself.
The perception that UCI may be more interested in suppressing the appearance of conflict than in working through it is exacerbated by the OC Register’s report that UCI has rehired a public relations consultant, Alan Hilburg, whose previous experience with damage control includes work on the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Love Canal, and smokeless tobacco. Alan Hilburg’s previous work for at least one client has included cost-benefit analyses of a company’s taking, or seeming to take, one stance or another; a paper he has given for the national conference of public relations specialists promotes “trust” for its connection to “lower transaction costs” and “high brand value” (“The High Cost of Low Trust: Managing the Climate of Skepticism”). It’s appropriate for a university to maintain its own public relations staff, but not to retain a consultant with such a record.
Finally, although people may agree or disagree with the views and/or tactics of the 11 students who protested Oren’s appearance, no reasonable person could believe that the students were unprincipled. The university must show that it is able to recognize the difference between principled civil disobedience and unprincipled disruption and be careful to treat protesters with respect. Your letter of February 17 falls short in this regard. Its title, “Why do values and civility matter?,” and statement that “some” at UCI have the goal of “closing channels of communication,” seem to assume that the people being referred to lack “values” and “civility” and are ill-motivated. This broadly phrased letter might be taken to extend to recent protests over UC finances (its terms are problematic, however, whether it refers to the smaller or to the larger group). It would be more productive to assume that students engaged in protest—both the 11 students at Oren’s talk and the wider community of protesters—care about the civil society of the university and are expressing, in time-honored ways, values that matter.
Sincerely,
Rei Terada
Professor of Comparative Literature
Subject line Why Do Values and Civility Matter?
I have spoken and written often about the manner in which we discuss and debate our differences, about our values, and about how we use those values to guide our decision-making. I am disappointed that some in our community seem more comfortable engaging in confrontation than collaboration, and in closing channels of communication rather than opening them.
At this juncture, we have two options. We can continue to amp up the rhetoric of outrage that is reverberating inside and outside our walls. Or, rather than fortifying barriers, we can use this energy to build bridges across the spaces that divide us.
We can discuss our differences respectfully, moving first toward understanding, and perhaps eventually toward resolution. And we can challenge ourselves to be better: What does it mean to be a part of a learning community? How do we engage each other in constructive dialog? How do we move forward?
To that end, I am asking several campus units to join together to host a series of discussions that will help light our path forward. School of Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky's "First Amendment in a Multicultural Society" lecture last week set a high standard, and we will explore other issues in upcoming weeks. We will announce these shortly. I hope that all interested students, faculty and staff will participate, and that rather than repeating the behavior of so many others and sinking backward, we will move forward as a campus.
I know that we can advance. As we do, we must remember that the collective energy of our diverse communities is among our greatest strengths, and one that clearly enhances our position among the great learning centers of the world.
Chancellor Michael Drake
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Berkeley ASUC Resolution in Support of March 4th Events
A Bill in Support of the National March 4th Day of Action
Authored by Christina Urista, and Elliot Astral Goldstein
Sponsored by Christina Oatfield
WHEREAS, on October 24, 2009 more than 800 students, workers, and teachers converged at UC Berkeley at the California Coordinating Committee Conference; and
WHEREAS, the California Coordinating Committee is a coalition between students, teachers, and workers across all sectors of public education, including K-12, community colleges, state colleges, and the University of California; and
WHEREAS, the California Coordinating Committee was formed in an effort to preserve and save the quality, access, and excellence of public education in California;
WHEREAS, the California Coordinating Committee democratically voted on localized actions throughout all sectors of public education in California for March 4th2010; and
WHEREAS, the October 24th Conference inspired other public educational campuses across the nation to also defend their educational rights in response to the national fiscal crisis, and to take action on March 4th, 2010; and
WHEREAS, the UC Berkeley General Assembly voted on a strike on the day with picket lines at the UC Berkeley campus, followed by a march to Oakland’s Ogawa Plaza; and
WHEREAS, the mass rally to Oakland stands in solidarity with all public educational sectors in the East Bay, including K-12, community colleges, and state campuses; and
WHEREAS, the standards of access, quality, and excellence in all sectors of public education are threatened or have diminished under the charge of those who have been entrusted to defend and promote them; and
WHEREAS, UC President Mark Yudof has mishandled the current crisis, therefore galvanizing University employees, faculty, staff and students to launch their own statewide vote of “No Confidence” in his leadership; and
WHEREAS, the ASUC already supported democratizing the Regents (SB 251, Spring 2009), before the Regents passed a devastating 32% fee hike on November 19th at UCLA, only two Regents opposing the increase,
WHEREAS, the State of California has continually disinvested in public education across all sectors of higher education, essentially failing to uphold the Master Plan for Higher Education in California,
WHEREAS, the California K-12 public school system faced $5.2 billion dollars in cuts from 2009-2010, failing to uphold the minimum funding levels under the voter approved Proposition 98; and
WHEREAS, Governor Schwarzenegger’s new proposal to fund higher public education does not include California’s K-12 public school system; and
WHEREAS, although separate from the California Coordinating Committee, the March 4th National Day of Action to Defend Public Education stands for the same cause and is endorsed by SAVE UC, UC Berkeley Solidarity Alliance, UC Berkeley General Assembly, UC Berkeley Graduate Student Organizing Committee, the California Labor Federation, the California Faculty Association, the California Federation of Teachers, United Teachers of Los Angeles, United Educators of San Francisco, AFSCME Local 444; and
WHEREAS, under its Constitution, the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) is committed to effective student participation in all areas of student concern; and
WHEREAS, the ASUC is deeply committed to upholding the quality of education in public higher education institutions in California and is in solidarity with all sectors of public education in California;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the ASUC stands in support of and participates in the March 4th National Day of Action to Defend Public Education as a concerned body of student representatives.
