Student regents have long fought for repeal

  MINDY ROSS/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Student Regent
Justin Fong addresses the crowd outside Royce Hall
on the night of the March 14 protest. He has been vocal in his
opposition to SP-1 and 2 during his term.

By Linh Tat
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Protesters of the 1960s provided the impetus for students to
speak out, but voicing opposition against the majority of a
26-member board has often been the charge of the student
regent.

Since the UC Regents passed SP-1 and 2 in 1995, ending
affirmative action in admissions, hiring and contracting, the
student regent ““ dubbed by some as the “conscience of
the board” ““ has consistently denounced these
policies.

“The regents would be suspicious if the student regent
agreed with them on everything. There is an expectation for the
student regent to object, and with good reason,” said current
Student Regent Justin Fong.

“The student regent is not there to be liked by the board.
They’re there to work,” he said.

When Fong was not included in the board’s recent attempt
to draft a resolution to replace SP-1 and 2, he said he would draft
his own. But the night before the May regents’ meeting, Fong
and other board members came to a resolution they agreed on.

“He, in the last couple of months, was one of the major
regents, major components, of our board that put together the final
resolution that actually used the “˜R’ word ““
rescinded SP-1 and 2,” said Regent William Bagley.

Jess Bravin, student regent in 1996-97, said Fong made it clear
he would not allow the issue to be ignored, forcing the politically
appointed members to take his position into account.

“Fong was an example of what the voters had in mind in
1974 when they created (the student regent) position,” Bravin
said.

In November 1974, California voters approved a resolution, which
resulted in the creation of the position. Though the state approved
having a student regent, former regents feel the position was
created more to uphold a positive image of the UC system than
because board members truly valued student input.

“There was a lot of superficial cordiality toward the
student but that member is generally excluded from the between
meetings among a subset of regents who really call the shots on the
board,” Bravin said.

Disparities between the student and other members of the board
include the fact that 18 members are appointed by the governor, who
is also a regent by virtue of his office.

However, the student regent is selected by the board itself
after applying through the UC Student Association. UCSA, a
coalition of student leaders from the different UC campuses,
forwards the names of three finalists to the board, which
ultimately selects the student regent.

In addition to the difference in appointment process, both the
student and alumni regents only serve a one-year term, with nine
additional months as regent-designate prior to receiving voting
rights. In contrast, the other appointed regents serve on the board
for 12 years.

Both Bravin and Fong agree the shorter term of the student
regent is appropriate.

“Being on board one year, you can bring a passion to the
board and not become part of the bureaucracy,” Fong said.

Until the recent creation of the student-designate, only one
student was represented at the table, and that regent often forced
the board to listen.

One of the most vocal was Ed Gomez, student regent in 1995-96.
During his first meeting as the new regent on July 20, 1995, the
board passed SP-1 and 2. After the meeting, Gomez and other
students lied down on a street, blocking traffic.

Since 1995, student regents have looked to rescind SP-1 and 2.
Many say that during their tenures, the board’s make-up did
not allow for a repeal until recently when Gov. Gray Davis’
appointees began replacing those whose terms were expiring.

“When I joined the board, I quickly learned the hard
political realities,” said Max Espinoza, the 1997-98 student
regent, who served while Gov. Pete Wilson was still in office.
“While the repeal … was a major goal of mine, the political
situation was not ready for it. Any effort to repeal … would have
been killed in less than three seconds.”

Espinoza fought to get an additional student seated on the
board. The result was the creation of a student-designate who sits
on the board for nine months prior to their tenure. He also talked
to regents, “appealing to their better senses.”

“What I thought I could do, given the politics, was try to
set the foundation for the repeal by planting seeds and preparing
for the anticipation of the political change about to take
place,” he said.

The regents’ repeal in May, Espinoza said, is only
symbolic, and students must work toward a tangible victory.

“This victory should not fool us into believing that the
university is going to change overnight,” he said.
“This is one battle among many that we must continue to
fight.”