Response to Divestment Coalition

 
Dear DePaul Divestment Coalition:

Per our agreement at last night's meeting, on May 10, we submit to the members of the DePaul Divestment Coalition the updates to the original responses that the university provided to your 10 demands. 

This document is meant to be an addendum to the original response to your demands - found here Responses from DePaul Administration to the Ten Stated Demands of the DePaul Divestment Coalition. All the items presented in our original response to the coalition demands, and those added here as an addendum, should be considered valid through the end of our meeting on May 11 at 3:00 p.m. 

Per our conversation last night, we agreed to submit these materials to you by 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 11. We also agreed that:

1. We will all hold this information in the strictest of confidence until after the end of the meeting at 3:00 p.m. on May 11, 2024. You may share this information with members of the DePaul Divestment Coalition, but distribution to a larger group or through any medium including social and digital media, would be considered a violation of this understanding. 
   

2. The coalition will have between 9:00 a.m. and the beginning of the meeting at 3:00 p.m. on May 11 to review these terms with its membership.
   

3. In the 3:00 p.m. meeting on May 11, the coalition will send members of the current leadership team who are able to make decisions for the group so that - if there is a common understanding - a document memorializing our agreement can be executed and an announcement about the ending of the encampment can be made.
   

4. In the 3:00 p.m. meeting, we will focus on the terms of the agreement and not on past processes or actions that have occurred between the two parties.
   

A Zoom meeting invitation will be sent to the entirety of the group for the meeting at 3:00 p.m. 

ADDITIONS TO THE ORIGINAL RESPONSES TO THE COALITION DEMANDS 

1. We agree to add the following clause to the Responses from DePaul Administration to the Ten Stated Demands of the DePaul Divestment Coalition.
   
   
   “Furthermore, we are devastated by the destruction of Gaza's civilian infrastructure. As an educational institution, we are particularly grieved by the dismantling of the Palestinian educational system. All civilizations require educational institutions to generate an informed citizenry, and they are the scaffolding to build quality of life for their citizens."
   
   To be sure the university's response to this section is clear, the administration does not agree to call the war a genocide, or to call the actions of the war a scholasticide. The rationale for this decision is offered in the original response to the coalition demands. As we follow how global leaders engage these questions, one of the elements they are considering is the concept of intentionality. We believe that is the appropriate forum for investigation and determination of genocide and scholasticide.

2. We agree to connect a designated representative from the DePaul Divestment Coalition to the faculty director of the First Year Abroad: Jerusalem study abroad program so that further conversations can occur about inclusivity in programming.
   
   
3. We agree that only university-sanctioned study abroad programs can use the DePaul brand. The university agrees to investigate unsanctioned study abroad programs and eliminate any marketing for those programs that use our brand, image, or likeness without permission.
   
   
4. We reaffirm our commitment to creating a SWANA Center, as part of our existing work through Designing DePaul and in support of university initiatives to expand cultural and religious identity resource programming space on campus, in alignment with student involvement policy and procedure.
   
   
5. We agree to work with our legal counsel and other resources to identify how we can enhance existing university policies to include doxing as prohibited behavior. The senior administrative leadership, including the president, is willing to support such changes. Additionally, DePaul is preparing a website and educational materials about doxing, which will include resources, tips, and other useful information for our university community members.
   

ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS

1. Teach-Ins: We have seen the power of the teach-ins that have been happening within the encampment, and throughout the university. To continue the dialogue post-encampment, we agree that DePaul University - through the Office of the President - will financially support one teach-in per quarter. Teach-ins will be coordinated by the Student Government Association and must adhere to all universities policies and be open to all members of the university community. Teach-ins may not be antisemitic, Islamophobic, or hate-based. We also expect these teach-ins to be a collaborative effort between the students, staff, and faculty of the university. 
   
   
2. Trustee Engagement: We agree that within the next six months, no later than December 11, 2024, we will host a dialogue between Board of Trustees leadership and the coalition leadership (not to exceed six students). The agenda for the meeting will be set by mutual agreement. To be clear, this meeting is informational only. This meeting does not mean that the board will consider the idea of divesting from companies doing business with Israel. The coalition's demand, “Divest[ing] from companies that advance Palestinian suffering and profit off the occupation," will not be placed on any formal agenda for the board to consider.
   

3. INVEST Committee: We were moved by the idea that we think of the future of this dialogue in positive terms. We believe that this notion is the most Vincentian response to this moment. For this reason, the Office of the President agrees to establish a formal committee called the INVEST Committee. This committee, open to all members of our community, will be created following established shared governance processes. The committee will examine ways the university can invest in programming and educational moments that promote positive outcomes for the region. The timing of such meetings, and the agendas will be set by the group's membership. The INVEST Committee will adhere to all university policies relating to conduct, behavior, and safety.
   

4. Cabinet Engagement: We agree to establish two meetings for representatives of the DePaul Divestment Coalition (not to exceed 8 students) to engage the members of the President's Cabinet at DePaul University with the goal of continuing the dialogue with university leaders before the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. We will also establish similar opportunities for other student groups through the SGA shared governance process.
   

5. International University Engagement: We agree, in keeping with our commitment to academic freedom and as a concrete step toward addressing the loss of educational infrastructure in Gaza, that we will seek to create an intellectual or academic relationships with Palestinian higher education institutions. The specific university, and the terms of such an engagement will be determined by mutual agreement between the Office of Global Engagement, and selected leaders from the coalition (not to exceed 3 students). Any relationship that is created will be open to all members of our university, shall be constituted and maintained in accordance with the applicable rules and guidelines of the Office of Global Engagement, and shall focus on intellectual exchange and research, capacity building, and other programming.
   

AGREEMENT CONDITIONS

1.     We will announce our agreement and the end of the encampment by Saturday, May 11 at the conclusion of the 3:00 p.m. meeting, with the dissolution of the encampment by noon on Sunday, May 12. For the purposes of this agreement, dissolution shall mean the following:

2.     The university will not initiate disciplinary actions against students, faculty, staff, or alumni for administrative policy violations such as requiring space reservations, permits for tents, staking of the ground in the quad, or the location of posting materials.  Nor will the university initiate disciplinary action for the current physical damage to campus property as a result of the encampment. 

If we are unable to finalize an agreement by the end of the meeting scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on May 11, the university will consider this dialogue at a stalemate.

Sincerely,

Robert L. Manuel
President, DePau​l University