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the ASUC stands in solidarity with all sectors of public education, including students, teachers, staff and workers in the K-12, college and university sectors fighting to defend their educational rights on March 4th 2010.
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the ASUC President and External Affairs Vice President are authorized to write letters to the respective stakeholders, including the student body, in support of the March 4th National Day to Defend Public Education, including UC Berkeley’s localized actions to: strike, march to Ogawa Plaza, and demonstration in Sacramento.
THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that ASUC supports and will use its resources, peoplepower, and channels of communication to increase awareness and mobilize students leading up to and on the March 4th Day of Action.
Authored by Christina Urista, and Elliot Astral Goldstein
Sponsored by Christina Oatfield
WHEREAS, on October 24, 2009 more than 800 students, workers, and teachers converged at UC Berkeley at the California Coordinating Committee Conference; and
WHEREAS, the California Coordinating Committee is a coalition between students, teachers, and workers across all sectors of public education, including K-12, community colleges, state colleges, and the University of California; and
WHEREAS, the California Coordinating Committee was formed in an effort to preserve and save the quality, access, and excellence of public education in California;
WHEREAS, the California Coordinating Committee democratically voted on localized actions throughout all sectors of public education in California for March 4th2010; and
WHEREAS, the October 24th Conference inspired other public educational campuses across the nation to also defend their educational rights in response to the national fiscal crisis, and to take action on March 4th, 2010; and
WHEREAS, the UC Berkeley General Assembly voted on a strike on the day with picket lines at the UC Berkeley campus, followed by a march to Oakland’s Ogawa Plaza; and
WHEREAS, the mass rally to Oakland stands in solidarity with all public educational sectors in the East Bay, including K-12, community colleges, and state campuses; and
WHEREAS, the standards of access, quality, and excellence in all sectors of public education are threatened or have diminished under the charge of those who have been entrusted to defend and promote them; and
WHEREAS, UC President Mark Yudof has mishandled the current crisis, therefore galvanizing University employees, faculty, staff and students to launch their own statewide vote of “No Confidence” in his leadership; and
WHEREAS, the ASUC already supported democratizing the Regents (SB 251, Spring 2009), before the Regents passed a devastating 32% fee hike on November 19th at UCLA, only two Regents opposing the increase,
WHEREAS, the State of California has continually disinvested in public education across all sectors of higher education, essentially failing to uphold the Master Plan for Higher Education in California,
WHEREAS, the California K-12 public school system faced $5.2 billion dollars in cuts from 2009-2010, failing to uphold the minimum funding levels under the voter approved Proposition 98; and
WHEREAS, Governor Schwarzenegger’s new proposal to fund higher public education does not include California’s K-12 public school system; and
WHEREAS, although separate from the California Coordinating Committee, the March 4th National Day of Action to Defend Public Education stands for the same cause and is endorsed by SAVE UC, UC Berkeley Solidarity Alliance, UC Berkeley General Assembly, UC Berkeley Graduate Student Organizing Committee, the California Labor Federation, the California Faculty Association, the California Federation of Teachers, United Teachers of Los Angeles, United Educators of San Francisco, AFSCME Local 444; and
WHEREAS, under its Constitution, the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) is committed to effective student participation in all areas of student concern; and
WHEREAS, the ASUC is deeply committed to upholding the quality of education in public higher education institutions in California and is in solidarity with all sectors of public education in California;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the ASUC stands in support of and participates in the March 4th National Day of Action to Defend Public Education as a concerned body of student representatives.
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the ASUC stands in solidarity with all sectors of public education, including students, teachers, staff and workers in the K-12, college and university sectors fighting to defend their educational rights on March 4th 2010.
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the ASUC President and External Affairs Vice President are authorized to write letters to the respective stakeholders, including the student body, in support of the March 4th National Day to Defend Public Education, including UC Berkeley’s localized actions to: strike, march to Ogawa Plaza, and demonstration in Sacramento.
THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that ASUC supports and will use its resources, peoplepower, and channels of communication to increase awareness and mobilize students leading up to and on the March 4th Day of Action.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
UC Berkeley Statement on Protest Regulations
Subject: Update on Campus Regulations Concerning Protests and Demonstrations
At the start of the semester we wrote to you about the rules of time, place and manner that govern the rights of protest and demonstration and protect the liberty of each of us to teach, learn, work, live and engage in political expression on campus, and our intent to enforce these rules.
We are happy to report that student organizers have worked together successfully with faculty and administrators to hold events to promote discussion and debate concerning a path forward for Berkeley and higher education, while abiding by these rules. We commend the efforts that students, faculty and staff are making to be respectful of our campus values of peaceful protest and to work together to ensure compliance with campus regulations.
As the campus prepares to step up its advocacy efforts, we are writing to remind you of these rules and note that University House has been added to the Campus Regulations Concerning the Time, Place, and Manner of Public Expression. These are available at: http://students.berkeley.edu/uga/regs.stm (Secs. 300ff).
Christopher Kutz
Chair, Faculty Senate
Fiona M. Doyle
Vice Chair, Faculty Senate
Robert J. Birgeneau
Chancellor
George Breslauer
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
At the start of the semester we wrote to you about the rules of time, place and manner that govern the rights of protest and demonstration and protect the liberty of each of us to teach, learn, work, live and engage in political expression on campus, and our intent to enforce these rules.
