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At ucsc.edu: Read Alison Galloway’s advisory and learn more about resources available to the campus community. [Link]

Story updated on 01/13/2011 at 12:53am

Graffiti threatening violence, found in a campus bathroom, has prompted an investigation by the UC Santa Cruz administration and police. The graffiti was discovered in early December, before students left for winter break.

Administrators issued an email advisory to the campus community Jan. 11 alerting students and faculty of the discovery of the graffiti, and asking them to be alert for suspicious behavior. Recipients were warned that the message threatened violence on Jan. 18. Exact details were not included.

UCSC director of public information Jim Burns said the administration has no plans to release further details.

Sam*, a UCSC student who lives on campus, was informed about the graffiti by a UCSC staff member on Jan. 6. Though he was asked not to share the details of the threat, Sam has since told “quite a few people,” he said.

Burns confirmed that “members of the campus’ senior leadership team were among the people informed,” before the e-mail advisory was sent out.

In an interview conducted prior to the release of the official alert, Sam said that though he understands the university’s position, he was concerned for students’ safety. He decided to alert his peers of the threat as they had not yet been informed by the university.

“I don’t want to interfere with any investigation, but this is too important,” Sam said. “Of course, it is in the administration’s best interest [not to tell], but I don’t think the university’s best interest and the students’ best interest align in this case. I think the best thing is to tell people.”

He said a university staff member informed him about the threat and included details not disclosed in the advisory e-mail. Sam said, in the message, discovered in a men’s bathroom on the first floor of the Social Sciences 2 building, the individual threatened to harm a finite number of students before hurting themselves.

Burns and executive vice chancellor Alison Galloway declined to comment on specific details of the message beyond what was included in the advisory e-mail.

The graffiti message was removed shortly after its discovery. Jim Durning, supervisor of the UCSC Paint/Sign Shop, said that after threatening graffiti is reported, protocol requires police officers take a picture of the message and members of Durning’s staff are called in to remove it. Durning confirmed that a member of his staff did paint over the message after they were called to do so.

When it was discovered, certain aspects of the message were detailed enough to warrant the administration’s concern, Galloway said.

“The information we had, had enough specificity in it that we were concerned and thought we should take it seriously,” Galloway said. “That doesn’t mean that it is a legitimate threat — it could be a number of things. But we felt we had to treat it as if it was a serious concern. So we’ve been trying to … reach out to find out who this individual will be and if we can offer some help, offer some intervention.”

UCSC interim police chief Ava Snyder said that an investigation has been ongoing since the graffiti was discovered by a student Dec. 2. Though the FBI was contacted for consultation, it is not investigating the incident.
While the UCSC Police Department’s plans for next Tuesday cannot be revealed, Snyder said that supporting law enforcement agencies have been notified in case assistance is needed.

As of press time, the administration has no plans to close campus on Jan. 18, said Jim Burns, UCSC’s director of public information.

“We are planning for campus to be open,” he said.

Though the graffiti was discovered in early December, the administration did not send out an advisory until Jan. 11. Galloway said that in withholding the information, the administration hoped to avoid causing unwarranted panic.

