Editor’s Note: This story has been updated from its original version to include comments from Rob Odom, vice president of university relations and marketing, and to include information from Odom about security at the new location.
The Students United for Palestine Equal Rights encampment relocated from the Memorial Union Quad to the Valley Library Quad on the afternoon of May 29, after members were “banned” from central areas of campus.
According to Masha, a student and the media coordinator for SUPER who declined to give their last name for safety reasons, the move followed citations given out to seven students and staff.
“The students and staff have been banned from the MU, MU Quad and (Student Experience Center) Plaza for one year,” SUPER said in an Instagram post.
Masha claimed these citations were given to students and staff when they tried to protect the queer members of SUPER from an individual who had repeatedly harassed them using transphobic language.
Rob Odom, the Vice President of University Relations and Marketing, stated in an email that “OSU’s Department of Public Safety responded to a complaint filed by a Corvallis resident that encampment participants had blocked her access to a public sidewalk on the Memorial Union quad on the evening of May 27, 2024. The students involved have been referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.”
“These people were trying to prevent her from getting to our community members … and they got punished for that harshly and we didn’t want to leave anybody else,” Masha said about the decision to move.
As they spoke, the floodlights from the MU quad were erected above the encampment while students lined up for dinner.
According to Odom, students who received citations through DPS will be contacted by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards if they determine that there is enough evidence to open an investigation. Once contacted, the students and staff will have five days to reply with their perspective on the incident, after which they may face consequences from required educational activities up to expulsion.
For OSU employees, the reports are sent to Employee and Labor Relations, which will review the allegations along with the employees supervisor Odom said. A meeting will be scheduled with the employee if more information is needed.If the employee has violated University policies they will face disciplinary action and potentially termination. Odom noted that those who are both university students and employees may go through both processes.
Speaking on SUPER’s demands of the university, Masha said the group has adjusted their demands to allow for collaboration with administrators and to reach a “solid starting point.”
“We also know that a lot of our demands are more long-term processes … especially divestment and boycott and academic sponsorships,” Masha said.
Masha also noted that SUPER is aware of the pressure to be gone before graduation, and that they will leave as soon as their demands are met.
Until then, the encampment continues to operate in the Library quad under the surveillance of event security, which, according to Odom, is not associated with the Albany Police Department, but is a federally funded service for Linn and Benton County.
“The Valley Library quad was not designed to support overnight encampment, and additional security cameras were necessary to help provide safety for protestors and all others on our campus,” Odom said.
Masha added that SUPER is open to negotiation and would like the opportunity to speak with the OSU President Jayathi Murthy or OSU Provost Ed Feser rather than the protest response team or Student Affairs.
“We want to have actual good faith negotiations and discussions with higher administration. That’s the point I would emphasize,” Masha said.
