Dear UC Davis colleagues,
In recent weeks, it has become clear we are facing an unprecedented attack on our universities, and that the Trump Administration is using every lever to disrupt, dismantle, and destroy entire sectors of higher education. The sudden assault on our research funding, the integrity of our teaching, and disruption of our public service mission all pose existential threats to the University of California. We have additionally seen attacks on the privacy and due process rights of our faculty, students, and staff in recent days. This is a direct and sustained attack, impacting federal funding; ideological intrusion into academic affairs; and policing expression. To challenge these assaults, we must forcefully reassert our values as the leading public research institution in America.
Make no mistake: it will take all of us.
The Davis Faculty Association is working hard to defend our research integrity; guard academic freedom; demand UC support for our students and researchers; and reclaim our identity as a university for the public good.
We’ve heard from many of you that you want to do something. The DFA is here to make that happen, together. Here is a list of things we’re up to, and some invitations to action. It will take all of us.
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JOIN: April 17: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, with Leticia Saucedo and Raquel Aldana: join us at the UCD School of Law for a discussion of Senate Faculty rights and what to do if ICE comes to campus. 12-1pm, 1001 King Hall. Our session is part of the Higher Ed National Day of Action. An event poster is below. Please RSVP, share this widely, and invite a friend!
SIGN AND SHARE: letters in support of academic freedom and UC support for students/researchers: there are two letters you can sign today to make your voices heard.
- A CUCFA letter demanding that UCOP immediately address the revocations of student/researcher visas and make strong support of students. The letter is open to everyone in the UC community: faculty, staff, students, and alumni: CUCFA letter
- This public letter by individual UC faculty in support of academic freedom (this is not a DFA or CUCFA letter but we believe it merits your consideration!): UC faculty letter
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UPDATES ON OUR LETTERS AND LAWSUITS: Davis Faculty Association is working hard to advocate for the rights of UC Senate Faculty at the state and national levels. Here’s what we’re up to:
- On March 28, we issued this letter to UC Davis leadership calling for UC Davis to protect our students, staff, and faculty from privacy violations and political targeting. We are soon meeting with Campus Counsel to continue our advocacy.
- On April 6, we joined the Council of UC Faculty Association (CUCFA) and AFT Local 1474 in this letter calling on UCOP and systemwide leadership to immediately address the visa revocations we’re witnessing impact our international students and scholars. UC Davis is home to 9,000 students/scholars made vulnerable by these revocations; we will continue our push, and we invite you to sign on to our public letter to do the same.
- On April 8, the Davis Faculty Association joined CUCFA and 30 faculty associations nationwide in an amici curae brief supporting a preliminary injunction sought by AAUP against the Trump administration. AAUP v. Rubio seeks to halt the ideologically-targeted deportations of students nationally. Our amici curae brief draws on the experiences of our faculty arguing that the Trump Administration’s ideological deportation policies profoundly harm our universities by endangering scholarly research, impeding our core educational mission, and policing campus activities related to speech and expression. We are proud to support AAUP’s work on this front and will give updates as the motion proceeds through the court.
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These are perilous times, and we all must act to protect the public university if we are to keep it. If you have ideas, events, or concerns you would like addressed, the Davis Faculty Association is your partner and ally. We will provide updates as we receive them. Thank you, and see you April 17!
The DFA Board
p.s. Have you joined the DFA yet? You can do so here: https://ucdfa.org/join/
