A University of California regent's proposal to stop the system from funding non-academic activities targeted at specific racial groups has come under fire from students and a minority rights group.

"We think this policy is legally problematic and just a bad policy plan," said Victor Viramontes, staff attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, or MALDEF, which has sent a letter to UC regents outlining its opposition to Regent Ward Connerly's proposal.

Connerly, who pushed to end race-based admissions at UC, wants regents to adopt a policy that would bar the university from sponsoring or funding graduation ceremonies or freshmen orientation events that target individuals of a specific race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

UC regents will vote on Connerly's proposal at a meeting today at UCSF's Laurel Height's facility, 3333 California St., San Francisco.

Connerly said separate events don't foster a sense of unity.

"The purpose of diversity should be to get all of us not just to tolerate people who look different and speak differently from us, but rather to get us to accept them as they are," he said. "When you have separate graduation and separate orientations based on race or sexual orientation or ethnic background, I don't believe you bring people together as a harmonious unit."

At Connerly's request, regents discussed separate race-themed events twice before, in 1996 and 1998, but no votes were taken.

UC cites numbers

UC officials say they can legally sponsor the events because the decision to give money is not based on racial criteria, but rather the number of students who will be served. The events are open to all students.

UC spokeswoman Lavonne Luquis said it's difficult to estimate how much money the system provides for such events, because they are administered at the campus level. The events are funded through a combination of sources, including private donations and student fund-raising activities, and may also include money from the university chancellor's discretionary funds, registration fees and campus-based fees.

Viramontes said Connerly's proposal raises legal concerns because it would stop UC from funding events aimed at students of specific ethnic and racial groups, but would not limit funding for other groups.

"We also think this is a bad policy," he said. "UC should be serving a diverse population and we think these events are an important part of UC's educational mission."

"These events are not a good idea," Connerly said. "If we believe we should be an integrated society, the idea of carving ourselves into little blocs of groups is not what we should be doing."

Students critical

Many UC students also oppose Connerly's proposal, and some say it has little chance of passing.

Peter Gee, a senator with UC Berkeley's student government, called Connerly's proposal "bogus" and said the regent is actually trying to draw media attention to a statewide initiative on the March ballot. Connerly has sponsored the initiative, called CRENO or the Classification by Race, Ethnicity or National Origin, which would essentially eliminate race boxes on government forms by prohibiting the state from collecting racial statistics.

Connerly laughed off the charge. "It's getting all the attention it needs, thank you very much," he said.