UC releases draft report on response to campus protests

University of California officials today (May 4) released a report that examines policies and practices related to UC responses to campus protests. Campus stakeholders and the public are encouraged to make thoughtful and constructive comments about the report's 50 recommendations.

After incidents involving police and protesting students at the Berkeley and Davis campuses last November, UC President Mark G. Yudof directed General Counsel Charles F. Robinson and Christopher F. Edley Jr., dean of the UC Berkeley Law School, to identify best practices that could shape responses to such demonstrations in the future.  Read more.

View the draft report and related documents. 

Campus announces proposed reforms

UC Davis today (May 2) announced a series of actions and reforms -- newly proposed steps as well as efforts already under way -- to improve and enhance campus protest management policies and practices, police operations, and administrative coordination and communication.

The action steps represent the university's preliminary response to input and recommendations from a task force appointed by UC President Mark Yudof to investigate the Nov. 18 pepper spraying of students on campus. The steps, all developed in collaboration with campus stakeholders. Read more.

View the campus's proposed action plan.

Chancellor and provost's letter

The chancellor and provost issued a statement to the campus community today (April 27) regarding the 11 UC Davis students and one professor facing misdemeanor charges stemming from the blockade of the U.S. Bank at Memorial Union. This morning’s scheduled arraignment of the 12 individuals has been continued to May 10. In their letter, the chancellor and provost emphasized that “UC Davis has no desire for restitution or retribution, but only wishes to see the rights of everyone on campus preserved.”

Read the chancellor and provost's letter.

Yudof's statement

UC President Mark G. Yudof today (April 11) issued a statement shortly after the public release of the Reynoso task force report on the Nov. 18 pepper-spray incident at UC Davis. He thanked UC Davis Professor Emeritus Cruz Reynoso and other members of the task force "for the long hours and hard work they invested in this effort to fully understand the events of Nov. 18 and to propose remedies that might prevent similar incidents in the future."

“My intent now is to give the task force report the full and careful reading it deserves, and then, as previously announced, to meet with Chancellor Katehi and discuss her plans going forward for implementing the recommendations," Yudof said.

Read Yudof's entire statement.

U.S. Bank

U.S. Bank has closed its UC Davis branch office and told UC officials that it is terminating its agreements with the campus. In a March 1 letter to the Board of Regents, the bank stated its reason as the interference by protesters who intermittently blocked the door to the bank branch in the Memorial Union since January.

The bank chose to close during many of the protests, and, now, in a letter to account holders, says the branch is "officially closed" (as of Feb. 28). The letter refers the approximately 2,500 account holders to U.S. Bank branches in Davis and Woodland.

UC officials said they believe the termination letter is premature, noting that the university had been in discussions with bank representatives about the future of the branch office. The university had hoped to resolve the situation in a manner that would enable the bank to resume operations while at the same time making allowance for law enforcement to prosecute proven violations of the California Penal Code and also allowing for peaceful protests. Read the complete article.

In fact, 11 UC Davis students and one professor facing misdemeanor charges stemming from the blockade of the U.S. Bank at Memorial Union were to be arraigned Friday (April 27) at the Yolo County Courthouse in Woodland. The arraignments have been continued to May 10. See the chronology of protest activity at U.S. Bank. (PDF)

UC officials, on behalf of UC Davis, filed a complaint against U.S. Bank on Friday (May 4) in Yolo County Superior Court, alleging that the bank breached its contract when it closed its campus branch in the MU on Feb. 28. In a March 1 letter sent to the Board of Regents,  U.S. Bank wrote that its decision to terminate the agreement with the university was due to the ongoing blockade of the bank by protesters. U.S. Bank officials have not been served with the complaint, and UC officials say they are still open to negotiations. View the complaint. (PDF)

Related news and information

• Chancellor's remarks at joint legislative oversight hearing (5.15.12)
• Robinson-Edley report released for public comment (PDF, UC Office of the President, 5.4.12)
• Campus announces proposed reforms (5.2.12)
• Status of reviews related to the events of Nov. 18 (4.13.12)
• Task force to outline findings, recommendations on April 11 (PDF, UC Office of the President, 4.9.12)

Messages to the UC Davis community

• Chancellor: 'We are moving swiftly' (4.13.12)
• Chancellor thanks the Reynoso task force (4.11.12)
• Update on demonstration management principles and policies (3.2.12)
• How can we learn from this? (12.2.11)
• Plans for continuing the conversation (12.1.11)
• Chancellor Katehi’s remarks at graduate and professional student town hall (12.1.11)
• Chancellor Katehi’s remarks for the Nov. 29 staff and faculty town hall meeting
• Chancellor's message to UC Davis students (11.23.11)
• Chancellor's remarks at Nov. 22 student dialogue and town hall (11.22.11)
• Chancellor's message to UC Davis parents (11.21.11)
• Chancellor Katehi's remarks to the 'general assembly' (11.21.11)
• Chancellor creates task force to review Friday's incident (11.19.11)
• Chancellor addresses Friday's removal of tents from the Quad (11.18.11)
• Chancellor’s message to protesters on the Quad (11.18.11)

