Dear Tufts community,
In an effort to continue to seek a voluntary resolution to the situation on the academic quad, James M. Glaser and Kyongbum Lee, our deans of the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering, met on two separate occasions today with student representatives from the protest and a faculty member they selected. Regrettably, despite our best efforts to find a solution, the protesters have refused our offers and have continued to escalate matters by expanding the encampment on the academic quad.
The deans came to today’s meeting with several good-faith proposals to address the students’ concerns. Unfortunately, the students refused to discuss the proposals, insisting instead upon an in-person meeting with the president, the chief investment officer, and members of the board of trustees. The university agreed to such a meeting in writing on the condition that the encampment end first and that the protesters agree not to disrupt Commencement. This offer, which remains on the table, was rejected, and the meeting ended without an agreement.
In recent days, the protesters have engaged in a number of actions that have indicated their desire to escalate the situation. They brought in additional demonstrators unaffiliated with Tufts to bolster their numbers and expand their encampment. The presence of these outside protesters on campus has raised safety concerns among many in the community. The protesters have appropriated and painted furniture rented by Tufts for an Earth Day event and refused to return it to the outside company that owns it. They have harassed and intimidated staff as they try to clean areas that were vandalized. Notably, they also rejected a suggestion to move the encampment to an alternative location on campus so they could continue advocating their position while Commencement preparations begin.
Today’s meeting was not the university’s first attempt to find common ground with the protesters. On March 8, following the TCU Senate vote, the president, the provost, the executive vice president, the vice provost for inclusive excellence, and the deans of the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering met with representatives from the Students for Justice in Palestine and the Coalition for Palestinian Liberation. It quickly became clear that the students were not interested in discussing what collective action we could take to support the Palestinian people and were only interested in the university acceding to their demands.
We continue to do everything within reason to avoid the confrontations seen at other universities. But the encampment needs to end, and Commencement setup needs to begin. We will be issuing a no trespass order to the protesters. Tufts students who do not vacate the space will be subject to the Community Standards processes which may result in suspension or other sanctions. For seniors, this may include not participating in senior week activities or Commencement. It is our strong desire that it does not come to this, and the protesters choose to leave voluntarily.
Sincerely,
Sunil Kumar
President
Caroline Attardo Genco
Provost and Senior Vice President
Michael W. Howard
Executive Vice President
James M. Glaser
Dean, School of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Political Science
Kyongbum Lee
Dean, School of Engineering and Karol Family Professor
