The University of California, Los Angeles, which struggled last spring with violent protests against Israel’s war with Hamas, unveiled a plan Thursday to rebuild trust and bonds on campus, including strengthened security measures, broader dialogue across differences, free speech guidelines and greater efforts to support diversity.

In a letter to the Bruins community sent three weeks before the start of fall classes, Interim Chancellor Darnell Hunt wrote that a “difficult spring” underscored the urgent need for new initiatives to repair the damage to trust and unity on campus.

UCLA captured the world’s attention in April when video captured a brutal nighttime attack on a pro-Palestinian camp by counterprotesters armed with metal pipes, wooden planks, fists and fireworks. Law enforcement soon forcibly dismantled the camp, arresting 231 people, including about 90 students. The security lapses prompted UCLA to replace its police chief. Faculty members outraged by the police’s actions held a vote of censure and no confidence in then-Chancellor Gene Block, which failed.

Meanwhile, a congressional committee subpoenaed Block to question him about his handling of anti-Semitism, and three Jewish students sued UCLA for failing to protect access to campus paths and buildings that they said were blocked by pro-Palestinian activists who questioned whether they were Zionists.

Hunt said his four-point plan moving forward will aim to create a “safer, stronger UCLA,” including reviews of policing practices, campus-wide efforts to build community and updated free speech guidelines.

“As a campus that promotes inclusive excellence, we must protect the opportunity for Bruins of all backgrounds and identities to feel safe, welcome, respected, and able to fully participate in campus life,” Hunt wrote. “We may not always view important and timely issues in the same way, but when we engage with respect and empathy, we can grow as people and maintain a healthy academic environment for all.”

UCLA’s new free speech guidelines follow strict new guidelines from the University of California for managing protests. UC President Michael V. Drake ordered all 10 UC campuses to publish free speech policies and notify students before the start of fall semesters, a move that aligns with a state legislative order. UCLA and six other UC undergraduate campuses are starting classes the week of Sept. 23; UC Berkeley and UC Merced began last month.

The UCLA rules, issued Wednesday, go into effect immediately as temporary regulations until they are finalized after a 60-day public review process. They define approved free speech zones, leaving out Royce Quad as one of them. The Quad was a major conflict zone last spring, home to both a Palestinian Solidarity encampment and a pro-Israel area with a giant screen that showed video loops of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel.

Free speech zones include Bruin Walk and the Plaza in front of the Student Union Building and Pauley Pavilion, as well as the East Lawn next to Janss Steps.

The policy prohibits the erection of tents, campsites, and other temporary structures on UCLA grounds without prior approval and the blocking of access to sidewalks and buildings. Amplified sound will be prohibited during marches, but otherwise will be generally permitted with some restrictions. Concealing one’s identity while breaking laws or rules will be prohibited. The policy also details procedures for organizing events on campus and emphasizes that the campus will be closed from midnight to 6 a.m. for classes with limited exceptions.

In addition to new free speech policies, the plan includes a renewed focus on campus safety and well-being. After the April 30 night of brawls, UCLA created a new Office of Campus Safety, hired former Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel to lead it and moved all policing and emergency management programs to the office. The office, along with the University of California, is reviewing its security protocols and police response to the protests last spring.

But Hunt said the office will expand its responsibilities beyond protest management. A 2022 report on campus safety noted that students, faculty and staff expressed concerns not only about campus policing, but also mental health, COVID protections, racism and sexism, mass shooting and earthquake preparedness, and sexual assault. UCLA will address such broader issues in the expanded indictment as it continues its listening sessions, Hunt said.

UCLA will also launch several programs aimed at building understanding among those who disagree. Across the UC system, many students, faculty and administrators say differences over Israel’s war with Hamas have torn their campuses apart in ways never seen before. Hunt said the first step in healing those divisions is “seeing each other as real people shaped by complex backgrounds and experiences — not as simple stereotypes.”

UCLA will launch a new lecture series this fall, offering “difficult but empathetic conversations” on timely topics. The first event will feature Yasmeen Abu Fraiha, an Israeli Bedouin doctor and fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School’s Middle East Initiative.

“Speaking Across Conflicts” workshops will aim to strengthen skills for having constructive conversations in the face of tense political differences. New student internships and teaching fellowships on effective dialogue are also planned. Many of the expanded programs will be housed at the UCLA Bedari Kindness Institute and will be directed by David Myers, a professor of Jewish history who has a long history of building bridges.

“In a community as diverse as ours, part of our learning and growth comes from engaging with perspectives we may disagree with or not understand,” Hunt wrote. “While this may be uncomfortable, it also helps us deepen our thinking, consider different approaches, and consider new ways of looking at a problem. Ultimately, this contributes to truth, knowledge, and understanding.”

Hunt also said UCLA will continue to look for ways to increase support for its diverse community. For example, the Office of Civil Rights is currently analyzing reports of anti-Semitism, as well as anti-Arab and Islamophobic discrimination, to understand how this has affected student experiences.

“UCLA is a spectacular place, but it is far from perfect,” Hunt said. “A commitment to rigorously examining the challenges we have faced and how we have addressed them—and making changes based on those findings—is essential if UCLA is to best serve its important academic mission and meet the needs of its students, faculty and staff.”