We are happy to report that student organizers have worked together successfully with faculty and administrators to hold events to promote discussion and debate concerning a path forward for Berkeley and higher education, while abiding by these rules. We commend the efforts that students, faculty and staff are making to be respectful of our campus values of peaceful protest and to work together to ensure compliance with campus regulations.
As the campus prepares to step up its advocacy efforts, we are writing to remind you of these rules and note that University House has been added to the Campus Regulations Concerning the Time, Place, and Manner of Public Expression. These are available at: http://students.berkeley.edu/uga/regs.stm (Secs. 300ff).
Christopher Kutz
Chair, Faculty Senate
Fiona M. Doyle
Vice Chair, Faculty Senate
Robert J. Birgeneau
Chancellor
George Breslauer
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Open Letter in Response to UC Berkeley "Update on Campus Regulations Concerning Protests and Demonstrations"
In an e-mail to the campus community on Friday, February 19, leaders of UC Berkeley’s administration and faculty senate offer students a timely reminder of “the rules of time, place and manner that govern the rights of protest and demonstration... and our intent to enforce these rules.” The letter, which was signed by Chancellor Robert Birgeneau, Provost George Breslauer, Professor Christopher Kutz (Chair of the Faculty Senate), and Professor Fiona Doyle (Vice-Chair of the Faculty Senate), goes on to “commend the efforts that students, faculty and staff are making to be respectful of our campus values of peaceful protest and to work together to ensure compliance with campus regulations.” They write, “We are happy to report that student organizers have worked together successfully with faculty and administrators to hold events to promote discussion and debate concerning a path forward for Berkeley and higher education, while abiding by these rules.”
Strangely, the letter does not identify the events it applauds. We can only hope that the Rolling University is implied, a massive outreach effort on the part of student organizers to inform the student body about the March 4 Day of Action. And yet, as the student organizers of recent events that specifically sought to foster discussion between administrators and the community, we feel compelled to express our dismay at the administration and faculty senate’s misleading characterization of the current level of administrative engagement with student concerns.
We take as example the Forum on the Code of Student Conduct held on February 17 with Dean of Students Jonathan Poullard and Assistant Dean of Students Susan Trageser. Far from being a model of “discussion and debate concerning a path forward for Berkeley and higher education,” this event would be better represented by the refusal of the participating administrators to engage in a meaningful and productive manner with the concerns of students and faculty. In meetings and conversations to plan the event, the administrators participating made clear that holding a debate was out of the question. An e-mail sent to student organizers before the event demonstrates Dean Poullard’s opinion of the value of debate that Chancellor Birgeneau, Provost Breslauer, and the Chairs of the Academic Senate claim to encourage: “This should not be a debate but rather an opportunity for students and community members alike to ask questions and seek clarification on what our code says and does not say.” Needless to say, the event disappointed students and faculty who came prepared to discuss with administrators in a civil manner, but were met with evasions, contradictions, condescension, and repeated promises to begin to find a solution sometime in the future.
Despite our frustrations, we appreciate that Dean Poullard and Assistant Dean Trageser accepted student offers to discuss our concerns. We fully understand that improvements to the Student Code of Conduct process could take considerable time. However, the consistency with which administrators have deferred pressing and urgent concerns is entirely unacceptable at an institution ostensibly based on democratic processes and shared governance. While students certainly should not stop pressing administrators to sit down and talk with them, what we witnessed from administrators during the planning and execution of these events cannot be applauded as successful forms of discussion and debate.
The failure of discussion and debate on campus falls squarely on the shoulders of the administrators themselves, not the students who are eagerly participating in and dedicating so much time to organizing these events. We have repeatedly appealed to administrators to talk with us, but are consistently met with refusals to address our concerns. Last semester’s protests and strikes were appeals by thousands of members of the Berkeley community to our campus and university administration to engage with students, faculty, staff, to which we received only one response in multiple iterations: “we must channel our energies outwards,” that is, the fault lies with state government. This is the response we have received, that there is no need for internal debate in matters where our leadership disavows responsibility. Thus the commendation of student, employee and faculty protests—where they abide by campus regulations—only misleads the campus community, while making hollow what it would mean to have a community truly founded on discussion and debate.
Faced with similar behavior by administrators last semester, it is no wonder that frustrated students, in an effort to be heard, decided not to abide by the rules of political engagement set by the administration and refused to recognize what the faculty senate described as the “limits of protest.” That the leaders of the administration and Academic Senate have once again authored a letter informing students of the acceptable terms of “public expression” on campus just before the March 4 Day of Action to Defend Public Education is not surprising. The true attitude of our administration is displayed in a recent email from the Chancellor, which dismisses the months of organizing done by its students, staff and faculty
to hold protests on campus on March 4 as “another set of events... being planned for March 4th and organized by a coalition of labor leaders and others.” Yet again, this is an attempt to redirect “legitimate” protest to Sacramento.
We are writing from the perspective of students who have devoted long hours to organizing opportunities for administrators to engage with students in the very ways the administration and faculty senate espouse. But just like last semester, administrators not only refuse to work together with us, they also insist on using their position of power to manipulate campus perception of student organizers and the administration’s response. We refrain from applauding the engagement of administrators until they begin to acknowledge our concerns and follow through with their promises, such as beginning a process of reviewing the legality of the Code of Student Conduct and rewriting it. We do hope that
the administration will take part in events like the Rolling University, where students, faculty and staff continue to discuss the future of Berkeley and public education.
