Statement read to President Bennet during the Dec. 8 forum

President Bennet and Members of the Administration:

We understand that it would be impossible for you to address all of these concerns here in this meeting, and so we have one concrete demand. We ask that over the next month, you review the minutes of today’s meeting, which will be presented to you later today, and by Wednesday, January 19, present the members of this community with a proposal that outlines the ways this administration will address these myriad concerns. Though we could draft such a proposal ourselves, on principal we decided not to because we believe that it is your responsibility – not ours – to translate the concerns and suggestions voiced here today into a concrete plan of action. This proposal will not be a final list of solutions, but will instead be a jumping off point for another open discussion to be held on Friday, January 21st, at which point members of the Wesleyan community will meet and together decide on the next steps toward change.

We realize that it may seem unreasonable to ask for this proposal on such seemingly “short” notice. However, the issues presented here today have been presented to you many times over, not only by the people in this room but by all those members of the Wesleyan community whose struggles have stretched over weeks, years and decades and are too often forgotten. Many of these concerns could have been addressed long ago – instead, they have often been pushed to the side in hopes that they would fade away. They haven’t. All we ask now is that you present a proposal that expresses your commitment to making this university the inclusive, socially responsible institution you claim it to be, and that you do so in a timeframe that reflects your awareness of the urgency of all of these concerns.

Should you refuse to draft such a proposal by the date specified – a task we feel is a necessary gesture of good faith that will allow us all to continue future dialogues in a mutually respectful, productive fashion – we are prepared to continue the mass actions and demonstrations that you have witnessed in the past few days, and to take whatever further action is necessary to make our voices heard. This community has been silenced for too long. We will not be silenced anymore.