Richmond University's Ronald Crutcher offers parting words for college presidents amid turbulent times in higher education bizjournals.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bizjournals.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By ERIC KOLENICH
Richmond Times-Dispatch
After weeks of protests and complaints from students and faculty, the University of Richmond board of trustees announced Monday it would hit the reset button on the controversial names of two campus buildings.
The board said it would form a commission to establish principles on renaming, ensuring a âfresh start.â
In a statement, the board said it and President Ronald Crutcher are âcommitted to ensuring a broader, more inclusive process to determine how decisions are made about questions of renaming going forward.â
The announcement came two hours before the faculty senate announced it had ratified a vote of no-confidence in the boardâs top member, rector Paul Queally, calling for him to resign.
The University of Richmond campus. (Photo: Alex Scribner/VPM News)
On March 3, a coalition of Black University of Richmond students gave an April 1 deadline to address racial discrimination and equity issues on campus.
Students said they’d end all official relationships with the school if administration didn’t meet a list of demands, including removing the names of segregationist Douglas Southall Freeman and pro-slavery Rev. Robert Ryland, the first university president, from two on-campus buildings.
The university reaffirmed its commitment to keeping the names on the buildings in an email from university President Ronald Crutcher, sent March 17, and students and student organizations responded by beginning to disaffiliate on March 25, a week earlier than their original deadline.
For years, Black students at the University of Richmond have petitioned the school to change the names of two buildings. After the university denied that request, Black students are demanding action.