Shane Boyle
Performance Studies
Mandy Cohen
Comparative Literature
Zach Levenson
Sociology
Strangely, the letter does not identify the events it applauds. We can only hope that the Rolling University is implied, a massive outreach effort on the part of student organizers to inform the student body about the March 4 Day of Action. And yet, as the student organizers of recent events that specifically sought to foster discussion between administrators and the community, we feel compelled to express our dismay at the administration and faculty senate’s misleading characterization of the current level of administrative engagement with student concerns.
We take as example the Forum on the Code of Student Conduct held on February 17 with Dean of Students Jonathan Poullard and Assistant Dean of Students Susan Trageser. Far from being a model of “discussion and debate concerning a path forward for Berkeley and higher education,” this event would be better represented by the refusal of the participating administrators to engage in a meaningful and productive manner with the concerns of students and faculty. In meetings and conversations to plan the event, the administrators participating made clear that holding a debate was out of the question. An e-mail sent to student organizers before the event demonstrates Dean Poullard’s opinion of the value of debate that Chancellor Birgeneau, Provost Breslauer, and the Chairs of the Academic Senate claim to encourage: “This should not be a debate but rather an opportunity for students and community members alike to ask questions and seek clarification on what our code says and does not say.” Needless to say, the event disappointed students and faculty who came prepared to discuss with administrators in a civil manner, but were met with evasions, contradictions, condescension, and repeated promises to begin to find a solution sometime in the future.
Despite our frustrations, we appreciate that Dean Poullard and Assistant Dean Trageser accepted student offers to discuss our concerns. We fully understand that improvements to the Student Code of Conduct process could take considerable time. However, the consistency with which administrators have deferred pressing and urgent concerns is entirely unacceptable at an institution ostensibly based on democratic processes and shared governance. While students certainly should not stop pressing administrators to sit down and talk with them, what we witnessed from administrators during the planning and execution of these events cannot be applauded as successful forms of discussion and debate.
The failure of discussion and debate on campus falls squarely on the shoulders of the administrators themselves, not the students who are eagerly participating in and dedicating so much time to organizing these events. We have repeatedly appealed to administrators to talk with us, but are consistently met with refusals to address our concerns. Last semester’s protests and strikes were appeals by thousands of members of the Berkeley community to our campus and university administration to engage with students, faculty, staff, to which we received only one response in multiple iterations: “we must channel our energies outwards,” that is, the fault lies with state government. This is the response we have received, that there is no need for internal debate in matters where our leadership disavows responsibility. Thus the commendation of student, employee and faculty protests—where they abide by campus regulations—only misleads the campus community, while making hollow what it would mean to have a community truly founded on discussion and debate.
Faced with similar behavior by administrators last semester, it is no wonder that frustrated students, in an effort to be heard, decided not to abide by the rules of political engagement set by the administration and refused to recognize what the faculty senate described as the “limits of protest.” That the leaders of the administration and Academic Senate have once again authored a letter informing students of the acceptable terms of “public expression” on campus just before the March 4 Day of Action to Defend Public Education is not surprising. The true attitude of our administration is displayed in a recent email from the Chancellor, which dismisses the months of organizing done by its students, staff and faculty
to hold protests on campus on March 4 as “another set of events... being planned for March 4th and organized by a coalition of labor leaders and others.” Yet again, this is an attempt to redirect “legitimate” protest to Sacramento.
We are writing from the perspective of students who have devoted long hours to organizing opportunities for administrators to engage with students in the very ways the administration and faculty senate espouse. But just like last semester, administrators not only refuse to work together with us, they also insist on using their position of power to manipulate campus perception of student organizers and the administration’s response. We refrain from applauding the engagement of administrators until they begin to acknowledge our concerns and follow through with their promises, such as beginning a process of reviewing the legality of the Code of Student Conduct and rewriting it. We do hope that
the administration will take part in events like the Rolling University, where students, faculty and staff continue to discuss the future of Berkeley and public education.
Shane Boyle
Performance Studies
Mandy Cohen
Comparative Literature
Zach Levenson
Sociology
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
List of Events for March 4th (Statewide)
Greetings,
March 4th is right around the corner and the local, national and international anticipation for this historic day is growing by the minute. Students, teachers, staff, parents and workers from all over California, the nation and the world have been organizing and building for the Strike and Day of Action. Below is a tentative list of events that will be happening on March 4th in California.
If you have any information to add to the list below, have information on events from places outside of California or have any questions about March 4th, please email march4strikeanddayofaction@gmail.com or visit http://defendcapubliceducation.wordpress.com/school-reports/ and tell us what is being planned in your school, workplace, community for March 4th Strike and Day of Action.
In Solidarity,
Jonathan Nunez
Follow-up committee of the October 24th Conference
Regional Events
Los Angeles Regional Rally
• 3 pm Rally @ Pershing Square (5th & Hill) in downtown L.A.
• 4 pm March from Pershing Square to the Governor’s office
• 5 pm Rally @ Governor’s office (300 Spring St.)
