NotAgainSU

#NotAgainSU is a hashtag and student led organization that began after several racist incidents occurred on the campus of Syracuse University, during the academic course of 2019-2021. Initial reports of racist paraphernalia occurred early November in the dorm buildings of first- and second-year undergraduate students. After nearly a month of daily reports, Syracuse students organized a sit-in where they occupied, and created an elaborate list of 19 demands for Chancellor Kent Syverud to sign. After several protests, some taking place at his persona residence, the list was signed with few revisions on November 21.

Background

Syracuse has a history of racist incidents. #NotAgainSU was not the first time students at the university stood up to racist events. In 2014 there was a sit-in at Crouse Hinds Hall that lasted 18 days following a series of racist incidents. This group referred to themselves as THE general Body. This protest did not gain as much traction as #NotAgainSU and the outcome fell short of the protesters' demands.

Timeline of events

On November 7, 2019, students were finding racist vandalism in the residence hall, which targeted Asian and black students.

On November 11, SU's vice president of student experience, Robert Hradsky, emailed students about the recent vandalism found on campus.

On November 12, SU’s chancellor Kent Syverud responded and apologized in an email to students for not responding to reports quickly enough.

On November 13, more racist graffiti was found, the main incident surrounding a racist graffiti being found that targeted Asian students in the physics building on campus leading to DPS having to step in and create a bias report. Also on November 13, #Not again SU had decided to host a sit-in in the Barnes Center on campus and came up with a list of demands including diversity training for faculties and punishing students who participated in the racist graffiti and vandalism on campus.

On November 14, near student apartments, a swastika was found drawn in the snow by a synagogue.

On November 15, a Chinese student reported to DPS and The Daily Orange that a slur was yelled at him from a Day Hall window which then DPS have found that the evidence were not enough for them to conclude it was bias motivated.

On November 16, more racist graffiti were found targeted towards Asians including a swastika in Haven Hall. The day concluded with substantial evidence, such as witnesses and footage, that a fraternity had shouted the N-word at a black women walking past the fraternity house, which led to the fraternity being expelled from the University by the school's fraternity council and all the fraternities' social activities to be suspended. #NotAgainSU published a finalized list that demanded students be able to pick roommates of similar background and interests, as well as the school bringing more minority and diverse representation of councilors, buildings being made for multicultural students, and one million dollars invested in developments of diversity curriculum.

On November 18 and 19, a manifesto was allegedly written by a man connected to the person who shot up the mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. There was a link posted on the Greek life message board and then air-dropped to multiple students at one a.m. in the school's library. The organizers of the #NotAgainSU protest gave the school's chancellor a deadline of 5 p.m. to respond to their list of demands with the choice of agreeing to them or resigning from his position. Kent then responded to #NotAgainSU's deadline and had only agreed to sign only 16 of the organizer's demands due to his trouble with the other 3 demands due to limitations which the organization did not accept and continued to demand his resignation.

In December, a walk-out was staged by #NotAgainSU that demanded that chancellor Kent along with DPS former Chief Maldonado, senior vice president for enrollment and Student Experience Evanovich and deputy chief of DPS Sardino. They were given until January to resign with #NotAgainSU meeting Chris Johnson at Crouse Hinds hall and they gave him resignation letters to pass to them.

On February 17, 2020, a second sit-in was organized by #NotAgainSU at Crouse Hinds Hall which called for the resignation of Kent, Evanovich, Maldonado and Sardino and even revising which added a few additions to their list of demands. Organizers stayed inside Crouse Hinds which is the location of Kent's office and stayed overnight there which SU admins threatened and even gave out suspensions to students for violating student conduct for doing so. The following morning even after suspensions were made students still occupied the building which resulted in DPS sealing off the building and prevented food, water, supplies as well as medicine from the outside from coming in to protestors. When students heard of the protestors being cut off from food and supplies students crowded outside Crouse Hinds Hall with supplies like food, blankets and many other things for protesters which DPS tried to stop students from doing so they even resulted to physical altercations with students trying to pass protesters supplies. In response to students protesters being blocked by DPS from getting food and supplies SU had begun an external review of the department led by US attorney general Loretta Lynch that was expected to end by the end of the semester. After the reopening of the building that protesters were in more students and faculty joined the student protesters in Crouse Hinds and provided them with food and supplies. Some professors had held classes inside the building, #NotAgain SU held speeches, poetry readings as well as teach-ins for everyone in the building.

