ANN ARBOR—University of Michigan administrators have met with a group of students, faculty and staff concerned with the University’s commitment to communities of color, and will continue to meet with a sub-set of the Students of Color Coalition who have been occupying an office in the Michigan Union tower since Sunday night.

At the direction of Provost Nancy Cantor and Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Royster Harper, Associate Provost Lester Monts is working with executive officers and other top University officials to arrange a meeting to discuss concerns detailed in a petition presented to University officials last week. Among the group’s concerns is use of Michigan Union space by three campus organizations. The three, collectively called the Tower Societies, include Michigamua Senior Society, Phoenix and the Vulcans. All are student organizations registered with Michigan Student Assembly.

The students occupying Michigamua’s meeting space want the University to sever all affiliation with and subsidy of the group, which they say makes offensive and culturally destructive appropriation of Native American objects and culture, particularly through the use of its name.

Michigamua, formed in 1902, has been meeting in its tower space since 1919, the year the Union was completed. The other two organizations have been using their meeting rooms since 1979.

“The University does not support behavior and actions that make a mockery of any culture,” said Harper. “We proposed to the Tower Societies, and they agreed, that the space be off limits until further discussion.”

The Students of Color Coalition gained access to the Michigamua space Sunday night and have said they will stay in the tower office until the University addresses their concerns. The University at this point has no plans to remove the students.

“We want to meet with the coalition as soon as we can,” said Cantor. “It is important for us to gather the appropriate information so we can have a thoughtful and thorough discussion.”

Nancy Cantor