Maintained by pioweb@ucsc.edu
© 2008 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

Letter from Student Affairs to the SAW Group

March 27, 2006

Dear Members of Students Against War (SAW),

Your letter of March 15th underscores the common ground we share in our expectation that the First Amendment rights of everyone be protected. It is the objective of the campus administration to protect your rights to a legal and nonviolent protest, as well as the rights of students to access the employers attending the career fair, which is presented to enable UC Santa Cruz students the opportunity to explore a full-range of career options. We strongly believe, as stated in the campus Principles of Community, that a free exchange of ideas requires mutual respect and consideration of differences.

As you are aware, the recent Solomon Amendment ruling upholds that universities must allow military recruiters on campus or risk the loss of federal funding. It also affirms the rights of students to hold legal nonviolent protests that do not impinge on the rights of students to access recruiters. The presence of military recruiters, however, should not be interpreted as official endorsement of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

The administration is pleased to support and provide funding for the Monday, April 24th faculty teach-in, the "War on Terror-A Credible Threat," and we encourage broad student participation in this and other events where topics of relevance and importance to students are discussed and debated. As you may know, on Wednesday, April 26 there is another event at Colleges 9/10 entitled CODE PINK: Women Say NO to WAR.

The campus administration continues to be open to meeting with you to ensure that the opportunity to express your views about military recruitment is neither hampered by nor interferes with the rights of interested students to pursue their career goals by participation in the career fair. The six assurances you mention in your March 15th letter are best addressed in a meeting with members of the faculty and administration. Several faculty members have indicated a willingness to participate as observers in such a meeting.

It is important that SAW members meet with university representatives to discuss the time, place and manner of such a protest to ensure the unimpeded flow of pedestrian traffic to the job fair and the safety of all. Members of the administration are disappointed that your group has declined to meet further to more directly discuss the points raised in your letter and to ensure that the career fair will proceed without interruption as you state is your goal in your March 15th letter.

I will be on campus next week if you would like to speak with me about this letter or any matter related to the career fair. We welcome constructive dialogue about the concerns you raise in your March 15th letter.

Respectfully yours,

Alma Sifuentes
Special Assistant for Student Life