East Bay/Oakland Regional Rally
• 12 pm-4 pm Rally @ Frank Ogawa Plaza (in front of Oakland City Hall, 14th & Broadway)
• March to the Ogawa Plaza Rally from:
-UC Berkeley: 12 pm Rally @ Bancroft & Telegraph, followed by March
-Laney College: 11 am Rally, followed by March
-Fruitvale BART: Assemble @ 11 am, March @ 11:30 am
• Travel to San Francisco Regional Rally (See regional listing below)
San Francisco Regional Rally
• 5 pm Rally @ San Francisco Civic Center
Sacramento/State Capitol Rally
• 11 am-1 pm Rally @ State Capitol (North Steps of Capitol)
San Diego Regional Rally
• 3 pm Rally @ Balboa Park, followed by March to governor’s office
• 4 pm Rally @ Governor’s office (downtown)
San Fernando Valley Regional Rally
• 3:45 pm gathering @ CSU Northridge Sierra Quad
• 4:15 pm March
• 5 pm Hands around CSUN
• 5:30 pm Rally @ CSU Northridge Sierra Quad
Local Events
UC Berkeley
• 7 am-12 pm Pickets
• 12 pm-1 pm Rally/Action @ entrance to Sproul Plaza (Telegraph & Bancroft)
• 1 pm-3 pm March from UC Berkeley to Oakland’s Ogawa Plaza
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to San Francisco
Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
UCLA
• 10 am Pickets
• 11:30 am Walk Out
• 12 pm Rally @ Bruin Plaza
(UCLA invites high schools and community colleges in the Westside area to join)
UC San Diego
• 11:30 Walk-out & Rally @ Gilman Parking Structure
• 12:30 pm March from Gilman to the Silent Tree outside Giesel Library and Rally there
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to San Diego Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
UC Santa Cruz
• 6:00 am Picket at the entrances to campus
• 9:00 am Rally @ main entrance to the campus (Bay and High)
• 12:00 pm Rally @ main entrance to the campus (Bay and High)
• 5:00 pm General Assembly @ main entrance to campus (Bay and High)
UC Riverside
• 1 pm gathering @ UCR Bell Tower
• 2:30 pm March from UCR to downtown
• 3:30 pm Rally @ University Ave and Market St. (Downtown Riverside)
CSU Bakersfield
• 11:30 am-1 pm @ the Student Union Patio (rain: Stockdale Room in Runner Café)
CSU Channel Islands
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to the San Fernando Valley to participate in San Fernando Valley Regional Rally @ CSU Northridge (See regional listing above)
CSU Chico
• 8 am sendoff for students, faculty, workers and campus community traveling to State Capital Rally (See regional listing above)
CSU Dominguez Hills
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to Wilson High School Long Beach and Los Angeles Regional Rally (See Long Beach details below or regional listing above)
• 11 am-1 pm students hold a fair on CSUDH East Walkway (Games to learn about public education costs, access and quality)
CSU East Bay
• 12 pm Rally/Open Mic/Speack Out @ Agora Stage
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to San Francisco Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
Fresno State
• 10:30 am March from NW corner of Blackstone and Shaw, go down Shaw to Fresno State
• 12 pm-1 pm Rally @ Peace Garden
CSU Fullerton
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to Los Angeles Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
Humboldt State
• 3 pm-5 pm Rally @ Humboldt County Courthouse-Eureka with CSU and K-12 faculty and students
Cal State Los Angeles
• 9:30 am Rally @ the USU area (Free Speech area)
• 2 pm March to Los Angeles Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
CSU Long Beach
• 12 pm-1 pm Rally @ South Campus, Upper Quad,
• 1 pm-2 pm Parade
• 4 pm Rally with K-12 and Community College (see below)
Long Beach: Wilson High School
• 4 pm Rally @ Wilson High School Gymnasium (4400 E. 10th St.)
• Music by Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, The Nightwatchman)
California Maritime Academy
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to San Francisco Regional Rally and Sacramento/State Capitol Rally (See regional listing above)
• 12 pm Street Theatre/Mock “Die-In” @ Maritime’s main quad
CSU Monterey Bay
• 11 am-1 pm Rally/March
• Followed by car-pools to Community Rally
• 4 pm Community Rally @ Colton Hall (570 Pacific St. between Madison & Jefferson)
- Contact: Kat General, 415-728-8927
CSU Northridge/San Fernando Valley Regional Rally
• 3:45 pm gather @ CSU Northridge Sierra Quad
• 4:15 pm March
• 5 pm Hands around CSUN
• 5:30 pm Rally @ CSU Northridge Sierra Quad
Cal Poly Pomona
• 1:30 pm- 2:30 pm Send off Rally @ - as CFA members, students and campus community board buses for Los Angeles Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
Sacramento State/Sacramento/State Capitol Rally
• 11 am-1 pm Rally @ State Capitol (North Steps of Capitol)
- Contact: Kevin Wehr, 916-541-2125
CSU San Bernardino
• 11:30 am March @ Marquee entrance (NW corner of University Pkwy and Northpark Blvd)
• 12 pm Rally @ Pfau Library
San Diego State/San Diego Regional Rally
• 11:30 am-12:00 pm collect video testimonials from students and campus community next to Aztec Center (Large “scoreboard” showing the loss of students, teachers and classes at SDSU due to budget cuts)
• 12:00 pm Rally by Aztec Center
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to San Diego Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
San Francisco State
• 7 am Campus Shutdown
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to San Francisco Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
San Jose State
• 11 am gather at San Jose City Hall
• 11:45 am March to San Jose State Tower Lawn (7th Street Plaza entrance)
• 12 pm Rally @ San Jose State Tower Lawn
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
• 3:30–5 pm Rally @ Office of state Senator Abel Maldonado (1356 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo)
CSU San Marcos
• 10:30 am-11:30 am Teach-in on State Budget @ Academic Hall (ACD) 102 (simulcast to other classrooms)
• 12 pm-1 pm Rally @ Kellogg Library
Sonoma State
• 11:30 am Student Walk Out
• 12:00 pm-1:30 pm Rally near Stevenson Quad
CSU Stanislaus
• 11:30 am-1pm Rally @ campus Quad
March 4th is right around the corner and the local, national and international anticipation for this historic day is growing by the minute. Students, teachers, staff, parents and workers from all over California, the nation and the world have been organizing and building for the Strike and Day of Action. Below is a tentative list of events that will be happening on March 4th in California.
