Dive Brief:
- A sit-in protest by students at Syracuse University reached its fourth day on Thursday, and there are currently no plans for it to end.
- The protest group, which calls itself “THE General Body,” is holding the sit-in in the university’s administration building, protesting the school’s actions regarding minority groups and community engagement, the Post-Standard reported.
- The protest group met with Chancellor Kent Syverud on Wednesday, and he agreed to schedule regular conversations with students as early as next week, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported.
Dive Insight:
The list of the students’ top grievances seems to be fluctuating as the timeline progresses and various news outlets report their take on the demonstration. The protesters’ issues include the closing of an advocacy center for victims of sexual assault, a planned vote by the board of trustees to alter the school’s mission and vision statement, a lack of transparency in decision-making by the administration, a shortage of mental health resources for students, campus access for people with disabilities, cuts to a scholarship program for minorities, and possible retaliation against protesters. While Syverud agreed Wednesday that protesters would not be retaliated against by the university, he didn’t sign a written agreement presented to him on that issue, the Daily Orange reported.