EXCLUSIVE REPORT: UVM Students’ Rights Under Attack

Published March 20, 2007

By Hazel Ryerson

• 1988- Students take over Waterman, demanding that the administration pursue more diversity at UVM, both in the student body and faculty.

• 1991- Second Waterman Take over. 22 students and one faculty member take over and occupy the president’s office for 21 days, demanding further action by the administration to increase diversity on campus.

• Diversity University is built on the Waterman Green, a shantytown supporting the students inside Waterman and offering classes on topics relating to multiculturalism not offered by the University.
• 2006- Students erect and occupy a Tent City on the Waterman Green for 4 nights, demanding that the Administration agree to pay a livable wage to all University Employees.

Student actions and protests such as these have directly affected policy at UVM. The ALANA US Ethnic Studies department, and the Basic Needs Task Force are both the result of student actions. One less visible outcome of the two Waterman takeovers and Diversity University was the creation of the original “Policy Statement on Freedom of Expression and Dissent” that outlines the ways in which students may dialogue with the administration and advocate for change. Basically, the policy states that students have the right to protest as long as they do not disrupt the “central mission of the University: learning and Teaching.”

This policy is currently being re-written by the administration without public notification, student input, or a vote. The draft of the new Freedom of Expression policy has been circulated to members of the faculty, administration and SGA with instructions to not make the draft public. If you want to see this draft, contact The Water Tower for a copy. The old policy is available on the UVM website.

There are two major changes to the Freedom of Expression policy that will affect our rights as students to advocate for change.

1.The new policy consolidates the power of President Fogel. Under the new policy, the president of the University has the power to take action against protesters. Penalties for students range from a warning to expulsion and
legal action. In an email accompanying the draft of the revised policy, Senior
Vice President Gary Derr outlined the changes to the policy, stating that revisions will “Place responsibility for decision-making with the President or his/her designee.”

Under the old policy, the Chief Student Affairs Officer, a position no longer listed at UVM, was responsible for implementing the policy when students are involved.

This consolidation of power is problematic for students because it gives Fogel the ability to end a student protest, thus barring students from protesting against him and his administration.

Usually a student protest takes place when the administration is not listening to student demands voiced through alternative avenues of communication. Therefore, allowing the president to silence a protest against his administration is NOT “maintaining open communication and dialogue” as supported in the policy.

2.The new policy limits overnight occupancy of structures such as tents or shanties. The new policy re-quires a permit for overnight use and will “not allow such occupancy to exceed 3 nights.” Under the old policy, overnight occupancy was only limited by safety concerns, not by time.

Diversity University, the most effective overnight protest at UVM lasted 6 months, during which time students lived in the shantytown on the Waterman Green and organized classes devoted to multiculturalism. In 2005 students spent a night in a “box city” to raise awareness about homelessness, and in 2006 a tent city was erected on the Waterman Green by students demanding a livable wage at UVM, lasting 4 nights.

Some of the most acclaimed and forward thinking advancements at UVM were brought about by student activism. A greener campus, improved minority recruitment of students and faculty, expanded course offerings and increased awareness of livable wage to name a few. It is interesting that the very policy supposedly protecting “the rights of persons engaged in non-disruptive discourse or dissent” is actually curbing our ability to protest peacefully and within the guidelines of the policy. It would be hard to imagine any of these past momentous student actions happening under this new policy.

The old Freedom of Expression policy was approved by the Board of Trustees in 2003, However, the changes proposed in the draft of the new policy will go into effect without any vote or public hearing. Contact President Fogel, Senior Vice President Gary Derr, SGA President Seth Bowden, or your SGA senator to voice your concerns about the new policy.

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