Students End A Protest At Lincoln University

By Connie Langland, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Posted: April 21, 1995

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY — Students returned to classes yesterday at Lincoln University after a protest by several hundred students shut down the campus on Wednesday.

University president Niara Sudarkasa said yesterday that her administration would "restructure communication channels so that, in the future, it doesn't require a blockage of the university and a disruption of the normal business of the institution" for students to win a hearing for their complaints.

Sudarkasa said she and her top aides met with students for about five hours Wednesday evening, discussing "concerns in academic affairs, fiscal affairs, student life" and the functioning of the president's office.

"We agreed, where we could, to implement many of the things they requested by our fall term, which starts in August," she said. "Many of the things were already on the drawing board" but not communicated to the student body, she added.

As an example, she noted that students were demanding training on computer systems now being installed on the campus, not realizing that tutorials were planned. "What is apparent to me is that we have to open lines of continual communication," Sudarkasa said.

Student government officials could not be reached for comment yesterday. Late Wednesday, student negotiators had joined with the administration in issuing a statement that the sides had "identified and clarified issues and concerns" during the meeting Wednesday.

On the day of the protest, students said they wanted to avoid negative publicity about the dispute, which focused on living conditions as well as complaints about academic and financial issues at the campus.

The students blocked all entrances to the campus, keeping faculty and other campus workers from their jobs.

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