Statements by UC President and Provost Regarding Passage
of Proposition 209
- November 6, 1996
- Dear Colleagues:
- The voters have approved Proposition 209 and the University of California
will
- comply with the law. At my request, Provost C. Judson King has written
to the
- University's Chancellors today to give them specific guidance about
- implementing the language of Proposition 209. We are well along in
this
- process as a result of The Regents' action last year eliminating race,
gender,
- and ethnicity as factors in admission, hiring, and contracting. We
have also
- worked hard during the past year to make it clear that the University
- continues to welcome students, faculty, and staff from throughout
California's
- increasingly diverse society.
- Now we must also look to the broader issue of how, in light of Proposition
- 209, we can best fulfill our responsibilities as a public university
in the
- nation's most ethnically and culturally diverse state.
- One idea has tended to unite people on all sides of this extraordinarily
- divisive and passionate debate. It is that diversity is an asset to
California
- and can only be achieved by extending educational opportunity to disadvantaged
- young people. The question facing education is clear: How do we establish
- new paths to diversity consistent with the law?
- I intend to take the following steps:
- I. We will accelerate our efforts to strengthen and expand our outreach
- programs. The University of California was one of the first to establish
such
- programs over thirty years ago, and ours have been among the most
successful
- in the nation. Today we spend more than $100 million a year on campus
and
- systemwide programs that serve students and the K-12 schools. But
the need far
- outstrips our resources. We need to reach more students and to coordinate
our
- programs across the system to make the best possible use of the University's
- wealth of talent and expertise.
- II. We will reinvigorate our partnership with California's K-12 schools.
UC
- already has over 800 programs that offer tutoring and counseling for
students,
- professional development for teachers, applied and collaborative research
for
- the improvement of schools. Now we need to involve the University
more broadly
- than ever before in schools and community colleges that serve large
numbers of
- disadvantaged and minority students. We will give special attention
to the
- ways in which the new learning technologies can magnify the impact
of our
- efforts.
- III. The report of the UC Outreach Task Force, due in February of
1997, will be
- key to these efforts. It is reviewing the scope and success of our
current
- outreach programs and will recommend specific strategies the University
can
- use, in cooperation with the schools and the other higher education
segments,
- to strengthen our programs and seek new sources of funding for them.
The Task
- Force consists of leaders from the business world, education, and
government.
- Together this distinguished team can do much more than any one of
them could
- do separately.
- IV. We have already set aside an additional $3 million in the University's
- budget to assist the campuses in launching new programs to help prepare
more
- disadvantaged and low-income students for study at the University.
We will
- seek further funding from the State to help us accomplish the steps
I have just
- outlined, which must be taken if we are going to preserve the diversity
- essential to California's future.
- V. Finally, a word about our hiring and contracting activities. I
want
- to emphasize that the University continues to seek a diverse pool
of applicants
- for jobs and contracts, consistent with Federal law, the Regents'
resolution
- on hiring and contracting, and Proposition 209.
- California is changing and so must we. What cannot change, however,
is the
- University's historic responsibility to serve Californians of every
background
- and condition, including greater numbers of disadvantaged young people.
I am
- confident we have the individual and institutional resolve to keep
the
- commitment to diversity alive for the next generation of Californians.
- Sincerely,
- Richard C. Atkinson President
- *******************************************************************************
- November 6, 1996
- CHANCELLORS
- Dear Colleagues:
- In light of yesterday's passage of Proposition 209, and the fact that
it
- becomes law today, I am writing to provide you with specific guidance
about
- how to implement the Proposition. I wish to reiterate that the University
of
- California strongly is committed to the goal of a diverse faculty,
staff and
- student body and will do all it can, under the law and within Regental
policy,
- to achieve that goal.
