Monday, October 19, 1998
Professors prepare protest to revive affirmative action
PREVIEW: Demonstrators will hold classes in quad, raise
awareness of issues
By Andy Shah
Daily Bruin Contributor
Professors at every UC campus will kick off a series of protests
in defense of affirmative action by voluntarily walking out of
their classes Wednesday and Thursday.
Many professors are planning to conduct their classes in the
Royce quad, where they will discuss issues of diversity and
affirmative action with their students. Other professors will
proceed with their scheduled courseload, but will still hold class
in the quad to show their support for the demonstrators.
‘We’re going to try to communicate to both the (university)
administration and to the students that the faculty continues to
support affirmative action goals,’ said Victor Wolfenstein, a
professor of political science and walkout participant.
On Wednesday, there will be a rally at Meyerhoff Park to begin
the day’s events. There will also be a forum, where students and
faculty can express their opinions, and later there will be a
meeting of various faculty members to determine what can be done
about the situation at UCLA.
Thursday will see numerous speakers on campus, including Rev.
Jesse Jackson, State Senator Tom Hayden and community activist Joe
Hicks.
Students are planning to help organize the workshops and rally,
said Stacy Lee, Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC)
president.
‘It’s our way of showing solidarity with the professors,’ she
said.
This action is the latest in a series of protests that have been
ongoing since 1995, when the UC Board of Regents passed resolutions
SP-1 and SP-2, which banned the use of race or gender in admission
considerations.
Those resolutions foreshadowed Proposition 209, the statewide
initiative that passed in 1996, banning the consideration of race
or gender in all state hiring.
Some professors and students are also planning to rally in
support of ethnic studies, as well. Earlier this year, UC regent
Ward Connerly said he was ‘questioning’ the role of ethnic studies
and graduations in the UCs.
Some fear this will lead to the removal of ethnic studies from
the UCs, said Rafael Perez-Torres, professor of English literature
and walkout organizer.
‘When (Connerly) questioned affirmative action, it eventually
led to the removal of it,’ he said.
About 35 UCLA professors have stated their intent to walk out,
but more are expected to show up as more faculty members learn
about the protests, Perez-Torres said.
Until now, protests on the issue have been mainly
student-organized and student-run. This protest will mark the first
time that faculty have participated in a large-scale protest of the
effects of SP-1, SP-2 and Proposition 209.
‘This is the first year students were admitted without
affirmative action, and we’re seeing the disastrous effects of
that,’ said Perez-Torres.
Other campuses, like Berkeley and Santa Cruz, also have strong
support, with about 60 professors at Berkeley planning to walk
out.
Some are concerned that students may be subjected to learning
about issues that weren’t in the original class syllabus against
their own will.
But Wolfenstein said discussing these issues has relevance
today.
‘My students and I are reading Plato’s ‘Republic’ and talking
about social justice right now,’ said Wolfenstein, who teaches
political theory. ‘If I can teach them about social justice during
Plato’s time, why shouldn’t I ask them to think about justice
today?’
Wolfenstein said that because of the large size of Political
Science 10 class, he will not hold class outside, but will
facilitate a discussion about diversity in the classroom.
The university administration has no stance on the walkouts,
said Raymund Paredes, associate vice chancellor of academic
development.
‘It’s too early to tell’ how the walkouts will turn out, he
said.
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