Group awaits Board decision regarding votes of no confidence
Students and faculty gathered outside Dubourg Hall on the morning of Dec. 15 to demonstrate at the meeting of the Saint Louis University Board of Trustees.
The reason for the gathering was to show support for the vote of no confidence taken by the Faculty Senate and the Student Government Association against Lawrence Biondi, S.J., president of SLU. The Board will be discussing what action to take in response in today’s meeting
The group of protesters was greeted by Lawrence Biondi, S.J., president of SLU, who offered to take their drink orders before the protest actually started.
The demonstrators raised signs that expressed their distrust and lack of confidence in the University administration and called out to Trustee members entering the building to “do their job” and “listen.”
The Board members acknowledge the signs and the shouts as they were escorted inside the building by members of the Department for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
Tim Lomperis, a political science professor, later lead the group in a prayer service and program to discuss why they had all gathered and what they hoped to achieve from their efforts. The group was also addressed by law student, Liz Ramsey, one of the founding members of SLU Students for No Confidence.
“Every reporter I’ve talked to has asked me why I stayed at SLU for Law School,” Ramsey said. “I stayed for the best Italian class I’ve ever taken. I stayed for the Political Science department. I did not stay for Father Biondi.”
The protesters concluded their demonstration with a march around Dubourg Hall, singing songs as they went.
The Board of Trustees is expected to make a decision on the matter by the end of the day.
