April 27, 2006
TO THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY
Dear Colleagues:
As you may know, the City of Santa Barbara has designated the week of May 1 as a period of “reconciliation, dialogue, and action” regarding the role of immigrants in our society. In response to the City’s proclamation, we invite the University community to come together in special sessions (including lectures, workshops, and moderated discussions) on important subjects that relate to the theme of “immigration in the United States.”
Already, a number of faculty, staff, and students have submitted ideas for activities during the first week of May, ranging from talks to films to panel discussions. We are committed to accommodating such proposals and have appointed a working group to help facilitate programming and other activities throughout the week. A schedule of campus and community activities has been posted at http://aad.english.ucsb.edu/events.html. Information will also be available shortly on UCSB’s main Web site, http://www.ucsb.edu. You are advised to check this schedule periodically in case there are any last-minute changes. Flyers will be posted on campus as well. Instructors may also find an opportunity to discuss related issues within the context of their course offerings. Finally, we note that the working group is gathering the names of faculty, staff, and students who wish to volunteer to lead discussions regarding immigration in the local community. Should this be of interest to you, or should you wish to communicate with the working group about related matters, please contact Theresa Peña at 893-5315 (or via e-mail at Theresa.Peña@chicano.ucsb.edu).
The University has a unique opportunity at this juncture to engage an important inquiry being undertaken by the larger community. As always, we believe that the University can provide a model for advancing knowledge and facilitating the free and open exchange of ideas. In addition, we believe that our campus community can learn from the events and dialogues that will be held throughout Santa Barbara during the first week of May.
Sincerely,
Henry T. Yang
Chancellor
Gene Lucas
Executive Vice Chancellor
Michael Young
Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs
Walter Yuen
Chair, Academic Senate
Carl Gutiérrez-Jones
Director, Center for Chicano Studies
Immigration Debate Working Group
Co-Chair: Carl Gutiérrez-Jones, Professor, English
Co-Chair: Marisela Márquez, Director, Center for Faculty Outreach, Academic Senate
Carolyn Buford, Associate Dean of Students
Richard Duran, Professor, Gevirtz Graduate School of Education
María Herrera-Sobek, Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Academic Policy
Gene Lucas, Executive Vice Chancellor
Theresa Peña, Business Officer, Center for Chicano Studies
Leslie Sanchez, Employee & Labor Relations Manager, Human Resources
Bill Schiebler, Associated Students
Henry T. Yang, Chancellor
Michael Young, Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs
Walter Yuen, Chair, Academic Senate