Eric Bernsee and Jared Jernagan, Banner Graphic
Following six bias incidents in a week and two days of student protests, DePauw University administrators are rolling out plans to stop the next round of incidents before they start.
Responding to two days of protests on Tuesday and Wednesday as well as a list of demands from the protesters, administrators began announcing the next steps for the community on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday.
In a letter to the DePauw community, President Mark McCoy made several announcements Wednesday afternoon, most notably that the FBI has been contacted regarding recent threats found in locations around campus and that the university is offering a reward in these cases.
“We are inviting the FBI in to investigate the threats found in campus restrooms and the Nature Park targeting our students of color, Jewish students, Muslim students, Chinese students and LGBTQ students,” McCoy wrote. “For anyone who provides information leading to the apprehension of the despicable individuals who perpetrated these threats, there is a reward of $5,000.”
The FBI also acknowledged the connection.
“We are aware of the incidents on DePauw University’s campus and have been in contact with officials at the university,” an FBI statement announced.
Closer to home, McCoy said that foot patrols will increase by DePauw public safety officers and the university will continue to cooperate with city, county and state law enforcement officials.
Additionally, DePauw Public Safety Director Charlene Shrewsbury told The DePauw student newspaper on Thursday that the university plans to hire two additional security personnel.
The university will also add another counselor as well as increasing the availability of counselors for any members of the community. In a joint statement on Thursday, Vice President of Academic Affairs Anne Harris and Vice President of Student Academic Life Allen Hill announced that the university is “posting and recruiting for a full-time counselor who is trained and has expertise regarding the specific challenges related to historically marginalized communities.”
DePauw is also encouraging action among existing faculty and staff members, urging faculty to spend time out of the classroom to talk with students and listen to them, organizing a meeting between the cabinet and black faculty members and encouraging senior administrators to be as accessible as possible.
“We are asking senior administrators, staff and faculty to walk around campus and connect with your colleagues, students and visitors,” McCoy wrote. “Our presence and access during times of emotional crisis means so much to our community.”
The university is also opening the former SAE house as a space for the Association of African American Students (AAAS) until the end of the semester, with a commitment to develop a permanent plan for the AAAS by the end of the semester.
Additionally, a gathering space has been designated in the Hartman Center for Jewish, Muslim and other religious groups on campus.
Moving forward, fraternities and sororities are reviewing and instituting anti-bias training, students have been promised more representation on faculty committees and university policies on protests and diversity and conclusion will be reviewed.
The announcements come on the heels of two days of student protests in reaction to various recent racist incidents on campus.
On Wednesday, it was a press conference at Watson Forum in the Center for Contemporary Media at which McCoy and Hill were attempting to provide information concerning the Tuesday night protest during the Jenna Fischer Ubben Lecture at Kresge Auditorium and its aftermath.
About 50 students, carrying signs that included such statements as “DePauw protects racists” and “We are not safe #DePauw KKK” and “Black Lives Matter” were invited into the press conference after a reporter asked that they be included.
The students marched in chanting, “Meet our demands; we are not safe.”
The action came after at least six racially biased incidents have been reported on campus over the past week.
Earlier in the day, student activists had reportedly emailed a list of eight demands to President McCoy, enumerating campus changes being sought in the wake of the recent incidents.
The list of demands has not been publicly released, though the later announcements appear to be in reaction to at least some of them.
The latest incident was another racial slur left in a bathroom, this time in a message left on a toilet paper dispenser in Lucy Rowland Hall, it was reported via email to students and staff by campus security.
During the press conference President McCoy said the goal of Wednesday’s gathering was to address the next steps the university needs to take as a campus.
Following the press conference, students protesters marched down Locust Street to the Administration Building.
Later Wednesday, actress Jenna Fischer, best known as Pam on the sitcom “The Office,” commented on her DPU campus appearance that was interrupted about 15 minutes into the program by student protesters.
She tweeted out a message stating in the aftermath of the incident, she was donating the full amount of her appearance money from the university to the NAACP, the Anti-Defamation League and the Trevor Project in the name of DePauw students.
“My hope is for all people to be respected, accepted and loved for their individuality and uniqueness,” Fischer’s tweet stated. “And, above all, to be safe.”
She explained that just before taking the Kresge Auditorium stage Tuesday night with Ken Owen, special adviser to President McCoy, university representatives advised her some demonstrations could occur during the event, informing her of the recent campus incidents.
“Needless to say, I was shocked and upset to hear what was happening on their campus,” Fischer’s tweet continued.
The students have been protesting recent campus incidents that have included:
• A racist threat in a restroom at The Inn at DePauw last Wednesday.
• A homophobic and an anti-Semitic message also found in a restroom.
• An incident of a student engaging in offensive behavior, reportedly wearing blackface, at The Duck (the bar at The Inn at DePauw).
• The N-word formed by rocks in the nature park.
• A racial slur scrawled on a toilet seat in another restroom.
When student protesters spoke out Tuesday night about their experiences “and about the hate they have been encountering,” Fischer said she could “feel the pain, sadness and fear coming from these students.”
“No student should feel at risk or have to suffer the kinds of bigotry and hate these students have encountered,” she added. “These students need to be heard and they need change.”
Meanwhile, in a tweet following the protest, the university said, “safety and security remain our highest priority and we will continue working through this situation.”