UCSB’s academic standards are some of the most outrageous in the country, according to the Collegiate Network.

In this year’s Campus Outrage Awards, released April 1 by the Collegiate Network, UCSB tied for first place with Yale University as the most outrageous university in the country. The university received the award in response to the October 2003 MultiCultural Center event “F*$%ing with Stereotypes,” a discussion led by senior Chicano Studies major Alejandro Juarez as an extension of his senior thesis, titled “Gay Men of Color in Porn.”

Collegiate Network is a national organization that provides financial and technical assistance to conservative sources of media on college campuses. Publications that are members of the Collegiate Network on each campus nominate their respective university for the award. Executive members within the organization then decide on winners. Results are posted on the Collegiate Network website.

Juarez’ work explored depictions of homosexual men of color in pornographic film, as well as the effects these stereotypes have on male homosexual relationships. Juarez presented to an audience of roughly 100 at the MultiCultural Center on Oct. 27 as part of the MCC’s quarter-long “Race Matters” series.

“It was a very scholarly presentation of the topic… He made a presentation about how stereotypes people have of gay men of color affect relationships between men of color,” MCC director Zaveeni Khan-Marcus said.

In the weeks leading up to and including Juarez’s MCC program, members of more conservative organizations on campus, including the Campus Republicans and the Gaucho Free Press, a member publication of the Collegiate Network, protested the MCC event. An online petition against the event itself was also created on the Gaucho Free Press homepage. Approximately 185 people have signed the petition to date.

“I didn’t want it to be funded by the university or by the MCC in particular, because the MCC is funded by student lock-in fees,” Nicholas Romero, editor of the Gaucho Free Press and creator of the petition, said. “I didn’t want that coming out of my pocket.”

Despite efforts to prevent the program, Juarez delivered the presentation. The event went off without incident, according to Khan-Marcus.

“The event was very calm – we created a forum for dialogue and discussion regarding the issues,” Khan-Marcus said. “The program was educational and increased awareness within the community.”

This year marks the seventh annual publishing of the awards, also known as the “Pollys,” which attempts to unearth and draw attention to “the most shocking examples of political correctness in higher education” throughout the academic year. The Collegiate Network claims excessive political correctness devalues the standards of academia within the system of higher education and is exemplified through Juarez’s thesis and presentation.

“What was astounding was the university’s administration and professors who were there and who had supported him throughout the process,” said Sarah Longwell, senior program officer for the Collegiate Network. “It’s their responsibility to hold students to higher academic standards. This presentation had little academic value. His research was mainly watching porn. It was not a legitimate scholarly project.”

Romero said he also questions the academic legitimacy of the project.

“Sexual indiscretions in academia and nuance studies of this kind are granted and given prominence here, but no one considers the merit of this in academia,” he said. “I certainly don’t feel proud to say I go to a university that grants degrees for work like this.”

Horacio N. Roque Ramirez, an associate professor of Chicano Studies who has worked with Juarez, said the study, though controversial, was valuable.

“I consider Alejandro brilliant and sharp. … His study was definitely valid, especially because he is a queer student of color trying to connect ideas of race and sexuality through his work,” Ramirez said. “These subjects often make people feel uncomfortable, specifically people not used to the idea of queer folks living a healthy lifestyle. It’s difficult to make friends when pushing these agendas at the same time.”

Both opponents and supporters of Juarez’ work said they think the award will have positive effects.

“We hope these awards will indicate to others the overall decline of academic standards which is part of a growing trend on campuses, which is really illustrated by these events,” Longwell said.

Romero said the award would show the public where their tax money was going.

“Hopefully this will draw attention to the university and programs such as these, making parents and kids more aware and informed of the events occurring on campus,” he said. “The university, as a business, might then feel some market pressure to change.”

Ramirez said he hopes the award provokes discussion about race and queer issues.

“It’s oddly good in that we get to talk about it, and hopefully make people think critically about these issues – it’s not completely horrible,” Ramirez said.

Juarez was unavailable for comment at the time of publication Tuesday night.