The University of Oregon Coalition to End Sexual Violence rallied outside of Johnson Hall on Thursday, in response to a list of demands given to the UO administration on Monday, May 12. Those demands included the administration holding a press conference Thursday at 12 p.m., which the administration declined.

“We took that as by not holding a press conference they don’t respect our demands,” UO-CESV media contact Alex Dione said. “The goal of the rally is to stand by our demands and say that we believe in these demands.”

Members of the Coalition to End Sexual Violence attended a meeting with administration prior to the rally. The meeting included four undergraduate students, two graduate students, one faculty representative, Vice President of Student Affairs Robin Holmes, Senior Vice President Provost Scott Coltrane and President Michael Gottfredson.

Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation Bargaining Chair David Craig attended the roughly 50 minute meeting. In the meeting the CESV’s individual demands were addressed.

“We feel that we received no clear answers,” Craig said. “The President, Holmes and Coltrane gave vague answers without any firm commitments.”

Craig spoke at the rally about the University’s tendency to make empty promises, similar to the GTFF bargaining. Craig called for actions instead of words.

In between chants Dana Rognile, CESV member and GTF, addressed each demand made in the meeting and the administrative response, most of which was met with boos from the crowd.

President Gottfredson sent out an email after the meeting urging the UO campus to change the culture of sexual violence, harassment and intimidation.

“I spoke directly about this issue to the University Senate yesterday, and called for our campus to take this opportunity to move forward together as a community, to channel our anger and our energy around this incident and direct it toward a solution,” Gottfredson said. “As I said to the senate, we have an opportunity—a responsibility—to lead the nation in creating a campus that is safe from sexual violence.” 

The CESV demands include:

1) Provide advocacy independent of UO for survivors of sexual violence that corresponds to actual rates of sexual violence at the University;

2) Support the expansion of the UO’s Multicultural General Education requirements to include at least one mandatory class that addresses gender, sexuality, and social inequality in the United States;

3) Provide resources for Dr. Jennifer Freyd’s research team so that they can begin conducting their campus climate research survey by Monday, June 2, 2014;

4) Appoint a UO-CESV member to the committee charged with revising the student conduct code, as well as to all future committees regarding sexual misconduct and prevention;

5) Hold a press conference at noon on Thursday, May 15 that includes the following:

-A public apology from the University Administration for lying about the University’s failure to act on a reported sexual assault;

-An outline of specific measures regarding sexual violence prevention at the University of Oregon and a list of specific resources that will be allocated to these measures;

-A public signing of the Academic Freedom policy, which will enable staff to speak freely and openly on this and other issues regarding the University;

-A direct response to items 1-4 above.