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Duties, Powers, and Privileges of the Academic Senate. link
Academic Senate is primarily tasked with the content and operation of primarily academic activities by the Academic Personnel including faculty and students.
As outlined by Regents Order 105, the UCSD Division of the Academic Senate is way outside of its charter to be effectively engaged in responding to a developing safety, and security situation on the campus over a weekend. With the proposed motions, it seeks to expand its powers to be inserted in such decision-making through its committees, effectively paralyzing the operation of the campus while providing safe haven to ideologically aligned protest groups.
On the other hand, Chancellors are explicitly tasked with these tasks that ensure safety and security of the campus. See below.
This document is painstakingly detailed and prepared by those directly handling the situation and tasked with campus safety and security. It is sometimes dismissed by the extremists as presenting the "administration's side". No fact listed here has been contested. There is no administration's side, there is only UC San Diego that we are invested in together.
UC President's Direction on Disciplinary Actions
Why can't the Chancellor go kindly on our students? After all, they are engaged in political protests, a long-standing tradition. Surely, it does not merit arrests and prosecutions?
Unfortunately, it is not up to the Chancellor to summarily dismiss "unlawful conduct" for which they were arrested after multiple warnings. While the university has not pressed charges in civil court, they still have to go through "the applicable review process."
Free Speech is very much alive and kicking at UC San Diego. Protests, marches, and strikes are happening. Sometimes they are loud, sometimes they are disruptive, and sometimes peaceful. What is not happening is explicitly prohibited overnight camping with associated dangers. The Academic Senate is asking us to create a new category of protest activities that are protected from administrative actions while presenting known safety hazards.
Chancellor's Meetings: Why couldn't the chancellor explain all this before so that this brouhaha could be avoided?
As detailed on this page, there were communications throughout the encampment (before and after) process. This brouhaha is entirely an exercise in power by the academic senate. Here is a rundown of the communications as documented in university records to explain to the broader community the decision making and the data available at the time decisions were made:
May 6—email to all academic, staff, and students including UCSD Health: https://adminrecords.ucsd.edu/Notices/2024/2024-5-6-5.html
May 7—meeting with campus provosts (all 8 provosts present). Briefing and discussion on encampment, student disciplinary procedures, and 5/6 actions and next steps
May 8—meeting of Chancellor’s Cabinet. Debrief on May 1-May 6 encampment.
May 9—email to cabinet, deans, provosts, senate council, etc. and public posting on website of Encampment Fact Sheet; developed and distributed in response to questions and requests for specific facts about the May 1-May 6 encampment. https://updates.ucsd.edu/israel-hamas-war/encampment-fact-sheet.html
May 9—Meeting with Associated Students President
May 9—Meeting with Deans, Provosts, Senate Chair/Vice Chair—briefing on May 1-May 6 encampment
May 15—(EVC host per chancellor request) Academic Deans meeting—follow-up briefing, status updates on encampment, student disciplinary procedures, and other emerging, related matters.
May 17—Meeting with GPSA President
May 17—(VC Satterlund host per chancellor request) Special meeting cabinet, deans, chairs, senate chair/vice chair. The agenda included 1) Recap of Week 6 and Week 7; 2) General Student Conduct Status Report Re: Illegal Encampment; and 3) Preview+ Invitation for Initial Healing Arts Opportunities.
May 20--Senate-Admin Council Meeting—Agenda: Recent Events, Possible UAW Strike, and Budget Outlook (members: https://senate.ucsd.edu/committees/senate-administration-council/membership)
May 22—Briefing w/Department Chairs, Division Chiefs, Senate Council—Agenda: May 1-6 Encampment, Weeks 6&7 programming, Possible UAW Strike
Why doesn't the chancellor connect with the community now? like now!
The Chancellor has not stopped connecting and communicating. The political activism by a few in the Academic Senate has hijacked the broader community's attention towards what they consider to be the most important goal, which is making a statement on geopolitical events. This controversy is not about Free Speech or even about how the unauthorized camps were removed. It is about creating the biggest news splash by finding the largest target, the Chancellor himself.
What Exactly Is Academic Senate? Is it like the entire campus?
The Academic Senate is the heart of the university's academic activities: it is a body consisting of tenured and tenure-track professors. By regulations, they are entirely responsible for the conduct of academic activities (courses, degree programs, faculty recruiting, etc). Since the university is primarily an academic organization, its role is central and often covers operational areas under the "welfare" responsibility of its members. Yet, it is not the entire campus. Of the 40,285 full-time or part-time academic and staff employees, and of the 3,804 or so faculty members, about 2000 are members of the academic senate.
UC President's Statement on Actions Taken by Chancellor Khosla link
Right after the removal of encampments, President Michael Drake issued a public statement of support for Chancellor Khosla, his actions as well as "our public safety partners" meaning local and county police.
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