Additional information

• Complaint against U.S. Bank (PDF, 5.4.12)
• Chronology of protest activity at U.S. Bank (PDF, 4.27.12)
• Questions and answers concerning UC Davis Police Department personnel actions (PDF, 4.27.12)
• University of California, Davis Corporate Partnership Initiative Program Principles (PDF, UC Davis Division of Student Affairs, 2008-09)
• Student Affairs and U.S. Bank (PDF, UC Davis Division of Student Affairs, 2.21.12)
• FAQ for the UC Davis - U.S. Bank Partnership (PDF, UC Davis Division of Student Affairs, 2009)
• Protest Management Group Structure (PDF, 2.7.12)
• Information on rights and responsibilities concerning peaceful protest at UC Davis (PDF, 2.6.12)
• Regarding campus police and on-campus demonstrations (Chancellor Katehi's speech to the California Legislature, 12.14.11)
• CAAA passes resolution in response to the events at UC Davis on Nov. 18 (12.1.11)
• UC Davis Foundation Board resolution in response to the events at UC Davis on Nov. 18 (12.1.11)

Multimedia

• Faculty staff town hall meeting (Flash video, 1 hour, 36 sec, 11.29.11)
• Photos from the campus demonstration (Flash slideshow, November 2011)
• AggieTV: Town hall meeting with Chancellor Katehi (Ustream video, 1 hour 35 min, 11.22.11)
• AggieTV: Exclusive interview with Chancellor Katehi (YouTube video, 17 min 22 sec, 11.20.11)

News archive

• Reynoso task force to reschedule report's release (UC Office of the President) (3.29.12)
• UC counsel responds to new ruling on Reynoso report (UC Office of the President, 3.28.12)
• Reynoso letter on public release of task force report (UC Office of the President, 3.20.12)
• UC general counsel responds to tentative ruling (UC Office of the President, 3.15.12)
• Chancellor Katehi releases statement on Reynoso report delay (3.5.12)
• UCOP news release announcing the postponement of the report's release, which had been scheduled for March 6 (3.5.12)
• Letter from Cruz Reynoso, task force chair, telling the members of the task force that he had postponed the release of the task force report (3.5.12)
• Call for nominations: Study Group on Accessibility and Affordability (3.1.12)
• UC Davis pursues legal and campus process for bank blockers (Dateline, 2.24.12)
• Reynoso task force report to be released in early March (UC Office of the President, 2.16.12)
• Chancellor and provost create Study Group on Accessibility and Affordability (1.23.12)
• Reynoso's Jan. 20 letter to Yudof (PDF, 1.20.12)
• Medical and emergency expenses (UC Davis News Service, 2.2.12)
• No charges to be filed against UC Davis protesters (Yolo County district attorney's office news release, 1.20.12)
• Letter from Reynoso to Yudof (PDF, undated)
• Administration responds to incidents (UC Office of the President, 12.14.11)
• Our students are not protesting in a vacuum (Huffington Post, 12.9.11)
• President names members to Nov. 18 task force (UC Office of the President, 12.5.11)
• Updated fact sheet on recent campus demonstrations at UC Davis (PDF, 12.03.11)
• Chancellor to redouble her advocacy for more funding (Dateline, 12.2.11)
• Emeritus Cruz Reynoso to lead task force on pepper spraying (Dateline, 11.28.11)
• Cruz Reynoso chairs task force on pepper spray incident (UC Office of the President, 11.28.11)
• Fact sheet on recent campus demonstrations at UC Davis (PDF, 11.29.11)
• TOWN HALL: Chancellor, others say 'never again' (Dateline, 11.23.11)
• UC’s Yudof to convene advisory panel to review Nov. 18 events on UC Davis campus (UC Davis News Service, 11.22.11)
• President Yudof launches initiatives to address policing and protests (UC Office of the President, 11.22.11)
• Katehi: 'I'm here to apologize.' (Dateline, 11.21.11)
• Regents Chair Lansing with message to UC community (UC Office of the President, 11.21.11)
• In meeting with chancellors, President Yudof outlines actions on several fronts (UC Office of the President, 11.21.11)
• Police chief placed on administrative leave (UC Davis News Service, 11.21.11)
• President Yudof responds to campus protest issues (UC Office of the President, 11.20.11)
• Police officers put on administrative leave (UC Davis News Service, 11.20.11)
• Chancellor calls for task force to review Friday arrests (UC Davis News Service, 11.19.11)