Barnard Columbia Solidarity Network
The Barnard Columbia Solidarity Network (BCSN) is a coalition of activist groups formed in December 2015 calling for a set of six demands.
Membership
Spectator reports that the BCSN is comprised of "at least seven organizations." The following organizations have been reported as members.
- Columbia Divest for Climate Justice
- No Red Tape
- Divest Barnard
- Student Worker Solidarity
- Mobilized African Diaspora
- LUCHA
- International Socialist Organization
Demands
BCSN's six demands are as follows:
- 1) We demand that Columbia divest our endowment from the top 200 publicly-traded fossil fuel companies.
- 2) We demand a rape crisis center that is physically open 24 hours/day including all days during which students are housed on University campus.
- 3) We demand an elimination of the student contribution and an increase of wages to $15 per hour for all work-study, casual employment, and campus jobs, including unpaid volunteer positions at direct service organizations such as Sexual Violence Response, CUEMS, Well Woman, Nightline, and Community Impact.
- 4)We demand Columbia hire more faculty of color across all schools and departments; reallocate physical and financial resources for IRAAS, IRWGS, CSER, IAS, MEI, SAI; and restructure the Core Curriculum to move Intro to African-American Studies and Intro to Comparative Ethnic Studies from the Global Core to required Core classes.
- 5) We demand that Columbia admit and retain an increased number of Black students, emphasizing low-income and local students directly affected by Columbia’s expansion.
- 6) We demand the University invest in and actively secure jobs and affordable housing for those affected by its expansion.
Progress
In March 2016, BCSN celebrated its first victory. Student Worker Solidarity's demand, a $15 work-study minimum wage at Columbia and Barnard, was approved by the corresponding protests [1].
That same month, the Columbia administration rejected No Red Tape's demand for a 24-hour rape crisis center[2].
In April 2016, Columbia Divest for Climate Justice engaged in an eight-day sit-in to demand that Columbia divest from fossil fuel investments. Results have yet to be seen.
External Links
