© 2024 WRVO Public Media
NPR News for Central New York
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

SU protest group keeps pushing for change

Ellen Abbott
/
WRVO News
THE General Body meeting on Tuesday.

A coalition of students, faculty and staff at Syracuse University that held sit-ins and marches on campus last fall continues to organize.   

The group called THE General Body has a list of issues it wants to see addressed. Many are related to the issue that started the movement last fall -- concerns about a loss of support for victims of sexual assault. 

Kulsoom Ijaz, a third-year law school student, says many of the items they are taking to the school’s administration are Title IX issues.

“That goes to sexual assault and dating violence. And we seek to improve the resources available to us on campus.  That includes better prevention training,” said Ijaz.

Organizers say they want to continue to hold SU’s administration accountable on a number of other issues, including changes to health care for graduate student employees and what they call a failure to commit to supporting students with marginalized identities. 

“We’re going to continue to do more sit-ins, more activism, more writing,” said Ijaz. “We’re going to push the school to make the improvements to make this school a safe and inclusive space for everyone.” 

Members of the group conducted a sit-in for 17 days in November at Crouse-Hinds Hall on campus in an attempt to force some changes at the school.

Ellen produces news reports and features related to events that occur in the greater Syracuse area and throughout Onondaga County. Her reports are heard regularly in regional updates in Morning Edition and All Things Considered.