September 2008
STUDENTS OF THE UNVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Dear Students:
As you begin the Fall term, either as new or returning students at one of UC’s ten outstanding campuses, I want to welcome you and wish you every success in your studies for the coming year.
As President of the University of California and a scholar of the Constitution, I also want to take this opportunity to call your attention to “Constitution Day.”
In 2005, a federal law was enacted requiring all schools that receive federal funds to hold an educational program on the United States Constitution every year on Constitution Day, September 17, the anniversary of our country’s founding document.
The Fall term begins in late September, after Constitution Day, on most UC campuses, making it impractical to conduct in-person programming. Thus, I invite you to take a few moments to look over UC’s Constitution Day Web site. I hope that this brief exploration will spark your curiosity and, whatever your interest and background, broaden your knowledge of and your appreciation for this historic and important document.
As an example, one of the constitutional issues of enduring interest to students is free speech on
campus. Earlier this summer, I gave an address at the annual Hadassah National Convention in
Los Angeles, in which I delved into the difficult topic of freedom of speech in connection with student groups that, at times, invite outside speakers who engage in hateful speech. I invite you to read the full text of my address as but one example of how constitutional issues are important in the day-to-day lives of UC students and for the larger University community.
You are privileged, as students of a great university like UC, to have ready access to a range and depth of historical, political, sociological, and legal perspectives on the study of the U.S. Constitution through the many resources available to each of you at your home UC campus. I encourage you to cultivate an interest in the Constitution through exploration of the print and electronic holdings of UC’s exceptional libraries, by broadening your education to include a Constitution-related course outside your major or specialty (e.g., history, political science, law/legal studies) or through a research-oriented enterprise such as independent study.
I hope you enjoy the coming school year--you are among the best and the brightest of your generation and we are delighted to count you among our student body.
With best wishes, I am,
Mark G. Yudof
President