Failure to reach agreement between students, administration leads to fourth night of sit-in

THE General Body declined the administration's proposals, which were contingent on them vacating Crouse-Hinds by Friday.

The Crouse-Hinds Hall sit-in continued into its fourth night on Thursday, after students and administration failed to reach an agreement during the day.

The administration compiled a list of responses and proposals following 90-minute negotiations on Wednesday evening, said Bea Gonzalez, whom Chancellor Kent Syverud appointed as his liaison to THE General Body, in a Thursday email to the university community. Gonzalez, who is also dean of University College, delivered these responses and proposals to the students in the Crouse-Hinds lobby on Thursday morning.

According to Gonzalez’s email, the following proposals were offered in exchange for THE General Body’s agreement to vacate Crouse-Hinds Hall by Friday morning:

 

  • The Syracuse University Board of Trustees would invite additional campus comment before deciding on the new mission and vision statement. Student representatives would be able to meet with the Board of Trustees on Saturday.
  • The administration would sign a non-retaliation commitment that would apply to students participating in the sit-in.
  • The university would expedite a search for an Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator.
  • Provost Eric Spina and Senior Vice President Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz would meet with THE General Body on Thursday to go through their 43-page list of demands in detail.

 

In addition to these specific proposals, Gonzalez said, the administration agreed to continue discussions on the sexual assault resources on campus, funding for mental health programs and a commitment to the Posse scholarship program.

However, she said, this agreement did not come to fruition. THE General Body voted on Thursday afternoon to request written responses to their demands rather than meet with Spina and Kantrowitz.

The administration complied with the request for a written response on Thursday evening.

Ben Kuebrich, a graduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences and member of THE General Body, said in an email that he was glad the organization had begun to make some progress in negotiating with the administration. But he said THE General Body has no plans to end the sit-in, as the administration has requested.

“With so many important grievances yet to address, it would be irresponsible for us to end the sit in now,” he said. “We are working for an inclusive, democratic, just university. We can't stop until we achieve it.”

Kuebrich said he was disappointed that the Board of Trustees is making the postponement of the mission and vision statement contingent on the end of the sit-in.

THE General Body was identifying on Thursday night what exactly it would take to the end the sit-in, he said, and hopes to have a clear response by Friday. 

Valerie Crowder contributed reporting to this story. 

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