Various students and campus leaders reflect on the Principles of Community’s role on campus
By JESSICA YUNG — campus@theaggie.org
During the month of February, UC Davis celebrated the 35-year anniversary of the Principles of Community. Different campus units hosted various events pertaining to the values that the mantra promotes.
The Principles of Community are statements about the importance of community itself, the multiplicity of identities found at UC Davis and having a sense of belonging on campus, according to the UC Davis Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) website.
The website states the Principles of Community in full, describing a commitment to respect and the importance of being open-minded and accepting.
“We affirm the dignity inherent in all of us and we strive to maintain a climate of equity and justice demonstrated by respect for one another,” the website reads. “We acknowledge that our society carries within it historical and deep-rooted injustices and biases. Therefore, we endeavor to foster mutual understanding and respect among the many parts of our whole.”
The Principles of Community were created by a group of student activists within Student Housing in the late 1980s, according to the DEI website. The student activists desired and created a statement of values to ensure respect among diverse groups of community members.
In 1990, the student leaders created the Principles of Community, which the DEI website describes as one of the first statements to be adopted by a university.
“Their work culminated in the adoption of the Principles of Community in 1990, making UC Davis one of the first universities in the country to establish a campus wide statement of values addressing equity, access, diversity and mutual respect,” the website reads. “This initiative reflected the university’s longstanding belief that supporting diversity and inclusion is integral to academic excellence and community building.”
Mikael Villalobos, Ed.D, an alumnus that was involved with the creation of the Principles of Community and the associate vice chancellor for the Office of Campus and Community Relations in the Office for DEI, discussed the goal of the mantra.
“The Principles of Community are a call to let students know that they belong to the university,” Villalobos said. “It’s a core component of who we are as a university, and for many students, the pressures of finding their community can be immense, because […] a support system at the university setting is so important [and] very crucial in student success.”
Villalobos noted that the Principles of Community’s tenets inspire policies that are created by UC Davis as an institution.
“It’s important for us to recognize that the principles are also backed by policies that certainly help us navigate the university,” Villalobos said. “The principles have a great deal of impact if we use them as guidelines or as a framework.”
Varsha Gaddipati, fourth-year psychology major, said she thinks that most students abide by the principles, however, they are applied sporadically.
“There’s definitely students who just look them over and even some who couldn’t care less for them, but most students abide by them at least,” Gaddipati said. “While I don’t practice them explicitly, they align strongly with my beliefs about how to treat others in general.”
Villalobos stated that it’s the role of the university students, staff and community members to ensure that the Principles of Community are followed.
“I think asking ourselves: ‘What am I doing to ensure that someone feels that they belong here?’ [is important],” Villalobos said. “I certainly think about it, and it’s easier for me to think about it, because it is at the core of the work that I do. I do recognize that when it comes to ensuring that it is a living document, that we do take ownership in terms of what it means for us to be a part of this community.”
A second-year English major, who wishes to remain anonymous, noted that the student body largely follows the Principles of Community in their opinion.
“I believe that the student body does follow them, regardless of whether or not they understand the school’s specific principles,” the student said. “The social clubs I am a part of like the [Transgender and Non-Conforming club] (TGNC), [Aromantic and/or sexual spectrum club] (ASPEC), [Asian & Pacific Islander Queers] (APIQ), etc. have helped me connect with other people and given me a sense of community.”
Gaddipati stated that while the principles contain good ideals, their usage can be seen as performative.
“They definitely serve as a useful reminder of the expectations of us as students, but I don’t see them as widely addressed and reviewed as they should be,” Gaddipati said. “It’s a good idea but sometimes seems to be applied sporadically [or] unevenly, which can make it appear performative.”
The anonymous student reiterated Gaddipati’s statement on the Principles of Community being seen as more surface level.
“Last year, I felt they were performative,” the student said. “When some evangelists came on campus and screamed at anyone in the [Memorial Union] that we were all going to hell, I felt very unsafe. I felt like the school didn’t care about our safety.”
Villalobos stated that his desire for students is to be engaged with the Principles of Community and to thrive while using these principles to guide them.
“I want to make sure that students find ways to engage in the important conversations that we have and we will continue to have, as to ensure that our university is going to be a place where everyone will thrive,” Villalobos said. “There are ways for them to get engaged as part of their classroom experiences. There are also ways for them to engage in co-curricular ways. We have a lot of different programs that certainly would facilitate that kind of engagement.”
Written by: Jessica Yung— campus@theaggie.org
