January 17, 1996 Contact: Elizabeth Irwin (408/459-2495)

UCSC STUDENT RALLY SUPPORTING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION ENDS IN ARRESTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SANTA CRUZ, CA--Approximately 300 people, primarily UC Santa Cruz students, demonstrated this morning (January 17) at the entrances of the University of California, Santa Cruz, closing the campus to vehicles from 7:30 a.m. until 12 noon. At that time, fourteeen students who refused to disperse were arrested. Those students face university disciplinary action as well as the legal consequences of their arrests. Classes continued to be held on the 10,000-student campus.

Arrests were made by UC Santa Cruz police officers, assisted by other local law-enforcement agencies.

Last July, the Board of Regents of the University of California voted to eliminate affirmative action considerations in admissions and hiring. Since then, the UC Santa Cruz administration, along with many faculty, staff, and students, has intensified outreach efforts to increase the number of qualified UC applicants among underrepresented populations. A student rally on campus on October 12 highlighted campus support for affirmative action. The UC Santa Cruz Academic Senate and various student groups have voted to support affirmative action and have requested that the Regents rescind their action.

The Regents are meeting Thursday and Friday in San Francisco. On their agenda is a request for reconsideration of their affirmative action decisions of last July.

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