Democratizing the UC: Past, Present & Future
Efforts to democratize the UC have a history. We must learn from our past to better know our present and grasp our future.
HISTORY Ever since the UC was established in 1868, people have struggled and slowly democratized the University system. Originally, governance of the UC was influenced by UC President and skull & bonesman Daniel C. Gilman who touted the elitist models of Michigan and Yale (where trustees select their friends as successors). Republican businessmen were appointed as the first UC Regents. They were challenged in 1874 by a coalition scrutinizing corrupt state politics and lamenting that Regents consisted of “merchants, lawyers, physicians and devines [sic]” and lacked any “practical and experienced educator” or any working class representative. The coalition proposed legislation to choose Regents through elections in each of California’s districts. This legislation, and similar bill in 1876 were rejected by an equally corrupt elite dominating the state legislature. When California’s Constitution was revised a few years later in 1879, negotiators snuck an even stronger anti-democratic provision in at the last minute with little debate and barely won a quick vote, which established the current structure of the UC Regents.
Renewed challenges came in the 1970s, when Regents’ meetings were made public (1970), Senate ratification was required of the Governor’s nominees (1972), regents’ terms were reduced from 16 to 12 years, the Governor was required to consult with an advisory board on nominees, and Regents were required to reflect the economic, social, and cultural aspects of the California population (ha!) (1974).
In the early 1990s, after years of budget cuts, graduate students began organizing for working rights, and, around 1993, a SF-based group called the Committee for a Responsible University, formulated a 'Plan to Democratize the Regents'. Over the past few years, people have again emphasized the need to democratize the regents, partly out of the concern over numerous recent issues including affirmative action, pay scandals, and renewed emphasis on nuclear weapons.
PRESENT Several regents terms are expiring soon, and new appointments will be made. The process has already started to look for the next UC President to replace President Dynes by June 2008. We must urgently try to influence this process as one part of democratizing the Regents overall. In October 2007, the UC hired the Dallas-based recruitment firm Funk and Associates for $90,000 to help find the next UC President.
The Regents search committee is being selected and headed by Regent Richard Blum. The student regent (UCB law student Ben Allen) has some input, and the University of California Students Association has overcome resistance and also met with Regents, pressing for more student input – our rep on the 'Student Advisory Committe' is Caro Jauregui (carojauregui@berkeley.edu). The regents bogus justifications for secrecy are the need to follow precednt and protect privacy. You can find more information on democratizing the UC president search process at www.ucpresident.org
FUTURE Here's an initial rough outline of ten basic steps to consider: 1.) Author a convincing argument about why the Regents need to be democratized & publicize this 2.) Figure out a process to formulate new criteria & processes for selecting regents (or other structures) 3.) Author a ballot measure to change the California constitution’s provisions on the selection of regents 4.) Contact people and organizations that would support such changes 5.) Gain support and fend off resistance by corporations, the CA assembly, and the Governor 6.) Collect signatures for the ballot measure 7.) Figure out a process to formulate new criteria and processes for selecting the UC president 8.) Author a resolution 9.) Gain support of the UC academic senate 10.) Keep watch on the changes – democracy is an ongoing process!