Faculty Statement in Support of Student Protests

5 Replies to “Faculty Statement in Support of Student Protests”

1. Zach '04 says:

   March 3, 2023 at 1:59 pm

   As a middle class, eighteen year old, white male freshman in 2000, I often felt uncomfortable at Connecticut College because of the extreme wealth of much of the student body. I struggled to relate to individual students and to the place as a whole. So I can imagine how a person of color, who also doesn’t come from wealth, might feel even more uncomfortable than I did.

   However, the sad truth is that Connecticut College needs rich, white money in order to compete against other elite liberal arts colleges. Because of America’s history, the vast majority of money in this country is controlled by rich, white people. The less of their money the school gets, the less it will be able to give lower income students. There are not alternative places to get money.

   It’s very hard to take the SVE demands seriously when their “spark” issue (the fundraiser) is so lacking in logic. They’re demanding more money spent on specific programs while at the same time rejecting fundraisers (“racist money”) without good reason. If one goes back 50 years, every dollar in this country is connected—in one way or another—to discrimination and/or outright exploitation. Every. Single. Dollar. Thus, all fundraising would be rendered impossible if we were to abide by the misguided philosophy of these protesters. Bergeron SHOULD be taking money from wealthy, historically privileged places like country clubs and using it to pay for the education of people of color. That’s the general idea behind restorative justice.

   The club country club was just a venue. Furthermore, there is absolutely no evidence that the club continues to discriminate. The fact that Jewish and black people continue to not belong to the club is not evidence of discrimination. Rather, it’s evidence that Jewish and black people are not interested in joining the club. This, of course, is understandable of black and Jewish people, given the club’s history. But it’s not a reason to avoid the club altogether.

   Are we so sensitive that we can’t even walk into a venue that discriminated 50 years ago? Do we now need to know the 50+ year racial history of every venue that the school uses, and whether or not they’ve acknowledged past harms? How does doing such things actually help anyone?

   All country clubs are exclusive, elitist, and require approval of those who wish to join. Do you know what other institution is exclusive, elitist, and requires approval before being admitted? Connecticut College. We’re practically a country club on steroids. Should we not hold fundraisers on our own campus?

   And shouldn’t the school newspaper be asking such questions, instead of reflexively jumping on the protester bandwagon?

   If the history of this country club had never come to light, and the fundraiser had moved forward, no one would have been harmed. No one. In contrast, the protesters have permanently made it more difficult for the school to raise funds that are needed to provide financial aid, maintain the campus, and pay staff. Ultimately, this will harm low-income students most of all. The protesters’ behavior is the very definition of performative activism as opposed to real activism. And sadly, such performances are very fashionable on college campuses these days.

   Rather than calling people racist, trying to get people fired, and creating obstacles to fundraising, I wish the protestors would consider the other ways they could be helping people in need. They could be working to end the War on Drugs, helping to build more affordable housing, grappling with ways to improve public schools, advocating for the funding of vocational training for the working class, helping ex-convicts get jobs, teaching financial literacy, or volunteering at local schools. Such actions are much more difficult than occupying a building and holding up a “Resign” sign, yet they would actually make a difference in the lives of people who are suffering.

   (Also, can someone give give a specific example of how Bergeron “verbally abused” people? That’s a heavy claim that’s being thrown around without evidence to back it up.)

   • CC Parent says:

     March 4, 2023 at 7:36 am

     This is the most intelligent response I have read yet putting the original issue, which was a disagreement between Bergeron and Dean King, into perspective. There are no known targeted racial issues on campus involving students and staff has not been fired over racism. Dean King probably wasn’t happy in his job and he didn’t want to be at Conn anymore – he most likely had Umass already in the works, so blowing up Conn on the way out could elevate his future aspirations. This has been severely blown out of proportion and the “reasons” from the students continue to evolve… daily. Now, we have parents, we see you Becca Ryan and the same 10 others who exhaustingly post in support this movement with comments for every post and every comment, trying to sell on the Conn parent page that the faculty doesn’t like Bergeron leadership style and there’s bullying. Parents and faculty are fueling this charade, while students lost of week of their education. Back off parents, it’s not your fight and it’s not your students fight either! So, the students seem to now be disrupting their academics and future for faculty and staff’s dislike of Bergeron.
     Why are the students fighting the faculty’s battles? The faculty probably has legitimate complaints, but senior administration meeting decorum has nothing to do with students.
     You’re correct, every single venue down South has a history of racism. Should Tiger Woods have protested the Masters because of Augusta National’s awful racist history?
     The real damage in this debacle is the students. Hopefully down the road, once they leave this bubble, they will realize this really wasn’t their fight and they were used by a former employees with a motive. If students are so oppressed by Conn than transfer. Many US colleges and universities struggle with blatant racist incidences, I say go find the perfect college void of any level of racism and maybe than you’ll realize how good you had it at Conn.

2. A concerned alum. says:

   March 3, 2023 at 3:43 pm

   If you know the college, you know this list includes many faculty leaders who have successfully worked closely with prior administrations. Look at this coupled with the prior faculty statement. If you do not have the support of the heart and soul of your faculty, the students and many of the staff, you cannot stay. It is not a sustainable position.
   What parent will send your student to a school as a freshman when you see this? Next year’s class hangs in the balance.
   Please, B of T take the reins and get this over. Process matters but there has now been a week since your meetings started last week. Time to act.

3. סטודנטים מתקוממים לאחר שנשיא המכללה בארה"ב מתכנן לדבר במועדון עם עבר אנטישמי - Times of Israel news now says:

   March 5, 2023 at 7:40 pm

   […] שלושה שבועות לאחר מכן, תלמידי מכללת קונטיקט עברו למקום גדול עוד יותר: הם תפסו בניין אדמיניסטרטיבי מרכזי בקמפוס ניו לונדון למשך שבוע, והם מקבלים תמיכה מהסגל והצוות. […]

4. Les étudiants se révoltent après que le président de l’université américaine envisage de parler dans un club au passé antisémite - lederniereheure.com - Le Derniere Heure says:

   March 5, 2023 at 8:00 pm

   […] Trois semaines plus tard, les étudiants du Connecticut College ont déménagé dans un lieu encore plus grand : ils ont occupé un bâtiment administratif central sur le campus de New London pendant une semaine, et reçoivent le soutien du corps enseignant et du personnel. […]