Students voice concerns at meeting with regents

By Timothy Kudo

Daily Bruin Staff

Students were given a rare opportunity Saturday to meet with
three members of a group that make some of the most important
decisions in the UC system ““ the UC Board of Regents.

At the Town Hall Meeting, which was sponsored by the UC Student
Association, the regents were asked to outline their views on
certain issues relating to diversity at the university.

Student leaders from across the UC system asked for a $500,000
funding commitment to student initiated outreach ““ Student
Regent designate Justin Fong and Regent Peter Taylor said
they’ll vote yes. Regent Velma Montoya was uncertain.

On repealing the regents’ decision to end affirmative
action in admissions: Fong said yes, Taylor said yes. Montoya, who
voted against SP-1 in 1995, said she was uncertain how she’d
vote now, though her feelings toward the issue hadn’t
changed.

On eliminating the use of the SAT in admissions: Fong said yes,
Taylor and Montoya were uncertain.

Illustrating the inner workings of an often eclectic board, the
decisions made by the three were marked off on a poster with
“yes,” “no,” and “?” columns
forcing some accountability onto the group.

“I think it shows that students are still concerned about
these issues,” Fong said to the crowd of about 50 students
gathered at the Bradley International Center.

In addition to asking the regents questions, students like
Matthew Huerta, a UC Davis student, spoke about experiences that
were affected by the regents’ policies.

“I was not aware that you could take the SAT more than
once,” Huerta said. ” I didn’t break 1000 and in
1996, that didn’t meet the minimum … but I went to UC Davis
and I did excel.”

Organizers said the event focused on diversity because issues
facing students such as overcrowding in housing, hate crimes or the
pending increase in non-resident tuition are being worked on in
other ways.

Katynja McCory, a candidate for president of next year’s
Undergraduate Students Association Council and one of this
year’s general representatives, said she thought the event
focused on important issues that need to be addressed
immediately.

“Caesar didn’t build Rome in a day,” she
said.

According to Eliseo Ilano, the president of UCSA, all 26 regents
were invited to the town hall meeting but many had prior
commitments or simply didn’t come.

That isn’t unusual since there is seldom full attendance
at the regents meetings themselves.

In 1995, the regents passed SP-1 and SP-2 banning the use of
affirmative action in admissions and hiring throughout the UC
system. Two years later, the California voters passed Proposition
209, banning affirmative action throughout the state.

Since that time, the percentage of underrepresented students in
the university has dropped significantly.

According to Ilano, Saturday’s meeting was held in part
because a proposal repealing SP-1 was expected to come to the board
at its July meeting. But now, the issue has been pushed back to
2001 so that supporters have time to swing opinion to their
side.

“They don’t want it just to pass, they want it to
pass by at least the same margin as SP-1 originally passed
by,” Ilano said. SP-1 passed by a 14-10 margin.

The regents were also asked about voting to repeal SP-2, which
deals with affirmative action in hiring and contracting. Although
Fong said he would vote for repeal, Montoya, who voted for SP-2,
said she felt monetary constraints prevented the regents from
keeping a diverse faculty and staff.

She noted that while most of the regents vote for pay raises as
large as 40 percent for top level administrators, that money could
go toward hiring and retaining new professors.

“I’m to the point where I won’t vote for these
anymore,” Montoya said.

Students also asked the regents to speak with Gov. Gray Davis, a
regent by virtue of his position as governor, about SP-1.

But Montoya said that seeing SP-1 come before the regents is the
last thing Davis wants to see happen.

“The governor would not like either SP-1 or SP-2 to come
back to the table,” she said. “He thinks they’re
too controversial.”

According to a Davis’ spokeswoman, it is the
governor’s policy not to discuss how he will vote on an issue
until it comes up for vote.

As lt. governor, Davis used his no vote on SP-1 as a point in
his campaign to be governor. Now, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, along
with Regent William Bagley are two of the strongest voices for
repealing SP-1.

“Davis is a regent; he’s on the board when he deems
it useful to himself,” Fong said.

Since he won the office of governor, Davis has been to one
regents meeting ““ his first.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the board of regents is meeting at
Covel Commons. On their agenda is a vote to increase non-resident
tuition and a discussion of university-wide outreach efforts.

The meeting of the UC Board of Regents will be broadcast live
over the Internet starting at about 8 a.m. Wednesday. For more
information go to http://www.ucop.edu/regents.