SACRAMENTO –In a victory for Jewish students attending University of California schools, Assemblymember Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys) today announced that he has received word from UC President Robert Dynes that the UC system is in the process of adopting a new policy to prevent the repeated scheduling of freshman move-in day on Jewish High Holy Days.

Until today’s announcement, four of the next five UC move-in days were scheduled to fall on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur.

“I’m pleased that President Dynes heard our message loud and clear and took action to prevent future conflicts,” Assemblymember Levine said. “Incoming Jewish freshmen should not be forced to choose between their religion and their first few days of college life. Moreover, it is not necessary that they choose. The UC’s action today proves that it is perfectly able to change its freshman residence hall move-in days to dates that would not conflict with the Jewish High Holy Days.”

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the most sacred days of the year for Jews. Known as the “Days of Awe,” Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are days filled with prayer and introspection. Rosh Hashanah is traditionally observed for two days and Yom Kippur is traditionally observed for one day.

Unfortunately, many of the UC campuses – including most of those on the quarter system – scheduled their freshmen residence hall move-in days this past fall on September 23 and 24, 2006, the two days of Rosh Hashanah.

Several months ago, Assemblymember Levine began to aggressively campaign on behalf of Jewish students forced to choose between observing major religious holidays and embarking upon a new life in college by moving into their residence halls. Levine urged Senators and fellow Assemblymembers to join his effort to lobby President Dynes to adopt a comprehensive new policy to prevent future students from having to make this difficult decision.

Levine, along with 60 Jewish organizational and community leaders, also drafted a letter to President Dynes and the UC Board of Regents urging them to take action as soon as possible.

Today, the UC responded with its Policy for Addressing Religious Holiday Conflicts with Residence Hall “Move-In” Days. The following portions of the new policy go into effect immediately:

• At campuses where residence hall move-in is accomplished in a single day, the campuses shall choose the weekend day that does not conflict with either observance of a one-day religious holiday or the first day of a multi-day religious holiday;
• All campuses will also offer alternative move-in days for students with religious conflicts, such as an early move-in;
• All materials concerning student move-in procedures will be updated to clearly communicate these new alternative dates to students with religious conflicts; and
• No student will be penalized financially for not moving into University facilities on the scheduled move-in day.

In addition, in setting the common academic calendar after 2010, all pertinent UC bodies will select move-in days that do not directly conflict with any religious holiday, unless there are overriding academic or administrative considerations that would make such a calendar unworkable. The UC will also develop written guidelines to delineate such considerations and provide reports on these guidelines to the California State Legislature on September 1, 2007 and March 1, 2008.