UC Center at Sacramento may find new home in Davis
By Samantha Masunaga
Oct. 18, 2009 10:51 p.m.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article mischaracterized the research that UCLA alumna Judith Gallardo did during her program at the University of California Center at Sacramento. She studied the relationship between race, gender and restitution.
Talks have continued and become more serious regarding the future of the University of California Center at Sacramento.
Last week, a meeting was held at UC Davis to discuss expectations and concerns about the program, especially the possibility of moving the center to another UC campus and the specifics about the continuing of the academic program, said A.G. Block, associate director of the program, He added that he was not present at the meeting.
Although nothing is definitive, one of the possible locations discussed as the center’s new home is UC Davis, which is located 12 miles from Sacramento.
Block said that he thought the initial interest in hosting the program came from UC Davis, although there was a general sense of urgency to continue the center’s work.
“They don’t want a significant lapse in the program ““ they want the program to have the momentum that we’ve been able to have at the center,” Block said.
“The longer you go without accepting students, the more you lose that momentum.”
However, the UC Office of the President has not released any concrete details about the Center’s relocation.
“No decisions have been made,” said UC spokesman Steve Montiel. “We need to figure out how to realize the program’s original goals … and determine how best to realize these goals with different operations.”
Montiel added that the redesigned program, which could start accepting applications for fall 2010, will attempt to attract students from all 10 campuses, a goal that was previously unrealized. Montiel said that the program was heavily concentrated with students from UC Davis and UC Berkeley, which is not surprising, given the close proximity of these campuses.
Students have generally given the program positive reviews.
Last spring, during her final quarter as a UCLA student, Judith Gallardo participated in the program by researching the relationship between race, gender and restitution.
After learning that financial retribution must be paid during trial whenever someone is killed, whether accidentally or on purpose, Gallardo looked into the theory that certain races and genders are given higher life values than others.
At the same time, she inspected the laws of other states, checking for bills that might prohibit or call attention to this issue.
“What’s valuable about it is .. it’s academic and it’s professional growth,” she said.
“I mean, most people that go because they’re interested in public service or public policy, so academically you’re learning about … issues of the state, so you see how policy affects your everyday lives.”
With reports from Laura Belyavski, Bruin senior staff.
