An End to the Sit-In

The protestors pose for a photo as they depart through the front door of Parkhurst.

Just after 4:00 PM on Thursday afternoon, the Freedom Budget’s occupation of President Hanlon’s office came to an end. Following a meeting with Dean of the College Charlotte Johnson, 19 protestors (eight of whom had remained since the sit-in began on Tuesday evening and eleven of whom had joined on Wednesday afternoon) emerged from the President’s suite on the second floor of Parkhurst and departed the building after a 48-hour sit-in.

Early reports suggest that in the meeting that afternoon, students affiliated with the Freedom Budget presented Dean Johnson with a document outlining the terms of their departure. It stipulated, among other things, that the 19 students who had remained in the building after the end of Tuesday’s office hours would not face disciplinary action and would be provided with protection around campus. It also requested assurance that  there would be “no COS [Committee on Standards] process, no financial aid or scholarship revocation, or any other impediments of our educational and social experiences.”

The document went on to confirm that the College would conduct the external culture review it had previously agreed to and demanded that President Hanlon send them “a list of decision-makers who have jurisdiction over each budget item” by Monday, April 7^th.

College spokesperson Justin Anderson confirmed that Dean Johnson had agreed to their terms and signed the document before the group left President Hanlon’s office. In an interview with The Daily Dartmouth, he stated that “we’re [the administration] pleased that the students decided to leave, and we look forward to working constructively with them in the future.”

Shortly after their departure, the protestors posted a celebratory photo to their Twitter account @gossipgangstah. The caption read: “And the rest of the struggle can begin!”

Time will tell just how productive the struggle ahead will ultimately be.

An image of the document that Dean Johnson signed can be found below:

The agreement between Dean Johnson and the protesters.