Campus demonstrations: News and updates

  • by News Service

Consultant’s report on establishing a police oversight board

Barbara J. Attard of Accountability Associates prepared her report, "Developing Oversight, Transparency and Accountability for the University of California, Davis, Police Department,” after a series of campus forums in the spring of 2013.

Review Committee on Post-Incident Reforms sends final report to chancellor

Gloria Alvarado, chair of the Post-Incident Reform Committee, sent a letter to Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi thanking her on behalf of the committee for giving them the opportunity to learn about the university's responses to recommendations made in the wake of the Nov. 18 incident. The Review Committee also sent the chancellor its final report following a general overview of progress made to date. Read the final report.

Chancellor sends updated draft action plan to UC Davis Academic Senate

Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi sent an updated draft action plan on May 1, 2013, to the UC Davis Academic Senate, in response to the recommendations of the senate's Executive Council Special Committee on the November 18th Incident. This report marks the third detailed response submitted to the Academic Senate and it continues to document progress on a number of important fronts. Read the chancellor's updated draft action plan.

Q&A with Police Chief Matt Carmichael 

Since he took over as chief a little more than eight months ago, Matt Carmichael has launched many initiatives to more closely weave his department into the fabric of the campus community. Dateline UC Davis, the university's online newspaper, talks with the chief about what's changed in the past year and what else is in the works in response to the recommendations and reforms stemming from the Nov. 18, 2011, pepper-spray incident.  Read more of the Q&A.

Chancellor launches new task force to assess post-Nov. 18 reforms

The chancellor has invited California's chief justice, two state lawmakers, and an ACLU attorney to join members of the campus community and others on a new committee to evaluate our progress on reforms and recommendations following the Nov. 18, 2011, pepper spray incident. Read more.

Read chancellor's letter (PDF).

Campus to establish ombudsperson’s office for faculty, staff 

UC Davis announces that it will establish a campus ombudsperson's office to provide confidential and independent conflict resolution services to faculty and staff.  While formally reporting through the chancellor’s office, the ombudsperson will operate independently to resolve conflicts in an informal and impartial manner. Read more of the new ombudsperson's office announcement. 

Police Department to launch student cadet program 

The UC Davis Police Department announces that it will launch a student cadet program, beginning in January, with the expectation that the department will eventually hire the top cadet each year as a police officer. "It's an opportunity for the police to work with the community, and build more connections between students and the department," Chief Matt Carmichael said. "There are a lot of students with interest in the Police Department." Read more about the new student cadet program.

Chancellor sends updated draft action plan to UC Davis Academic Senate

Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi sent an updated draft action plan on Oct. 1, 2012, to the UC Davis Academic Senate, in response to the recommendations of the senate's Executive Council Special Committee on the November 18th Incident.  This updated plan reflects accomplishments to date. Progress has been particularly noteworthy and robust in two categories: police operations and administrative leadership and decision making. Read the chancellor's updated draft action plan.

Chancellor sends draft action plan to President Yudof

Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi sent a letter to President Mark Yudof with the draft action plan that was prepared for the UC Davis Academic Senate in response to the recommendations in the reports related to the Nov. 18 incidents on campus.

The draft action plan describes steps the UC Davis administration has taken to date to prepare for broader campus conversations and also describes efforts that are underway or in the planning stages. Read more of the chancellor's letter to President Yudof.

Chancellor alerts Senate chair that draft action plan is ready

Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi sent a letter to UC Davis Academic Senate Chair Linda Bisson with an attached draft action plan (PDF) related to recommendations contained in the Executive Council Special Committee report, the Reynoso Task Force Report and the Kroll Report. Read more of the chancellor's letter to Bisson (PDF).

Chancellor speaks at joint legislative oversight hearing

In her prepared remarks for a joint legislative oversight hearing on May 15, at the Capitol, Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi told members of the Assembly Higher Education and Senate Education committees, “We cannot allow the events of last November to impede or diminish the university’s many great accomplishments and contributions to our state and nation. I am 100 percent committed to improving our campus and reforming how we engage with civil disobedience when we are confronted with it.” Read more.

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. The deadline for public comment has been extended from May 25 to June 8 to encourage additional input.

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)

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