The resolution criticized Katehi’s controversial behavior, including recent moonlighting activities and $175,000 spent to censor the 2011 UC Davis pepper-spray incident
On Thursday, April 28, ASUCD Senate voted in support of a resolution calling for the immediate resignation of Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi.
The vote, held in the Mee Room of the Memorial Union, occurred at 9:40 p.m. The senators present unanimously voted 10-0-2 to pass the resolution. ASUCD Senator Ricardo Martinez was absent and Senator Mikaela Tenner resigned from her post prior to the start of the meeting, resulting in two abstentions from the resolution.
Authored by Senator Joshua Dalavai, Senate Resolution (SR) #16 listed over 40 arguments for the chancellor’s resignation, including her recent moonlighting activities with DeVry University and Wiley & Sons publishing company, her use of $175,000 to censor the 2011 UC Davis pepper-spray incident from online Internet searches and recent issues of employment and compensation of members of the chancellor’s immediate family.
“Chancellor Katehi’s long history of physical and disciplinary aggression toward student political activity, irresponsible connection to and pecuniary interest in exploitative corporations and universities, and attempt to cleanse UC Davis’ history of her wrongdoing is wholly unbecoming of the Office of the Chancellor,” the resolution stated.
Prior to the vote, Harley Litzelman, former director of the Office of Advocacy and Student Representation and fourth-year history major who co-authored SR #16, presented the resolution to senate, explaining its importance.
“This resolution is about recognizing what [Chancellor Katehi] has come to represent: the all-consuming manipulation of the public good for the private interests,” Litzelman said. “This chancellor’s resignation is the first step, first small step to showing that we will not accept this.”
The resolution, which will act as ASUCD’s formal recommendation for Katehi to resign, was questioned by ASUCD President Alex Lee for its effectiveness.
“I think the resolution brings up good points, but I don’t know how effective it will be,” Lee said. “[The UC Office of the President] has probably already made up their mind on Katehi. Usually what happens is that they do a due process before they put someone on leave. They haven’t done this before — put someone on leave before investigating. They’ve reversed it, so that probably tells you already what Napolitano is thinking.”
Senator Parteek Singh shared why he voted to advocate for the chancellor’s resignation.
“I’ve been in support of [the Fire Katehi] movement since the day it began early on,” Singh said. “I came in to fully support the student protesters and all the work they’ve done and support this resolution and I do not want Chancellor Katehi to sit around for 90 days and take our tuition money. She needs to resign now.”
Written by: Ivan Valenzuela, Emma Sadlowski – campus@theaggie.org
