#NotAgainSU issued a statement Monday rejecting the university’s announcement that it would end negotiations with organizers.

The movement, led by Black students, has occupied Crouse-Hinds Hall since Feb. 17 to continue its protest of the university’s response to at least 31 racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic incidents that have occurred at or near Syracuse University since November.

Protesters met with SU officials four times last week to negotiate on the movement’s revised demands. After Friday’s negotiation session ended without a resolution, Interim Provost John Liu announced Saturday that SU would end negotiations but provide other means for discussion.

Liu described the four negotiation sessions as complete in an SU News release. #NotAgainSU said in its response that Liu mischaracterized the negotiations and failed to provide sufficient explanations for the university’s response to its demands.

“The administration ended the negotiations prematurely and left them incomplete,” the movement’s statement said.

Liu later acknowledges in the release that several of the protesters’ demands went unresolved.

SU will continue to provide means for engagement with students, including through committees, Liu said. None of the committees Liu references – including the Board of Trustees Special Committee on University Climate, Diversity and Inclusion– offer tangible decision-making power, #NotAgainSU’s statement said.

“Integrating student activists into committees and ‘working groups’ is one way the administration co-opts movements and diverts them from direct action,” the movement’s statement reads.

#NotAgainSU’s statement repeatedly criticized Liu’s vague language surrounding concessions that the university made.

Liu did not use language that was explicit enough to satisfy the movements demands when discussing agreements on academic accommodations for organizers and revisions to the campus disruption policy, #NotAgainSU said in its statement.

#NotAgainSU also criticized Liu for referring to the movement’s demands as “requests,” and calling the negotiations between SU officials and #NotAgainSU organizers “engagement sessions.”

Liu’s letter never refers to the #NotAgainSU movement by name, the movements points out in its statement.

“This failure on the part of the SU upper administration to acknowledge the members of our campus community who are actually engaging in this work invalidates any ‘understanding’ of what the work requires,” the statement reads.

The movement incorrectly claimed in its statement that SU administration in November “charged” a student who vandalized a building with graffiti in support of #NotAgainSU. The Syracuse Police Department released the student’s name after their arrest. Federal privacy law only allows universities to publish the names of students found responsible for violent offenses.

#NotAgainSU further criticized Liu’s statement for failing to provide reasons for the university’s decision to refute some of the movement’s key demands––including demands to disarm DPS officers, remove four university officials and release a university-wide statement acknowledging SU’s complicity in perpetuating white supremacy.

During last week’s negotiations, SU officials conceded to open one new counseling position to increase mental health resources for students. Syverud had agreed in November to open four counseling positions as part of the movement’s original 19 demands.

Liu’s letter states that the two sides agreed to hire five new counselors during this week’s negotiations. By not acknowledging the November agreement, the letter gives administrators credit for progress made by student protesters, #NotAgainSU said in its statement.

#NotAgainSU has continued to push for SU officials to resume negotiations with the movement’s organizers. Organizers will be prepared to continue negotiations Tuesday at 4 p.m. in Crouse-Hinds, the movement’s statement said.

“#NotAgainSU remains committed to completing negotiations with the administration in person, not via email,” the statement read. “We implore the administration to come prepared to answer questions and negotiate with student organizers in ‘good faith.’”

Published on March 9, 2020 at 10:22 pm

Contact Chris: cjhippen@syr.edu