IRVINE, Calif. — Members of the University of California Board of Regents on Thursday blasted a first draft of systemwide principles defining intolerance — saying it fails to address the problem of anti-Semitism on its campuses.
The regents spoke after hearing public comment from about two dozen people on the proposed “Statement of Principles Against Intolerance” at their meeting at UC Irvine. The board was expected to only discuss the proposal Thursday and not take action.
UC is the first statewide university to consider adopting such a declaration. It calls for its 10 campuses to be “free from acts and expressions of intolerance” and would prohibit “depicting or articulating a view of ethnic or racial groups as less ambitious, less hardworking or talented, or more threatening than other groups,” among other things.
The statement does not explicitly mention anti-Semitism.
Regent Norman Pattiz urged the body to take a real stand against the anti-Semitic incidents described by students and said that was the intent behind making such a declaration in the first place.
“To not recognize why this subject is even being brought up is to do a disservice to those who brought it up in the first place,” he said.
Several Jewish students urged the board to adopt the State Department’s definition of anti-Semitism, which includes demonizing Israel or denying the Jewish state’s right to exist.
