Letter from Chancellor Katehi to #UCDavis Community #OccupyUCDavis

I received this by email last night:

Dear UC Davis Community,

I want to thank everyone for attending the recent student and then faculty and staff town hall meetings.   I sincerely appreciated the opportunity to not only share my thoughts, but also hear from you.

There are a number of investigations underway that will help us truly understand what happened on November 18.  As you know, I requested that the UC Office of the President investigate this matter; the goal was to ensure an independent review.  We have also launched our own internal investigation.  More details on these and other independent investigations can be found in the fact sheet which was posted on our website on Tuesday:

http://chancellor.ucdavis.edu/local_resources/pdfs/20111129_Fact%20Sheet-FINAL_crx.pdf .

As Chancellor, I feel accountable for everything that happens on this campus and deeply regret what happened on Friday, November 18.  We were all shocked by the pepper spray incident on our quad and wish that it had never happened.  But it did, and now our community needs to come together, to heal and move forward.  I promise to redouble my efforts to engage in a positive meaningful dialogue with everyone that is a part of the UC Davis community.

Meetings with the various colleges are underway and more are being scheduled.  Following winter break, I am also planning to meet with students in the dorms and at other locations throughout the campus. I will also be talking to our parents and alumni about our campus' plans going forward.  Lawmakers in Sacramento will hear from me about our shared concerns with rising cost of education.  I've given a great deal of thought on various ways we can continue to engage in a positive, meaningful dialogue.  More details can be found in my remarks at the recent faculty and staff town hall:

http://chancellor.ucdavis.edu/speeches-writings/2011/faculty_staff_town_hall_11.29.11.html .

Your input is critical to making this process a success, and I look forward to continuing our conversations.  Thank you for your strength and commitment to our UC Davis community.

Sincerely,

Linda P.B. Katehi

Chancellor