Associated Students of UC Davis Pass Resolution Condemning Cyberbullying Website Canary Mission
Students celebrate resolution passage[/caption]
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ASUCD Senate Resolution #19
May 24, 2018
An ASUCD Senate Resolution to recognize and condemn the various forces that threaten student activism at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), and reinforce its support of safeguarding the work of student activists at UC Davis.
WHEREAS, the work of student activism has a rich and important tradition at UC Davis, and it is the responsibility of the campus to ensure that it is safeguarded; and,
WHEREAS, the continued operation of campus watch-lists including, but not limited to, Canary Mission, Professor Watch list, etc. threaten the security of student activists, as well as create a toxic atmosphere of fear and paranoia among fellow students, thus infringing upon students’ ability to freely express their opinions; and,
WHEREAS, Canary Mission in specific is a campus watch-list with a history of relying on student-given footage and material to target pro-Palestinian student activists: causing direct personal repercussions, including limiting their movement and employment opportunities; and, [1]
WHEREAS, certain Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) on-campus have been known to collect material on pro-Palestinian student activists, thus helping perpetuate the toxic atmosphere of fear, mistrust, and silence that these watch-lists seek to create; and,
WHEREAS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal agency known for their separation of families and criminalization of undocumented individuals. Although the University of California & UC Davis have committed to not voluntarily work with ICE officials, we have seen student groups throughout the University of California take direct actions to encourage peers in reporting undocumented classmates to ICE. The presence and thought of ICE on campuses and neighborhoods has increased the anxiety level, stress, fear among undocumented students, fostering an unwelcoming environment for immigrant communities; and, [2]
WHEREAS, UC Davis allows plainclothes police officers to operate on-campus; that it is a historical fact local police departments have collaborated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other law enforcement agencies, who have systematically engaged in intimidation and surveillance of activists throughout the nation. Student activists have been monitored and intimidated; this violates their freedom of expression; and,
WHEREAS, student activists have advocated for their respective communities and the larger work of justice for decades, in the process helping build a more vibrant campus: that they should be safeguarded from forces that threaten to intimidate or silence them, and by extension the communities they fight for.
THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED THAT, the Associated Students, University of California, Davis (ASUCD) recognizes the presence of factors that threaten student activism, as well as the dangerous precedent it sets for the future of activism on-campus; and,
THEREFORE LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, the ASUCD declares its intention to be strongly vigilant and proactive in safeguarding the rich tradition of student activism; and,
THEREFORE LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, the ASUCD strongly condemns watch-lists that engage in intimidation and surveillance of student activists; and,
THEREFORE LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, the ASUCD strongly condemns Registered Student Organizations, departments, or other campus groups that record or send material against fellow students to these aforementioned watch-lists; and,
THEREFORE LET IT BE FINALLY RESOLVED THAT, copies of this resolution shall be sent to: the Office of Campus Community Relations, Center for Student Involvement, Chancellor Gary May, Provost Ralph Hexter, University of California President Janet Napolitano, the University of California Students Association, Davis Enterprise, and The California Aggie.