PROVIDENCE, R.I. ― The president of a Catholic college in Rhode Island is promising to create a more inclusive environment as part of a deal reached with students who staged a 13-hour sit-in over complaints of campus racism.
About 50 students at Providence College occupied the Rev. Brian Shanley’s office until he signed the agreement Tuesday night. Most of the protesters were Black. Students of color make up about 16 percent of the college’s Class of 2019.
Associate Vice President Steven Maurano says the sit-in took administrators by surprise, but both sides expressed mutual respect and courtesy.
Shanley’s agreement says he will issue a comprehensive plan in three weeks that addresses students’ concerns. He will also talk with faculty next week about the students’ demands for curriculum changes and more diversity in hiring.
