After an afternoon demonstration at Cutler Hall about concerns for OU’s Survivor Advocacy Program, members of Ohio University Student Union returned to College Green Friday night.
After staging a sit-in at Cutler Hall on Friday afternoon, members of the Ohio University Student Union set up a demonstration on College Green during the night.
Members started arriving at about 7:30 p.m., and about 20 people were in front of Cutler sitting on blankets, painting signs and snacking on food. The group was protesting “the university trying to shut down the Survivor Advocacy program,” according to a post rallying supporters for the Friday afternoon sit-in by Rachel Baker, a sophomore studying social work.
The group, which was originally planning to stay all night in front of Cutler, packed up at about 12 a.m. Saturday morning and has plans to return to College Green at 5 a.m. Monday morning, according to Student Union member Bobby Walker.
“The reason that we’re beginning again on Monday is that we are committed to this, and we want to be prepared for it,” Walker, a junior studying women’s, gender and sexuality studies, said.
Early Friday evening, Shari Clarke, vice provost for Diversity and Inclusion, sent an email to the student body concerning the status of OUSAP.
“The Survivor Advocacy Program will continue,” Clarke said in the email. “We are committed to providing confidential, privileged services to survivors.”
However, members of the Student Union said they weren’t satisfied with Clarke’s email.
“We have a list of demands, and I didn’t really see that email as satisfying any of them,” Conner Dalton, an undecided freshman, said. “It just seems like a bunch of excuses.”
About 20 members of OU’s Student Union gathered in Cutler, which houses the office of OU President Roderick McDavis, Friday afternoon.
Concern from Student Union members arose after OUSAP’s former program coordinator, Delaney Anderson, left OU Oct. 16 and took a job outside of the university.
Since Anderson’s absence, OU has not posted a listing to fill the position, according to Walker.
Protesters said without Anderson, there were no more confidential reporters left at OUSAP.
“They’ve done away with what SAP is supposed to do,” Ryan Powers, a junior studying philosophy said during the afternoon sit-in. “SAP doesn’t serve its purpose of assisting survivors.”
While OUSAP is without a licensed and credentialed program coordinator, the program has partnering with Counseling and Psychological Services to provide survivors with confidential support, according to a previous Post report.
Though social media posts may have indicated the university is getting rid of OUSAP, OU spokeswoman Bethany Venable said that isn’t the case.
“The University is not shutting down the SAP program,” Venable said in an email. “To the contrary, it has taken short term measures to address what has been identified as immediate needs and its next steps are focused on strengthening and fortifying the program and the services it provides to the clients it serves.”
Protesters gathered at Cutler at about 3 p.m. and staged a sit-in where they discussed their demands.
The list included suspending OUSAP temporarily until a new director is chosen, appointing an interim director in the meantime, adequately funding the program and keeping the program confidential, Walker said.
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Jenny Hall-Jones said until the university can find a permanent replacement for an OUSAP coordinator, officials are trying to find an interim replacement who is a licensed and credentialed program coordinator.
“It’s not going away. It’s coming back,” Hall-Jones said of the program.
At about 4:45 p.m., 15 minutes before Cutler closed, an OU Police Department officer informed protesters they needed to leave by 5 p.m., or they would be arrested.
Protesters exited Cutler Hall with about 30 seconds to spare.
After the protesters exited the building, they began discussing plans to come back later in the night.
“We would essentially set up a tent city,” Walker said. “We stay until our demands are met or there’s commitments to our demands.”
— Lauren Fisher and Maddie Peck contributed to this report.
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