Dear Editor,

As educators, advisors and outreach professionals who work off campus in historically marginalized communities, TRIO Outreach Programs is sending this open letter in solidarity with the Black Student Union and others who are expressing their frustrations, and are asking for immediate action. An outrageously racist party took place, UCSD students were involved and we expect those students to be held accountable for their gross violations. We also acknowledge that there is a larger systemic problem with the campus climate at UCSD that has to be addressed, as expressed in a recent statement from Dr. Jorge Mariscal and Dr. Patrick Velasquez.

With respect, we think the campus should take the following measures to continue to address this larger issue of continued hostility toward communities of color:

Budget decisions — Programs that serve underrepresented students should be given consideration to the value that they add to the campus, and these programs need to be considered as part of the larger goal of promoting diversity.

Admissions policies — The recent WASC recommendations included efforts to implement a holistic approach for UCSD, and we encourage the university to take steps in this critical aspect of looking at what types of students’ comprehensive life experiences the campus values.

Develop a major for African American and Chicana/o Studies — Majors and minors which promote interdisciplinary research and study in fields such as African American Studies and Chicana/o Studies will make significant progress toward demonstrating the university’s priority in the attraction of and retention of historically underrepresented communities.

Student initiated programs — Every effort needs to be taken to develop, support and maintain the recently developed Student Promoted Access Center for Education and Service.

Create a social justice and community building taskforce — The university should provide a comprehensive space so that a variety of people from various units, departments and expertise can contribute to taking concrete steps to address the need to build and sustain social justice and community building efforts at UCSD. These efforts could focus on the critical needs of historically underrepresented populations.

It is imperative that we send a strong message to those communities that have been historically excluded from higher education that this is their campus, too.

— Carri Fierro

Director, UCSD TRIO

Outreach Programs