When organizers and leaders of protests at the University of Wisconsin-Madison agreed to dismantle a pro-Palestinian encampment on Library Mall in May, they agreed to take a series of steps in the coming days and months.

Now that students are returning to campus, university leaders say they have met two deadlines so far, while protest organizers fear the university’s investigations will have a chilling effect.

The university has imposed sanctions on students, some of whom face criminal charges. Meanwhile, the head of Wisconsin’s public universities recently issued new guidelines for universities to prepare for possible protests in the fall.

Tents were set up on Library Mall sstarting 29.April in protest against the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s ties to Israel during the war in Gaza, during which more than 40,000 people were killedStudents for Justice in Palestine the camp was cleared May 10, hours before the spring graduation ceremony.

The protesters initially demanded that the university disclose its investments and other ties to Israeli institutions and end these programs until a permanent ceasefire is reached in Gaza. Organizers later demanded that the University of Madison end its “unethical practices” and ensure transparency in investments. among other steps.

University administrators have repeatedly said they have limited authority over how the university’s endowment is invested and whether investment decisions are disclosed. In the agreement that ended the camp, university leaders agreed to provide “access to relevant decision makers” at the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association and the Universities of Wisconsin through July 1.

However, these meetings have not yet taken place.

“Several dates in June, July and August have been identified and offered for a meeting with WFAA. The meeting has not yet taken place due to the schedules of the students attending … (and) is currently being planned,” said John Lucas, a UW-Madison spokesman.

According to Lucas, a meeting with the universities of Wisconsin is also planned.

Students for Justice in Palestine declined to comment on the meetings. The group instead criticized the university’s investigations into the students.

“We view the fact that the University has involved individuals as well as SJP and YDSA (Young Democratic Socialists of America) in disciplinary investigations as evidence of the University’s bad faith in implementing this agreement.“, Students for Justice in Palestine told the Cap Times.

According to the university, there were approximately 30 to 40 cases of student misconduct in connection with the camp at the Library Mall.

“The investigation was completed in August and sanctions ranged from written reprimands to probation,” Lucas said.

A Federal law on the protection of student privacy According to Lucas, this prevents the university from disclosing further details about the investigation results and individual cases.

The investigators recommended four students Disciplinary punishment for one year and 11 students are reprimanded after a statement Thursday by a group of students who say they were investigated by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

“These investigations create a chilling effect on pro-Palestinian speech and affiliation with pro-Palestinian organizations at this university,” the statement said.

The students criticized the evidence used by the university and said they planned to request hearings to challenge the preliminary decisions.

In May, UW-Madison also announced that the Committee on Student Organizations was investigating two student groups – Students for Justice in Palestine and Young Democratic Socialists of America – in connection with the camp. Those investigations have been completed and the YDSA provisional suspension was lifted, according to the university.

“Overall, we recognize that other institutions across the country facing similar situations may have handled student behavior differently, and that some members of our campus community may have wanted a different outcome,” Lucas said.

He added: “The agreement with Students for Justice in Palestine states that we would consider the agreement and the termination of the camp as mitigating circumstances that occurred at SJP as an organization and would be considered with each individual SJP member who is investigated for violating the UW Student Code of Conduct.”

On May 1, several dozen police officers the tents cleared At the request of the university, protesters were removed from the Library Mall, but they re-established the camp a short time later.

34 people were arrested. Most were released the same day. Four people, including a student and a graduate, were taken to jail and charged. Madison police later arrested a fifth person, who was also charged.

Since then, one case has been dismissed because prosecutors cited insufficient evidence. In another case, the defendant pleaded no contest to a lesser charge. The other cases are still pending.

In June, Campus Police 19 other people were summoned in connection with the camp. According to the authorities, the charges were filed for resisting or obstructing a police officer.

Next dates

By August 1, the university plans to begin the search for a staff member for the Department of Student Affairs whose work will focus on supporting students affected by war, violence and displacement. According to the agreement, the search committee will also include student representatives.

The university published the job advertisement July 22. At least one student will be selected for the committee, said Jenny Bernhardt, a spokeswoman for Student Affairs. The full-time program coordinator will work in the Office of Inclusion Education.

Other deadlines outlined in the agreement are set for later this year. One provision says UW-Madison will invite at least one scholar from a Palestinian university to campus for at least the next three academic years. Lucas said Friday he had no information on that provision.

Guidelines for future protests

This month, UW System President Jay Rothman sent a memo to the chancellors of Wisconsin’s 13 state universities with guidelines on protesting.

“Given the possibility of increased protest activity at Wisconsin universities this fall, it is appropriate that we take some unified approaches in response to that activity,” Rothman said.

While situations may vary from case to case, “there are some common baselines that should be considered, particularly given that the response of one university may impact the other 12,” he said.

At the universities of Madison and Milwaukee, tent camps were held toward the end of the spring semester. faced backlashincluding Rothman, about the agreement that the university administration made with the protesters.

“I am disappointed with the course taken by UW-Milwaukee and continue to evaluate the decision-making process that led to this outcome,” Rothman said on social media in May.

The memo addresses statements from universities, “blanket” immunity for students, and other issues.