The Public Town Hall with @copsoutofNU and @NorthwesternU admin should be starting shortly. We're expecting to hear from Kathleen Hagerty, Associate Provost
Miriam Sherin, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education, and Julie Paine-Kirchmeier, VP for Student Affairs

Lawan is providing the context for the format of the town hall, which will focus on rapid-fire questioning submitted by viewers here: http://bit.ly/NUtownhallquestions

Goal of today's meeting is to get solid concrete answers on when and how @NorthwesternU will divest from policing #copsoutofnu

First question, will @NorthwesternU disclose NUPD's budget? Provost Hagerty says she doesn't have an answer now but would disclose it after the meeting.

@garlandmathasi making a critical point that the question about NUPD's budget was asked at our last meeting, and we were promised answers and transparency at this meeting. Hagerty says she's focused on academic issues.

Second question: Is the university committed to defunding NUPD? Provost Hagerty says no #copsoutofnu

The provost says that "We are definitely committed to reevaluating the activities of police on campus, but what exactly that means, we would have to find out. I think that’s the honest answer at this point." Sounds like reform & we know that reform doesn't work #copsoutofnu

It's been 50 days since students submitted the petition for divestment from policing. @garlandmathasi asks what has the university admin done over the last 50 days? #copsoutofnu

The provost is saying that she can't answer these questions bc it's not her area of expertise. Amazing work from @garlandmathasi not letting the provost off the hook saying that all admin should be prepared to talk about all aspects of the university, especially policing.

Students are frustrated, it's been 50 days, some of these demands go back 50 years. @garlandmathasi tells the provost "if you don’t feel you have that knowledge area, then you need to bring someone who does." Where does the buck stop?

VP of student affairs JPK talks more about reform. "There’s a police advisory board and a safety and security advisory board. We know we need to look at community safety holistically." Again, police do not keep communities safe #copsoutofnu

Karina asks a critical question, will @NorthwesternU sever ties with CPD and Evanston PD? #copsoutofnu

The provost says that Northwestern "doesn’t have an official relationship with the CPD, we have very little influence over them and no official agreement. With the EPD we have an MOU (memo of understanding). The nature of the MOU is to keep EPD not on campus." #copsoutofnu

Karina and @garlandmathasi push back, saying there is a relationship between the university and CPD/EPD. Karina and Sarah both emphasize that what we want is COPS OUT OF NORTHWESTERN #copsoutofnu

Sloane asking another clear-cut question "will @NorthwesternU abolish the Center for Public Safety?" #copsoutofnu

The provost gives us the runaround, no direct answers. Sloane responds, "so is it a yes or a no? Will you abolish the Center for Public Safety?" The provost says "I don't know." #copsoutofnu

Students ask whether the University will finally meet one of the demands dating back 50 years in demands to the Bursar’s takeover: "will you establish a transformative justice center?" #copsoutofnu

The VP of Student Affairs Julie Payne-Kirchmeier says "we’re leaning into restorative practices to see if connections there is a way to get to the transformative justice philosophy." but lots of talk about "principles" not about concrete structures #copsoutofnu

Recall that @northwesternu laid off 230 service workers despite having an 11 BILLION DOLLAR ENDOWMENT. Sloane asks "will you provide health insurance for those who were laid off, including coverage for dependents?"

JPK is using austerity talking points to justify why the workers were laid off but @NorthwesternU has an 11 BILLION DOLLAR ENDOWMENT. Sloane doesn't let admin off the hook, reiterates "so that's a no?" Admin responds they won't provide health insurance beyond 9/20

Karina made a crucial point, the petition talks about Black students but we're in solidarity with ALL BLACK PEOPLE @NorthwesternU #copsoutofnu

Points were made by @garlandmathasi @NorthwesternU
President "Schapiro cutting his salary from 2 MILLION to 1.8 MILLION as a way of solidarity with service workers is laughable."

Sloane reminds us that MSA funding was recently cut. Asks "will you increase funding for MSA?" JPK doesn't give a straight answer, leaning again on austerity language saying "we’re sitting in a pandemic which is that finances are going to be very very tight" #copsoutofnu

Another critical question from students: "Reopening this campus puts Black staff, faculty, students, workers at risk. Will you support them if they choose not to return to campus?" #copsoutofnu

Admin are talking about "flexibility" but @garlandmathasi asks a clarifying question, what does flexibility mean? Admin is saying people will be able to chose whether they feel "comfortable" but this isn't a direct answer to how the university will protect Black workers.

JPK finally starts talking about race directly. But she says they're still in the middle of "figuring it out" meaning they still have no clue how to protect Black students, staff, and faculty #copsoutofnu

CRITICAL QUESTION: who is going to be cleaning our classrooms? Karina says "it’s most likely going to be our Black and brown staff members." Is there a plan in place to better support them?

