From the 1968 North Hall Takeover to activism in the ‘90s that led to the construction of the Student Resource Building, UC Santa Barbara has a long-standing history as a site of demonstration. University administrators are tasked with balancing free speech and fostering safe educational environments. The 2023-24 school year proved to be another contentious period for the university due to student response to the continued siege of the Gaza Strip by the state of Israel following an Oct. 7 attack on Israel by militant group Hamas.
Rules regarding protests have been revised over the summer after the previous year’s events. Maddy Fangio / Daily Nexus
In particular, UCSB witnessed the suspension of the MultiCultural Center (MCC) over pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist signage posted by students, friction within Associated Students (A.S.), a graduate student union strike following the treatment of fellow union workers at UC encampments and the longest-lasting, last-standing pro-Palestine encampment across the UC system.
In light of these events, the Nexus sent out a Google Form via an Instagram story to survey students on campus climate and hopes for the next academic year. The form received 57 responses along with two subsequent interviews with willing participants.
61.5% of participants agreed with the statement, “Overall, I feel comfortable with the campus climate for diversity and inclusion at this university.” The 2022 University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES) found a similar response with 83% of UCSB survey-goers agreeing with the statement.
The majority of participants disagree that the university values students’ opinions, which contrasts with the 2022 UCUES’s findings.
77.2% of respondents disagree with the statement, “The university values students’ opinions.” In comparison, the 2022 UCUES found that 70% agree with the statement.
“At a lot of points, [Senate meetings] were super polarized, super tense. So I can only imagine what a student who doesn’t have a lot of my identity qualities, a lot of my experience [and] didn’t have my position, how they would feel trying to make their voice heard,” UCSB alumnus and former Off-Campus Senator Jeffrey Adler said.
63.2% agree with the statement, “Students of my political belief are respected on campus.” The 2022 UCUES found that 90% of participants agreed.
35.1% of respondents reported that they often gained a deeper understanding of other perspectives through interactions with fellow students who differed from them. On a length of attributes ranging from gender to social class, UCUES participants disclosed that they also often gained a deeper understanding.
“I did attend a couple of info sessions [on the history of diaspora and human geography of both European Jews and Palestinians] and I did learn a lot from those and because I actually sat through it and I tried my best to learn the situation in a nuanced way, I feel confident in my opinion,” fourth-year English major Adam Griffin said.
75.4% disclosed that the University’s handling of the pro-Palestine encampment was very poor. After several weeks of minimal progress on the encampment’s negotiations, it was disbanded by police officers on June 23. University administration sent the encampment an ultimatum two days prior, stating the group needed to decamp and create a contingency plan or face a forced decampment. After unsuccessful attempts at settlements, police announced a dispersal order.
“I feel like they took advantage of the fact that most of the student body isn’t going to be present over the summer. That’s when they decided to take a little bit more of a proactive approach to the encampment,” Griffin said.
Chancellor Henry T. Yang stated the encampment was “unauthorized” in an email sent out the day after its establishment.
“We must ensure campus safety, and respect the right of everyone on campus to feel safe. Those violating laws and codes of conduct in unsanctioned, illegal, and disruptive activities, whether non-affiliates or members of our campus community, are subject to legal and disciplinary action,” the May 2 email read.
61.4% disagree with the statement, “I feel safe protesting on campus.” Most recently, UC President Michael Drake released a statement on previously established bans on encampments, masking to conceal identity and requiring students to self-identify when requested by university personnel.
The statement also announced the launch of a UC campus initiative to develop campus climate action plans that will be implemented in the upcoming fall quarter.
59.7% answered yes to the statement, “Do you feel like you will face probationary consequences from the University for protesting or conveying your views?” Several demonstrations were held throughout the year, including a die-in — a demonstration in which participants emulate being deceased — and various walkouts with some pushback but minimal formal consequences.
In the case of the encampment, five people were arrested and later released. Students across the UCs faced varying repercussions.
While several of the respondents feel the campus response to protest has been inadequate, nearly all of them want to help make the campus a safer place. 98.3% agree with the statement, “I would like to contribute toward fostering a safe campus environment.”
“Being a leader is more about listening than talking, you know, that’s what I think. So as far as who it relies on, of course, Associated Students is kind of leading that conversation. That’s where we air our discussions,” Adler said. “I wish students would wake up and realize how precarious your rights are.”
Opinions on whether campus climate will improve are fairly varied although the majority believe that it will.
73.3% agree with the statement, “I believe campus climate during the upcoming year will improve.” It remains to be seen whether campus climate will change. Increased prominence of highly debated topics, such as the upcoming U.S. presidential election and implementation of new A.S. legislation such as the ethical spending bill, will offer additional avenues for related discourse in the upcoming 2024-25 school year.
