Senate to discuss stance on Purdue's response to protest organizers

Purdue's University Senate will take up in a special session Tuesday morning a document proposing that the administration "refrain from disciplinary action against individual students who have engaged in peaceful protests."

The document, attributed to 20 senators across Purdue colleges, asks for “the administration to refrain from disciplinary action against individual students who have engaged in peaceful protests.”

The document is in relation to the “Purdue Liberation Zone” encampment and the resulting charges placed upon four of the organizers and the YDSA chapter at Purdue by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

“The possible penalties associated with these charges are severe and include suspension and expulsion,” the senate document reads. “For all the students concerned these penalties might significantly harm their life chances. In addition, all the students charged individually are students of color, and two of the students are international students, and suspension or expulsion would lead to a loss of status in the US and therefore deportation.”

University Senate Chair Brian Leung will preside over the special session for what will likely be his last meeting as University Senate chair.

"Purdue just completed eight joyful commencement ceremonies without disruption," Leung said in an email. "All along, students and administrators have exhibited remarkable peaceful and rational judgment, especially when set in relief of other campuses."

“I am hoping that the Senate can convince the administration to drop the charges,” said Johnny Hazboun, president of Students for Justice in Palestine and one of the organizers who are facing charges from the OSRR. “I also believe the senate will clearly see how the university is trying to twist the events that occurred and biasedly implement regulations to silence students.”

This will be the only document up for discussion for Tuesday's special session, according to Secretary of Faculties Nush Powell.

“There are three ways to call a special session,” Powell said. “The president could do it, the steering committee can do it by unanimous vote or 20 senators can petition … for a special session for the Senate to take up a document that they had written together. ”