The faculty accepted alternative two of the college merger proposals by a narrow margin while striking down alternatives one and three, bringing to an end the weeklong referendum process.

The Academic Senate Executive Committee certified and released the results a day after the window to cast a ballot closed.

Alternative two – which would leave the College of Ethnic Studies as it is, rather than joining it with education – was approved by the faculty with a vote of 266.41-251.85.

The preservation of ethnic studies, an iconic part of the University’s legacy, has been one of the largest issues for faculty concerning the recommendations levied by the University Planning Advisory Council in January.

After UPAC’s recommendation, President Robert A. Corrigan announced that faculty could vote on three variations of the merger, which would decrease the number of colleges to a six-plus-one structure.

Alternative one would create the College of Ethnic Studies and Education and alternatives two and three would leave ethnic studies as is.

Faculty voted against the alternative one 363.88-153.05 and alternative three 437.21-81.05.

The third alternative would place the communication studies and journalism departments into the College of Creative Arts. If Corrigan, who has final authority on the matter, sides with the faculty, those departments would move to the College of Liberal Arts.

The AS Executive Committee tallied the results by a pro-rated time base with 574 people voting.

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