A Call For Education Over Litigation
A Santa Rosa Junior College instructor responds to the college administration's threat to sue students over the content of their email usernames.
SRJC students threatened with litigation as they prepare for finals
On May 5th, 2009, Santa Rosa Junior College's Vice President of Academic Affairs sent an email to the college community. It read:
Dear Faculty Colleagues:
It has come to our attention that several hundred students have been using a reference to Santa Rosa Junior College in their personal E-mail address and/or domain name. The use of Santa Rosa Junior College or any abbreviation of the college name is protected by Education Code 72000(b)(4). Computing Services will be contacting any student violators individually and requesting that they immediately cease using Santa Rosa Junior College or SRJC in their domain name or e-mail addresses. Students will be notified that failure to comply could result in legal action.
After stating this the email quoted the relevant passage of California's Education Code:
(4) The name "Sonoma County Junior College District", “Santa Rosa Junior College” and the names of community colleges maintained by the district are the property of the district. No person shall, without permission of the board, use these names, or any abbreviation of them, or any name of which these words are a part in any of the following ways:
(A) To designate any business, social, political, religious, or other organization, including, but not limited to, any corporation, firm, partnership, association, group, activity or enterprise.
(B) To imply, indicate or otherwise suggest that any organization, or any product or service of the organization is connected or affiliated with, or is endorsed, favored or supported by, or is opposed by one or more California community colleges, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, or the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.
(C) To display, advertise, or announce these names publicly at or in connection with any meeting, assembly, or demonstration, or any propaganda, advertising or promotional activity of any kind which has for its purpose or any part of its purpose the support, endorsement, advancement, opposition or defeat of any strike, lockout, or boycott or of any political, religious, sociological, or economic movement, activity or program.
(D) The provisions of this section shall not preclude the use of the name "Santa Rosa Junior College" or "Sonoma County Junior College District" by any person or organization otherwise subject to this section using the name immediately prior to the effective date of this section, so long as the name is not used in additional, different ways.
(E) Nothing in this section shall interfere with or restrict the right of any person to make a true and accurate statement in the course of stating his or her experience or qualifications for any academic, governmental, business, or professional credit or enrollment, or in connection with any academic, governmental, professional or other employment whatsoever.
At the time I was willing to give my college's administration the benefit of the doubt. I was charitably guessing that there had been a miscommunication, and they were NOT treating all "srjc" usernames as if they are attempting to represent the college. I still have a faint hope that this is true. But, given officials' responses yesterday's Press Democrat article, it no longer looks as though this merely was a miscommunication. It now seems like the administration truly is threatening to sue students (and faculty? I did not notice that in the original email) for merely having "srjc" usernames (e.g., srjcmichael@hotmail.com).
I am disappointed. I try to be a constructive member of my college community; but my responsibility is to education above and beyond any particular institution. And, even if SRJC has legal grounds for suing students merely for having a "srjc" username (Which seems implausible), it shows horrendously bad judgment and ill-will. It's obvious the mere possession of an "srjc" username (e.g., srjcmichael@hotmail.com) does not imply one is trying to represent the college in any way; and not only to suggest it does, but to respond by threatening to sue, seems like an aggressive act of hubris. The fact an educational institution would do this is especially disappointing.
I still hope this is a misunderstanding. But if it is, three days have passed without the college's administration adequately clarifying itself. So, if this is not resolved by Monday morning, I hope you join me in asking for an investigation. Yes, I think it's that serious. Everything Santa Rosa Junior College does should value and promote education. And this latest incident raises concerns that its administration has shown reckless disregard for this.
Michael Aparicio teaches philosophy at Santa Rosa Junior College. He's a regular contributor to, and editor for, Empire Report. "Rojo Reports" is our collection of his news articles. "The Gadfly" is our collection of his news commentaries. Taken together, they are Michael's attempt to provide a balance of newsworthy reporting and thought-provoking questioning.
