Investigate Katehi's Role in UICU Scandal

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Author: Mo Torres

Started: July 7, 2009, 6:16:02 pm

Target: UC President Yudof and the UC Board of Regents

Category: Education

Supporters:

532

Goal:

1,000

Goal Progress:

Status

Active

Linda Katehi, incoming Chancellor of UC Davis, has been linked to the corruption of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Newspapers from Illinois to California have reported that perhaps hundreds of children of the wealthy and well connected were granted admission to UIUC despite questionable qualifications.

Linda Katehi has claimed from the outset that she was not involved in this "Category I" admissions system, a discretionary privileging of the the rich and well connected over poor, unconnected students. However, recent revelations show direct links between a well connected, wealthy Greek family and Linda Katehi after which she forwarded an email to her direct subordinates saying as much.

From the California Chronicle: "Despite early declaring she knew nothing about the university's secret admissions system for well-connected students, the Tribune has detailed how Katehi – currently the University of Illinois provost – helped facilitate admissions for a student she referred to as "the daughter of a fairly prominent Greek family in Chicago."

From the Davis Vanguard: "She passed an email through giving full name and title to the individual making a special request. She argues that she "took no action made no effort to alter, influence or interfere with the admissions decision of this applicant" and yet at the same time she referred to an influential by name and title. Her claim, "that was how" she "knew him."

We do not need, nor do we want, a Chancellor who sees fit to be complicit, or at the very least complacent, with corruption that seeks to further disempower working and lower class students, students of color, and students who are not well connected.

Until UC President Mark Yudof agrees to a full investigation rather than stubbornly defending Katehi despite the mounting evidence against her, we cannot, in good conscience, support her appointment to Chancellor of the University of California, Davis.