Protesters' anger boils during rally for Oberlin College profs

OBERLIN — Hoping to halt a vote that would end a nearly two-century-old agreement with Oberlin College faculty, hundreds of protesters gathered Thursday evening in front of Wilder Hall. Their frustrations quickly boiled over into anger. The crowd of students and employees turned on members of the Board of Trustees who had congregated outside the nearby Mudd Center. "F--- the trustees," the protesters roared in unison. Christina Neilsen, chair of art history and a member of the local American Association of University Professors chapter, stood under a homecoming banner on Wilder's steps. Over it was taped a cardboard sign that said, "Abolish the trustees." Neilsen said the board planned to strip faculty of the right to manage the internal affairs of the college. Known as the Finney Compact, the arrangement was first made with college President Charles Finney in 1835. The vote would limit professors to decisions strictly related to curriculum. Neilsen said that cuts them out of decisions about student well-being and mental health, as well as staffing and contracts for key services. Protesters railed against the 2020 layoffs of unionized dining and custodial workers and the recent decision to replace campus health workers with Bon Secours Mercy Health, a Catholic company that does not provide access to contraception, morning-after pills or gender-affirming health care. Neilsen said those decisions "are destroying Oberlin College, and I believe it's destroying our reputation as a place that values its workers." Cynthia Taylor, associate professor of computer science and an alumna, told protesters she loves the college — it's become her home. That's why she wants to have a say in its future. "I want to be in the room and have a voice in discussions about laying off our custodians and our cafeteria workers," she said. "I want to have a voice in conversations about cutting the health care benefits and the pay of the people I work alongside." Gregory Solow, a board member for the Oberlin College Office and Professional Employees union, said the college's endowment has surpassed $1 billion, while tenured positions are lost, union positions are kept empty, workloads for all increase and staff and faculty appointments are seen as increasingly short and precarious. Oberlin College welcomed its largest incoming class ever this fall, leading to hastily divided dorm rooms and more faculty than ever on one-year contracts, he said. "What a noble road has led us to this moment," Solow said in disgust. He read a prepared statement by the OCOPE board, supporting faculty involvement in the college's strategic and operational decision-making processes. "When the educators lead, it is education that will flourish," Solow said. "When the administrators lead, it is the administration that will flourish, and the students of this college are not paying for an administration." A long string of speakers aimed contempt at members of Oberlin's Board of Trustees — Solow said they "see Oberlin as a balance sheet rather than a place to live, learn, labor and thrive." Faculty work with students and know their needs, said Natalie Darfour, vice president of academic affairs for the Student Senate. "Do we see the Board of Trustees every day? Do we even know where they live?" she asked, and was answered by a roar of "no." "Just think about it for a second: The Board of Trustees is voting to give more power to the Board of Trustees," said Nicolas Zamora, who also serves on the Student Senate. The crowd's response: thundering boos. OCOPE President Julie Weir said a vote to do away with the Finney Compact would be "nothing more than a power grab." She said she was told the change is intended as a "clarification" to Oberlin's bylaws. "When somebody in power wants to change bylaws or rules or governance, it's not because it's 'clarification.' It's because they want to dilute somebody's power," Weir said. Scott Wargo, the college's director of media relations, stood behind the crowd close to several trustees and administrators. Asked whether any would comment, he said no. As the rally drew to a close, protesters turned their frustrations in the trustees' direction. They marched on the Mudd Center with signs that read "Power to Professors," "O! is not for oligarchy," "Let profs choose their leaders" and "College not corporation." Board members retreated inside. Mark Sapara, assistant vice president and dean for intercultural engagement, remained outside, where he'd spent about half an hour talking to students. He declined to comment on what he'd seen and heard at the rally. Protesters crowded the entrances, chanting profanities and holding up signs to be seen through the windows. The building was not closed off, but security blocked stairwells inside. In an op-ed published in the student newspaper, The Review, Board of Trustees Vice Chair Lillie Edwards wrote that Oberlin College faces "economic, administrative, regulatory, statutory and even political constraints that were unfamiliar decades ago." A lack of clarity in the bylaws "has hampered our ability to respond nimbly to extraordinary challenges (like a pandemic) and plan responsibly for the future," she said. The board isn't making the changes on a whim, but to realign with criteria from the college's accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission, Edwards wrote. "The amendments are meant to clarify responsibilities without eliminating channels for valuable faculty input," she said. "Oberlin's ongoing success depends on faculty advice to the administration and the board on matters of long-term strategic importance." Jason Hawk can be reached at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.