Over a year ago, Concerned Student 1950 published its original list of eight demands to further racial equality. The university has since met five of them.
However, in recent months, officials have announced new measures that satisfy certain demands made by the group, including plans to hire more faculty of color and diversity course requirements for incoming students.
In a [Prezi presentation](https://prezi.com/to-er9ecugj0/list-of-demands/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy) dated Feb. 24, 2016, CS1950 published an updated version of its list. The new version left out the first and second demands calling for former president Tim Wolfe’s resignation and a handwritten apology letter acknowledging his white male privilege, but included calls to meet demands eight and nine from the Legion of Black Collegians’ 1969 [list of demands](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://diversity.missouri.edu/about/timeline/lbc-demands-universityarchives74.pdf&sa=D&ust=1478215809467000&usg=AFQjCNHkF5vrIIH25VvIy5Aej1H6Bwvnhg).
These demands, which requested an academic bankruptcy program and hiring panel for the nonexistent Office of Minority Students, have not been addressed by the university. According to the presentation, the deadline for these demands was August 2016.
In addition, the demand for a “strategic 10-year plan” to increase minority student retention rates has not been implemented by Academic Retention Services, nor have plans been made to expand the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center or build a statue of Lloyd Gaines in the center of Carnahan Quadrangle.
In February, just a few weeks after the updated demands were made public, Chuck Henson, former interim vice chancellor for diversity, inclusion and equity, released a letter reprimanding CS1950 for what he considered to be “threats and arbitrary deadlines.”
“Had you accepted my invitation to meet face-to-face, you would already know the answers to most of the issues raised in your recent communication,” Henson wrote. “As many other concerned students already know, much of what can be done to transform our culture is already underway.”
Henson [stepped down](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2016/4/29/chuck-henson-step-down-interim-vice-chancellor-inc/) from his post as vice chancellor this fall and was replaced by Kevin McDonald. This September, McDonald and UM system leaders held a “media day” to address the 2015 protests and outlined their plans for achieving greater diversity on campus.
“This was designed to provide you with an update on where we are today, what we have done over the past several months to address the issues that arose back in November and that we are moving forward,” interim UM System President Michael Middleton said during the conference.
McDonald announced that $1.3 million will be set aside for the recruitment and retention of minority faculty members, with an ultimate end goal of 13.4 percent faculty of color. If successful, this initiative will exceed CS1950’s demand for 10 percent faculty of color.
In addition, he stated that the Counseling Center has hired two new psychologists and two interns of color, as well as Dr. Nadia Bethley to serve as the center’s first diversity coordinator. These efforts do not entirely fulfill CS1950’s demand for one psychologist per every 1,500 students, or 14 new psychologists based on last year’s enrollment data, by June 2016.
Finally, leaders at the conference lauded various colleges and schools for recently launching diversity course requirements, including programs in the School of Journalism, College of Education, College of Nursing, College of Arts and Sciences, and the Truman School of Public Affairs. Such requirements, along with the Citizenship@Mizzou diversity session which was mandatory starting with the Class of 2020, addressed CS1950’s calls for “comprehensive racial awareness and inclusion curriculum” overseen by students and faculty of color.
Dr. Stephanie Shonekan, Department of Black Studies chairwoman and professor of ethnomusicology, led the Citizenship@Mizzou sessions in an effort to start a dialogue on diversity between students and faculty.
“We wanted to say, we know what happened last year and we wanted to make sure we’re communicating,” Shonekan said [in an interview](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2016/8/24/mu-holds-first-set-mandatory-citizenship-trainings/) with The Maneater. “It’s important for us. It’s definitely important for Mizzou.”
Despite no clear resolution to the remaining three demands, CS1950 [expressed optimism](https://twitter.com/CS_1950/status/785484272048168960) in tweets posted on Oct. 10, the one year anniversary of the group’s formation.
“In 1 yr, an issuing of 8 demands #BoycottMU campaign, a #mizzouhungerstrike, a football team who was bout it [sic], multiple meetings, town halls many more demonstrations, and one year later 5 of our demands have been met,” the group wrote. “If this is the power that can manifest in a year, imagine what we can do in our lifetime. Keep resisting! It is our duty!”
_Edited by Emily Gallion | egallion@themaneater.com_