- The following specific steps that should be taken are based primarily
on
- General Counsel Holst's October 4, 1996 letter regarding the potential
impact
- on the University of Proposition 209. As pointed out in that letter,
it is
- possible that there could be a court order prohibiting immediate
- implementation of Proposition 209; however, absent such an order,
we should
- proceed with the steps indicated below:
- 1. Hiring and contracting programs:
- Since Regents' resolution SP-2 went into effect on January 1, 1996,
and
- contains the same prohibitions regarding preferences as does Proposition
209,
- there is no need to take any further action in these areas at this
time.
- 2. Admissions programs:
- Admissions decisions made after the date of this letter should not
include
- consideration of race, sex, color, ethnicity or natural origin.
- a. Graduate and Professional school admissions:
- Regents' resolution SP-1 is in effect for graduate and professional
students
- currently applying to the University, for admission to the Fall 1997
class.
- Under SP-1 race, sex, color, ethnicity and national origin are eliminated
as
- selection criteria and, therefore, no further action need be taken.
- b. Undergraduate admissions:
- Implementation of SP-1 for undergraduate admissions was to take effect
for
- students applying for enrollment for Spring 1998. However, in light
of the
- passage of Proposition 209, effective immediately, campuses may no
longer use
- race, ethnicity, sex or national origin as one of the supplemental
criteria
- used to select admitted students from the pool of eligible students.
Students
- are applying this month to enroll in Fall 1997. These applicants were
- notified of the possibility of such a change (see page 5 of the Application
for
- Undergraduate Admission and Scholarship, 1997-98).
- 3. Financial aid:
- The General Counsel has recommended the suspension of all future financial
aid
- awards under which any recipient is advantaged or disadvantaged because
of
- race, ethnicity, gender or national origin. Financial aid commitments
to
- individual students made prior to the passage of the Proposition should
- continue to be honored. Students receiving financial aid awards under
Federal
- financial programs in which race, ethnicity or gender is a condition
of the
- aid, or must be a factor in distributing the aid, may continue to
receive
- these awards. Under Proposition 209, the University can continue to
accept and
- administer such Federal funds.
- For financial aid programs funded through University or State funds,
the
- University no longer may utilize race, ethnicity, national origin
or gender as
- factors taken into account to select recipients for disbursement of
these
- funds. Campuses may continue administering University financial support
- recruitment programs (i.e., the graduate level Academic Career Development
- Program, and various campus recruitment programs such as the Chancellor's
- Scholarships) as long as race, ethnicity and gender no longer are
used as
- criteria for selecting aid recipients.
- The University has received numerous gifts and endowment funds that
contain
- specific requirements for distribution by race, ethnicity, gender
or national
- origin. Policies and procedures for distribution of these funds are
being
- reviewed by General Counsel and my office with regard to how to make
- appropriate uses of these funds.
- 4. Outreach programs:
- The University has made commitments for the 1996-97 academic year
to schools,
- students, counselors and employees affected by a variety of existing
outreach
- programs. These programs are expected to continue and remain open
to all
- students regardless of race, ethnicity and gender. Proposition 209
may
- ultimately be interpreted to require further action, but any action
should be
- deferred pending review of the Outreach Task Force recommendations.
- 5. Other UC race, ethnic, or gender attentive programs:
- There may be campus-based programs that utilize race, ethnicity, or
gender as
- factors in determining eligibility to participate, even though such
programs
- are not exclusionary. No immediate action should be required if membership
- for such programs for this year already has been determined. The Chancellors
- should assure that race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, or religion,
are
- not considered in future eligibility determinations. My office, along
with
- the General Counsel's office, will be available to work with the campuses
in
- order to identify such programs and to develop appropriate changes
that need
- to occur.
- Please feel free to contact me or Assistant Vice President Galligani
at (510)
- 987-9518 regarding clarification of these implementation procedures.
- Sincerely,
- C. Judson King
- Provost and Senior Vice President Academic Affairs
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- Carl Gutierrez-Jones,
- Department of English
- University of California
- Santa Barbara, CA 93106
- E-mail: carlgj@humanitas.ucsb.edu