Associated Students of UC Davis Senate calls for Katehi’s resignation
By Katrina Sturm, Lauren Wienker and Bailey Mknelly,
BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–
A resolution calling for the resignation of UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi was passed unanimously by the Associated Students of UC Davis Senate on Thursday, April 29. The resolution was brought forward by student Harley Litzelman, who coauthored the legislation.
Litzelman gave a passionate speech supporting the resolution; she requested that the senators look at the legislation not as an attack on Katehi but as a request that the university be improved.
“No one is asking you if you hate Chancellor Katehi,” Litzelman said. “This is not about personal distaste–there is no reason to even doubt the good that has taken place at this university under this administration. This resolution is about recognizing what this Chancellor has come to represent: the all-consuming manipulation of the public good for the private interest.”
The resolution had already been passed by the UCD External Affairs Commission. Joe Nazzal, Chair of the External Affairs Commission, encouraged his peers to pass the resolution based on the “neutral and objective rhetoric of [the] bill,” as well as his committee’s consideration of Katehi’s recent actions.
This was the second time the resolution had been brought before the ASUCD Senate. It had since been edited to take a more neutral stance and reference more recent allegations and events concerning Katehi.
There have been several controversies surrounding Katehi’s chancellorship, including the 2011 pepper spray incident, her time on the boards of DeVry University and the John Wiley & Sons textbook company and allegations of nepotism.
Although many of the recent protests against Katehi have ended, students are still angry with her decisions and are actively pursuing her resignation.
On Wednesday, April 27, UC President Janet Napolitano took action, placing Katehi on leave while an investigation is conducted into the many allegations.
“I am deeply disappointed to take this action,” Napolitano said in a press release. “But Davis is a strong campus, nationally and internationally renowned in many academic disciplines. I’m confident of the campus’ continued ability to thrive and serve California students and the Davis community.”
