UCI’s Associated Graduate Students (AGS) proposes legislation that, if passed, will lead AGS to formally adopt a no-confidence stance towards UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman. AGS representatives will vote on the proposed legislation, Resolution 24-34: Vote of No Confidence in UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman, during the AGS bi-weekly council meeting at 5:30 p.m. on June 4.
The proposed legislation states that Chancellor Gillman and UCI “repeatedly asserted information about the protest that was inaccurate,” regarding UCI’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment, launched on April 29.
On May 8, interim student suspensions were issued to multiple protesters inside the encampment, with additional suspensions issued in the days that followed. Resolution 24-34 addressed the disciplinary action.
“The actions of the students issued interim suspensions the week of May 3, 2024 did not appear to AGS members observing the encampment to pose an imminent threat to the safety of others in the community,” the resolution reads.
The encampment was dismantled by law enforcement on May 15. Less than an hour prior to police presence, protesters announced that they planned to “reclaim the university” and expanded the encampment to the Physical Sciences Lecture Hall.
“After reviewing hours of live footage, speaking to witnesses, and observing law enforcement’s actions, AGS believes the law enforcement actions authorized by Chancellor Gillman on May 15, 2024 could have resulted in loss of life for AGS constituents,” the resolution reads. “AGS further believes the injuries and trauma experienced by AGS constituents on May 15, 2024 were a foreseeable consequence of Chancellor Gillman’s actions.”
Following the encampment’s deconstruction, Chancellor Gillman issued a campus-wide email on May 15 titled “Today’s Challenging Events.” In the statement, Gillman said he was prepared to allow the encampment to remain on campus prior to its expansion and that administrative action was in line with UC policy.
“My approach was consistent with the guidelines of UC’s Robinson/Edley Report, which urges the UC to exhaust all possible alternatives before resorting to police intervention,” the statement reads. “I was prepared to allow a peaceful encampment to exist on the campus without resorting to police intervention, even though the encampment violated our policies and the existence of the encampment was a matter of great distress to other members of our community.”
A majority vote is needed to pass Resolution 24-34 as the formal position of AGS.
Laiyla Santillan is the 2024 Editor in Chief. She can be reached at eic@newuniversity.org.
