Cooper Union students pinned red felt squares to their graduation gowns and refused to acknowledge president Jamshed Bharucha, in the latest protest against the school's instatement of undergraduate tuition. The protest took place at the 2015 Commencement Ceremony yesterday, and was organized by student activist group Free Cooper Union, which has directed a variety of informational and protest actions in response to the landmark tuition decision.
On May 27, the day of the Ceremony, Free Cooper Union posted the following on Facebook:
At the ceremony, graduates receiving their diplomas refused to shake hands with President Jamshed Bharucha, who oversaw the school's decision to begin charging undergraduate tuition. Many students in the audience turned their backs on Bharucha during his presidential address. The protest echoed similar actions staged at 2014's Commencement, the year Cooper Union officially began charging.
In an effort to mitigate a lawsuit filed against the school by a student and faculty members, Cooper Union's board recently voted not to renew Bharucha's presidency next year, but it's not clear how that will change the court's view of the school.
7 Comments
Well done Cooper Students!
Rejecting their degrees, and stopping future students from attending would be better alternatives.
I'm sure none of them will ever use their alma mater's historic prestige to their advantage. After all, Cooper Union is a useless institution and effectively dead to them.
Is that your takeaway, thunderclap? Really? I see students taking a stand, for the future students looking to attend Cooper, and given the recent announcement of an investigation by NY state AG, it would seem they are making great strides to changing the institution. They're principled, not stupid.
yeah thunderclap, that's mean.
thunderclap Comment from: Cooper Union Students React
News | Apr 30, 13 8:22 pm
"Right on, guys. It's such a shame that such a bright, select few have to pay for their college education. No doubt, this is a loss for everyone and a reflection of society's misguided priorities"
these "bright, select few" are reflecting on the president's misguided priorities and have been long before April 30, 2013 at 8:22pm. The same students you commend two years ago are the ones graduating with their backs turned. It seems as though this "useless institution" isn't "effectively dead" to them.
even if NYS AG investigates and admin restructured, this hardly means it will ever be free again.....in time those who push such things in motion indirectly know these things. they count on bad memory and those who really care to move, so to Joseph's point I hope they protest until a complete reversion.......there will be excuses to the extent of the situation is insoluable etc....i have no connection, i am just pointing out the manuevers of more patient manipulators who count on lack of historical overview and various fall guys to dampen the reaction to a motion they manipulated into action most likley years ago.
Methinks thundercrap is laboring in some shitty intern position, carrying large debt, and green with envy over the few who were competitively selected to benefit from the previously free and very highly regarded education.
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