UCLA, torn apart by violent protests over the war between Israel and Hamas last spring, on Thursday unveiled a plan to rebuild trust and connections on campus with enhanced security measures, broader dialogue across differences, free speech guidelines and stronger efforts to support diversity.
In a letter to the Bruins community three weeks before fall classes begin, interim Chancellor Darnell Hunt said the “challenging spring” underscored the urgent need for new initiatives to repair damage to campus trust and unity.
UCLA drew global attention in April when video captured a violent overnight attack on a pro-Palestinian camp by counterprotesters armed with metal pipes, wooden planks, fists and fireworks. Law enforcement forcibly dismantled the camp soon afterward and arrested 231 people, including about 90 students. The security lapses prompted UCLA to reassign the police chief. Faculty members, outraged by police actions, held votes to censure and express their distrust of then-chancellor Gene Block, which failed.
Meanwhile, a congressional committee summoned Block for questioning over his handling of anti-Semitism, and three Jewish students sued UCLA for failing to protect their access to campus halls and buildings, which they said were blocked by Palestinian supporters after they asked them if they were Zionists.
In an effort to move forward, Hunt said his four-point plan would aim for a “safer and stronger UCLA,” with reviews of police practices, campus-wide efforts to build community and updated guidelines on free speech activities.
“As a campus that promotes inclusive excellence, we must protect the ability of Bruins of all backgrounds and identities to feel safe, welcome, respected, and able to fully participate in campus life,” Hunt wrote. “We may not always agree on important and timely issues, but by engaging with each other with respect and empathy, we can grow as individuals and maintain a healthy academic environment for all.”
UCLA’s new free speech guidelines are in line with the University of California’s strict new guidelines on managing protests. UC President Michael V. Drake has ordered all 10 UC campuses to post rules on free speech and notify students about them before their fall terms begin, a move to comply with a state legislative mandate. UCLA and six other UC undergraduate campuses begin instruction the week of Sept. 23; UC Berkeley and UC Merced began last month.
The UCLA policies, released Wednesday, take effect immediately as interim rules until finalized after a 60-day public review process. They specify approved free-speech zones, omitting Royce Quad as one of them. The quad was a major flashpoint last spring, as it was the site of both the Palestine Solidarity Camp and a pro-Israeli zone where video footage of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants in southern Israel was shown.
Free speech zones include Bruin Walk and Plaza outside the Student Union and Pauley Pavilion, along with the east lawn area next to the Janss Stairs.
The rules prohibit the setting up of tents, camps and other temporary structures on UCLA property without prior authorization and the blocking of access to hallways and buildings. The use of amplified sound during marches will be prohibited but generally permitted with some restrictions. Concealing one's identity while breaking laws or rules will be prohibited. Additionally, the rules detail procedures for holding events on campus and reiterate that the campus will be closed from midnight to 6 a.m. for activities with limited exceptions.
In addition to the new free speech policies, the plan includes a renewed focus on campus safety and well-being. After the April 30 fight, UCLA created a new Campus Safety Office, hired former Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel to lead it, and moved all policing and emergency management programs into that office. The office, along with the University of California, is reviewing security protocols and the police response to last spring’s protests.
But Hunt said the office will expand its responsibilities beyond managing protests. A 2022 report on campus safety noted that students, faculty and staff raised concerns not only about policing on campus but also about mental health, COVID protection, racism and sexism, active shooter and earthquake preparedness, and sexual assault. UCLA will include these broader topics in the expanded indictment as it continues listening sessions, Hunt said.
UCLA will also launch several programs aimed at fostering understanding among those who disagree. Across the UC system, many students, faculty and administrators say differences over the war between Israel and Hamas have torn apart their campuses in unprecedented ways. Hunt said a first step toward healing those divisions is “seeing each other as real people shaped by complex backgrounds and experiences, not just stereotypes.”
UCLA will launch a new lecture series this fall that will offer “challenging yet empathetic conversations” on current issues. The first event will feature Yasmeen Abu Fraiha, an Israeli Bedouin physician and fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Middle East Initiative.
“Speaking Across Conflicts” workshops will aim to strengthen skills for holding constructive conversations despite political differences. New student internship programs and teaching fellowships on effective dialogue are also planned. Many of the expanded programs will be held at UCLA’s Bedari Kindness Institute and led by David Myers, a professor of Jewish history who has long been involved in bridge-building initiatives.
“In a community as diverse as ours, part of our learning and growth comes from interacting with viewpoints we may not agree with or easily understand,” Hunt wrote. “While this can feel uncomfortable, it is also what helps us deepen our thinking, weigh different approaches, and consider new ways of approaching an issue. Ultimately, it promotes truth, knowledge, and understanding.”
Hunt also said UCLA will continue to look for ways to foster greater support for its diverse community. Its Office of Civil Rights, for example, is currently reviewing reports of anti-Semitism, along with anti-Arab and Islamophobic discrimination, to understand how that affected students’ experiences.
“UCLA is a spectacular place, but it is by no means perfect,” Hunt said. “A commitment to rigorously studying the challenges we have faced and how we have addressed them, and making changes based on those findings, is essential to UCLA better fulfilling its important academic mission and meeting the needs of its students, faculty and staff.”
