Friday, October 2, 1998
Professors seek change in policy with walkout
PROTEST: Event attempts to teach diversity issues, revive
affirmative action
By Andy Shah
Daily Bruin Contributor
Professors UC-wide are planning to walk out of their classes on
Oct. 21 and 22 in defense of affirmative action.
The demonstration calls for professors to leave classes to
protest the decline in the number of underrepresented minorities
admitted to the UCs, a result of the passage of Proposition 209,
the statewide anti-affirmative action initiative; and the UC Board
of Regents’ decisions SP-1 and SP-2, which eliminated affirmative
action from the UCs.
"This is a kick-off event in defense of affirmative action,"
said Rafael Perez-Torres, professor of English literature and a
walkout organizer. "We want to draw attention to (the effects of)
the Regents’ actions and Proposition 209."
Most of the professors who have already made it known that they
will participate have come from UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz,
though there are still many from UCLA.
Professors involved in the protest are planning to walk out of
their classes and hold "teach-ins" outside, where they will discuss
issues such as diversity, race and ethnicity.
Speakers, workshops and a mass rally will complement the
professors’ actions.
The university’s administration has no official position on the
event, according to Raymund Paredes, associate vice chancellor of
academic development. He said that it is "too early to tell" how
the administration will view the walkout.
"I don’t think we know very much about the event," Paredes said.
"The people who are promoting the event are trying to make it
constructive."
Also, the status of ethnic studies will be addressed. This year,
UC Regent Ward Connerly said he was "questioning" the role of
ethnic studies and graduations in the UCs. Although he hasn’t taken
any action, Perez-Torres said some protesters are ready to defend
ethnic studies before anything happens.
Students and staff members are expected to lend their support to
the walkout participants, Perez-Torres said.
Professors emphasize that the walkouts are not intended to be
two days without classes.
"We’re not asking anyone to forego their education," said M.
Belinda Tucker, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences.
"We’re going to provide an alternative source of education."
Perez-Torres said the teach-ins will attempt to educate others
on how diversity is related to every field, even ones such as
biology and engineering.
But he said some non-tenured professors, whose positions at the
university are not secure, are anxious about not sticking to their
syllabi for two days.
"There are different ways of participating," he said. "They can
simply hold class outside. Just their physical presence indicates
their support."
Perez-Torres said this protest is unique because of the
widespread faculty support. Although last year’s affirmative action
protests included faculty members, they were primarily
student-run.
"The response has been very positive," he said. "Although the
commitment is difficult, it is necessary."
Liz Geyer, Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC)
external vice president, said coordinating the protest with other
campuses has been fruitful. But she said she doesn’t know why there
aren’t as many UCLA professors signed on to protest as there are at
other schools, such as UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz.
Geyer said that the issue of ethnic studies is being raised now
because when Connerly said he was questioning affirmative action,
that eventually led to the abolishment of affirmative action. She
said that in the case that the same thing might happen to ethnic
studies, activists will be better prepared.
Perez-Torres said the protest is pro-active because the main
theme is education and awareness.
"We’re asking, ‘What can we do now after Proposition 209 has
been passed? What are possible ways to increase outreach (to
underrepresented minorities) and to overturn Proposition 209?’"
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© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board