This is our official response to your letter dated 10/25/2019 responding to the demands the Black Student Union set forth on Oct. 21st 2019. We appreciate that you responded by the deadline we had set to respond and will take it as good faith first step towards what we hope will a productive engagement with you and your administration.
Below are our responses:
1. Allocation of $75,000 for the Afrikan Black Coalition Conference and a commitment to seek additional funds as needed from other CSU campuses.
a. We are satisfied with this allocation and commitment to raise needed funds for the Afrikan Black Coalition conference, to be hosted January 17-20th, 2020 at CSU Fullerton.
b. We expect these funds to be deposited in the BSU account immediately for ease of planning and expenditures.
2. The demand for the aggressive recruitment of Black faculty and reaching at least 6% Black faculty in tenure track positions in the next four years.
a. You stated that the University has a “new five year strategic plan to increase faculty diversity”. Please provide us a copy of this plan for our review and input no later than November 20thby 5pm.
b. You state that you have created the DIEP and that the FDO has created a new training program. Please provide us a copy of this training for our review and input no later than November 20th by 5pm..
c. You state that you will “require diverse recruiting pools…specifically Black candidates, and require the dissolution and reconstitution of recruiting pools that are not diverse”. Please provide us a written copy of this policy, and when it was put in place no later than November 20thby 5pm.. If it hasn’t yet, please provide us the date by which it will be effective.
d. You state that “you will meet with the AAS department to define other ways in which to increase support for the department and its programs.” We request for this meeting to take place and receive a written copy of the ways in which the University will materially increase its support to the department no later than November 26th 2019 at 5pm.
e. We are keenly aware of the anti-Black proposition 209 and the legal limitations it places on public institutions. However, the law does not prohibit public institutions from setting GOALS and engaging in concerted recruitment and retention efforts to increase the number and percentage of Black and other students and faculty of color.
3. The demand for support for the “Black Student Success Initiative”.
a. You state that “we have made progress in implementing a number of the items outlined in the initiative and commit to fully implement all such items”. Please provide a written progress report and implementation plan no later than November 20th by 5pm.
4.The demand for the hiring of two Black psychologists.
a. We are keenly aware of the anti-Black proposition 209 and the legal limitations it places on public institutions. However, the law does not prohibit public institutions from setting GOALS and engaging in concerted recruitment and retention efforts to increase the number and percentage of Black psychologists.
b. As has been done in many public universities, you can create a job posting for psychologist who have extensive experience serving Black people and Black students and search for candidates who meet that criteria. This falls within the parameters of existing laws. Our demand is to create such a posting for two full time psychologists who meet such criteria. We would like to be on the hiring committee for these two positions and would like the searches to be part of the recruitment this spring. Please notify of whether the campus will commit to this by November 20th by 5pm.
5. The demand for an annual scholarship budget of $250,000 for Black students.
a.We are glad to hear that you are open to exploring available options.
b. We are keenly aware of the anti-Black proposition 209 and the legal limitations it places on public institutions. However, we are aware that the University is legally allowed to raise private funds that can be disbursed through third parties. UC Berkeley has done this (raised funds for Black student scholarships) and had the funds disbursed through a non-profit. Our demand is for a commitment to do the same. We look forward to continuing this discussion at our next meeting.
6. The demand for an allocation of $100,000 for the creation of a peer-led mentoring program through the AARC.
a. We are glad to hear you are committed to developing such programs.
b. The BSU would like a student representative to be part of the process to design and implement a peer led program with the AARC. We would like this process to begin immediately.
7. The demand for President Virjee to publicly support Ethnic Studies requirement within the CSU system.
a. The failure of the racist institution that is the academic senate to establish ethnic studies as a requirement for a CSU education is what prompted many advocates to go through the legislature in the first place. What seems to us a facetious concern over the “omission of LGBTQ, Womxn and Gender studies”, is belied by the CSU Fullerton’s Women and Gender Studies and Queer Studies department’s unequivocal support for AB 1460. We refer you to the full statement of the department for further clarification on your erroneous analysis that led you to the wrong conclusion and position of opposing AB 1460.
b. Additionally, AB 1460 expressly states that the law will leave to the academic senate to determine what specific classes will be able to count to satisfy the ethnic studies requirement once the bill passes. There are plenty examples of courses that can easily be developed or are already in place that are jointly developed between ethnic studies and Women’s and Gender Studies or Queer Studies that can satisfy this requirement. AB 1460 still respects the premise of shared governance and has plenty of space for it.
c. We urge you to reconsider your position on AB 1460 for history will remember all those who opposed as agents of regression and opponents of racial justice in higher education.
d. In light of this, Please notify us whether you’ll stand on the right side of history and support AB 1460 on November 20th by 5pm.
8. The demand for the creation of a Black Scholars Hall.
a. As we are well versed on all the laws relating to our demands, it is clear that our intent is to have a Black Scholars Hall themed housing. Dozens of UCs and CSUs already have this and they are all governed by the same state and federal laws that govern CSU Fullerton.
b. We demand a commitment to establishing a Black Scholars Hall for the incoming class of Fall 2020. Please notify of whether the campus will commit to this by November 20th by 5pm.
9. The demand to amending the rules and policies of expulsion regarding student life and leadership at CSUF to include racial discrimination.
a. We are glad to see you agree on examining and amending the current rules and policies.
b. We would like a representative from BSU to be on the committee that will be reviewing and amending these policies. Please notify of whether the campus will commit to this by November 20th by 5pm.
10. The demand to indefinitely suspend of Phi Sigma Kappa.
a. As Black people and students whose due process rights is constantly disregarded in this country, we are fully aware of the need for thorough due process.
b. Once the campus finishes its review and reaches a decision with regard to this fraternity, we would like you to notify the entire campus of what that decision is. Please notify of whether the campus will commit to this by November 20th by 5pm.
11. Robust diversity training for Fraternity and Sorority Life.
a. We are glad to see that student life will conduct a comprehensive review of current training and enhance training and programming on diversity.
b. We would like a representative from BSU to be on the committee that will be reviewing and amending these trainings. Please notify of whether the campus will commit to this by November 20th by 5pm.
Conclusion
We are encouraged by the various commitments you have made. We look forward to productive and fruitful conversations that result in improved material conditions and representation for Black people at CSUF. We expect written responses to each of the points we have raised by Nov. 20th at 5pm.
Black Student Union
California State University, Fullerton
