What’s in a Name: The Controversy Surrounding Rausser College of Natural Resources

In February 2020, the former dean of UC Berke- the funds are distributed with the exception of a ley’s College of Natural Resources Gordon Rausser few stipulations, including the creation of an encontributed a $50 million donation to the college, dowed chair of agricultural economics. which was subsequently renamed Rausser College of Natural Resources. Shortly after, students cre- According to David Ackerly, the current dean of ated a petition to express their opposition to the Rausser College, decisions about where funds will renaming, which was followed by a social media go must first face a faculty consultation process. campaign using the hashtag #RausserCollegeIs- Their initial priorities include investing in gradNotMyCollege. uate programs and the diversity & inclusion proThe renaming of Rausser College unearthed an ty. ideological divide between members of the UC Berkeley students, faculty, and environmental communities regarding different perspectives on what environmentalism truly embodies. “ The renaming of Rausser College unearthed an ideological divide between “The COVID budget cuts have made us rethink everything,” said Ackerly. Thus, the donation funds must be considered in the context of the college’s overall financial While college adminis- members of the UC Berkeley portfolio. trators support the renaming as recognition students, faculty, and Students who oppose of Rausser’s generosity, environmental communities the renaming created a some students reject the notion of being represented by a man whose regarding different perspectives on what Facebook group, Reject Rausser, to cite multiple grievances against him, actions they believe are environmentalism truly namely his corporate ininconsistent with the values of justice-based environmentalism. Around the nation, following the murders of black Americans and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests, many activists have torn down and defaced monuments dedicated to problematic embodies. vestments and teaching methods. Aside from previously serving as a professor and dean of the College of Natural Resources, Rausser is the co-founder of OnPoint Analytics Capital Partners (OPAC), a capital advisory firm. According to a September 2020 ” historical figures. Renaming monuments has be- statement made by the group, it was his involvecome an increasingly prevalent alternative to de- ment in corporate investments, coupled with his facement: on UC Berkeley’s campus, the Building emphasis on agricultural economics, that led stuName Review Committee recently removed Boalt, dents in the “Reject Rausser” movement to believe Barrows, and LeConte’s names from their respec- that his career is inconsistent with the future of tive buildings and is currently reviewing a propos- the environmental movement. This grievance is al for Kroeber Hall. To its opposers, changing the reflective of a larger debate regarding corporate name of the College of Natural Resources is the influence over the university as students raise next issue to join the list. concerns about private interests shaping their Rausser’s donation is a part of UC Berkeley’s “Light grams, renovating facilities, and recruiting faculpublic education. the Way’’ fundraising campaign, aimed at garner- As the former professor of Introduction to Enviing billions of dollars in philanthropic donations ronmental Economics, a popular class for College to secure the university’s position as the top pub- of Natural Resources students, Rausser has also lic research university. This donation is unrestric- faced past criticism for speaking to students in tive, meaning the college has discretion over how a condescending manner and creating an overly

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competitive environment. The opponents to the change claim that this classroom culture is inconsistent with the college’s values of community.

“I am devastated that a person who has caused me and many other students so much mental grief, dangerously anxious behavior and serious contemplations of dropping out of this university is going to be the namesake of the college that I and many others will receive degrees from in just a few months,” wrote Kajol Gupta, Angela White, and Maceo Hart-Kapic, in an op-ed published on Daily California.

In response to these criticisms, Ackerly and the naming committee have held several meetings with a small group of students who came forward, although Ackerly acknowledged that not all students would be comfortable expressing their views directly to him.

Ackerly said that their goal through these ongoing conversations is to “engage with them about the fact that these are meaningful resources for enhancing the student experience,” particularly with the added financial stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the concerns about private money influencing the college, Ackerly stated that “the funding did not change our priorities,” particularly since it was unrestricted.

According to Ackerly, Rausser’s intent with the donation was the continued excellence of the college, and the fact that Rausser spent the large majority of his career there makes the gift all the more personal. He further explained that during the ongoing conversations with Rausser, renaming the college seemed an appropriate response that “merged his desires and our desire to recognize the scale of a gift like that.”

“Change is disruptive,” said Ackerly, and the renaming of Rausser College is certainly a significant change. Student pushback reflects a growing divide among the environmental movement. Some younger activists, such as those involved in the “Reject Rausser” movement, view traditional corporate motives as incompatible with justice-based environmentalism while others view them as “necessary evils” for a larger good.

With the added stress of the budget cuts due to COVID-19, the acceptance of Rausser’s donation and subsequent renaming of the college is a balancing act between student opinion and financial pressures.