Statement from UC San Diego Regarding the Ché Café and Student Co-Ops

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The university is committed to supporting UC San Diego’s student organizations and providing a broad range of cultural events and activities. The university reaffirms this commitment and assures the campus community that this pledge still stands.

The university strongly supports the campus co-ops and the important experience they provide to our students. We are committed to ensuring the continuation of the student cooperatives, including the Ché Café Collective. We want the co-ops to thrive and be successful.

We have offered to provide the Ché Café Collective meeting space and access to a safe concert venue consistent with university policies and procedures for student organizations. Space in the Student Center is available now as well as alternative entertainment venues that are able to accommodate student organization programming in University Centers, including the Stage Room at the Pub. These offers remain open.

We are delighted that student leaders from the University Centers Advisory Board (UCAB), Associated Students (AS) and the Graduate Student Associations (GSA) are meeting to deliberate on the future of the Ché Café building and may consider funding renovations which would include installation of a fire suppression and alarm system to the facility, among other needed renovations and repairs. The university supports this process. The student governments and the student body will play a critical role in determining the future of the Ché facility. A student fee referendum may be required to fund the renovation should the student governments decide to support the building.

While these deliberations continue, I want to make clear that the university has no plans to demolish the Ché Café building. At the same time, the health and safety of our students remain our primary concerns, and therefore, the building must be vacated, as recently ordered by the courts.  The Ché Café building will be secured to protect and preserve the facility. Access to Roger’s Community Garden, however, will not be interrupted.

The safety of our students is our primary concern. We will be engaged in the student governments’ review processes, and we are optimistic that the students will find a path forward that will work for everyone involved.