OF THE STUDENTS・BY THE STUDENTS・FOR THE STUDENTS
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
JUNE 17TH: Central Student Government releases a report on student financial, academic, and health concerns from COVID-19.
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JUNE 22ND: The University announces plans for students to return in the Fall, with online, in-person, and hybrid format classes available and without regularly scheduled academic breaks.
JUNE 25TH: Mark Schlissel proposes a budget at the Board of Regents meeting for an increase in tuition and student costs, but is voted down 4-4. Petitions are drafted to demand the university acknowledge student financial and health needs.
JUNE 29TH: The Board of Regents, through a meeting in violation of the Open Meetings Act, passes the budget for the 2020-21 Fall and Winter terms, increasing tuition costs by 1.9% and establishing a $50 COVID-19 fee for students during the pandemic.
JUNE 30TH: Our organization is founded on the mission to achieve representation in university policy decisions through the election of a student to the Board of Regents.
JULY 21ST: First coordinated phone-zap on the Board of Regents who approved the budget plan in June. Resulted in talks with Jordan Acker the following day concerning the budget decision.
AUG 6TH: Wolverines Speak Up Student Hotline, an anonymous form for issues with University policy, is released under the support of our coalition, being.
AUG 21ST: SDR plans a coordinated protest on campus with GEO, the One University Campaign, and Sunrise Movement. The groundwork of this planning will inevitably become the September 11th solidarity rally in support of GEO and Res Staff’s strikes.
SEPT 7TH: GEO votes in favor of a labor strike, beginning the labor stoppage in effort to create a safer campus. SDR immediately announces our support of the movement and GEO’s demands.
SEPT 9TH: Res Staff organizes a labor stoppage in demand of increased worker protections and benefits in wake of COVID-19. Dorms are without proper PPE, RAs are required to monitor the compliance of all residents, and quarantine/isolation housing is tragically unmanaged. SDR announces our full support of Res Staff’s demands.
SEPT 11TH: We hosted a rally of 250+ student and community members, inviting a long list of speakers spanning from Res Staff, YDSA, La Casa, the Black Student Union, LEO, GEO and Ann Arbor district representative, Yousef Rabhi. The event ended by voicing solidarity in MDining Workers’ planned walkout near Mosher-Jordan Hall, marching across campus in support of their commitment to improving their working conditions.
SEPT 13TH: The Central Student Government passes a resolution supporting GEO’s strike.
SEPT 14TH: The university files an injunction on GEO’s labor strike, citing it as an illegal labor stoppage. The claim is seen as a clear act of union-busting on the part of the university, one that would potentially bankrupt the union in legal fees.
SEPT 16TH: GEO accepts the university's contract deal, ending their labor strike and gaining a number of improvements to childcare options, international graduate student protections, more transparent COVID-19 protocol, and some movement on their policing demands. GEO still acknowledges their shared support to the ongoing Res Staff and MDining organizing.
SEPT 16TH: The Faculty Senate of the University pass a vote of no confidence in president Schlissel’s administration.
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SEPT 20TH: We co-hosted a march and vigil with GEO in remembrance of our lost faith in university administration, continuing GEO’s and our efforts to create a safer environment for all. Many community members witnessed and participated in our march through town, joining us on president Schlissel’s front lawn.
SEPT 22ND: Res Staff Reform receives a variety of benefits in their negotiations including weekly testing, improvements to the COVID-19 dashboard of the Maize and Blueprint, and the formation of a representative council within housing, calling off their strike.
SEPT 25TH: Announcement of the first SDR newsletter, recapping the events of September and SDR’s role as a body of undergraduate advocates.
OCT 11TH: SDR works with GEO and MDining on an information campaign regarding dine-in services being returned, urging the university to reject this reopening in the interests of student worker safety.
OCT 20TH: Washtenaw County issues Stay at Home Order, as well offers students seeking to return to permanent residence the option to leave housing for the remainder of the semester.
NOV 6TH: The university announces its Winter ‘21 plans for the next semester, highlighting a reduced density within student residences, an increase in testing, replacement of spring break with 2 mental health days, as well as stricter commitment to COVID-19 protocol compliance.
NOV 14TH: SDR announces our endorsement of Zackariah Farah and Zaynab Elkolaly for CSG representatives.
NOV 19TH: The All Campus Labor Council hosts the first People’s Regents Meeting, a coalitional effort of U-M staff, students, and community members with interests in creating a representative budget for the university. SDR had and continues to coordinate with the ACLC on providing undergraduate support and representation.
DEC 17TH: The President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality and their draft report becomes open for public comment. SDR challenges that U of M’s investments in the fossil fuel industry are not included as 3rd Scope Emissions under the report.
DEC 18TH: The university receives its first batch of vaccines for COVID-19 over the week, releasing their phase 1a and 1b plans and introducing their Blue Queue system.
JAN 9TH: A student-led petition calling for the resignation of Regent Ron Weiser for his remarks and defense of the capitol riots on January 6th. The petition gains mass support across the community and SDR announces our endorsement of the recall.
JAN 9TH: SDR releases our demands for Winter ‘21, highlighting the urgent demands of the university community for the term.
JAN 15TH: SDR announces our second coordinated phone zap in acknowledgement of inaction regarding the city, county health department’s, and CSG’s resolutions to utilize vacant dorms as shelters for the semester.
JAN 21ST: An outbreak of the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 strain occurs across all used dorms after move-in. The outbreak is believed to have been caused by a student athlete returning and not practicing a 10-day quarantine.
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JAN 27TH: The county and university announce a Stay at Home Recommendation for all undergraduate, graduate, and professional staff until February 7th in the wake of the B.1.1.7 variant detected in the county.
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JAN 28TH: SDR partners with YDSA at Umich to host the first Wolverine Solidarity meeting, a network meant to promote progressive values and actions for university stakeholders, particularly students and staff.