The College of California system on Wednesday sought to reiterate a coverage that bans scholar governments from boycotting particular nations, together with Israel, amid the Trump administration’s investigation into the college and threats of pulled funding.
UC President Michael Drake despatched a letter to his chancellors that stated leaders on campuses, together with scholar governments, can not boycott particular nations.
“The suitable of people and teams to specific their views on public issues is distinct from the accountability of College entities to conduct their monetary affairs in a way in keeping with College coverage and relevant regulation,” Drake stated.
“This letter reaffirms each: the rights of scholars, school, and employees to specific their views, and the College’s obligation to make sure that its items don’t have interaction in monetary boycotts of corporations related to a specific nation,” he added.
The letter got here after President Trump’s Division of Well being and Human Companies stated universities needed to certify they might not have interaction in anti-Israel boycotts for brand spanking new grants.
UC is already liable to shedding hundreds of thousands of {dollars} of federal funding amid a probe by the federal authorities’s antisemitism taskforce.
Campuses throughout the UC system noticed a number of pro-Palestinian encampments, with UC-Los Angeles seeing one of many greatest clashes between protesters and police throughout the nationwide demonstrations.
“The College of California has as soon as once more affirmed its opposition to boycotts of corporations related to a specific nation. Whereas our group members have the precise to specific their viewpoints, monetary boycotts are inconsistent with UC’s dedication to sound enterprise practices, tutorial freedom and the free alternate of concepts,” a spokesperson for the college stated. “The president’s letter to chancellors reinforces UC’s unwavering dedication to tutorial discourse, analysis, and innovation that enhance the lives of People throughout the nation.”