On Sept. 12, the USFCAStudents4Palestine coalition held their first campus demonstration since the “People’s University” student encampment disbanded and 25 students received interim suspensions or other disciplinary actions as a result of their involvement.
“We are now [on] day 341 of the most recent genocidal campaign in Palestine,” said Ani De Lira Lopez, a junior history major, at the protest. “That is almost a year of genocide in Palestine. In less than a month, their days under bombing, terror and violence will make up a year.” At least 40,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict since October 7, according to Al Jazeera.
“This is four times more than the student population at USF,” said De Lira Lopez, “17,000 of these martyrs were children, minors who could not defend themselves, who were just trying to survive in their homeland.”
Eli Hampton, a junior performing arts and social justice major, who attended the protest said, “I think the people who were there were very passionate. They have been involved in this movement ever since the encampment, so I think having them come back and hearing them again was really inspiring.”
De Lira Lopez, however, has felt a change in the wake of the interim suspensions. “There’s a little bit of a hole in my heart,” they said. “It’s been really hard seeing our numbers compared to how many people we had on the first week of the encampment, and the energy we had when we first started rallying and doing sit-ins.”
They continued, “It definitely feels like we’re in a different space now, [with] a lot more caution because of the suspensions. We’re all trying to make sure that we’re staying within what we can do as students.”
President Paul Fitzgerald, S.J. addressed the spring encampment and the following disciplinary actions taken in the Faculty, Librarian, and Staff Convocation he and Provost Eileen Fung gave on Aug. 15.
“We have communicated clearly that university codes of conduct must be followed concerning the time, place, and manner of demonstrations and events. Encampments will not be permitted,” said Fitzgerald. “The purpose of our student conduct code is to ensure that our campus remains safe, inclusive, and conducive to the learning of all.”
“Violations of the code are addressed, not because of the content of their belief, but because of specific behaviors, which impinged upon the rights of others,” he continued. “USF’s conduct process allows for dialogue, evidence, discussion, and peaceful resolution based on the notion of restorative justice.”
The Foghorn reached out to university spokesperson, Kellie Samson, for comment on the outcomes of and reasoning behind the interim suspensions and code of conduct violations. She declined to comment, saying, “Our process is to not share the outcomes of the student conduct proceedings, including information about students’ alleged violations.”
Samson reported alleged damage to campus property, saying,“Resulting from the encampment, the university repaired damage to exterior building surfaces, as well as cut and puncture damage to the turf on Welch Field.”
The interim suspensions given to students were rescinded over the summer, instead leaving students on academic probation.
According to a post made on Aug. 20 by the @UsfcaStudents4Palestine account, “despite lifting suspensions, students are dealing with the aftermath, including job terminations due to their probation status.”
The Student Code of Conduct explains disciplinary probation as something “Imposed for a period of time to allow students to reflect upon their choices and behavior and to demonstrate the ability to abide by community standards and expectations. It also serves as formal notification that the activity in question is unacceptable and that if continued or other inappropriate behavior follows, more severe action may be taken.”
“Additional violations of the Student Conduct Code while on Disciplinary Probation will result in higher level outcomes being assigned. Disciplinary Probation may impact a student’s eligibility to participate in University-sponsored programs or services, or to serve in leadership positions,” according to Section 8 of the Code of Conduct.
A senior fine arts major spoke to the Foghorn about her experiences with her interim suspension and academic probation. She was granted anonymity due to safety concerns as a visibly Muslim student on campus.
The student said, “I was very luckily not as negatively impacted by the interim suspension as some of my fellow friends and comrades. But personally, at the end of the day for me, there’s nothing that I can sacrifice or put on the table that Palestinians haven’t already sacrificed by the tens of thousands, and so for me, there’s very little I’m putting on the line… And I take the fact that I… had the privilege of not being [strongly] impacted by the suspensions as a way for me to keep doing more.”
Fitzgerald said in the convocation, “Continuing students who did receive conduct notices in the spring have gone through a conduct process, about two dozen, during the summer months. A few chose of their own volition not to return to USF or graduated. The vast majority are back at USF, and, again, they were not cited for peaceful protesting, or for making their opinions known, but because of specific behaviors.”
In an email sent out to the USF community on Aug. 6, Fitzgerald announced that “University leadership is working to strengthen the curriculum related to Israel, Israelis, Palestine, and Palestinians, and to establish an ad hoc task force of students, faculty, and staff to review our socially responsible, ethical investment policies and practices,” later called the “Socially Responsible Investment Committee (SRIC).”
Samson explained, “Three current USF students will be part of this group, including one current student representative from USFCA Students 4 Palestine.”
A senior politics major involved with the encampment requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation. She described the SRIC, saying “I think it’s a step in the right direction, although it’s a small step, and I think there’s a lot more that we could be given from the administration, but I’m happy that it’s a step forward.”
Zoe Wang, a senior psychology major present at Thursday’s protest, said “Because I was in senate for a while, and I kind of know how these things operate a little bit, [the administration’s] general reluctance makes me feel like they’re going to push back any actual action until as long as possible, so that they don’t endanger their relationships with anyone [financially or politically], so I don’t really know how much actual action I expect to come out of those initiatives.” Wang formerly served as the Associated Students of the University of San Francisco (ASUSF) Senate’s vice president of marketing and communications.
According to Samson, “The task force selection process [for the SRIC] is currently underway. We anticipate the task force will host its first meeting later this month.”
In a Jul. 1 email to the USF community from Provost Fung, Vice President of Student Life Julie Orio, and Associate Vice President of Student Life and the Dean of Students Shannon Gary, said, “We are committed to establishing a new socially responsible advisory investment task force composed of a representative group of students, faculty, and staff. This group will work with the USF Office of Business and Finance and the USF Board of Trustees Investment Committee regarding investment practices and alignment of the investments with the university’s mission and values.”
They continued, “We are committed to continuing a respectful dialogue, including holding educational sessions on the university’s investment policies, and working through what was outlined in ASUSF’s resolution by fall 2024.”
Hampton described their opinion on the restrictions surrounding protests, demonstrations and events on campus, saying, “I think that it’s a little strange to say that you have to sign up to do a protest, because I think that’s against the inherent nature of a protest, to be disrupting [the] natural flow of things.”
Wang said, “I think it’s interesting, the new tension around attending protests. Because there was academic punishment last semester, it makes others more wary to attend the protests in fear of potential repercussions.”
The anonymous senior politics major said, “At the end of the day, I want to focus on the fact that this is all for Palestine, and this is all to get our university to align with their morals of social justice.”
Editor-in-Chief, Jordan Premmer, was involved in the spring encampment.
Editor-in-Chief: Jordan Premmer, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia McCrackin, Managing Editor: Jordan DelFiugo, News Editor: Phebe Bridges, Sports Editor: John Lindroos
