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Days After Protest, SIU Students Demand Partnership in Addressing Racism

People
Brad Palmer, WSIU Radio
Students protest on the SIU Carbondale campus Monday

SIU students say they want a seat at the table when it comes to crafting a diversity plan for the Carbondale campus, and more input on other matters, too.

At Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting, Graduate and Professional Student Council President Brandon Woudenberg says students want to be partners in change.

“This partnership would include crafting the agenda of the council, and those which would be members on it. Student input diversity and inclusive excellence on our campus, and the actual effectiveness it’ll have, is done correctly.”

Other students told Trustees they want accountability and more student input on changes that must be made.

Interim Chancellor Brad Colwell says he welcomes the students’ voice on these and other issues.

“We’re in this together, this is not an ‘Administration versus.’ This is a unified effort that we’re going to make to try to move this forward.”

Colwell announced a series of changes earlier this week after students protested racism on the Carbondale campus.

Meanwhile, Trustees unanimously approved an initiative that will guide diversity and inclusion across the SIU System. Leaders say they hope it will help complement the activities going on at each SIU campus.

Jennifer Fuller joined Capitol News Illinois in July 2023 as the organization’s broadcast director. She will oversee the launch and operations of CNI’s new broadcast division.

Contact Jennifer Fuller at jfuller@capitolnewsillinois.com
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