The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) has a Hillel, Chabad and Jewish Greek organizations.

Litigation & Investigations

In December 2023, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened a Title VI investigation into UC Davis.

In December 2024, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights entered into a resolution agreement with UC Davis and other UC schools, outlining a series of actions that the university must take to address antisemitism on campus.

What’s Happening on Campus?

There have been many recent incidents on campus. In October 2023, an assistant professor posted on her social media page calling to dox “zionist journalists” and claimed “they have houses w[ith] addresses, kids in school” and “they can fear their bosses, but they should fear us more.”  That same month, an individual also left an antisemitic voice message for a staff member, and graffiti reading "Death to Israel, F*** Jews, Long Live Palestine" as well as an image equating a Star of David to a swastika were found on campus.

In January 2023, UC Davis’ Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) hosted an event on campus during which a student read a poem that stated: "May Israel's demise be so glorious and so complete" and "May every rock strike true and every resistance fighter take down a thousand occupiers."

In February 2024, the UC Davis Student Government voted nearly unanimously in support of a BDS bill.

In May 2024, UC Davis academic workers joined other UC campuses in striking following the dismantling of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on campus.

University Policies and Responsive Action

The assistant professor who made the social media postings was investigated by the university. UC Davis reports that students responsible for an October 2023 protest where a building and campus art were vandalized were referred for discipline.

UC Davis’ diversity, equity and inclusion team created an Addressing Antisemitism webpage with resources for education and supporting Jewish students, faculty and staff.

There is a UC Davis Advisory Council on Jewish Student Life. The Advisory Council is reviewing university policies and procedures on bias incidents and discrimination.

The UC Davis administration rejected all demands for total academic and cultural boycotts of Israel during the Spring 2024 encampment protests.

In August 2024, University of California President Drake launched a UC-wide Campus Climate Initiative to help all UC locations develop campus climate action plans for fall 2024 and beyond. President Drake also issued a directive to all UC campuses to make clear to their campus communities that certain activities – including encampments, masking to conceal identities and restricting free movement – are prohibited. In response to this directive, UC Davis published a new Freedom of Expression policy, updated the Use and Reservation of University Properties/Event Arrangements policy and launched a Free Speech website.

The UC Davis Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Jewish Student Life has been working to collect feedback, questions and complaints from Jewish students, which have been shared with administrators during regular quarterly meetings. UC Davis is also a member of the 5th cohort of Hillel’s CCI program.

The UC Davis Police Department also regularly engages with the campus Jewish community and works closely with Hillel of Davis and Sacramento to provide enhanced presence during regularly scheduled weekly events. The university also has a Freedom of Expression Response Team who are tasked with responding to harmful student expression on campus.

In 2023, Davis Hillel organized an event in a lecture hall on campus for ADL Central Pacific Region to educate students, faculty, and staff on understanding and addressing antisemitism. Nearly the entire student government attended.

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) has a Hillel, Chabad and Jewish Greek organizations.

Litigation & Investigations

In December 2023, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened a Title VI investigation into UC Davis.

In December 2024, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights entered into a resolution agreement with UC Davis and other UC schools, outlining a series of actions that the university must take to address antisemitism on campus.

What’s Happening on Campus?

There have been many recent incidents on campus. In October 2023, an assistant professor posted on her social media page calling to dox “zionist journalists” and claimed “they have houses w[ith] addresses, kids in school” and “they can fear their bosses, but they should fear us more.”  That same month, an individual also left an antisemitic voice message for a staff member, and graffiti reading "Death to Israel, F*** Jews, Long Live Palestine" as well as an image equating a Star of David to a swastika were found on campus.

In January 2023, UC Davis’ Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) hosted an event on campus during which a student read a poem that stated: "May Israel's demise be so glorious and so complete" and "May every rock strike true and every resistance fighter take down a thousand occupiers."

In February 2024, the UC Davis Student Government voted nearly unanimously in support of a BDS bill.

In May 2024, UC Davis academic workers joined other UC campuses in striking following the dismantling of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on campus.

University Policies and Responsive Action

The assistant professor who made the social media postings was investigated by the university. UC Davis reports that students responsible for an October 2023 protest where a building and campus art were vandalized were referred for discipline.

UC Davis’ diversity, equity and inclusion team created an Addressing Antisemitism webpage with resources for education and supporting Jewish students, faculty and staff.

There is a UC Davis Advisory Council on Jewish Student Life. The Advisory Council is reviewing university policies and procedures on bias incidents and discrimination.

The UC Davis administration rejected all demands for total academic and cultural boycotts of Israel during the Spring 2024 encampment protests.

In August 2024, University of California President Drake launched a UC-wide Campus Climate Initiative to help all UC locations develop campus climate action plans for fall 2024 and beyond. President Drake also issued a directive to all UC campuses to make clear to their campus communities that certain activities – including encampments, masking to conceal identities and restricting free movement – are prohibited. In response to this directive, UC Davis published a new Freedom of Expression policy, updated the Use and Reservation of University Properties/Event Arrangements policy and launched a Free Speech website.

The UC Davis Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Jewish Student Life has been working to collect feedback, questions and complaints from Jewish students, which have been shared with administrators during regular quarterly meetings. UC Davis is also a member of the 5th cohort of Hillel’s CCI program.

The UC Davis Police Department also regularly engages with the campus Jewish community and works closely with Hillel of Davis and Sacramento to provide enhanced presence during regularly scheduled weekly events. The university also has a Freedom of Expression Response Team who are tasked with responding to harmful student expression on campus.

In 2023, Davis Hillel organized an event in a lecture hall on campus for ADL Central Pacific Region to educate students, faculty, and staff on understanding and addressing antisemitism. Nearly the entire student government attended.