UPDATED: Nov. 6, 4:15 p.m.

The Syracuse University Board of Trustees has not yet decided whether to postpone its vote Thursday on a new mission and vision statement, despite requests from protesters in Crouse-Hinds Hall during last night’s meeting with Chancellor Kent Syverud.

Several protesters said the group was told the vote would be postponed if they agreed to leave the building by Friday. However protesters say they don’t plan to leave by then unless significant progress is made. That includes having another meeting with the chancellor, said Ben Kuebrich, one of the leaders of the sit-in. About 40 students have maintained a presence in Crouse-Hinds since Monday after the Diversity and Transparency Rally.

Kevin Quinn, senior vice president for public affairs, said the board is still discussing whether to postpone the vote regarding the vision and mission statements.

Kuebrich added that he and other members of THE General Body, the group behind the sit-in, see postponing the vote on the mission and vision statement as “the right thing to do.”

“I don’t know why it’s contingent on us leaving here,” he said.

At about 3:30 p.m., members of THE General Body spoke with Bea Gonzalez, dean of University College and the liaison between Syverud and protesters. Following that meeting, Kuebrich said he believes the administration will submit a written response to the group’s grievances and demands document. That document includes issues such as the closure of the Advocacy Center, cuts to the Posse program and a lack of transparency in the administration’s decision-making.

Kuebrich said another meeting with the chancellor is important as well because at Wednesday night’s meeting the negotiation team didn’t make it through its entire 43 page document, which consists of demands and grievances. Kuebrich said the group wants time to sit down with the chancellor in the same format for “as long as it needs to be to get through the demands.”

“It would be irresponsible to leave if we don’t address some of these things,” he said.

Though Kuebrich said he felt good about the Wednesday meeting, he added that the group can’t leave Crouse-Hinds until there have been significant changes or a significant commitment from the administration. When asked what he would consider significant, Kuebrich said that is being discussed by a negotiation team, which consists of 12 members of THE General Body.

THE General Body also recently started a petition on change.org titled “We Stand with THE General Body.” As of 4:08 p.m. on Thursday, the petition had 108 supporters.

Clarification: In the Nov. 6 article “SU Board of Trustees will not postpone vote on mission statement, protestors remain in Crouse-Hinds Hall” the status of the vote was not clear. The Board of Trustees has not yet decided on whether to postpone the vote to change the mission and vision statement. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on November 6, 2014 at 3:09 pm

Contact Brett: blsamuel@syr.edu | @Brett_Samuels27