The University of California working group publicly released its report and revised language of the Statement of Principles Against Intolerance in the University Board of Regents’ March meeting agenda.
A clause explicitly condemning anti-Semitism is included in the revised statement after a months-long debate over academic freedom and addressing discrimination against Jewish students.
The regents will vote whether to approve the statement at their March meeting, which comes after the working group was assembled after the September meeting to address concerns that the original language was not specific enough in its condemnation of anti-Semitism, among other concerns. The working group has been taking public comment and working on the language since October and released the report to the regents in late January.
The statement specifically names anti-Semitism in a section on prejudice-based stereotypes.
“Anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination have no place in the University. The Regents call on University leaders actively to challenge anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination when and wherever they emerge within the University community,” the revised language said.
The statement also specifically cites the First Amendment in a section on freedom of expression.
“The University will vigorously defend the principles of the First Amendment and academic freedom against any efforts to subvert or abridge them,” the statement said.
The working group cited various acts of intolerance and discrimination as a reason to adopt the statement in a timely manner.
The statement prohibits 20 different forms of discrimination, among which are race, gender, sexual orientation and religion .
Members of the UC community and the public shared their thoughts on the statement with the working group at an all-day forum at UCLA in October. Most public comment centered on whether the principles should include the State Department’s definition of anti-Semitism, with those in favor echoing voices from the Jewish community supporting the U.S. Department of State’s definition and those opposed citing infringement on academic freedom.
The revised language does not include the State Department’s definition of anti-Semitism.
The working group shared updates from the UCLA meeting with the regents at the November board meeting. The board agreed the statement should be more inclusive in terms of any and all characteristics, but some warned they thought the statement would not properly protect Jewish students if the definition of intolerance was too vague.
The vote will take place March 23 during the bimonthly Board of Regents meeting at UC San Francisco.