On Thursday, November 9, Arcadia University students gathered in the center of campus to voice their opinions about administration’s alleged inaction regarding a series of student allegations of sexual harassment by employees of the university.
Campus unrest began after the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced what was supposed to be a resolution of a sexual harassment investigation of a tenured faculty member formerly employed by Arcadia University in Glenside.
After the OCR’s press release, a number of students came forward to allege other instances of sexual misconduct by staff and faculty members at Arcadia.
In response, Arcadia held a town hall meeting early this week about Title IX concerns. President Ajay Nair emailed the university community on November 9 to outline an action plan going forward.
Dr. Nair additionally announced that Nora Nelle, Arcadia’s Title IX Coordinator, resigned from her position.
The protest began at 12:00pm and lingered into the late afternoon. Undergraduate students offered the following statements regarding the protest and campus allegations:
Hailey G. Smith said:
Many of the student speakers were survivors of sexual assault or know survivors. It seemed the attendees and student speakers were the ones demanding change the most. I believe Arcadia has an empathy problem. If we don’t experience something first-hand, we don’t care about it, we switch off the news. Many students on campus who are survivors of assault and other injustices, do not have that luxury. This is an issue beyond Arcadia, but why can’t we be better?
We have around 4,000 students on campus, but there were only around 200 or so students in attendance. Just because we do not have an obvious personal connection to the issue, does not mean we should not have the ability to empathize and stand in solidarity with those who do. What will create change is if we all have this motivation to demand change out of our empathy for others–whether or not we have a direct personal connection to the issue.
Getlyne L. Jn Baptiste said:
Hearing about the Department of Education’s investigation into my small University’s Title IX violations was disheartening. It also stirred frustration and disbelief, as it seemed unbelievable that such a small institution could encounter such a significant issue. Motivated by this, I felt compelled to address the University directly, holding them accountable for their shortcomings. Taking a stand against individuals in positions of power and insisting on accountability was nerve-wracking. However, I found strength in the support of my peers, who stood with me in solidarity. Our joint effort was dedicated to advocating for those past victims who went unheard and those currently suffering in silence. United, we pressed for necessary changes, accountability, and apologies. A special acknowledgment is due to the entire psychology department, whose unwavering support lessened the intimidation and bolstered my confidence. Remarkably, within just one week, we accomplished tasks that should have been addressed three years ago. This underscores the power of our unity. Although our trust in the University has been shaken, if the University fulfills its obligations, trust can be rebuilt. I extend my gratitude to everyone who participated in the Walk Out, particularly highlighting individuals such as Nyla Russell, Michael Johnson, Arslie Louis-Jacques, Dr. Kevin Revier, Dr. Favian Martin, Delaney Aikens, and all others who spoke out and joined forces to demand change.
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