Whereas, the Syrian Civil War is in its fifth year, and there is no indication that a peaceful resolution to the conflict is forthcoming, 1

Whereas, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have died and millions have fled the country since the beginning of the conflict, 2

Whereas, over 11 million Syrians have been displaced from their home;

Whereas, it is estimated that over half of all Syrian refugees are under the age of 18, 3

Whereas, based on prewar rates, there is an estimated 100,000 university qualified refugees outside of Syria, 4

Whereas, in September of 2015 President Obama proposed to allow an additional 10,000 Syrian refugees to enter the United States in the upcoming year,

Whereas, in the last five years (2011-2015) the United States has accepted 2,550 Syrian refugees, 5

Whereas, Legislative Council has made a concerted effort to ensure that our university

has made a stance in regards to the protection of Syrian lives against the unjust violent regime in Syria, 6

Whereas, hundreds of thousands of Syrian scholars and students are among those displaced, 7

Whereas, these scholars and students require emergency assistance and refuge,

Whereas, it is the moral obligation of all capable parties and institutions to provide this assistance,

Whereas, dozens of American colleges and universities— including Bard College, Boston University, Bryn Mawr College, Colorado State University, De Paul University, Emory University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Illinois State University, Hanover College, Maryville University, Monmouth College, Montclair State University, Notre Dame School of Law, Tufts University, University of California- Davis, University of Colorado- Colorado Springs, University of Southern California and others—have taken up this charge by joining the Institute of International Education’s Syria Consortium for Higher Education in Crisis and by thereby committing to offer scholarships and spaces to Syrian students and scholars fleeing for their lives, 8

Whereas, it is UC Irvine’s duty to maintain the values of “respect, intellectual curiosity, integrity, commitment, and empathy” which includes the promotion of human rights, equality, and dignity for all people without distinction";

Whereas, former UC Irvine Chancellor, Michael Drake, claimed "The university continues to strongly condemn the unspeakably brutal attacks against the people of Syria. We deplore the deteriorating humanitarian situation. We join the world community in demanding an immediate and permanent end to the killings and a halt to the human rights violations” http://www.ocregister.com/articles/chehabi-344955-student-board.html

Let it be resolved, that we, the ASUCI Legislative Council, call upon the University of California, Irvine (UCI) to join the Institute for International Education’s (IIE) Syria Consortium for Higher Education in Crisis and to commit to offering specific spaces and funding to Syrian refugee students and scholars, by no later than the end of the 2015-2016 Academic Year; and

Be it further resolved, that we, the ASUCI Legislative Council, call upon the Chancellor of UCI to issue a public statement detailing the specific spaces and financial assistance that it will provide to Syrian refugee students and scholars, by no later than the end of the 2015-2016 Academic Year.

1.  BBC News (October 9, 2015). “Syria: The Story of the Conflict.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26116868.

2.  United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (July 9, 2015). “Total Number of Syrian Refugees Exceeds Four Million for First Time.” Retrieved October 26, 2015 at http://www.unhcr.org/559d67d46.html.

https://www.mercycorps.org/articles/iraq-jordan-lebanon-syria-turkey/quick-facts-what-you-need-know-about-syria-crisis