August 8, 1995 Dear Colleagues:    Many University of California faculty members were deeply disturbed by the Regents' decisions of July 20.  A number of us at several UC campuses have drafted what we hope will be a systemwide statement calling upon the Regents to rescind Resolutions SP-1 and SP-2.  It is our goal to have large numbers of faculty members on each of the nine campuses sign it prior to presenting it to the Board of Regents.  STATEMENT:    Article IX, Section 9 of the Constitution of the State of California requires that "the University shall be entirely independent of all political or sectarian influence and kept free therefrom in the appointment of its Regents and in the administration of its affairs." On July 20, 1995, a narrow majority of the Regents defaulted upon their solemn responsibility to protect the University from the realm of partisan party politics.  By acting against the considered educational judgment and the expressed will of the president of the university, the council of chancellors, the academic council, and the student association, these Regents violated a long tradition of shared governance.  This is a profound threat to the integrity of the University. We the undersigned faculty therefore call upon the Regents to rescind immediately Resolutions SP-1 (on affirmative action in admissions) and SP-2 (on affirmative action in employment) passed at the July 20th meeting and return to the university community -- the faculty, administration, students, staff and alumni -- its right to exercise it judgment on matters fundamental to the quality of education offered by the University.