#NOTAGAINSU Negotiations
visual courtesy of @notagain.su Instagram
The first day of negotiations between #NotAgainSU student protestors and senior administration revealed controversy over the demands previously signed by Chancellor Kent Syverud. Some portions of the four hour negotiation session appeared to be productive, while at other times conversation did not seem to be moving forward.
Early in the meeting, inconsistencies surfaced about which version of #NotAgainSU’s demands were originally provided and signed after the Barnes Center sit-in in November, and what the university did and did not agree too. #NotAgainSU stated that the document they provided for administration to sign at the end of last semester included the expansions to their original demands. However, administrators said they believe that the demands signed by the chancellor did not include these expansions.
Syverud was questioned by students about the apparent absence of the expansions when he called in to the negotiation session a little after 5 p.m. “I am confused and it sounds like you are confused as well about what exactly was agreed to, but it sounds like we have to agree to disagree about what was agreed to previously,” he said over the phone.
Syverud also responded again to the movements’ demand for his resignation. “I don’t intend to walk away from my responsibilities as chancellor and particularly the responsibility to make this a university that models inclusions for all students,” he re-stated.
“I do intend to take responsibility for that and for the mishandling of the early days of this protest,” Syverud continued, “I have apologized and I want to apologize again for the that mishandling and I am ultimately responsible for it.” Amanda Nicholson, interim deputy senior VP for enrollment and the student experience, also apologized on behalf of herself - and about ten other senior administrators who report directly to the Chancellor - for the mishandling of the protest.
More than 30 student protesters were given interim suspensions on the first day of the occupation of Crouse Hinds, which were later lifted. In #NotAgainSU’s opening statement, they argued that the administration had denied them food, medicine, and hygiene products during their occupation. Protesters were prevented from accessing food unless they agreed to negotiate with administrators. They also argued that DPS officers used physical violence, racial profiling, and intimidation tactics against protestors.
Regarding the demand for the resignations of VP for Enrollment and Student Experience Dolan Evanovich, DPS Chief Bobby Maldonado, and Deputy Chief John Sardino, Syverud said he does not think that their termination or resignation “would be in the best interest of the university at this point.”
He also was not able to agree to the requested tuition freeze, and said he would have to defer the matter to the Board of Trustees. However, he indicated that a tuition freeze would likely not happen.
The negotiators were able to come to a consensus on SEM 100 reform, allocating one million dollars to the SEM 100 curriculum for next year.
Chancellor Syverud was not present at the meeting as he was off campus regarding coronavirus preparation. Mangram stated that he would be calling in from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., however he was only on the phone for about half an hour. No one from the Board of Trustees was present or called in for the negotiations, despite requests in advance by #NotAgainSU to have some members zoom or skype in. Syverud said he would communicate to trustees that student organizers would like them to be present.
The negotiations will continue on Tuesday at 4 p.m. in Crouse Hinds Hall.
The official negotiation documents can be found on #NotAgainSU’s Instagram. Closed captioned audio from the negotiation is available here.