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' Jtr' 26 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL RESOLUTION 0108 February 12, 1987 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDENT UNION Sponsored by: Tri- Executives Representatives-at-Large Authored by: Administrative Assistant David Aragon Patrice Hauptman John Roberts John Ramos Jeff Stephens Jessica Fowler Guerin Green A RESOLUTION WHEREAS: The Landlord-Tenant Protection Act, currently in the Congressional Drafting Office, is a bill which will provide legal remedies to problems which arise between landlord and tenant; and, WHEREAS: Colorado is one of the few states in the nation which still rely on antiquated rental property law based on centuries old feudal relationships; and, WHEREAS: The proposed legislation, sponsored by Republican Senator HopperGolden and Representative Allison-Edgewater, would bring Colorado up to the standards of 43 of the 50 states; and, WHEREAS: Specifics of the bill include minimum health and safety stanbdards, methodology of recovery for both landlord and tenant as well as clarification with regard to issue of access; and, WHEREAS: This legislation ls of particular interest to students, as a great number live in rental property; and, WHEREAS: The welfare of tenant-student stands to be improved and protected by the enactment of this bill; and, WHEREAS: Similar legislation has been introduced over the last twenty years but has failed repeatedly, as those with the most to gain have not provided suppport, support absent due to ignorance and lack of organization; and, WHEREAS: It is high time that Colorado law emerged from the dark ages, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Executive Council of the University of Colorado Student Union, THAT: SECTION 1: UCSU recognizes the inherent value in legislative protection of both landlords and tenants. SECTION 2: UCSU recognizes that the interests of those involved in rental arrangements are equitably served by the proposed legislation. .,. ,., 26 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL RESOLUTION 8108- Page 2 SECTION 3: UCSU resolves to support the Landlord-Tenant Protection Act and to act to further its enactment. SECTION 4: This legislation takes effect upon passage. iTf2/87- PASSES- EXECUTIVE COUNCIL- ACCLAMATION LJkkn c. -?n//~ Dean Miller President Pro-Tempore Executive Council W/J~r UCSU Executive •' VI - " F""'V'V< - ~ .. -"' Att. - 26 EtR 107 The recent Sigma Chi incident has served as a catalyst in drawing attention to a long series of grossly racist and sexist incidents at the University of Colorado's Boulder campus. Sadly, these incidents have invariably been marked by a lack of tangible response on the part of the institution's responsible administrators. This points directly to a less spectacular, but far more pervasive context of institutional _racism and sexism ' underlying particular transgressions by-groups such a·s Sigma Chi. Among the indicators of the context at issue are the absurdly low numbers of ethnic minority faculty who have been allowed to teach on this campus, almost equally low numbers of ethnic minority professional staff, the barren nature of curriculum in terms of minority and women's content, the erosion of even those limited gains which were achieved in the '70s in areas such as Black Studies, Chicano Studies, Asian Studies, and Women's Studies, the absence of American Indian Studies altogether, the naming of campus buildings after notorious racist murderers, and the general relegation of women an minorities to second class status (at best). Beginning at least as early as 1969, the institution began to offer official pronouncements concerning its intent and commitment to change virtually all of the above circumstances. Today, nearly twenty years later, the results of the ambiguity of such statements are clear for all to see. A far more tangible agenda is obviously necessary if things are ever to change, and "business as usual" is simply no longer good enough in this regard. DRAFT The Black Student Alliance and endorsing organizations therefore call upon the higher administrative organs of the University of Colorado/Boulder to respond to the following within 30 days. 1) Regent Hugh Fowler is called upon to clarigy his recent statement that Black students at CU would benefit more from an additional day of study than from obv~erevance of the Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday. Specific~lly: o Insofar as Dr. King is revered figure for all Americans, why was this remark focused directly upon Black Americans? o was the intent of this remark to indicate that Black students are somehow more in need of "study time" than students of other ethnic groups? If so, how was this conclusion based? o If the above was not the intent of the Fowler statement, and the implication is that all sutdents would benefit from additional study time on national holidays, would Regent Fowler also endorse the holding of classes on Christmas, New Years Day, and Thanksgivinng? 2) The Board of Regents is called upon to clarify whether it feels it appropriate that a dormitory on the Boulder campus be named in honor of Frederick Nichols, an individual who is known to have participated as a commander in the mass murder of Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians at Sand Creek, Colorado in 1864. If so, the following must be clarified as well: o How the Board of Regents sees it possible that the institution can ever hope to effect a non-racist environment, given the Regents' own insistence in engaging in such a blatantly racist expression. o Why any American Indian student would wish to dignify the Boulder campus with his/her presence. If, on the other hand, the Regents determine that the present designation of a memorial to Fred Nichols is inappropriate, they are asked to clarify whether they would feel it appropriate that Nichols Hall be renamed in honor of a former Black Regent (e.g. :Ruth Cave Flowers or Rachel Knoel). If not, why not? 3) President Gee, Chancellor Corbridge and Vice Chancellor Howe must undertake, as an immediate priority, the formulation of University Policy Guidelines designed to prohibit racially/ sexually derogatory material and actions on campus; these Page 2 must include appropriate penalties to be incurred by violators. These policies are to be directed at the university community as a whole, rather than merely at the Inter-Fraternity council and/or student body. 4) President Gee, Chancellor Corbridge and Vice Chancellor Howe must take a lead role in making available to the entire university community an ongoing series of workshops on minority issues (i.e.: racial and sexual discrimination and their social effects). We suggest the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor should rely heavily upon CUOP staff in making such work-shops available, now and i~ the future. 