Syracuse University students have participated in several campus protests over the last 60 years. The university has implemented protesters’ demands after many of the demonstrations.

#NotAgainSU, a movement led by Black students, is occupying Crouse-Hinds Hall to continue its protest of at least 30 racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic incidents that have occurred at or near SU since November.

The movement presented Chancellor Kent Syverud with 19 demands in November. The chancellor signed 16 as written and revised the remaining three. Organizers have added 16 demands since beginning the Crouse-Hinds occupation Feb. 17.

#NotAgainSU has met with university officials throughout the week to negotiate its additional demands. The groups have yet to reach an agreement.

Here’s a breakdown of how SU administration has responded to student protests and grievances in the past:

Recognize Us

Recognize Us, a coalition of SU student organizations, formed in spring 2018 after the Theta Tau videos controversy.

SU expelled its chapter of the Theta Tau engineering fraternity after members created and circulated videos that Chancellor Kent Syverud called “extremely racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist and hostile to people with disabilities.”

Recognize Us released a set of six demands in response to the incident, including an evaluation of Greek life on campus, a required first-year diversity course and the hiring of more diverse faculty.

SU implemented SEM 100, a first-year diversity and inclusion seminar, the semester after the Theta Tau incident. The university also conducted a review of its Greek life and announced in 2018 the hiring of more diverse faculty through the Cluster Hires Initiative.

SU has already implemented some of #NotAgainSU’s original demands, such as training faculty on diversity and inclusion and gathering input on SEM 100 reform. During negotiations with administration this week, officials expressed some misunderstanding on what demands they previously agreed to in November.

THE General Body

THE General Body, a coalition of more than 50 student organizations, presented a 45-page document of grievances and demands to the university in November 2014 following a Diversity and Transparency Rally held at Hendricks Chapel.

The coalition’s grievances centered on nine issues, including increasing transparency in student services and improving training and knowledge of minority issues.

THE General Body presented a 45-page document of grievances and demands to the university during its protest. Daily Orange File Photo

After the rally, protesters walked to Crouse-Hinds to deliver the document to SU administration. The group said they would stay in the building until they received a response from Syverud on their demands. The coalition’s occupation of the building lasted 18 days.

University officials said SU has created more seats for students to serve on academic committees. In September 2015, Syverud announced the Chancellor’s Workgroup on Diversity and Inclusion.

Syracuse 8

Nine Black SU football players — who mistakenly became known as the Syracuse 8 —boycotted games and practices in the spring of 1970 to protest racism within the university’s athletic programs.

The players protested racial discrimination in disciplinary action and the use of racist language by the coaching staff. They also demanded the hiring of a Black assistant coach.

Former Chancellor John Corbally and other university officials had multiple meetings with the players, but progress to implement their demands was slow. The players refused to sign a statement of loyalty in which they accepted blame for creating conflict.

SU officials had initially given #NotAgainSU organizers inside Crouse-Hinds the option to sign a letter saying their suspensions would be lifted if they left the building by 10 p.m. on Feb. 18. Students refused to sign.

Corbally formed a Committee on Allegations of Racial Discrimination in the Football Program in the fall of 1970, concluding that racism in the SU athletic department was “real, chronic, largely unintentional” and also sustained “by many modes of behavior common in American athletics and long-standing at Syracuse University.”

SU administration said during negotiations with #NotAgainSU that it would not admit it was complicit in white supremacy, failing to meet one of the movement’s demands.

1969 Protests

About 100 Black students in 1969 protested SU’s failure to accommodate the needs of Black students in front of what was then the SU Administration Building.

The protesters, who represented six student organizations, demanded to meet with former Chancellor William P. Tolley and Vice Chancellor and Provost Frank P. Piskor. One spokesperson from each of the groups met with Piskor during the protest while the rest of the students remained outside the building.

#NotAgainSU protesters met with SU Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday discuss their demands. The movement has said that it will continue its occupation until all demands are met.

In response to the 1969 demonstration, SU officially established African American studies as an academic program at the university in 1971. While the program had no affiliation with any school or college at SU, the university later implemented it as an individual department in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The students’ demonstration also led to the opening of SU’s Martin Luther King Jr. Library in 1971 and the Community Folk Gallery, now known as the Community Folk Arts Center, in 1973.

Published on March 4, 2020 at 11:49 pm

Contact Sarah: scalessa@syr.edu | @sarahalessan