Developing protocols to immediately respond to incidents of hate and bias was one of the top concerns discussed at an emergency session of the Campus Council on Community and Diversity on March 11.

The special meeting was called after recent hateful actions, including slurs painted at the entrance of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center, and the placement of swastikas on the door of a Jewish student’s dorm room and four other random locations on campus. (See Dateline story.)

Chief Annette Spicuzza advised that the UC Davis Police Department is vigorously investigating these acts and will seek prosecution of those responsible to the fullest extent of the law, including penalty enhancements for hate crimes.

The community and diversity council discussed ideas put forward at a March 1 town hall meeting as well as recommendations that the Black Student Union carried to the administration in a protest on March 10, said Rahim Reed, associate executive vice chancellor for Campus Community Relations and co-chair of the council.

As requested by the Black Student Union, the chancellor and other senior administrators were scheduled to meet today with union leaders and a staff and faculty member.

Reed said the council discussed the need for developing a permanent committee to respond immediately to incidents of hate and bias and also to work proactively to make the campus community safer and more welcoming for everyone at all times. The new committee probably would include student representatives from various groups on campus and a few representatives from Davis community organizations.

The 36-member Campus Council on Community and Diversity advises the chancellor and provost on actions required to ensure that the campus community better reflects California's ethnic and cultural diversity, and on strategies to ensure an inclusive and welcoming environment at UC Davis.

Reed said the March 11 discussion also addressed some students' feelings that they are not safe on campus; staffing issues to provide more diversity and cultural-competency training for all students, faculty and staff; and a proposal for activities to increase the number of admitted African American students who enroll.

The Black Student Union's March 10 rally began at the Memorial Union patio, where organizers read recommendations twice as about 150 supporters, most wearing black, sat in silence for about an hour. About 75 of the protesters then moved to the Silo, where they did the same thing. Later, about 40 marched to Mrak Hall, where they met and talked for more than an hour with Reed; Bob Loessberg-Zahl, assistant executive vice chancellor; and Pat Turner, vice provost for Undergraduate Studies, a member of the African American and African Studies faculty and a member of the council.

Among its recommendations, the Black Student Union is calling for the African American and African Studies program to become a department; aggressive recruitment of black faculty in other disciplines and programs; quarterly and annual reports on campus climate; all students to be required to take eight credits in ethnic studies, women and gender studies or cultural studies; additional counselors and retention specialists for black students; increased funding for student life centers; and funding of 60 percent of the cost for ethnic and lavender graduation celebrations.