If you have any information to add to the list below, have information on events from places outside of California or have any questions about March 4th, please email march4strikeanddayofaction@gmail.com or visit http://defendcapubliceducation.wordpress.com/school-reports/ and tell us what is being planned in your school, workplace, community for March 4th Strike and Day of Action.
In Solidarity,
Jonathan Nunez
Follow-up committee of the October 24th Conference
Regional Events
Los Angeles Regional Rally
• 3 pm Rally @ Pershing Square (5th & Hill) in downtown L.A.
• 4 pm March from Pershing Square to the Governor’s office
• 5 pm Rally @ Governor’s office (300 Spring St.)
East Bay/Oakland Regional Rally
• 12 pm-4 pm Rally @ Frank Ogawa Plaza (in front of Oakland City Hall, 14th & Broadway)
• March to the Ogawa Plaza Rally from:
-UC Berkeley: 12 pm Rally @ Bancroft & Telegraph, followed by March
-Laney College: 11 am Rally, followed by March
-Fruitvale BART: Assemble @ 11 am, March @ 11:30 am
• Travel to San Francisco Regional Rally (See regional listing below)
San Francisco Regional Rally
• 5 pm Rally @ San Francisco Civic Center
Sacramento/State Capitol Rally
• 11 am-1 pm Rally @ State Capitol (North Steps of Capitol)
San Diego Regional Rally
• 3 pm Rally @ Balboa Park, followed by March to governor’s office
• 4 pm Rally @ Governor’s office (downtown)
San Fernando Valley Regional Rally
• 3:45 pm gathering @ CSU Northridge Sierra Quad
• 4:15 pm March
• 5 pm Hands around CSUN
• 5:30 pm Rally @ CSU Northridge Sierra Quad
Local Events
UC Berkeley
• 7 am-12 pm Pickets
• 12 pm-1 pm Rally/Action @ entrance to Sproul Plaza (Telegraph & Bancroft)
• 1 pm-3 pm March from UC Berkeley to Oakland’s Ogawa Plaza
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to San Francisco
Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
UCLA
• 10 am Pickets
• 11:30 am Walk Out
• 12 pm Rally @ Bruin Plaza
(UCLA invites high schools and community colleges in the Westside area to join)
UC San Diego
• 11:30 Walk-out & Rally @ Gilman Parking Structure
• 12:30 pm March from Gilman to the Silent Tree outside Giesel Library and Rally there
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to San Diego Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
UC Santa Cruz
• 6:00 am Picket at the entrances to campus
• 9:00 am Rally @ main entrance to the campus (Bay and High)
• 12:00 pm Rally @ main entrance to the campus (Bay and High)
• 5:00 pm General Assembly @ main entrance to campus (Bay and High)
UC Riverside
• 1 pm gathering @ UCR Bell Tower
• 2:30 pm March from UCR to downtown
• 3:30 pm Rally @ University Ave and Market St. (Downtown Riverside)
CSU Bakersfield
• 11:30 am-1 pm @ the Student Union Patio (rain: Stockdale Room in Runner Café)
CSU Channel Islands
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to the San Fernando Valley to participate in San Fernando Valley Regional Rally @ CSU Northridge (See regional listing above)
CSU Chico
• 8 am sendoff for students, faculty, workers and campus community traveling to State Capital Rally (See regional listing above)
CSU Dominguez Hills
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to Wilson High School Long Beach and Los Angeles Regional Rally (See Long Beach details below or regional listing above)
• 11 am-1 pm students hold a fair on CSUDH East Walkway (Games to learn about public education costs, access and quality)
CSU East Bay
• 12 pm Rally/Open Mic/Speack Out @ Agora Stage
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to San Francisco Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
Fresno State
• 10:30 am March from NW corner of Blackstone and Shaw, go down Shaw to Fresno State
• 12 pm-1 pm Rally @ Peace Garden
CSU Fullerton
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to Los Angeles Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
Humboldt State
• 3 pm-5 pm Rally @ Humboldt County Courthouse-Eureka with CSU and K-12 faculty and students
Cal State Los Angeles
• 9:30 am Rally @ the USU area (Free Speech area)
• 2 pm March to Los Angeles Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
CSU Long Beach
• 12 pm-1 pm Rally @ South Campus, Upper Quad,
• 1 pm-2 pm Parade
• 4 pm Rally with K-12 and Community College (see below)
Long Beach: Wilson High School
• 4 pm Rally @ Wilson High School Gymnasium (4400 E. 10th St.)
