FAC 24-16

*W Commitment to Non-Police and State Sanctioned Response to Campus Protests

RESOLVED: That the CSUDH Academic Senate recognizes how campuses across the country are wielding violent responses to their own students, staff, and faculty amidst campus protests; and how some CSU campuses (San Francisco State University and Sacramento State University) are supporting encampments and peaceful protest without police presence; and

RESOLVED: That given the tenuous relationship for many Communities of Color with the police and other state sanctioned control apparatuses, the CSUDH Academic Senate recognizes that this moment affords the university to pursue its distinction as a “model-urban university” and uphold its commitment for a “culture of care” that engages restorative justice and community care practices for all students, staff, and faculty; and

RESOLVED: That the CSUDH Academic Senate demands university administration to commit to not using police or other state sanctioned entities to respond to campus protests and instead invest in nonviolent conflict resolution strategies rooted in restorative justice, including dialogue, mediation, and de-escalation training for faculty, students, staff and administrators; and

RESOLVED: That the university administration and a collectively selected external mediator collaborate with students, faculty, and staff to develop and implement a comprehensive plan launched in Fall 2024 for responding to campus protests that prioritizes the safety and well-being of all members of the university community; and be it further

RESOLVED: that the ASCSUDH distribute this resolution to all campus community members.

RATIONALE: Given that:

The majority of CSUDH students, as well as a sizable proportion of the faculty and staff, are People of Color who have been disproportionately victimized and intimidated by police; and
The use of police to respond to campus protests will escalate tensions and create a hostile environment for students, staff, and faculty; and
The presence of police officers will intimidate and deter individuals from exercising their right to free speech and assembly; and
Treating ethnic groups as monoliths by equating them with a given political identity or perspective is itself reductionist and embedded in racist rhetoric that imperils the well-being of said groups;

We urge the CSUDH administration to

ensure amnesty for all students, staff, and faculty (as modeled by our sibling campus CSU Sacramento); and
provide spaces for all parties in a conflict to express their perspectives and concerns, and thus foster empathy and communication between individuals with differing viewpoints, leading to more constructive discussions and potential resolutions; and
Build relationships of mutual respect and trust by engaging in dialogue and mediation, leading to a more positive and collaborative environment on campus where conflicts are less likely to escalate and more likely to be resolved peacefully; and
Empower individuals to actively participate in the resolution of conflicts and find solutions that are acceptable to all parties involved, leading to more investment on the part of students, faculty, and staff in the outcome of the conflict resolution process and more commitment to maintaining an inclusive campus community; and
Preserve academic freedom and protect individuals’ rights to free speech and assembly, creating a more open and inclusive campus environment where diverse perspectives are valued and respected; and
Ensure the university’s espoused commitments to social justice are actualized.

FAC 24-16 *W Sense of the Senate Commitment to Non-Police and State Sanctioned Response to Campus Protests