On February 26, when the University did not agree to engage in negotiations with #NotAgainSU protesters, many students, faculty, and staff began to block the intersection of South Crouse and Waverly avenues for two hours after protesters had decided to give admin time to meet with them at 4:15pm for negotiations. Later that night SU agreed to start negotiations with protesters. The negotiations were spread out to 4 different sessions, Three which were planned and an extra one which was an extension.#NotAgainSU organizers and supporters wanted a suitable compromise on demands. They asked the school to at least issue a statement to spread awareness as well acknowledgement to what has been going on with the occupation of Crouse Hinds. The school did offer an apology but had put in a few concessions. The school agreed to mandatory diversity training for non tenured faculty, hiring five counselors and even resigned the campus policy on peaceful protest. SU's chancellor Kent missed most of the negotiations and only attended one off via phone call due to his business in coordinating SU's response to the rising COVID pandemic. As negotiations continued SU students continued supporting #NotAgainSU even with almost 100 graduate minority race students, workers and even international students went on strike to support protesters. They even protested in front of Sims hall, Bird Library and Maxwell repeating the movement's demands into the megaphone. After the University formally ended the negotiations with #NotAgainSU organizers still stood in Crouse Hinds Hall in demands of resuming their discussions. They stood on campus even during the two week spring break the school had due to COVID worsening.

On March 18, 2020, after 31 days, the protesting occupation of Crouse Hinds finally ended after a virtual meeting between #NotAgainSU and University officials was made and they came to an agreement to the list of demands and classes were moved online for the rest of semester.

Demands

The #NotAgainSU protestors made a list of 19 demands to the University which was later expanded to 34 after Chancellor Kent Syverud signed the initial list. The protestor's demands focus on the improvement of marginalized student experiences on campus as well as improved University wide education on diversity with a specific focus on Anti-Racism.

The protestors called for punishments for the students involved in hate crimes and bias related incidents based on their level of involvement, reform of the SEM100 course now called FYS 101 and mandatory education of faculty and staff on diversity and anti-racism. The demands also included stronger anti-harassment policies, an open forum between the University and students in order for the grievances of marginalized students to be addressed and published updates from the University on their progress in meeting the protestors demands.

In terms of the improvement of the experience of marginalized students on campus, the protestors demanded housing reforms including the prioritization of disabled students in the housing selection process and the use of roommate selection platforms such as My College Roomie in order for students to select roommates of similar backgrounds and interests. They demanded increased funding for counseling services which better represent marginalized students, development of a multicultural center, recognition of Multicultural Greek life and increased financial aid funding for students of color.

The demands also addressed the protestors specific concerns with the administration and Department of Public Safety processes and procedures. These demands included timelier responses to racial incidences on campus and more transparency regarding these incidences. They also demanded an external review of the Department of Public Safety singling out Associate Chief John Sardino in their request. They also demanded the removal of multiple university administration leaders including Chancellor Kent Syverud, Senior VP for Enrollment and Student Experience Dolan Evanovich, DPS Chief Bobby Maldonado, and Deputy Chief John Sardino.  

Results of protests

First Year Seminar

A new course was implemented as a required class for first year students. The class titled, FYS (First year seminar) replaced a prior class, SEM100. The goal of FYS is to educate the student body on diversity and inclusion in and off the campus. Students have noted that the FYS course is very similar to SEM100 course and that FYS lacks adequate content to successfully educate students.

Community Review Board

After the third-party review of the SU Department of Public Safety by former US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, a community review board of the department was created based upon her recommendations. One of her most notable points in her review that opposed the demands of the protestors was the need to disarm DPS which she stated was simply not feasible or safe given the surrounding community. The board consists of 11 members, 5 students and 6 university employees. The board reviews the conduct of DPS officers based upon the complaints of university community members culminating in a written report and recommendation to the Chancellor.