ºÙºÙÊÓƵ

Editor's note: To receive a PDF version of the Principles of One Community, please e-mail Julia Ann Easley at jaeasley@ucdavis.edu.

Representatives of ºÙºÙÊÓƵ and its students, the city of Davis and the local school district will acknowledge their shared bond in fostering "an informed and dynamic college town community" by signing a set of principles on Tuesday, March 4.

UC students led the effort to draft the new "Principles of One Community," and Associated Students representatives will be on hand to sign it at a 1 p.m. public ceremony in Freeborn Hall on the ºÙºÙÊÓƵ campus. A reception with light refreshments is set for noon to start the celebration.

Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef is listed among the signatories and speakers, along with a representative from the Davis Joint Unified School District; ºÙºÙÊÓƵ Associated Students President Kareem Salem; and university faculty and staff delegates. City Mayor Pro Tem Ruth Asmundson will attend on behalf of the city of Davis.

ºÙºÙÊÓƵ already boasts the , a commitment to respect one another and to respect the differences among everyone in the campus community.

Last summer, student Steven D. Lee suggested a broader document, recognizing that "Davis" is more than a university set off by itself, that "Davis" is the campus and the city that surrounds it. And, he thought, the university's centennial in 2008-09 would be a perfect time to celebrate the city-campus connection.

Lee, then serving as chair of the Associated Students' External Affairs Commission, proposed that "Davis" -- campus and city -- craft a joint set of principles. Salem appointed an executive task force, and, with Lee as chair, the task force collaborated over a seven-month period with campus and city leaders to draft the Principles of One Community.

The resulting document recognizes a bond that is more than 100 years old, dating to when the people of Davisville lobbied the state government to pick their town as the site of the University Farm.

Lee, a second-year student from San Jose with a double major in political science and communication, said: "I really wanted to make a statement that says, even though as individual students we are only here for four years, as a group we are a permanent part of this community and will continue contributing to it for years to come."

The Principles of One Community will not replace the campus's . The campus principles affirm "the right of freedom of expression within our community and affirm our commitment to the highest standards of civility and decency towards all," while the new document affirms "the inherent value of each and every member of our shared community."

The new document begins by affirming "that the people of the city of Davis, and the students, faculty and staff of the University of California, Davis, constitute one diverse community and strive to sustain one that is united and mutually respectful."

The document delves into a shared history dating from the University Farm's establishment in 1905 and the arrival of the first students in 1908.

"ºÙºÙÊÓƵ and the city are partners in building and shaping our community," the document states. "Together they seek to nurture, foster, welcome and recognize students, faculty and staff as members of the community."

Rahim Reed, associate executive vice chancellor for Campus Community Relations at ºÙºÙÊÓƵ, said: "We've always thought of ourselves as one community. We live and work here, and our children go to school here."

He noted that the university already has its Principles of Community, and the city has a Statement on Principles of Community Tolerance. "With the new document, we want to bring these principles to life after we go home.

"When we cross A Street, to leave campus, we are still one community, and all the principles of civility and respect for the inherent dignity within each of us must go with us. We will be a stronger community for this."

Mayor Sue Greenwald said: "Davis is a university community. To me, that's always been an important part of our mission as a city."

Greenwald added that neither campus nor city should take the relationship for granted. This is especially important, she said, as the city grows. With growth, she explained, there is a decline in the percentage of city residents affiliated with the university.

So, she said, a document like the Principles of One Community is one way "to maintain and strengthen" the relationship.

Lee listed other signatories as representatives of the city's Human Relations Commission, the City-ºÙºÙÊÓƵ Student Liaison Commission and the ASUCD's External Affairs Commission, as well as the university's Academic Senate, Academic Federation and Staff Assembly.

"The great thing is that we all came together in one voice on the Principles of One Community," said Sheila Allen, president of the school district board of trustees. "I love what it says, that what makes a community is all the parts coming together."