Introduction
In the wake of significant disturbances during Chico’s Rancho Chico Days celebration, mirroring the tumultuous history of Pioneer Days, California State University, Chico, took decisive action. On May 17, 1990, the Faculty Senate unanimously passed a “Resolution Against the Continuation of Pioneer Days-like Festivals.” This resolution, identified as FS 90/26, articulated the faculty’s deep concern over the recurring “acts of drunkenness, violence, vandalism, and rape” that had become associated with Pioneer Days and similar events. These incidents had tarnished the reputation of both the University and the wider Chico community. The resolution strongly condemned the continuation of any Pioneer Days-like activities while the University was in session and urged a community-wide reevaluation of priorities. It further directed the University President to take robust measures should the community sponsor such events in the future, including seeking legal injunctions, prioritizing academic goals over event participation, and withdrawing recognition from student organizations involved in community-exploited events.
Purpose of University Policy
This Executive Memorandum formally enacts the Faculty Senate Resolution, establishing a clear University Policy. The primary aim is to deter campus involvement in any future Pioneer Days-like celebrations and to mitigate the potential disruption to the University’s academic mission should similar events occur. This policy is a direct response to the events, notably the Pioneer Days Riot 1987, and their detrimental impact on the university environment. Broader discussions concerning student life quality, raised during the Senate discussions, are addressed separately in a Letter to Faculty.
Background: The Legacy of Pioneer Days and the 1987 Riot
Pioneer Days in Chico had a long history, initially considered largely harmless. However, by the mid-1970s, the event became increasingly associated with unruly behavior, leading to criminal incidents, including gang rape and even homicide. Alcohol-related injuries rose sharply, and a noticeable decline in student academic performance during the spring semester became a serious concern. Despite numerous attempts to reform the event by student and faculty committees, and the implementation of various recommendations, Pioneer Days continued to be marred by excessive waste and unfortunate incidents.
The Pioneer Days riot of 1987 marked a turning point. Following this dangerous riot, the University decided to completely disengage from the event. In 1987, and repeatedly in subsequent years (1988, 1989, and 1990), the University implored organizers to either abandon the event or reschedule it to a time that would not negatively impact students’ academic pursuits. These appeals were unsuccessful. The 1990 Rancho Chico Days event resulted in significant property damage, numerous injuries, and the arrest of 108 individuals, 26 of whom were Chico State students. Predictably, class attendance plummeted. Critically, these events reinforced a negative perception of Chico State as a “party school,” undermining the serious academic endeavors of the entire university community. This perception directly damaged the reputation of students, faculty, and the curriculum, impacting the future prospects of everyone associated with the institution.
The conclusions drawn were based on extensive input: discussions at a special faculty convocation on May 10, subsequent communications from faculty, staff, students, and community members, a thorough historical review including alumni and parent feedback from 1987, press and police reports spanning years, analyses from special committees assessing Pioneer Days in 1973, 1977, 1985, and 1987, and interviews with students arrested during the 1990 disturbances. This comprehensive review identified several key factors contributing to the event’s deterioration:
- Large gatherings of intoxicated youth: Such gatherings, regardless of location, inherently increase the risk of violence. Examples from that year included Detroit, San Luis Obispo, Palm Springs, Fort Lauderdale, Daytona, and Atlantic City, among other college and resort towns.
- Promotion as a tourist attraction: Media attention and promotion attracted large numbers of visitors without local ties or accountability, exacerbating crowd control issues.
- Easy access to alcohol: Careless alcohol sales and underage drinking contributed significantly to widespread drunkenness and erratic behavior among young attendees, including minors.
- University and community growth: The transformation of the University from a small normal school to a large comprehensive institution with over 16,000 students, compounded by the presence of 12,000 community college students and numerous secondary-school students during events, led to massive street congregations. Even if only a small fraction of these individuals were involved in disturbances, they could easily overwhelm local law enforcement designed for a smaller city.
- Changes in student conduct regulations: The lowering of the voting age to 18 decades prior led to colleges, courts, and legislators abandoning strict parietal rules and off-campus student conduct codes. Imposing campus sanctions like expulsion or suspension for off-campus misbehavior became nearly impossible.
