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Richard Atkinson, president of the University of California, has recommended the UC Board of Regents vote to formerly oppose a ballot initiative sponsored by one of its board members.

At Thursday’s meeting in San Francisco, the regents are scheduled to decide whether to take a stand against the Classification by Race, Ethnicity, Color and National Origin initiative, backed by regent Ward Connerly.

CRECNO was originally named the Racial Privacy Initiative, but altered its name when it officially became a ballot item.

The ballot proposition is scheduled for the March 2004 statewide general election. If passed, it would prohibit the state from collecting racial information in most policy areas. Healthcare and law enforcement are the main exceptions.

The UC Office of the President forwarded its recommendation to the board, following a study conducted by UC General Counsel James Holst’s office.

In a letter to the regents, Holst wrote CRECNO’s full effect on the university is difficult to predict because existing case law makes it difficult to know in advance how the courts will interpret the measure if it becomes law.

Holst wrote there could be “significant impacts” on faculty that use racial data provided by state agencies in research.

The UC Academic Senate is also opposing CRECNO. Faculty share concerns about research, and the body’s chair said the senate is generally opposed to any law that could prevent access to information.

“We should never say that public policy should not know data and knowledge and analyze it,” said Academic Senate Chairwoman Gayle Binion.

Researchers, she said, could not afford to independently collect racial information presently gathered by California agencies.

Although CRECNO’s ultimate electoral fate is hard to predict, the proposition’s backers expect the regents will follow Atkinson’s lead and decide to oppose the measure.

“We have no illusions about that,” said Diane Schachterle, campaign coordinator for CRECNO, adding she expects Californians will not base their votes on the regents’ position.

“Ultimately I think that Californians will make an individual choice,” she said.

Student regent Dexter Ligot-Gordon, who opposes CRECNO, has wanted the board to consider the measure since summer.

He said the UC’s decision will be important at the ballot box, as voters should be aware of how the initiative will impact the university and other state agencies.

“If they’re going to make an informed decision when they go to the polls, they need to hear how the services that serve them are going to be affected,” he said.

In 1995, the regents approved Connerly’s idea to eliminate the consideration of race in UC policy by passing SP-1 and 2, which prohibited the university from considering race in UC admissions, hiring and contracting.

The regents made their decision despite the objections of all campus chancellors and then-President Jack Peltason, who favored the continuation of affirmative action at the UC.