Students lead sit-in on steps of Derham

Thursday’s protest reflects student dissatisfaction with administration

By Lauren Trowbridge

Though temperatures were low on Thursday, April 28, 2022, the energy on the St Catherine University campus was palpable. A sit-in on the steps of Derham Hall was taking place, orchestrated by an amalgamation of students across the university. Armed with signs and a collective frustration at the administration, almost 200 students, faculty and allies came together to protest grievances that had been sitting heavy on the minds of the student body.

Much of the event was spectated by the upper administration themselves. While President Roloff was absent from the university in the days leading up to the event, it was confirmed by Provost Thomas, who stood in President Roloff’s place, that this absence was due to her contracting Covid.

Clad in all black, students gathered on the steps of Derham Hall. Photo taken by St Kate’s student.

The sit-in started with one of the organizers making a few statements on behalf of all that participated behind the scenes. Throughout the event, anonymity was maintained to protect students. For the purpose of maintaining this anonymity, all organizers are unnamed in this article. “This was organized by no singular group or club on campus. This was a collectivist effort for all students,” they stated. “We are here to ask the administration to reestablish the five values of St. Catherine University: academic excellence, integrity, community, reflection and social justice.”

The organizer continued and stated that the idea for a sit-in came about when a group of students was discussing concerns about the university in the Multicultural and International Programs and Services (MIPS) office. “We realized that MIPS was systematically dismantled and that there are far too many issues that we have already brought up to the administration that have not been addressed,” they said. “[However,] the MIPS office is not the only reason that we are here. The dismantling of the MIPS office was the last straw among a number of disappointments from this university. We are here to show the administration what it truly looks like to love thy neighbor without any distinction.”

The other speakers at the protest portion were passionate and well-versed in the issues with administration.

A few addressed the hypocrisy of the university’s mission statement, saying, “The pattern of inequitable policy application, divestment from student services and academic programs, tokenization, retaliation, lack of transparency and the ultimate prioritization of profit over communities have adulterated St. Catherine University’s mission.”

Others called for a space for LGBTQ+ students at St. Kate’s, saying, “Up to this point, the responsibility has been placed on the student body to make up for [the lack of leadership] and we have had enough.”

A student organizer and speaker. Photo by St Kate’s student.

Multiple speakers addressed the dismantling of the MIPS office. A letter from former director Donna Hauer was read: “As of April 1, Amal’s last day, this is the first time in 46 years history of the office that there are no MIPS professional staff.” One student spoke about MIPS's role in their own education and how vital the program is to St. Kate’s as a Minority-Serving Institution.

Other topics spoken about were accessibility for disabled students and faculty, racism left unaddressed in residence halls, imperialistic practices by the university and concerns of international students. Overall, the students speaking made it very clear that they were greatly dissatisfied with the way their concerns were being handled. “Students do not see their thoughts made in concrete decisions,” a speaker stated.

Before Thursday’s event, organizers sat down and made a document listing their demands. This was read out at the protest, and the full list of demands and an accompanying statement about the protest can be found here. In the document, the organizers stated that they expect a response from a number of administrators by Tuesday, May 3rd.

Concluding the speeches from students, Provost Anita Thomas walked up the steps to where the organizers sat and requested to speak. She was denied, as organizers wanted student voices to be centered at the event. They requested that they receive a formal follow-up as stated in their demands instead of at the protest itself.

Around this time, the administration started to disperse and students started to move indoors to the lobby of Derham Hall for the sit-in portion of the event. Many students and organizers had direct concerns for administration, and Matt Goodwin, Associate Provost of Student Affairs, was asked to bring both Provost Thomas and Sandra Mitchell, Director of Equity and Inclusion, back to the foyer.

Students gathered in the foyer of Derham Hall to protest dissatisfaction with administration. Photo by St Kate’s student.

Once they arrived, the sit-in became a place for students to share their experiences and concerns with administrators. Provost Thomas took over, and the general tone of the session was respectful yet firm. Students, making sure that it was clear that they were addressing Provost Thomas as the administration in general, brought up their concerns about everything from financial transparency, advocacy for MIPS services and the roles of upper administration, to inadequate mental health services and fear of retaliation.
Though the protest is over, the atmosphere between students and the administration is still taut. While organizers are waiting for a response by May 3, it is clear that the students will not give up. One of the organizers put it eloquently, saying in their speech, “I think it’s the hardworking and passionate students with intersecting identities here that truly represent the five values of the St Kate’s mission. I knew that if we could bring all of those students together, we could make this environment we have applied to and paid to be at the environment [that] they say it is.”

This event, organized by students for students, is intended to be a wake-up call to the administration: listen to your students! “The overarching goal of this event was to ask the administration to realign itself with the five values in the St. Kates's mission statement,” an organizer states. “We have a diverse list of demands that apply to many marginalized student groups on campus so we centered this around our community as a whole.”

~

As a student at St. Kate’s, I’ve felt this aggrievement build for months, and the protest was a clear representation of not only my frustration but the frustration of the students as a whole. After all, how can a university that teaches us to lead and influence be surprised when we turn our gaze upon the happenings of our own campus? It is our responsibility as Katies to hold our administrators accountable for decisions that impact us. The sit-in on Thursday did just that. Well done, Katies.