Preamble to Motion on Diversity
Policies
Article IX, Section 9 of the Constitution of the State of California requires
that, "the University shall be entirely independent of all political
or sectarian influence, and kept free therefrom in the appointments of its
Regents and in the administration of its affairs."
On July 20, 1995, a narrow majority of the Regents defaulted upon their
solemn responsibility to protect the University from the realm of partisan
party politics. By action against the considered educational judgment and
the expressed will of the President of the University, the Council of Chancellors,
the Academic Council, and the Associated Students of the University of California,
these Regents violated a long tradition of shared governance. This is a
profound threat to the integrity of the University.
1. Statement of Principle
1. Diversity in the educational mission of the University takes many valued
forms;
2. A great public university has a responsibility to serve the rich diversity
of the state and nation;
3. The University of California takes pride in its admissions and hiring
policies that have made it a national model for implementing diversity;
2. Motion Expressing Procedural Concern
Whereas the Board of Regents of the University of California has a fiduciary
relation to this University, whereas standing Order 105.2 states that the
"Academic Senate, subject to the approval of the Board, shall determine
the conditions for admission," whereas the American Association of
University Professors concurs that "the faculty should have primary
responsibility about [admissions]" to which the administration should
take exception only in "rare instances and for compelling reasons which
are stated in detail," whereas many valued diversity attributes have
been included in the admissions criteria at the University of California,
Santa Barbara (all subject to the condition that any student admitted is
academically eligible for admissions), whereas the intellectual vitality
of the University has been strengthened by diversity to race, ethnicity
and gender with benefits to teaching and research, and whereas the Board
of Regents has disallowed these diversity attributes as admissions criteria,
therefore be it resolved that, the faculty of the University of California,
Santa Barbara believe that:
1. Section 1
The Board of Regents overreaches and puts University governance in jeopardy
when, absent evidence of egregious and otherwise irremediable abuse, it
disallows certain valued instruments for implementing admissions.
2. Section 2
The fiduciary relation between the Board of Regents and the University requires
continuous vigilance, lest the enduring values of the University be sacrificed
to immediate demands for change.
3. Section 3
The Regents actions on these matters taken in July should therefore be rescinded.
3. Motion of the UCSB Faculty Regarding Faculty Employment
The faculty of the University of California, Santa Barbara consider the
hiring and promotion of faculty to be among their most important tasks,
thereby to discharge Standing Order 105.2 of the Board of Regents of the
University of California which states that "the Academic Senate shall
determine the membership of the several faculties and councils." A
great public university has a responsibility to employ the most highly qualified
faculty while assuring that equal opportunity is guaranteed to all candidates
in the hiring and promotion process. The faculty at UC Santa Barbara have
worked carefully with the administration to establish policies and programs
to assure that equal opportunity is accomplished in the recruitment, selection
and retention of faculty. Opening the door to equal opportunity has effectively
increased the diversity of the faculty, while maintaining nationally recognized
excellence. Be it therefore resolved that,
1. Section 1
The faculty of the University of California, Santa Barbara continues to
support equal opportunity as a means by which to achieve diversity in the
faculty while maintaining nationally recognized excellence.
2. Section 2
The board of Regents should respect the Standing Order that has served the
University well over the 75 years that it has been in effect.
3. Section 3
The Regents actions on these matters taken in July should therefore be rescinded.