UPDATED: Nov. 10, 11:46 p.m.

Syracuse University administrators met with student protesters on Monday to finish going over demands of THE General Body, a student coalition that has camped out in Crouse-Hinds Hall for over a week.

During the two-hour meeting in the Crouse-Hinds Hall lobby, Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric Spina, Dean of Student Affairs Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz and University College Dean Bea Gonzalez discussed several demands with members of the group.

The discussion was a continuation of a meeting with Spina, Kantrowitz and Gonzalez held Sunday evening with students who spent the weekend in Crouse-Hinds. Progress was made on some issues, while other demands remain unresolved.

“This was the most productive meeting we’ve had so far,” said Danielle Reed, a junior African American studies major and member of THE General Body.

Several topics were discussed at Monday’s meeting, including:

— Reinstating the Multicultural Spring Program

— Requiring diversity training for senior administrators, incoming students and other university employees

— Increasing the pay level of graduate students

— Reversing cuts to the Posse program

— Administration signing a non-retaliation agreement

The Multicultural Spring Program was the first item discussed. The program has since been replaced by Own the Dome as an event for admitted students. Protesters want the old program reinstated. But Spina said the university has had success with the newer Own the Dome program, though they’re willing to integrate parts of the old Multicultural Spring Program to improve it.

The next topic discussed was THE General Body’s demand of requiring diversity training for senior administrators, incoming students, the Department of Public Safety, department chairs and other groups.

Kantrowitz and Spina acknowledged the training is important, but there was discussion over who should facilitate the training, and who exactly would receive what type of training.

Administrators and students found common ground on the issue of increasing pay for graduate students. Sherri Williams, a graduate student and protester, said the concern is that graduate students must balance their own schoolwork, research and needs of their students while also making financial choices on such little pay.

THE General Body is proposing a 7 percent increase in pay for graduate students for each of the next two years. Spina said while making a straight living wage comparison is challenging, pay for graduate students needs to be higher.

“We need to get to $14,000 and beyond as quickly as possible,” he said. “I’ll be an advocate for this to happen.”

Following the discussion of graduate student pay, the two sides brought up cuts to the Posse program, which was also talked about on Sunday night. THE General Body is demanding that the university honor its original contract with Posse, which would mean maintaining a program in three cities for the next five years.

“We’ve made it very clear we want you to honor the original contract with Posse and we’re not budging on that, so did you come back and say yes we agree to that?” asked Becca Glaser, one of the protesters.

“Not at this point, no,” Spina replied.

Spina added that he recognizes the process of announcing cuts to the program “was not done well,” and that the university wants to maintain its relationship with Posse. However, he said for SU to continue to support three Posses is a challenge.

“I believe taking some of those resources and putting them into other programs, I believe is going to impact more students,” Spina said. “I know it’s not popular, I know people are highly supportive of Posse, I am as well.” He added that current Posse scholars at SU are not affected by the cuts.

As a final point of discussion, protesters said they would not necessarily be leaving without administration signing a non-retaliation agreement. Spina said that’s a reasonable request, as long the process remains peaceful.

One protester pointed out that many solutions and commitments seem to be contingent on THE General Body ending the sit-in. However Spina and Kantrowitz said that isn’t the case.

“The things we’re committing to, we’re committing to because we believe in them,” Spina said.

“I know that trust has been broken and I think we understand that and are sorry about that,” Kantrowitz said.

Protesters also asked for a written document of rules that they need to abide by, since many of them said that the rules set by the administration and the Department of Public Safety are constantly changing. Spina said a written set of rules would be provided by 10 a.m. on Tuesday

Students asked about the possibility of another meeting with administrators on Tuesday. Gonzalez said she would get back to protesters by noon on Tuesday about whether that would be possible.

Published on November 10, 2014 at 7:45 pm

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