More Leading Liberals going after another college President

[22*43*51]

After days of on-campus protests, students at Occidental college occupied an administrative building, eating delivery pizza and huddling in sleeping bags. If their demands are not met by Friday, they will call for President Jonathan Veitch’s resignation, according to the LA Times.

That scenario seems likely.

“We simply can’t meet every demand on that list,” President Veitch told students on Nov. 12. “But I can tell you that I will honor the conversation. I do not cling to this job. I’m happy to resign.”

The 14 demands include the creation of a fully-funded black studies program, an increase tenured faculty of color by 20% and more diversity training for faculty and students.

The actions follow a flurry of student protests nationwide, including at Ithaca College and Yale University, sparked by protests that forced the president and chancellor at the University of Missouri to resign. Last week, the dean of students at Claremont McKenna stepped down after a campus protests and hunger strikes.

Besides the 14 demands, Oxy’s student-run Black Liberation Front offered “15 reasons to impeach Veitch.” The list alleges that Veitch turned his back and walked away after a student spoke out against racism and rape culture on campus. Under his presidency, the demands say, the percentage of students of color dropped from 50% to 37%, and Oxy dropped from No. 1 in campus ethic diversity among liberal arts colleges in the 1998 US News & World Report rankings to No. 13 in the most recent ranking.

Oxy’s faculty and administration have proven receptive to student action by allowing students to sleep in the building.

“We’re not going to shut anything down,” Marty Sharky, the school’s vice president of communications, told the Los Angeles Times. “They’ve been conscientious and respectful. They’ll be able to stay 24 hours a day.”

“We’re occupying all the hallways,” a student told LA Weekly. “The staff is just walking over students.”

 

[rocketclone]

What the heck is going on?? Do they go to class or just raise hell with everyone?

 

[BondHawk]

Without a football team and coverage from ESPN, they have no leverage. F 'em.

 

[22*43*51]

I'm surprised a group hasn't given Herreld a list of demands yet.

 

[PerkyForHerky]

I'll end up fully supporting segregated schools at the rate this is going.

 

[mstp1992]

I'm surprised a group hasn't given Harreld a list of demands yet.

(fixed his name for you)

There are groups who aren't far from doing just that, I'm sad to say. He really is a nice guy and after having met with him I'm more than convinced he is NOT going to be some puppet of the BoR. In fact, he showed me some of his ideas that he knows they aren't going to like. He especially was frustrated with finding out how the BoR handled the selection process -- he indicated to me he felt duped by Rastetter.

The ideologues on campus who continue beating their drums in hopes of getting him to resign or at the very least react negatively toward them are just making the transition that much more difficult. The seed's been sown and the BoR has indicated a direction they want the university to head. Even if Harreld does resign (which I hope doesn't happen), the BoR will just turn around and select someone else with a similar background. They're not going back to the university VP/Provost route at this point.