Editor:

Your Oct. 7 editorial entitled “Many are blameworthy in co-op controversy” contains a number of factual errors.

The Memorandum of Understanding is not a sublease. Associated Students and the Graduate Student Association do have separate subspace agreements with each of the four co-ops; but the Memorandum of Understanding is the overarching contract between UCSD, Associated Students, Graduate Student Association and the co-ops that imposes numerous obligations on the parties, including the obligation (in paragraph IX) to enter into the Master Space Agreement and subspace agreements.

The subspace agreements are renewed annually when the Associated Students and Graduate Student Association vote to continue oversight of the co-ops, which was done earlier last year, routinely, as in previous years. It is ludicrous to call this action premature; failing to take it would have meant termination of all the agreements, which would certainly have been even worse for the co-ops.

In addition, the Association Students and Graduate Student Association never “found themselves leasing space that they no longer controlled.” Both councils expressed clearly their intention to renew the Master Space Agreement, which is their right under paragraph IX of the Memorandum of Understanding: “The A.S. and GSA may grant two-year renewal options for the Master Space Agreement.”

What campus administrators have asserted is that the Associated Students and the Graduate Student Association’s renewal of the Master Space Agreement is invalid without administrators’ approval, and that the Master Space Agreement entered a month-to-month hold-over status as of April 29, 2004, which is subject to termination upon 30 days’ notice. That 30-day notice was given to Associated Students and the Graduate Student Association by Director of Student Policies and Judicial Affairs Nick S. Aguilar in a letter dated Aug. 23, 2004.

Let us be clear: A.S. and GSA have taken every reasonable step to reach a mutual agreement for the co-op spaces, including attending numerous meetings over the summer. They can hardly be blamed for the current state of affairs.

— Dana Dahlstrom

Graduate Student Association representative,

Co-op Oversight Committee