Regents Take Up Affirmative Action : Education: Protesters rally for continuing programs. Report says college preparatory classes are extremely valuable.

Faced with protesters and protected by a law enforcement presence 10 times the norm at UCLA, the University of California Board of Regents took up the divisive issue of affirmative action Thursday, receiving a report on college preparatory programs for minority students that one regent called extremely valuable.

UC Assistant Vice President Dennis Galligani told the board that only 5% of California’s African American and 4% of Latino public high school students complete the course and grade requirements to be eligible for undergraduate admission to UC.

But when enrolled in academic development programs in high school, Galligani said, eligibility rates for both groups skyrocket to more than 40%.

“These programs have been enormously successful,” Regent David Flinn said. But he warned the board that programs such as these that prepare and recruit minority students would be endangered by legislative attempts to dismantle affirmative action.

“If you look at the civil rights initiative (proposed for the ballot) . . . there is no window for this, there is no place for this. . . . I believe this university is going to find that it needs to speak up about the preservation of our ability to use these programs.”

Inside a crowded meeting room, several other administrators and students also rose to defend affirmative action policies at UC--among them, UC President Jack W. Peltason, who called the programs essential.

Outside the meeting room, about 200 students gathered in Westwood Plaza to express their support for affirmative action and university admissions programs that grant preferences to candidates based on race and gender. Nearby, 75 campus police officers stood at the ready--about one for every three protesters.

UCLA Police Chief Clarence R. Chapman said he had bolstered his 35-member police force with 40 additional officers from six other UC campuses because he had “received information that people may attend and attempt to disrupt the meeting. We wanted to take precautions.”

Usually, Chapman said, seven officers work the day shift at UCLA. Chapman estimated that it was costing the university $42,000 to pay, transport and house the 68 extra officers.

Contrary to Chapman’s fears, the protest was peaceful. Students waved placards that said, “Say No to Elitism” and “Don’t Slam the Doors on Our Education.” Many carried masks made out of white paper plates--to remind the regents, as one student explained, “what the university used to look like.”

Originally, the event had been billed as a “Save Our Chancellor Rally”--a reference to UCLA Chancellor Charles E. Young, who recently began a campaign to defend affirmative action programs and has tangled publicly with Regent Ward Connerly, who has called for the elimination of race- and gender-based preferences.

Two weeks ago, Young referred to Connerly as Gov. Pete Wilson’s “mouthpiece” on affirmative action and compared him to conservative North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms. Young has apologized for both remarks, but the comments prompted speculation that he might face retaliation from the board.

Connerly did not attend Thursday’s meeting because a friend had become ill.

Young said Thursday that he hoped the students were “rallying because of their views about an issue, not to save the chancellor. I think that’s not necessary. I think it’s nice that they’re concerned (about my job), but I don’t share their concern.”

In other business, the board tentatively approved a fee increase for professional school students, effective the 1995-96 school year. If given final approval, as is expected today, students of medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine will pay $1,000 more per year, while law students will pay $2,000 more. Fees for business students will be raised $2,000 a year, except at the Riverside campus, which will increase fees $1,000.