UCSantaBarbara
Dear Members of Our Campus Community,
We are writing to provide an update about our efforts to improve climate and community on our campus. Since our “Principles of Community” memo on October 26, 2023, our campus has sought to deal with complex and difficult issues related to the ongoing violence in the Middle East. We appreciate the efforts of many of our faculty, students, and staff to fulfill our responsibility to educate, enlighten, and deal with disagreement with respect and sensitivity, despite some conflict and controversy.
We were distressed to learn of incidents over the weekend that included offensive social media messages and signage at the MultiCultural Center entrance. Campus offices are reviewing these unauthorized and unofficial messages. The signage has been removed and campus is conducting a bias incident review based on potential discrimination related to protected categories that include religion, citizenship, and national or ethnic origin. The posting of such messages is a violation of our principles of community and inclusion.
We call everyone’s attention to the new UC Presidential Policy on Anti-Discrimination, which was effective on February 20, 2024, and can be found online on the UCOP Policies webpage located here. The new policy covers Harassment, Discrimination and Retaliation by and against students, employees, and third parties on University property or in connection with University employment or programs or activities.
Prohibited Conduct under the Policy based on national or ethnic origin or ancestry extends to individuals who experience Discrimination or Harassment based on their actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, or citizenship or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity. This includes, for example, antisemitic, anti-Arab, and Islamophobic Discrimination or Harassment. Some of these forms of Discrimination or Harassment may also represent Prohibited Conduct based on other Protected Categories covered by this Policy, including based on religion. The policy includes strong protections for freedom of speech and academic freedom.
We strive to create opportunities for civil dialogue, free from bullying and discrimination, that allow all community members to have their voices heard, and to have a space in which to respectfully express their views. To ensure that we uphold our community values and principles, the campus is committed to thoroughly reviewing and addressing all reported bias incidents.
UC President Drake has announced one-time funding to help UC campuses address and combat antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of bias, bigotry, and discrimination at the University. The intention is to contribute to our mutual aim of safe, inclusive, and respectful environments at all campuses. Funding will address emergency mental health and trauma support for students, faculty, and staff; voluntary, extracurricular educational programming; and training and professional development for leaders, faculty, and staff. We are consulting widely about these programs and we will be in touch as plans are developed.
The Division of Student Affairs has posted reminders about campus rules and expectations for students, as well as campus safety and support resources. Faculty and staff with needs and concerns can contact the Academic & Staff Assistance Program, the Ombuds Office, or the University of California Ethics & Compliance Program. Information about reporting bias incidents can be found here.
We hope for an end to the violence in the Middle East. We call upon all members of our community to treat each other with respect, care, and sensitivity. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Henry T. Yang
Chancellor
David Marshall
Executive Vice Chancellor
Margaret Klawunn
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Jeffrey Stewart
Interim Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
I saw a few photos of the signs on social media before they were taken down. Essentially a student in a campus leadership position was targeted for being Jewish. The messages were pretty threatening towards this person specifically and referenced support of Gaza and Palestine. Based on what I saw on instagram the students who run the UCSB Multi-Cultural Center instagram page were in support of those hateful messages. in my opinion, fine to have whatever political beliefs you want, but targeting and threatening a specific person because of who they are or what religion they are is uncalled for.
Lies … no one was attacked for their religion.
Here are some photos from the Nexus: https://dailynexus.com/2024-02-28/ucsb-temporarily-suspends-mcc-after-students-post-pro-palestine-anti-zionist-signage-at-center/
Voicing support for Gaza and anger at the Israeli government for doing what it’s been doing is absolutely OK and should be allowed.
Targeting a single person, threats of violence or anti-Semitic signs/symbols canNOT be tolerated.
But we MUST allow peaceful dissent on both sides without calling every criticism of Israeli policy “anti-Semitic” and criticism of Hamas as “Islamophobic.”
Correct.
It’s so interesting how they don’t mention the nature or substance of the signage. They don’t mention that it was antisemitic and posted by radical jihadist students.
Was it? I’ve seen extremely hateful graffiti, flyers, online posts, etc going both ways in this conflict.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/uc-santa-barbara-student-body-president-allegedly-targeted/story?id=107591529
Confirmation on that?
It’s literally national news
https://abcnews.go.com/US/uc-santa-barbara-student-body-president-allegedly-targeted/story?id=107591529
Oh, “literally.”
Thanks, I hadn’t seen the news item. Beyond that, I think it might be time the Jewish community starts marching on some of the fucking campuses to stress test exactly how brave these people are.
“Stress test”? Wow. That’s the kind of mentality that keeps wars going Alexblue – let’s all get out there and march and see who’s got the biggest balls. Good luck, “fucking campuses”?
Bad idea.
Basic, this shouldn’t be news to you but IDGAF about your opinion.
Yeah, these fucking campuses that are encouraging bigotry. People think they are going to terrorize Jewish people into becoming invisible?
Nah. Fuck that.
UCSB is encouraging bigotry because some racists did some antisemitic signs? I don’t know. I do know you and I will never agree on this stuff, but allowing people to openly support the people of Gaza who have been absolutely decimated by this war should not be taken as “encouraging bigotry.” Now, I’m not saying that’s all that happened. Not at all, so please don’t go off on that.