5) President Gee and Chancellor Corbridge must utilize their offices to facilitate a requirement that all students at the University of Colorado/Boulder shall take not less than 3 credit hours each in Women's Studies and Ethnic Studies courses. To this end, the President and Chancellor should take immediate steps to stop the erosion of Women's Studies, Chicano Studies, Black Studies and Asian Studies on this campus, acting instead to reinforce and inhance these programs. Further, the President and Chancellor should take steps to establish a viable American Indian Studies Program here by next year. we suggest that urgent priority institutional support to the proposed AMERICAS Program would be a fruitful avenue to be pursued with regard to Ethnic Studies. 6) President Gee, Chancellor Corbridge and Vice Chancellor Howe must undertake immediate and and energetic steps to insure improved recruitment of students of all ethnic minority groups to this campus. In this regard, statements of "institutional commitment and good intentions" are no longer in themselves sufficient. We wish to see, before the end of March (1987), a draft institutional plan specifying institutional goals in relation to each minority group, timelines by which these goals are to be achieved, and an itemized estimation of the resources (e.g.: numbers of staff, dollars, etc.) being allocated toward accomplishing this agenda. 7) President Gee and Chancellor Corbridge must use their offices to facilitate a program designed to insure improvement in the representation of ethnic minority staff on this campus. Again, we wish to see a draft plan of what the institution's goals are in this regard, a timeline as to when these goals are to be achieved, and an estimation of the sorts of resources which are being committed in this regard. 8) Presi4ent Gee and Chancellor Corbridge must use their offices to insure the immediate initiation of a full-scale drive to bring representative numbers of ethnic minority faculty to this campus. We understand achieving this objective has been an "institutional commitment" since at least as early Page 3 as "The Volsky Report" in 1969. Given that nearly two decades have elapsed since then, and the Boulder campus posture in this regard remains dismal (to say the least), it is clear that more than rhetoric is required to accomplish change. Hence, we once again wish to see a draft plan, by the end of March, outlining the institution's tangible goals in this connection, timelines by which we may expect to see these goals met, and ways and means by which the institution proposes to correct its problem. Of particular interest on this point -will be an articulation of how the institution proposes to after the system of "standards"~ "qualifications", and understandings of "academic excellence" by which it has historically allowed committees of individuals trained in "white studies" to pass judgement upon the "suitability" of candidates grounded in ethnic studies disciplines. This, more than any other factor, seems to have served as a barrier preventing adequate and appropriate minority faculty presence on this campus. 9} President Gee and Chancellor Corbridge must use their offices to facilitate immediate planning toward the end of incorporating ethnic minority and women's content, as well as appropriately respectful attitudes concerning ethnic minorities and women into all areas of the institution's curriculum. This plan must include the articulation of steps by which present departmental resistence to such undertakings may be eliminated. In the latter regard, we require immediate clarification of two long-standing issues: o The status of a proposal submitted to Vice Chancellor Howe during spring semester 1986 by susan Smith, et al. This proposal, which outlined a program of visiting minority faculty members and guest lecturers for purposes of stimulating minority content on campus, was "warmly received" at the time it was submitted. Since that time, the proposal seems to have "died on the vine", or to have at least been "deprioritized." o The status of a committee within the School of Journalism promised in the wake of the Campus Press racial slur incident during spring semester 1986. The purpose of this committee was supposedly to develop policy and other ways and means (including curriculum} by which to correct the situation which caused this incident to occur. A Black student, Marcella Seal, was supposedly_ appointed to this committee on the spot, and a CUOP director, Ward .G.h u r c h i 11 , off e r e d t o s e r v e on i t . Ap pare n t 1 y , the promised committee was never formed, despite assurance at the time from the present J-School dean, JoAnne Arnold, that it would be. At any event, neither Ms. Seal or Mr. Churchill have yet been contacted. -. Page 4 10) Chancellor Corbridge and Vice Chancellor Howe must capitalize upon the excellent beginning which was made this year in e s t a b 1 i s h i n g t h e Den n i s Sma 11 Th i r d ~v or 1 d c e n t e r ( Ur1 C 3 0 5 ) . We wish to receive indication of the institution's intentions regarding this facility within 30 days. We are specifically interested in learning whether plans exist by which the Center may be allocated at least one full-time staff position, increased funding for programing, and a basic operational budget (ie: telephone, office and AV equipment, etc.). This document is submitted in a spirit recognizing mutual need. The minority ari~ female students of the University of Colorado/ Boulder need (and have a right to expect) first-class service from the institution. On the other hand, we believe the institution truly needs us in order to be a first-class institution. In this spirit, we offer our services and pledge our every cooperation in accomplishin9 the very serious agenda outlined above.