[Microplantpath_faculty] Fwd: Stand Up for Our Core Values

[Isgouhi Kaloshian]

Dear Colleagues,

I am reaching out to request your consideration in signing a statement that has been prepared by a group of UC faculty, seeking endorsement from the wider UC faculty community. The statement can be accessed through the link below.

https://forms.gle/XzxaBH6NSPfrFN84A

Numerous faculty have already signed in support of this statement. We need thousands more if this is going to make a difference. Please consider signing and sending Numerous faculty members have already signed in support of this statement, but we need thousands more if it is to make a meaningful impact. Please consider signing and sharing it with colleagues at UCR and across other UC campuses. However, we ask that you refrain from sharing it with anyone outside the UC faculty. This initiative is led by faculty, exercising our academic freedom to speak out as educators, not as representatives of the administration.

The request to keep this confidential is to prevent the letter from being leaked to the press. A letter without strong endorsement would likely have little impact, or could even have a negative effect. 

Please note that you may sign as "Anonymous" instead of using your name.
Thank you to those who have already signed. For those who have not yet done so, we kindly encourage you to consider endorsing this statement.

Best regards,

Isgouhi

Isgouhi Kaloshian (she/her/hers)
Professor
Department of Nematology
Institute for Integrative Genome Biology
University of California
Riverside, CA 92521



> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: Walter Leal <wsleal at ucdavis.edu>
> Subject: Stand Up for Our Core Values
> Date: April 5, 2025 at 11:34:51 AM PDT
> To: Walter Leal <wsleal at ucdavis.edu>
> 
> Dear UC Colleagues,
> In a campus speech yesterday, President Obama urged universities to resist <https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/us/politics/obama-trump-college-speech.html> federal government attacks that undermine academic freedom. We at UC have been striving to do just that.
> Apologies if you receive this note in duplicate. 
> On Monday, we submitted a petition to the Academic Senate, requesting that a resolution be placed on the Senate floor for debate and a vote. However, yesterday, the Senate informed us that the Council had declined to include the proposed resolution in the agenda for the upcoming Assembly meeting on April 23.
> While there is room for discussion regarding the Council's authority to decline the petition, and acknowledging that time is of the essence, we are proceeding with a public statement in our individual capacities (not representing the university).
> I kindly ask that you share the following link with other UC faculty members. However, please don't share it with anyone outside the UC faculty circle until the embargo is lifted on Friday, April 12, at noon. By then, the Academic Senate may release its proposed statement, and we will decide on the best course of action. 
> https://forms.gle/XzxaBH6NSPfrFN84A
> Let’s stand together in defense of our core values.
> Walter Leal
> 
> Walter S. Leal, Ph.D., FRES (Hon), FNAI
> Distinguished Professor, MCB, UC Davis

> Phone: 530-752-7755

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