Northwestern University Negotiates Gives Out Scholarships
Northwestern University’s campus has been the site of protests for the past five days, as a group of anti-Israel demonstrators encamped in Deering Meadow to demand action from the university.
The protestors, who had set up tents and hung anti-Israel signs on the lawn’s fence, were demanding that Northwestern divest its endowment from companies doing business with Israel and sever all partnerships with Israeli institutions. On Monday, Northwestern’s president, Michael Schill, announced in a statement that the university has agreed to several of the protestors’ demands in exchange for the removal of the encampment.
One of the most notable concessions in the agreement is the university’s promise to provide full-ride scholarships to Palestinian students and guaranteed faculty jobs for Palestinian academics. As part of this commitment, the university will also be fundraising to sustain this program beyond the initial two-year commitment. The agreement also includes the provision of a “house for MENA/Muslim students” and advises employers not to rescind job offers for students who engage in protected speech under the First Amendment.
Furthermore, Northwestern has agreed to include students in the decision-making process for university partnerships and investments, as well as funding two faculty per year for two years and providing the full cost of attendance for five Palestinian undergraduate students to attend the university for the duration of their undergraduate careers. The university will also be forming a committee on “investment responsibility” with representation from students, faculty, and staff.
The university’s decision to make concessions to the protestors has drawn criticism from various organizations and individuals. The Anti-Defamation League’s Midwest division issued a statement calling the agreement “reprehensible” and “dangerous,” stating that it rewards the “pro-terror, anti-Israel, and anti-American aggressors” on campus. Similarly, Israel’s Chicago consulate posted a statement expressing their appall and calling the agreement a “dark day in Northwestern’s history.”
Several individuals also spoke out against the agreement, with some questioning how it would work and whether there would be any consequences for those who violated campus policies. One of the videos that went viral during the protests shows Northwestern faculty members, including the chair of social justice reporting Professor Steven Thrasher, fighting with university police as they attempted to dismantle the tents.
In a speech given to the protestors, Thrasher stated that they were “going up against the American empire” and that the university’s administration had sided with “warmongers instead of peacemakers.”
In addition to Thrasher, another faculty member seen in the video attempting to knock a phone out of a student’s hand was global health professor Noelle Sullivan. Faculty librarian Josh Honn published a blog post accusing pro-Israel counter-protestors of carrying out acts of “aggression” and “violence.” The university has not taken these incidents of antisemitism seriously, with members of its antisemitism task force having previously signed a letter criticizing the formation of the committee.
Despite multiple attempts to reach them for comment, Northwestern University has not responded to requests from the media. The university’s actions, along with its lack of response, have sparked a conversation about the handling of these protests, with some questioning whether it sets a precedent for rewarding protestors who violate campus policies. As Northwestern continues to face criticism for its decisions, it remains to be seen how the university will navigate this situation and its impact on the campus community.