NotAgainSU

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The correct title of this article is #NotAgainSU. The omission of the # is due to technical restrictions.

#NotAgainSU is a hashtag and student led organization that formed after several racist incidents occurred at Syracuse University during the 2019-2021 academic years. Initial reports of racist vandalism were made in early November in first- and second-year residence halls. After nearly a month of daily reports, students organized a sit-in and presented a list of 19 demands for Chancellor Kent Syverud to sign. Following several protests, including some at his personal residence, the list was signed with revisions on November 21. [1]

Contents

Background

In 2014, a sit-in at Crouse-Hinds Hall lasted 18 days following a series of racist incidents. The group referred to themselves as "THE General Body". The protest did not gain as much traction as #NotAgainSU. [2]

Timeline of events

In early November 2019, students reported racist vandalism in residence halls and other campus buildings, targeting Asian and Black students In response, Chancellor Kent Syverud and the vice president for the student experience emailed the campus, and Syverud apologized for the speed of his initial response. [3]

Further incidents were reported in mid-November, including graffiti and a swastika near student housing. [4] On November 18-19, a manifesto allegedly connected to the Christchurch mosque shootings circulated on a Greek-life message board and was AirDropped to students in the university library. [4] On November 21, Syverud agreed to sign 16 of the students' 19 demands; #NotAgainSU continued to call for his resignation. [5]

In December 2019, #NotAgainSU organizers staged a walkout calling for the resignations of several administrators, including the chancellor and Department of Public Safety (DPS) leadership. [5]

On February 17, 2020, #NotAgainSU began a second sit-in at Crouse-Hinds Hall, where the chancellor's office is located. [5] The university issued suspensions to some participants for student-conduct violations and temporarily restricted access to the building; after criticism, the university announced an external review of DPS led by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch. In February 26, the university began negotiations, which resulted in commitments including mandatory diversity training for non-tenured faculty, hiring additional counselors, and revising the campus policy on peaceful protest. [5]

The occupation continued through the extended spring break during the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 18, 2020, the sit-in ended after a virtual meeting between organizers and university officials; the parties announced agreement on the demand framework, and classes moved online for the remainder of the semester. [5]

Demands

#NotAgainSU protestors made a list of 19 demands to the University, later expanded to 34 after Chancellor Syverud signed the initial list. [6] The demands focused on improving the experiences of marginalized students and expanding university-wide education on diversity with a focus on anti-racism. [7]

Protestors called for sanctions for students involved in hate crimes and bias-related incidents proportionate to their level of involvement; reform of the SEM100 course (now FYS 101); and mandatory faculty and staff training on diversity and anti-racism. [8] Additional demands included stronger anti-harassment policies; open forums for addressing grievances from marginalized students; and regular, published progress updates from the university. [9] [10]

Housing-related demands included prioritizing disabled students in the housing selection process and adopting roommate-selection platforms to allow students to select roommates with similar backgrounds and interests. Protesters also sought increased funding for counseling services that better represent marginalized students, development of a multicultural center, recognition of multicultural Greek life, and increased financial aid for students of color. [9] [10]

Protesters also addressed administrative and DPS processes, seeking timelier responses to racial incidents on campus and greater transparency. They called for an external review of DPS, and sought the removal of several administrators, including Chancellor Syverud, senior vice president Dolan Evanovich, DPS chief Bobby Maldonad, and DPS deputy chief John Sardino. [9] [10]

Results of protests

First year seminar

A new required course for first-year students, FYS (First Year Seminar), replaced SEM 100. The goal is to educate students on diversity and inclusion on and off campus. Some students have said FYS was similar to SEM 100 and lacked sufficient content to meet its goals. [8]

Community review board

Following the third-party review of DPS by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, a community review board for the department was created based on her recommendations. One notable point in her review, contrary to some protesters' demands, was that disarming DPS was not feasible or safe given the surrounding community. [11] The board consists of 11 members (five students and six university employees). It reviews officer conduct based on complaints from community members and issues written reports and recommendations to the chancellor. [12]

References

  1. ↑ Baker, Chris; McMahon, Julie (2019-11-21). "Syracuse University protesters demand Chancellor Syverud's resignation". syracuse. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  2. ↑ Watson, Taylor (2016-07-10). "Explaining THE General Body's history and grievances". The Daily Orange. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  3. ↑ "Syracuse Students Demand Action After Racist Incident Spree". Teen Vogue. 2019-11-20. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  4. 1 2 "Syracuse Students Demand Action After Racist Incident Spree". Teen Vogue. 2019-11-20. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 news (2020-11-14). "BEHIND THE PROTEST: One year after the formation of #NotAgainSU". The Daily Orange. Retrieved 2024-04-26.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  6. ↑ McMahon, Julie (2019-11-21). "Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud signs list of student demands — with 3 edits". syracuse. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  7. ↑ Ly, Laura (2019-11-19). "Syracuse students are camped out in a campus building to protest racist incidents". CNN. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  8. 1 2 Leonard, Karoline (2021-12-09). "Students call for transparency in FYS 101, inclusion of #NotAgainSU protests". The Daily Orange. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  9. 1 2 3 McMahon, Julie (2020-03-05). "What do #NotAgainSU protesters want from Syracuse University? Here's full list of demands". syracuse. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  10. 1 2 3 "Concerns of #NotAgainSU Students". www.syracuse.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  11. ↑ "REPORT OF INDEPENDENT COUNSEL TO SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY REGARDING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY" (PDF). 2021-02-21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  12. ↑ "Community Review Board - Office of Government and Community Relations – Syracuse University". gcr.syr.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
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