“Obviously, the ideal for us would have been to have found the person already and not have to worry about exposing people to the stress of hearing this on our campus,” she said. “But we haven’t been able to do that, so we felt we really had an obligation to the campus community to let them know … that something could happen. And they should be prepared.”

~~~~~~

Additional reporting by Arianna Puopolo.
*Names have been changed.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Graffiti Writer Threatens Violence

In an effort to gain more support for higher education, students, teachers, workers and members of the Santa Cruz community came together today as one voice.

As a result of the action, some campus services were reduced, while others were made completely unavailable, including transportation and dining services.

Campus shuttles were not operational and all cafés and dining halls other than College Eight/Oakes and College Nine/Ten remained closed throughout the day.

Felicia McGinty, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, sent a mid-day email to students addressing the situation.

“We understand these disruptions are inconvenient and frustrating,” the email said.

Jim Burns, a UCSC spokesman, commented on protestors actions that shut down campus.

“We salute people who want to call attention to the issue … we just don’t believe students should be deprived the right to attend classes if they wish to or need to,” Burns said.

Students arrived at the base of campus as early as 5 a.m. this morning and then began moving to other entrances to block access to the campus.

Graduate student Adam Hefty showed up with a core group of protestors bright and early.

“I’ve been here since five this morning,” Hefty said. “It’s gone great thus far, we have people at several different entrances and have stopped business as usual around here.”

Hefty said that those who do not endorse the protests should look to reactions from state legislatures.

“Look at what state leaders are saying. Governor Schwarzenegger in his state of the state address proposed changes to the state budget and a constitutional amendment,” said Hefty. “We are having an impact and our voices are beginning to be heard.”

Literature professor Carla Freccero was among several professors in attendance.

“I work with the faculty organizing committee, and a lot have shown up today,” Freccero said. “We’re all involved in what’s going on with the budget crisis.”

Freccero, much like many of the teachers on campus, has had her pay cut and has had to see her students deal with these troubling times.

“I think when the students are affected, I am affected, I’ve gotten my pay cut, much like everyone else,” Freccero said. “What’s been bothering me now, for close to a decade is the privatization of the university; I’ve been here for almost 20 years and it’s just become more and more noticeable.”

Environmental studies and economics student Matthew Viponde arrived at the event at nine in the morning, and was excited to see how the rest of the day went.

“Hopefully more and more people will show up throughout the day, the more speakers the better, it mobilizes the crowd and energizes the people,” Viponde said.

“I think it’s really important to show everyone across Santa Cruz, across the county, the state and the country that student activism is not dead.”

Viponde empathizes for all students who are feeling the squeeze from recent fee increases and budget cuts.

“I’m an autonomous student, and I make so little money that I get financial aid for school,” Viponde said. “I’m more concerned with middle class families, it’s a difficult time to be a student here … I just hope that this day becomes a turning point for people’s access to quality education at the public level.”

Jennifer Cain contributed to this report.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Protestors Shut Down Campus

SANTA CRUZ, CA – Both entrances to the UC Santa Cruz campus have been blocked by protesters, causing traffic delays for those both entering and leaving the campus.

The protests are in response to a student fee increase being voted on by the UC Regents today and tomorrow. Should the measure pass tomorrow, student fees would rise 15% effective Winter Quarter 2010.

Persons traveling to and from campus should expect delays. Updated information will be available at http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/text.asp?pid=3383 and on cityonahillpress.com as this story develops.

UPDATE 3:22pm
Empire Grade is currently blocked due to traffic delays.

UPDATE 4:51pm
The Main Entrance to campus is now clear and traffic is moving in both directions. The West Entrance is still blocked.

UPDATE 5:40pm
Both entrances to campus are now clear and traffic is moving in both directions.

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Traffic Blocked at Both Campus Entrances

The proposal goes to a  final vote before the entire Board of Regents tomorrow.

“It’s probable, but it’s not over til its over,” said UC President Mark Yudof, on the chances of the fee increases passing tomorrow.

The fee item was passed without any students present. All spectators in the open session were forced to leave by UC police officers after numerous disruptions during the 20 minute public comment period and during the committee on finance’s deliberation. Fourteen students were arrested on two different occasions in the meeting preceding the committee vote.

The first fee increase, a system wide fee of $585 dollars for every undergraduate student,  will begin next quarter.  The second increase kicks in during the 2010-11 school year and will increase student fees $1,344 dollars per undergraduate. When all is said and done, student fees will be raised to $10,302 dollars, a 32.5 percent increase from current fees.

According to the regents, 33 percent of the revenue generated by both fee increases will go to financial aid.

“The result of budget cuts [from the state of California] is that we are recommending a mid-year fee increase,” said Patrick Lenz Vice President for budget, in a presentation to the regents.

The State of California, experiencing its worst fiscal crisis in years, ­­cut $637.1 million in allocations to the UC, leaving it with $2.6 billion for the 2009-10 fiscal year, twenty percent less of what it used to receive in state funding.

In a speech addressed to a regent, UC President Yudof said, “ I think we are doing it in a way that makes sense… it will end the furlough plan and extend library hours.”

Without the fee increases the UC will fall short $792 million dollars in its budget.

Along with the fee increase, the regents will request that the California state legislature provide UC with $913 million dollars for the next fiscal year. Even if the  state legislature responds positively to this request UC, will still face a $144 million dollar gap.

“We have to fix this,” said John Plotts, the Assistant Vice President of Finance. “Or we have no future.”

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Regent Committee Passes Fee Increase Measure; Full Board Vote Tomorrow

Now, SSC fans can breathe a sigh of relief, as UCSC announced today they’ll be sticking around to produce a season in 2010, thanks to cutbacks within the organization, ticket sales that came close to meeting SSC’s goals, and the pool of contributions the organization collected in December 2008. The announcement was made during a conference call by Arts Division Dean David Yager and SSC’s Artistic Director, Marco Barricelli.

More details about the announcement are in the official UCSC press release. Be sure to check back with City on a Hill Press for more information as this story develops.

(In other news… SSC’s got a show this Friday and Saturday…)

{Related Links}
Shakespeare Santa Cruz Reaches its Financial Goal, Secures Funding for 2009 Season [CHP]
UC Santa Cruz announces Shakespeare Santa Cruz will continue in 2010 with 29th season [UCSC News/Events]

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at BREAKING: Shakespeare Santa Cruz Survives, Will Produce 2010 Season

---- (C) 2011 City on a Hill Press. All Rights Reserved. View online at Developing Stories