• Music by Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, The Nightwatchman)
California Maritime Academy
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to San Francisco Regional Rally and Sacramento/State Capitol Rally (See regional listing above)
• 12 pm Street Theatre/Mock “Die-In” @ Maritime’s main quad
CSU Monterey Bay
• 11 am-1 pm Rally/March
• Followed by car-pools to Community Rally
• 4 pm Community Rally @ Colton Hall (570 Pacific St. between Madison & Jefferson)
- Contact: Kat General, 415-728-8927
CSU Northridge/San Fernando Valley Regional Rally
• 3:45 pm gather @ CSU Northridge Sierra Quad
• 4:15 pm March
• 5 pm Hands around CSUN
• 5:30 pm Rally @ CSU Northridge Sierra Quad
Cal Poly Pomona
• 1:30 pm- 2:30 pm Send off Rally @ - as CFA members, students and campus community board buses for Los Angeles Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
Sacramento State/Sacramento/State Capitol Rally
• 11 am-1 pm Rally @ State Capitol (North Steps of Capitol)
- Contact: Kevin Wehr, 916-541-2125
CSU San Bernardino
• 11:30 am March @ Marquee entrance (NW corner of University Pkwy and Northpark Blvd)
• 12 pm Rally @ Pfau Library
San Diego State/San Diego Regional Rally
• 11:30 am-12:00 pm collect video testimonials from students and campus community next to Aztec Center (Large “scoreboard” showing the loss of students, teachers and classes at SDSU due to budget cuts)
• 12:00 pm Rally by Aztec Center
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to San Diego Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
San Francisco State
• 7 am Campus Shutdown
• Students, faculty, workers and campus community will travel to San Francisco Regional Rally (See regional listing above)
San Jose State
• 11 am gather at San Jose City Hall
• 11:45 am March to San Jose State Tower Lawn (7th Street Plaza entrance)
• 12 pm Rally @ San Jose State Tower Lawn
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
• 3:30–5 pm Rally @ Office of state Senator Abel Maldonado (1356 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo)
CSU San Marcos
• 10:30 am-11:30 am Teach-in on State Budget @ Academic Hall (ACD) 102 (simulcast to other classrooms)
• 12 pm-1 pm Rally @ Kellogg Library
Sonoma State
• 11:30 am Student Walk Out
• 12:00 pm-1:30 pm Rally near Stevenson Quad
CSU Stanislaus
• 11:30 am-1pm Rally @ campus Quad
UCSD Senate Task force on Budget Transparency
UCSD Academic Senate – San Diego Division
A Resolution Co-sponsored and Presented by Douglas Bartlett (Chair, SIO), Samuel Buss (Chair, Mathematics), Clark Gibson (Chair, Political Science), Josh Kohn (Chair, Ecology, Behavior & Evolution), John Marino (Chair, History), Keith Marzullo (Chair, Computer Science and Engineering), and Nicholas Spitzer (Vice-Chair, Neurobiology) To the Representative Assembly, San Diego Division, Academic Senate
February 23, 2010
Whereas, the current UC budget crisis calls for unprecedented and difficult decisions both from the campus as a whole and from each department,
Whereas, these decisions cannot be responsibly carried out without proper knowledge and understanding of UCSD’s budget,
Whereas, insofar as the Senate-Administration Task Force on Budget determined that an “increased budget transparency of all Vice Chancellor Areas” is needed.
Let be it resolved, that the Academic Senate, San Diego Division, establish by March 15, 2010, a Senate Task Force on Budget Transparency whose charge is to work with the administration to determine
• the format in which the complete UCSD budget should be presented quarterly to the Academic Senate San Diego Division,
• the nature and the detail of budget data it should contain, and
• relevant safeguards to ensure data quality and full disclosure.
Be it further resolved, that the UCSD Senate Council will appoint to the Senate Task Force on Budget Transparency, in consultation with department chairs and with relevant Academic Senate Committees, members from each academic division at least one of whom is knowledgeable in budget and accounting procedures, the current or a former chair of the UCSD Senate Planning and Budget Committee, and two current or former UCSD administrators with relevant expertise.
Be it further resolved, that the Senate Task Force on Budget Transparency will submit an initial report at the Representative Assembly meeting on April 27, 2010.
A Resolution Co-sponsored and Presented by Douglas Bartlett (Chair, SIO), Samuel Buss (Chair, Mathematics), Clark Gibson (Chair, Political Science), Josh Kohn (Chair, Ecology, Behavior & Evolution), John Marino (Chair, History), Keith Marzullo (Chair, Computer Science and Engineering), and Nicholas Spitzer (Vice-Chair, Neurobiology) To the Representative Assembly, San Diego Division, Academic Senate
February 23, 2010
Whereas, the current UC budget crisis calls for unprecedented and difficult decisions both from the campus as a whole and from each department,
Whereas, these decisions cannot be responsibly carried out without proper knowledge and understanding of UCSD’s budget,
Whereas, insofar as the Senate-Administration Task Force on Budget determined that an “increased budget transparency of all Vice Chancellor Areas” is needed.
Let be it resolved, that the Academic Senate, San Diego Division, establish by March 15, 2010, a Senate Task Force on Budget Transparency whose charge is to work with the administration to determine
• the format in which the complete UCSD budget should be presented quarterly to the Academic Senate San Diego Division,
• the nature and the detail of budget data it should contain, and
• relevant safeguards to ensure data quality and full disclosure.
Be it further resolved, that the UCSD Senate Council will appoint to the Senate Task Force on Budget Transparency, in consultation with department chairs and with relevant Academic Senate Committees, members from each academic division at least one of whom is knowledgeable in budget and accounting procedures, the current or a former chair of the UCSD Senate Planning and Budget Committee, and two current or former UCSD administrators with relevant expertise.
Be it further resolved, that the Senate Task Force on Budget Transparency will submit an initial report at the Representative Assembly meeting on April 27, 2010.
