Rutgers University responds to requests from pro-Palestinian protesters. Here's what they've agreed to.
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- Rutgers University is responding to requests made by pro-Palestinian protesters after the demonstrators agreed to dismantle their on-campus encampment Thursday.
Rutgers says all aspects of the agreement are contingent upon no further disruptions on campus.
Rutgers agrees to some requests by pro-Palestinian protesters
School officials now say a request for the endowment collective to divest from companies doing business in Israel is undergoing a review process.
As for some of the other demands, pro-Palestinian groups want Rutgers to accept at least 10 displaced Gazan students to study at the university on scholarship. The school says Rutgers will work with a committee to implement that support.
Rutgers also says it will develop a plan to start an Arab Cultural Center on campus by the start of the fall 2024 semester.
The Office of the Chancellor says it will also convene a group to look into the creation of a department of Middle East studies and hire faculty.
Protests at Rutgers University
Pro-Palestinian protesters spent about four days camped out on the school's Voorhees Mall. They were demanding the university end its relationship with Tel Aviv University and divest from companies that do business with Israel.
An on-campus rally Thursday morning forced the school to postpone final exams and prompted the administration to issue a 4 p.m. deadline for demonstrators to clear their tents, which the protesters agreed to follow.
In a statement posted Thursday, University President Jonathan Holloway said in part, "We still have a great deal of work ahead and will continue to be tested. I ask everyone to be civil to one another, to be respectful of one another, and to embrace our shared humanity."
