Provost Ralph J. Hexter and Vice Chancellor John Meyer sent this e-mail on March 1:

Dear UC Davis Community,

As Occupy activities continue nationally and locally, some of you have expressed interest in knowing more about our approach to managing campus protests.

We're writing to update you on this and the anticipated release of a report from the Reynoso task force, which has been conducting an inquiry into the pepper spraying of students last Nov. 18 during a demonstration on the Quad.

The task force has indicated that it hopes to unveil the report and invite input at a public forum on our campus on March 6. Further details are provided here.

Meanwhile, since classes resumed in January there has been a brief occupation of the former Cross Cultural Center; placement of tents on the Quad; sustained efforts by a small group of demonstrators to deny access to employees and customers to the U.S. Bank office in Memorial Union; and, most recently, disruption of a lecture featuring Israeli soldiers.

Here are the principles underlying our efforts to protect lawful freedom of expression:

• The campus's efforts to manage these situations have been, and are, guided by patience and restraint.

• When protesters' actions exceed established guidelines for protected free speech, we are seeking to engage and listen to them while explaining the potential implications of their actions. At the former Cross Cultural Center, for example, this approach facilitated a peaceful end to a potentially divisive situation. The established guidelines for protected free speech are available online.

• We have formed engagement teams to visit protest sites and communicate directly with protesters. At the bank, we have consistently and persistently conveyed to demonstrators that they are violating campus and state regulations by denying access to customers and bank staff, and that they are subject to campus disciplinary and criminal misdemeanor sanctions. For information about how UC Davis has conveyed this information, see this Feb. 24 Dateline UC Davis story "UC Davis pursues legal and campus process for bank blockers."

• We will communicate similarly with any individuals participating in occupation activities on the Quad or elsewhere on campus, recognizing that campus police may be required to help respond to or resolve emergency situations.

• We will continue to monitor these situations and will take action as necessary to ensure that all members of our campus community can practice their First Amendment rights while also permitting the ongoing operations of the university's teaching, research and public service functions.

For many, these are difficult times. As a community, we respect the passion and energy of those seeking to create constructive economic and social change. We hope that participants in campus demonstrations will respect the rights of community members to freely engage in academic, professional and personal pursuits.

Sincerely,

Ralph J. Hexter
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor

John A. Meyer
Vice Chancellor, Administrative and Resource Management