Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance John Wilton sent the following message to faculty and staff today (Monday, Dec. 8):
Dear Campus Community,
In the context of recent, and perhaps continuing, off-campus protests, one of our primary concerns is the campus community’s safety. In this message, we want to provide you with updated information and guidance in the event the unrest persists.
The University of California Police Department (UCPD) received notice that demonstrators plan to hold another rally today, which will begin on or very close to campus, around 5 p.m. Given the impact that this may have on surrounding streets, we are recommending that employees leave campus between 4-4:30 p.m. so they can, if they so desire, avoid having their commute impacted by the demonstration.
Managers are authorized to grant employees administrative leave where appropriate, which may need to be manually entered and approved in CalTime. Managers should also be aware that employees coming to campus early this evening may need similar commuting accommodations. Please note that this only applies to individuals who work in offices on or near the Berkeley campus. Employees at remote sites, such as Campus Shared Services or the Berkeley Global Campus at Richmond Bay are not affected. In those cases, closing offices is at the discretion of the manager and may not be necessary. If you have questions regarding where you should report for work this evening, please contact your supervisor.
Given that these demonstrations are being held off-campus, we hope that they will continue to have minimal impact on campus activity, particularly as students prepare for exams. Thus, we hope to be operating normally tomorrow. However, given the different groups involved and their lack of recognizable leadership to engage with, there is an unavoidable degree of uncertainty. We will continue to monitor the situation as it develops and communicate information as quickly as we can.
As Chancellor Dirks said in his statement yesterday, we understand that there are many in our community, and across the country, who are deeply distressed about recent decisions in New York and Ferguson, and we fully support their right to have their voices heard. We hope that the anger expressed over the weekend will be channeled into constructive, non-violent action and advocacy that can advance the ongoing fight for justice and equity in our nation.
By working together and engaging in a constructive debate on these important issues, we can foster an environment in which all members of our campus community feel safe and have their voices heard.
Sincerely,
John Wilton
Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance