September 18, 2015

Dear Chancellor Dirks,

We the undersigned concerned Chicano/Latino Alumni and Friends of UC Berkeley write to express our profound disappointment at the under-representation of Chicano/Latino administrators and faculty at one of the most prestigious and premier public universities in the world.

Chicano/Latino Hispanics make up the majority of graduating, public high school seniors in California (50% in 2014; n = 203,894). Chicano/Latino Hispanics also constitute the greatest number of California freshman applicants to the UC system (35,120 in 2015), yet they make up the lowest percentage applying to UC Berkeley. While the latest data with respect to freshman applicants at UC Berkeley shows that 12,067 Chicano/Latino Hispanic students applied, this is only 6% (tied with Pacific Islanders) of their respective graduating, high school cohort compared to Asian, American Indian, African American and White students.

Despite these astounding figures and the fact that Chicano/Latino Hispanics are the single most under-represented group among both admitted freshmen (representation among admits is over 29 percentage points lower than their representation among high school graduates) and enrolled freshmen (representation among freshman SIRs is nearly 40 percentage points lower), you have repeatedly failed to appoint a single Chicano/Latino to your Cabinet of Senior Management.

Although the campus has experienced vacancies and conducted nation-wide searches for high level policy making positions such as Provost, Athletic Director, Vice-Chancellor positions for both Student Affairs and the relatively recent Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion, none of these positions has been filled with a Chicano/Latino candidate. The recent public launch of your African American Initiative without a commensurate effort to address even greater deficiencies for Chicano/Latinos or other underrepresented groups is, while laudable, neither equitable nor inclusive.

Chicano/Latino Alumni and Friends personally sought out, recruited, and identified highly qualified candidates for the applicant pool for these positions. This was often necessary because the campus failed to exercise due diligence in ensuring that the search firms engaged in hiring for these critical positions had any demonstrable penetration or expertise into nationwide networks of Chicano/Latino administrators and faculty.

It is no exaggeration to state that cabinet level administrator and faculty positions at UC Berkeley provide a critical policy voice for campus-wide, as well as UC system-wide, discussions and dialogue. Further, these positions set the tone and course for national discussions and provide career-launching platforms for those involved and the issues they espouse and represent. Despite numerous opportunities, the campus has failed to appoint a single Chicano/Latino Hispanic to a Senior Management position since 2007. To date, no other underrepresented group has experienced this lack of representation.

Please be advised that without immediate action on your part to redress this inequitable and exclusive treatment of Chicano/Latino administrators and faculty, the undersigned will no longer be inclined to serve as Goodwill Ambassadors, donors, and legislative advocates whose duties we have loyally performed when we have heretofore been asked.

The fact that you chose to attend an out-of-state Cal football game rather than attend the very first Chicano Latino Legacy Celebration speaks volumes about the level of your understanding of our concerns and where they fit into your campus agenda. Loyalty is a two-way street, and you have repeatedly failed to reciprocate our efforts on behalf of the campus.

The courtesy of a prompt reply to the Chicano Latino Alumni Association is greatly appreciated.

University of California, Berkeley • Chicano Latino Alumni Association 1918 University Avenue, suite #3C • Berkeley, CA 94704