Adding to Karina's point, @garlandmathasi echoes that "If Black ppl are gonna be responsible for cleaning our rooms and making it possible that we can be on campus, they need to be paid more."

@copsoutofNU members are on fire. Two important things just happened. (1) @garlandmathasi said admin need to stop talking about service workers in the future tense bc there are ppl on campus risking their lives right now. They need to be protected + paid.

(2) Karina says to admin"Before we move on, I juut want to do a quick language check. I’ve been hearing Black and POC being used interchangeably, if you’re referring to Black people, most definitely use the word ‘Black.’" #copsoutofnu

Final rapid fire question. Sloane says "We recognize that of course you can’t bring people into a system that doesn’t support them. But is there a commitment right now to increase Black faculty?"

Lots of empty rhetoric for admin in response. No clear answers. They keep saying they "hope to do better"

We just witnessed a powerful moment of @garlandmathasi discussing the harmful experience she's had as a Black woman @NorthwesternU. She emphasizes that a retention effort "is divesting from law enforcement, which goes a long way in making people feel safe on campus." #copsoutofnu

Admin again says that @NorthwesternU needs to improve the culture and needs to do better. BUT STUDENTS ARE TIREDTTTTT. None of this is new, we've been asking for 52 years. We want concrete action, tangible steps NOW. #copsoutofnu

Admin mentioned the CDO search, but @garlandmathasi mentions that searches can take a long time. How will @NorthwesternU "begin action now before a CDO is hired? How do you plan to ensure the sustainability of this movement, & not letting the ball drop on these important issues?"

We're now into the discussion portion of the Town Hall. Admin is saying that we're committed to getting this done, the want to share responsibility, but again NO concrete actions mentioned. We are tired of talking, we are tired of commitments, we want action #copsoutofnu

Kenny asking an audience question "where do each of you personally stand on defunding NUPD?" Provost is saying that "reevaluating" is a good thing...sounds like code for reform #copsoutofnu

LOL Provost just said "we need to look at what defunding the police means." MA'AM DEFUND MEANS DEFUND. ABOLISH THE POLICE. PERIOD. #copsoutofnu

Now JPK is talking about "levels of divestment"...We're talking about FULL DIVESTMENT, there's no levels to this #copsoutofnu

What a moment, ya'll. Karina asks is @NorthwesternU waiting for NUPD to shoot a student like UChicago PD did on their campus in 2018? Provost says "I don't know how to answer this question." #copsoutofnu

Sarah @garlandmathasi saying @NorthwesternU didn't respond swiftly when a Black graduate student was brutalized by police in 2015. Lawan is bringing up the point that the admin has not historically and is not currently showing a sense of urgency.

Lawan says the university needs to stop reacting to incidents, but take proactive steps. JPK says transparency around the process is missing, emphasizing that "commitment" is there....but again, we haven't seen any concrete action. WE'RE TIRED OF EMPTY RHETORIC.

Kenny asks that if this meeting is about policing then why isn't Craig Johnson. Provost responds smugly "They invited me to come, and I came. That’s why I’m here"...she clearly doesn't want to be here. This is infuriating and embarrassing.

Karina noting that President Schapiro has not attended any of these conversations. So we're wondering about what accountability looks like moving forward. How will admin also continue to center Black students?

Provost says that transparency and accountability is important to changing culture around diversity issues...but how? She talks about getting more Black people in leadership positions on campus.

Lawan will admin commit to centralized platform for students, faculty, and admin to have access to information on how the university is moving forward on these issues? Provost says yes, for sure.

Sarah @garlandmathasi emphasizing that President Schapiro hasn't publicly acknowledged the @copsoutofNU letter and petition, hasn't shown up to any of these conversations, and hasn't corresponded with Black students who are leading this movement at all #copsoutofnu

Sloane making an important point. Bringing more Black students on campus is not helpful if they're entering a hostile climate. Provost says that they're trying to get better and working harder because what students want is reasonable...SO JUST DO IT.

JPK says there are things that have been done that students don't know about and admin needs to do a better job of being transparent about how they've responded to past petitions.

Provost says that students having a positive experience at Northwestern is the ultimate measure of success. JPK says students shouldn't say that they "survived @NorthwesternU" BUT AGAIN....WHERE ARE THE CONCRETE PLANS?? Karina says "WE WANT ACTION, EQUITY, AND JUSTICE"

Last audience question: "What abolitionists perspectives are included in admin discussions about the police? Who is bringing abolitionists perspectives into discussions with admin?" Provost says "you know the answer before I say it, no one" #copsoutofnu