Dean Bea González to Meet with Student Group Thursday

In a letter sent yesterday, Chancellor Kent Syverud told members of THE General Body that University College Dean Bea González, the Chancellor’s liaison to the group, is prepared to meet with them Thursday. This comes in response to an invitation THE General Body delivered to the Chancellor Tuesday.

In deliberating about how to accommodate his existing University commitments and travel with his desire to be responsive to the invitation, Chancellor Syverud talked with Dean González. They agreed she would attempt to meet with the group again to try to reach an agreement and establish a more permanent process for dialogue and action moving forward. A copy of the Chancellor’s letter can be found here.

Today marks the 16th day that THE General Body has had essentially unfettered access to Crouse-Hinds Hall as its protest continues. Despite some claims, students have not been “locked in” the building. They are there by choice and free to go at any time. The only restrictions that have ever applied are fire code rules, rules that allow mission-critical University functions such as classes to continue and access restrictions to the building when it is closed. When the building is closed, students are free to leave, but if they depart they cannot return until the building reopens.

“We continue to accommodate the students who remain in Crouse-Hinds Hall and recognize their concerns, while striving toward a more permanent process for engagement,” said Kevin Quinn, Senior VP for Public Affairs. “At the same time, facts about the University’s interaction with students have been distorted and misrepresented.”

In an effort to afford those students who continue to remain in the building maximum due process, copies of the Code of Student Conduct were provided to them on Friday, Nov. 14. A representative from the Office of General Counsel handed these copies to a representative of THE General Body, who then passed the copies out to the other students. Despite rumors to the contrary, this was all done in a respectful manner by both the student group member and the representative from the Office of General Counsel. In keeping with a commitment to due process, the University has committed to give students advance notice if plans are made to initiate Code of Student Conduct charges. No such plans are currently in place.

Moving forward, the University has continued to implement a series of actions, changes and suggestions that have emerged from this process.