UCSB Department Chairs in Support of March 4th Events
SUPPORT FOR MARCH 4 DAY OF EDUCATION
We, as Department Chairs in the Social Sciences and Humanities and Fine Arts at the University of California, Santa Barbara, endorse the statewide Day of Education on March 4, 2010. We support the efforts, organized by representatives of the entire educational community--administrators,teachers, staff, students, alumni, and concerned parents and students of the UC, CSU, CC and K-12 systems--to demonstrate the need for a renewed commitment to public education. As UC faculty, we struggle with increased workloads and reduced pay. We see austere student fee hikes, overcrowded classes, graduate students squeezed, overworked and demoralized staff, worker layoffs, shrinking departmental and curriculum budgets, and eroding funding to student services. How long can the UC maintain itself as a top quality, Tier I research university? Meanwhile, K-12 schools face severe budget cuts and curricular pressures created by the demands for standardized testing, a situation of concern to us since the products of the K-12 system become our students and the country's future citizenry. It's time to stop and reverse this steady defunding and degradation of our educational system and to defend a first-rate public education.
We urge you to support our students' organizing efforts in support of the statewide March on Sacramento on Thursday, March 4.
In Santa Barbara on March 4, there are two events:
- 12 noon: Rally at Storke Plaza, UCSB
- 4 PM: March down State Street, downtown Santa Barbara
We encourage you to participate in whatever ways you can, such as:
- Announcing the events in class
- Allowing students to participate in these activities without any penalty
- Teaching about the current crisis in public education
- Bringing your students to the rallies/marches.
Signed:
Department Chairs, Humanities and Fine Arts and Social Science, UCSB
Diane Fujino, Chair, Asian American Studies
Eileen Boris, Chair, Feminist Studies
Francisco Lomeli, Chair, Spanish and Portuguese
Patricia Clancy, Chair, Linguistics
Ulrich Keller, Chair, History of Art and Architecture
Howard Winant, Chair, Law and Society program
Verta Taylor, Chair, Sociology
Simon Williams, Chair, Theater and Dance
Elisabeth Saatjian Weber, Chair, German, Slavic and Semitic Studies and
Comparative Literature
Lisa Parks, Chair, Film and Media Studies
Jon Snyder, Chair, French and Italian
Jeffrey Stewart, Chair, Black Studies
Colin Gardner, Chair, Art
Francis Dunn, Chair, Classics
Bill Powell, Chair, East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies
Alan Liu, Chair, English
Ann Bermingham, Director, Interdisciplinary Humanities Center
Michael Stohl, Chair, Communication
John Majewski, Chair, History
Aida Hurtado, Chair, Chicana and Chicano Studies
Katharina Schreiber, Chair, Anthropology
Giles Gunn, Chair, Global and International Studies
John Woolley, Chair, Political Science
Matthew Turk, Chair, Media Arts and Technology
Paul Berkowitz, Chair, Music
We, as Department Chairs in the Social Sciences and Humanities and Fine Arts at the University of California, Santa Barbara, endorse the statewide Day of Education on March 4, 2010. We support the efforts, organized by representatives of the entire educational community--administrators,teachers, staff, students, alumni, and concerned parents and students of the UC, CSU, CC and K-12 systems--to demonstrate the need for a renewed commitment to public education. As UC faculty, we struggle with increased workloads and reduced pay. We see austere student fee hikes, overcrowded classes, graduate students squeezed, overworked and demoralized staff, worker layoffs, shrinking departmental and curriculum budgets, and eroding funding to student services. How long can the UC maintain itself as a top quality, Tier I research university? Meanwhile, K-12 schools face severe budget cuts and curricular pressures created by the demands for standardized testing, a situation of concern to us since the products of the K-12 system become our students and the country's future citizenry. It's time to stop and reverse this steady defunding and degradation of our educational system and to defend a first-rate public education.
We urge you to support our students' organizing efforts in support of the statewide March on Sacramento on Thursday, March 4.
In Santa Barbara on March 4, there are two events:
- 12 noon: Rally at Storke Plaza, UCSB
- 4 PM: March down State Street, downtown Santa Barbara
We encourage you to participate in whatever ways you can, such as:
- Announcing the events in class
- Allowing students to participate in these activities without any penalty
- Teaching about the current crisis in public education
- Bringing your students to the rallies/marches.
Signed:
Department Chairs, Humanities and Fine Arts and Social Science, UCSB
Diane Fujino, Chair, Asian American Studies
Eileen Boris, Chair, Feminist Studies
Francisco Lomeli, Chair, Spanish and Portuguese
Patricia Clancy, Chair, Linguistics
Ulrich Keller, Chair, History of Art and Architecture
Howard Winant, Chair, Law and Society program
Verta Taylor, Chair, Sociology
Simon Williams, Chair, Theater and Dance
Elisabeth Saatjian Weber, Chair, German, Slavic and Semitic Studies and
Comparative Literature
Lisa Parks, Chair, Film and Media Studies
Jon Snyder, Chair, French and Italian
Jeffrey Stewart, Chair, Black Studies
Colin Gardner, Chair, Art
Francis Dunn, Chair, Classics
Bill Powell, Chair, East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies
Alan Liu, Chair, English
Ann Bermingham, Director, Interdisciplinary Humanities Center
Michael Stohl, Chair, Communication
John Majewski, Chair, History
Aida Hurtado, Chair, Chicana and Chicano Studies
Katharina Schreiber, Chair, Anthropology
Giles Gunn, Chair, Global and International Studies
John Woolley, Chair, Political Science
Matthew Turk, Chair, Media Arts and Technology
Paul Berkowitz, Chair, Music
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