Bigotry and hate on BOTH sides must not be allowed, but open, peaceful support of both MUST be allowed.
The school is investigating this and treating it as a serious incident. Again, what I’m saying is that just because some extremists punks put up some signs, doesn’t mean UCSB itself is encouraging it.
UCSB had become an extremely hostile place for free speech and for anytime who deviates from the far leftist ideology. Both the school, and students, have a defacto ban on conservatives.
Nope, they just don’t allow right wing hate, racism, homo/transphobic speech or fake news.
Conservatives are not at all “banned,” but the hate and ignorance from many on the far right is, as it should be. Enough with the victim card for hate.
Every word of that is a lie.
BTW, “conservative” = racist, misogynist, ignorant, dishonest, treasonous, and sociopathic … but far from silenced.
Dalgorf, you’re so fucking triggered dude. You go on these rampages just about every day now.
It is not a lie to to state that UCSB is a hostile place for free speech. The same is true of many of the elite universities in the US at this point. Personally, disagree with much of the speech that campus leftists do–I am in agreement with them politically.
However, we have seen MANY examples of controversial figures being driven away through intimidation, bullying and violence.
The fact that these students can’t deal with other people’s viewpoints is a failing of the University system.
You’re jumped to a false conclusion. I said nothing about nor did I criticize UCSB or any university for allowing peaceful expressions of protest supporting innocent Gazans.
I never said you did. I questioned whether you think UCSB is “encouraging bigotry” because of this event. Your comment about “these fucking campuses” is what gave rise to my question.
I think that any time you try and demonize people based on their identity and not their beliefs then you are encouraging bigotry. I think that the pendulum swing towards anti-colonialism and the implication that anyone who belongs to a group which was colonialist in the past or has had privilege in our society through inherited traits such as race or gender is complicit in the crimes of the past is encouraging bigotry. I know, because I have kids in college, that the voices of “some” students are encouraged and valued while the voices of “other” students are discounted, mocked and suppressed. So, yeah, encouraging bigotry. And I would love, I would really love to know if “all” cultures are welcome at UCSB’s “Multicultural” center, or only some. And I’d be interested to know exactly which cultures are not welcome, if that is the case, in a building at my Alma Mater and one which I have funded through taxes and donations.
Lastly, people are attacking, harassing and trying to shut up Jewish college students all over the country right now. We won’t stand for it.
Isn’t condemning and opposing Zionism based on beliefs, rather than identity? What about criticizing the support of Israel and those who think that the Palestinians should be even further oppressed or that the West Bank and Gaza should return to Israeli hands? Is that “demonizing” based on identity? No, those are beliefs. Opposing those who hold these beliefs should be allowed.
Attacking someone for being Jewish and attributing all these beliefs to them, whether they’re their beliefs or not, is wrong. Absolutely.
But, there’s a serious problem when any support of Palestinians or opposition to Israeli policies is simply written off as “anti-Semitic” and silenced as such. Those who support the oppressed must have their voice too. As long as we all can agree on that and support that, then we can start to move forward.
Edit: I should have put Zionism in ” ” as I don’t mean to assert that I think “Zionism” means what some think it does. I’m simply pointing out, that those who oppose what they think it is, are doing so based on what they think is “Zionist” beliefs (eg, Israelis have a religious right to occupy and control the WB and Gaza, for example), rather than their identity (eg “Jewish”) alone.
I was speaking to your highlighting my saying “these universities” and to a more general cultural trend at certain universities in the U.S. to minimize and shut down certain sets of beliefs and voices.
We both already know that there are lots of people who are using “Anti-Zionism” and legitimate criticism of the Israeli government’s actions as cover for Jew hatred, to attack Jewish students regardless of their beliefs and to find all Jewish people collectively responsible for the suffering of the people in Gaza and the West Bank. The joyous embrace of hatred towards Jewish people, under cover of humanitarian concerns, coming from people who have been previously deterred by such displays of hatred by social disapproval of such sentiments have been given far greater latitude. I’m seeing it all over social media. It’s rarely “The right wing Israeli government and settlers” it’s just “The Jews.”
I personally would never conflate support for non-combatants in Gaza with Anti-Semitism.
As far as I’m concerned, the publicly funded “Multi-cultural” center has zero business putting up any sign of any kind related to the conflict.
It wasn’t antisemitic.
“radical jihadist students”
That, OTOH, is a demonizing lie.
The Founding Fathers and the people who carried out the Boston Tea Party are admired for being revolutionaries, while all these folks did was put up signs.
Looks to me like someone crossed a line and got too personal targeting an individual and also using university property. I think, not necessarily appropriate in a campus setting. I haven’t seen that she engaged in the debate or invited the conversation personally in a way that she should have been responded to personally on the basis of her own words but maybe I missed something. Please let me know if i did. So it looks like she’s targeted simply because she’s Jewish and in a visible student government position. So yes, I think it is anti-Semitic although it looks like some are trying to walk the anti-Zionist dichotomy washing. I don’t think that UCSB was out of line in the least to have that garbage taken down from university property. The writers could have stood in storke plaza with many of the same signs expressing their opinions and nobody would have said a word. They would have sent the campus police to protect their rights.
Speaking of bigotry, how about this crap?, “conservative” = racist, misogynist, ignorant, dishonest, treasonous, and sociopathic … but far from silenced. Wow.