Monday, July 15, 2013

After 65 days, Cooper Union students end occupation of president's office


[May 10]

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Joint Statement by Former Occupiers of the President’s Office, the Administration, and Board of Trustees of The Cooper Union, July 15th, 2013

The administration, Board of Trustees of The Cooper Union and those members of the Cooper Union community who have been occupying the Office of the President since early May have reached an agreement that ended the occupation on Friday.

A working group will be established promptly to undertake a good faith effort to seek an alternative to tuition that will sustain the institution’s long-term financial viability and strengthen its academic excellence.

The working group will consist of Board, faculty, alumni, students and administration representatives and will report to the administration and Board of Trustees for consideration at the December Board of Trustees Meeting.

The Board also confirmed, in accordance with the motion approved at the June Board meeting, that procedures for student representation on the Board will be established at the September meeting.

An interim room has been identified as a Community Commons that can serve as a student center or a community center for all members of the Cooper Community.

All individuals who have violated Cooper Union policies throughout the period of the occupation will be granted amnesty, and in turn, commit to complying with, and cooperating with the enforcement of, all laws and Cooper Union policies.

Here's a look at the start of Day 65 on Friday...


Find more details here.

Previously.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess they turned off the air conditioners.

rob said...

You can't change authority no matter how furiously you sleep.

Mark Hand The Catchman said...

I figure they will hose the offices down with Febreeze now....
Is there a Febreeze with the scent of money?

Anonymous said...

I applaud these kids. that institution was purposed for free tuition and only through mismanagement and greed that mission is being obviated. These kids are doing this not only for themselves but also for future worthy students.

NYU kids probably would have just transferred to USC.

rob said...

I support what the CU students are doing, but their CU is not remotely the school for the working class that Peter Cooper envisioned when he opened it -- in the evenings, so workers could attend. Free tuition was originally designed to attract the working class student, not, as now, the finest student. I wouldn't want to see today's CU meritocratic elitism diluted for the sake of funding, which is why I support the student protest, but it does bother me that the university that has take up Cooper's original vision, CUNY, has had tuition imposed since 1976, the year in which it became majority non-white, and I don't see everyone outraged about *that betrayal* of the Free Academy, of the working class and of the non white people of this city. Everyone should be.

Anonymous said...

CUNY was not funded by an initial grant by a private citizen, as was Cooper Union.

Any rich guy out there is welcome to do so, as Cooper did.