On Thursday afternoon, the Cal Poly Humboldt University Senate mustered a two-thirds majority to pass a motion of no confidence in President Tom Jackson and Chief of Staff Mark Johnson. The university’s general faculty demanded the immediate resignations of Jackson and Johnson.
Although the results must be verified by staff to ensure all votes are valid (many proxy votes were cast due to the brevity of the meeting), Patrick Malloy said the preliminary tally Thursday for the proxy votes and for those interviewed at the meeting exceeded both. -Majority of third parties.
The resolution notes that shortly after the students occupied Siemens Hall, the university called on several law enforcement agencies to respond, including dozens of armed non-university police officers arriving at Siemens Hall wearing bulletproof vests and shields.
“President Tom Jackson and Chief of Staff Mark Johnson, due to their unfamiliarity with the Cal Poly student body, mishandled the protest by calling on law enforcement to attempt to remove the protesters from Siemens Hall, which which resulted in injuries to Cal Poly Humboldt students and faculty,” the resolution states.
Three students were arrested and some were injured during a clash with police. According to student protesters interviewed by the Times-Standard last week, the initial goal was to occupy the building and allow classes to continue. However, the administration responded by closing the building, evacuating classes and later calling several police officers for help. agencies to remove the group. Today, dozens of people are barricaded in the room with demands going as far as divestment.
The resolution states that Cal Poly Humboldt’s general faculty has no confidence in the leadership of President Tom Jackson and his chief of staff Mark Johnson. It demands that Cal Poly Humboldt not take disciplinary action or legal action against students for actions taken in connection with the protest and occupation of Siemens Hall. He asks for accommodations to allow students to complete the semester and compensation for student employees.
President Jim Woglom, who met with the occupants, stressed the need to get children out of the building safely during the meeting. He said he planned to meet with the occupiers Thursday afternoon to discuss their demands.
Previously, faculty considered including Dean Jenn Capps in the resolution. It is unclear why it was excluded from the vote, but some at the meeting called for the resolution to be amended to include it again. The California Professor Association requested that Capps be included earlier in the week.
“While I greatly respect the strategies, the tactics that you use to be on the ground, really working with our students and really concerned about their safety, the concerns that Jenn (Capps) expressed yesterday in the meeting that we brought together, never took into consideration the safety of our students. They have only served to try to sow fear, to encourage us to be complacent,” with militarized law enforcement tactics, said Nicola Walters.
Woglom said it was essential to pass the resolution.
“I promise you I will offer you all a resolution based on what you want, as long as we get these kids out of there,” he said.
Teachers at the meeting praised the speed of the resolution, which was initiated around 8 a.m. Thursday.
Sage Alexander can be reached at 707-441-0504.
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