University Policy Moving Forward
- California State University, Chico, has established a policy to initiate legal action to prevent off-campus organizations, both private and public, from holding public celebrations while the University is in session if these events rely on university facilities or exploit university faculty, staff, or students in ways that could harm the University’s academic mission.
To assess the potential threat posed by the nature and timing of proposed celebrations, the Faculty Senate will form an ad hoc subcommittee. This subcommittee will review and recommend approval or disapproval for events seeking participation from University-recognized and supported student organizations.
- University-recognized and supported organizations that participate in public celebrations deemed detrimental to the University’s academic interests by the Senate committee will face immediate loss of university recognition and support upon asserting their intent to participate. Organizations that are penalized may petition the Vice President for Student Affairs for reinstatement of recognition. Such petitions will only be considered two years after the withdrawal of recognition, and a favorable recommendation from the Vice President for Student Affairs must include endorsement from the Senate subcommittee. The VPSA will annually publish and distribute a list of proscribed organizations to new students each fall.
University-recognized and supported organizations that are local chapters of national organizations (e.g., fraternities, sororities, religious groups, special interest groups, disciplinary and political groups) will have their national sponsors notified of any actions taken under this policy. Insurance carriers for these organizations will also be informed of the University’s withdrawal of recognition and support.
Faculty and staff advisors to penalized organizations will not be covered by state liability protection for their advisory roles.
Organizations lacking university recognition and support are prohibited from using university facilities in any capacity and from using the university name or service mark for self-identification.
(Attachment)
RESOLUTION AGAINST THE CONTINUATION OF PIONEER DAYS-LIKE FESTIVALS
Whereas, California State University, Chico, faculty, staff, and students are committed to maintaining the University as a distinguished center for learning and scholarly activity; and
Whereas, The University and surrounding communities historically enjoyed the University-sponsored Spring Festival, Pioneer Days, which originated when the University had a much smaller student body; and
Whereas, As the University and community grew, Pioneer Days became associated not with historical and family celebration but with acts of drunkenness, violence, vandalism, and rape; and
Whereas, The University deemed these associated acts antithetical to its academic mission, leading to the ban of all Pioneer Days activities in 1987, following the Pioneer Days riot 1987; and
Whereas, Some Chico community members continued to sponsor Pioneer Days activities under the guise of “Rancho Chico Days,” despite recognizing the inherent antisocial consequences; and
Whereas, Even with the best intentions, Rancho Chico Days could not prevent the attraction of drunkenness, violence, and vandalism, which negatively impacted the University and community’s reputation; and
Whereas, While assigning blame for the most recent riotous behavior might offer temporary relief, it does not address the fundamental issue that such behavior is inherently linked to the continuation of Pioneer Days-like Spring activities; and
Whereas, Although it is regrettable that the immoral and criminal actions of a few spoil the enjoyment for many, the University can no longer tolerate the perception of affiliation with Pioneer Days-like activities, as it devalues the University, its faculty, staff, students, programs, and degrees; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Faculty Senate of California State University, Chico, condemns the immoral, irresponsible, and criminal activities that occurred during the 1990 Rancho Chico Days; and be it further
Resolved, That the Faculty Senate of California State University, Chico, condemns the perpetuation of any Pioneer Days-like activities while the University is in session and urges the community to reexamine its priorities; and be it further
Resolved, That the Faculty Senate of California State University, Chico, urges President Wilson to impose the most severe penalties available on students found guilty of crimes and misdemeanors related to the 1990 Rancho Chico Days; and be it further
Resolved, That should the community continue to sponsor any ill-fated Pioneer Days-like event in the future, the Faculty Senate of California State University, Chico, urges President Wilson to:
(1) Seek legal injunctive relief to protect the University from such events;
(2) Urge all members of the academic community to prioritize the University’s academic goals over participation in Pioneer Days-like activities; and
(3) Withdraw University recognition from any student organization that participates and is exploited by the community.
