UC Santa Cruz Hunger Stike Ends

UC SANTA CRUZ HUNGER STRIKE ENDS
May 31st, 2009

• After nearly one week of hunger striking, the two dozen strikers from the Student of Color Collective (SOCC) have ended their strike partly due to health concerns as well as to allow students to retain themselves during the upcoming finals week. Students have vacated the base of campus and have re-located. This is due to the aforementioned reasons. The primary reason for ending the strike is the emerging progress in negotiations with administrators.

• The collective has been in negotiations with administrators since Tuesday and since then has successfully attained two of its demands. The collective has been working with administrators through negotiations and has seen progress in obtaining the rest of its demands since the beginning of the hunger strike on Tuesday.

• The collective has seen strong support within the last week from workers, students, faculty, and community members statewide. Supporters include:

• University of California, Berkeley Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Alumni Association
• University of California, Los Angeles Democratic Society
• Southern California Immigration Coalition

• The collective will escalate tactics if short-term demands are not met within the upcoming week.

• Student of Color Collective Demands

Short Term ( by the end of this quarter 09-10)

• Hire full-time American Indian Resource Center and Women’s Center directors with student voice in open hiring process
• Maintain academic integrity and current structure of Community Studies Dept. by keeping field study coordinators Mike Rotkin and Flor Marchetti and Department Manager Penny Stinson and not merging the department into Sociology.
• Retain both Latin American and Latino Studies professors Guillermo Delgado and Susan Jonas
• Makes UCSC a sanctuary campus for undocumented communities
• UCSC openly and publicly support the state and Federal DREAM Act
• Permanent funding for Ethnic- Year-End Ceremonies from college C.A.O.s and Provosts
• Resource Center representative as liaison between local tribes and UCSC in order to maintain respectable relationships with local tribes
• Support Family Student Housing in receiving equitable rent for next year 09-10 funding (no rent increase)
• Fair transparent negotiations with workers and unions to ensure equitable pay, working condition and representation
• No layoffs!
• No worker deportations by ICE
• Freeze on Budget Cuts over the summer, while students are not present

Long Term:

• Institutionalize scholarships and other resources for AB540 students
• Access and affordability to higher education for underrepresented communities- STOP STUDENT FEE HIKES!
• Outreach and retention of faculty and staff of color (including hiring a full-time Counseling & Psychological Services staff of color)
• Fill Asian American “specialist” position for American Studies
• Movement towards an Ethnic Studies Program
• Affordable and quality housing for under resourced immigrant students
• No cuts to Disability student resources
• No cuts to Rape Awareness Programs

Signed,

UCSC STUDENTS OF COLOR COLLECTIVE