Ongoing Developments from Crouse-Hinds Hall 2.19.20

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

Throughout the day, many of us have been meeting and speaking with the students demonstrating in Crouse-Hinds Hall about how we can move forward collectively. These conversations have been insightful in understanding where we may find common ground.

As a result of this continued dialogue, we made several commitments to our students, including

• Revoking the interim suspension for any student who voluntarily leaves Crouse-Hinds Hall by 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
• Reiterating our offer to support peaceful protests during Crouse-Hinds Hall’s hours of operation with overnight protests relocating to Bird Library, a 24-hour building that is equipped and staffed to safely handle the influx of students.
• Scheduling a meeting with this group of students on Thursday, Feb. 20, to identify the leaders responsible for addressing their new and existing concerns, as well as a timeline for meeting dates—with good faith commitment to weekly meetings through the Spring 2020 semester. Thursday’s meeting would have included John Liu, interim vice chancellor and provost; Tony Callisto, senior vice president and chief law enforcement officer; Amanda Nicholson, interim deputy senior vice present for enrollment and the student experience; and Meredith Davis, associate vice president of student engagement.

After deliberation, students rejected all of these options.

Shifting culture and creating positive change is a long and, at times, complicated process. But it is possible to acknowledge progress, while also being very clear that hard and necessary work remains. Reflecting on what we have done and the work ahead reminds us that realizing our collective goals is possible, even if it takes longer than anticipated.

Sincerely,

Rob Hradsky
Vice President for the Student Experience