Private, Community College Chiefs Oppose Prop. 209

The heads of about 100 private and community colleges declared their opposition to Proposition 209 Thursday, saying the initiative to repeal government affirmative action programs for women and minorities would harm efforts to educate California’s diverse student population and drive down minority admissions.

The announcement, made at news conferences in Northern and Southern California, is part of an overall attempt by initiative opponents to focus attention on the measure’s effect on education programs and to rally student voters against the proposition.

Earlier this month a busload of Proposition 209 foes traveled to college campuses up and down the state, and a series of student rallies against the initiative are being staged this week and next on Cal State and UC campuses.

The list of college administrators released Thursday draws heavily from state community colleges and smaller private institutions, reflecting the political sensitivity of the initiative, ardently supported by Gov. Pete Wilson.

Absent were presidents from the UC system, whose regents voted last year to eliminate race- and gender-based affirmative action. And there were only a couple of administrators from the Cal State system, whose Chancellor Barry Munitz cautioned campus presidents last month not to take a collective stand against Proposition 209.

Speaking at a Los Angeles news conference, Cal State Bakersfield President Tomas Arciniega was careful to point out that he was taking the day off and not representing his institution.

But he was blunt in his condemnation of the ballot measure, which he said undercuts “efforts to address racial, ethnic and gender discrimination at precisely the wrong moment for the wrong reasons.”

Others opposing Proposition 209, who all said they were acting as individuals, included the heads of Mount St. Mary’s College, Occidental College, the Santa Monica Community College District and the Rancho Santiago Community College District in Orange County.