Students, Administrators Discuss Demands in Second Day of Nassau Hall Sit-In

Check PAW’s Facebook page each morning and evening for updates on the sit-in in Nassau Hall. Our updates are provided by Princeton University Press Club members Mary Hui ’17 and Gabriel Fisher ’17.

A consistent group of at least 100 students have been stationed inside the Nassau Hall atrium since this morning, with deliveries of bagels, coffee, cereal bars, and pizza fueling them through the day. A town-hall style meeting was held about 10:30 a.m., facilitated by a protest leader. In small groups, students shared their personal experiences in an attempt to articulate what the sit-in means to each of them. Students produced a video detailing their personal motivations for supporting the cause; this video was later shown to President Eisgruber ’83, Dean of the College Jill Dolan, and Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun.

While Eisgruber was seen entering Nassau Hall this morning, he did not appear in his office until the afternoon. Just after 3 p.m., Eisgruber, Dolan, and Calhoun entered the president’s office to meet with the students camped inside. The students restated the three demands they presented the day before. As of 4:30 p.m., Eisgruber had agreed that a mural of Woodrow Wilson in the Wu-Wilcox dining hall should be removed, and Calhoun said it was viable to create a cultural space for black students in the Carl A. Fields Center. They were continuing to discuss the issue of mandatory cultural competency training for faculty and staff. “You’re all talking about love, this is the language you all talk in. I think it’s very hard to put that language into a mandatory context,” Dolan said.

Update: At 8:45 p.m., the University announced that it reached an agreement with the demonstrators. Text of the agreement follows below.

This meeting was attended by the Black Justice League (BJL) and President Eisgruber, Vice President (VP) Calhoun and Dean Dolan. By signing below, I agree to have verbalized the following during the Thursday afternoon meeting with the BJL:

On the first demand concerning the legacy of Woodrow Wilson on this campus:

• Write to Professor Cadava tonight to initiate the process to consider removal of Wilson’s mural, which will express President Eisgruber’s personal view that the mural should be removed from the Wilcox Dining Hall. Dean Gonzalez will be CC’d on this email exchange. This promise was verbalized by President Eisgruber.
• Write an email to Katie Hall, the chair of the Board of Trustees, to initiate conversations concerning the present legacy of Woodrow Wilson on this campus, including Black Justice League’s request to remove Woodrow Wilson’s name. This promise was verbalized by President Eisgruber.
• The Board of Trustees will collect information on the campus community’s opinion on Woodrow Wilson School name and then make a decision regarding the name. This promise was verbalized by President Eisgruber.
• Commitment to working toward greater ethnic diversity of memorialized artwork on campus. This commitment was verbalized by President Eisgruber.

On the second demand concerning the creation of Affinity Housing:

• Immediately designate four rooms in the Carl A. Fields Center that will be used by Cultural Affinity Groups. This promise was verbalized by VP Calhoun.
• BJL members will be involved in a working group with the staff of the Residential Colleges to begin discussions on the viability of the formation of Affinity Housing for those interested in black culture. This promise was verbalized by Dean Dolan.

On the third demand concerning the implementation of Cultural Competency Training and a Diversity Requirement:

• Work in conjunction with Executive Director John Kolligian to enhance cultural competency training for CPS staff. This promise was verbalized by VP Calhoun.
• Email Dean Prentice to arrange an introduction with BJL concerning the possibility of cultural competency training. This promise was verbalized by President Eisgruber.
• Arrange a presentation by BJL to the FACP. This promise was verbalized by President Eisgruber.
• Dean Gonzalez will work with the BJL to invite two members to attend the meeting on December 8th to discuss with the General Education Task Force the possibility of a diversity requirement. This promise was verbalized by Dean Dolan.

On the final demand concerning amnesty from disciplinary action for those who remained in President Eisgruber’s office overnight on November 18th, 2015.

• No formal disciplinary action has been nor will be initiated if students peacefully leave President Eisgruber’s office tonight. This promise was verbalized by VP Calhoun.
• In the future, information in regards to processes concerning disciplinary action, protests and Rights, Rules and Responsibilities will be clearly given from administration to students in writing. This promise was verbalized by VP Calhoun.

On accountability:

• Inclusion At Princeton website is updated by the Vice Provost of Diversity and Inclusion. Dean Gonzalez is the point person for checking in on the progress concerning the aforementioned issues. This promise was verbalized by Dean Dolan.