On Speaking Officially: An Unofficial Comment Sunday, February 27, 2022
What this isn't. From time to time, the UC Regents have taken positions on such issues of the day as propositions appearing on the state ballot. It is clear that the Regents, as a quasilegislative state constitutional body, can represent the official position of the UC system. From time to time, UCLA's top administrators have taken positions on behalf of the university on particular matters of public concern. A recent example is with regard to the transit line proposed to come through the Sepulveda Pass. UCLA has taken an official position that the line should have a station on campus rather than requiring passengers to switch to a shuttle bus or to other means of transportation to get from the line to campus. This official position of UCLA appeared recently both on the campus "newsroom" website with the headline " UCLA advocates for campus station on Metro’s proposed Sepulveda rail line ," and in a letter to LA Metro signed by Michael Beck, Administrative Vice Chancellor: https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-advocates-for-campus-station-sepulveda-railline https://advocacy.assets.support2.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/UCLA-STCScoping-Comments-FINAL_submitted.pdf I think it's safe to say that no one doubts the ability of the Regents to take an official position on a ballot measure or the ability of the Administrative Vice Chancellor to represent the view of UCLA on a transit station. But what about official units of the university? Yours truly notes this matter because he recently received an email sent out on several official campus emailing lists by two units of UCLA on behalf of those units.* The first line reads:
"The UCLA International Institute and Center for European and Russian Studies (CERS) condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ..." The email is signed by Cindy Fan, Vice Provost, International Institute; Laurie Hart, Director, Center for European and Russian Studies, and Marjorie Orellana, Associate Vice Provost, International Institute. I suspect that most readers of the email would agree with the sentiment expressed in that particular statement. But the question is whether official units should be expressing such sentiments as opposed to the individuals connected with those units. When unit of the university says it has a position as a unit, does that mean that every individual connected
UCLA Faculty Association Blog: First Quarter 2022
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