Students demonstrate outside James B. Colgate Hall. (Photo by Dylan Crouse ’15)
(Update: Demonstration ends with on-campus celebration.)
A peaceful demonstration supporting inclusion and diversity, which began on Monday, Sept. 22, continued at Colgate today. Progress has been made toward mutual understanding regarding the 21-point list of “concerns and action plans” that were submitted to the administration by the Colgate University Association of Critical Collegians (ACC).
President Jeffrey Herbst — along with Suzy Nelson, dean of the college, and Douglas Hicks, provost and dean of the faculty — met for many hours over the past two days with ACC representatives to discuss their concerns. Herbst, Nelson, and Hicks also joined the sit-in for several hours to listen to the students’ stories of having endured incidents of racism, classism, homophobia, and sexism on campus.
Herbst, Hicks, and Nelson responded today in a written, point-by-point manner to the ACC’s suggestions, in a way that Herbst characterized as comprehensive and intentional. “We believe our response will be the basis for further discussion,” Herbst said.
Herbst reiterated, “Bias incidents and racism, while not unique to Colgate, are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. They have no place on a college campus, and they have no place at Colgate. We have heard you, and we will join you in the common goal of creating a campus environment that is welcoming and supportive of all of our students.”