The temporary committee formed by the Washington University in St. Louis Board of Trustees to evaluate the university’s regulations and principles regarding on-campus protests and demonstrations has finalized its work. The committee’s concluding report includes proposals for the administration and campus community, as well as a broad evaluation of the university’s reaction to protests that took place on the Danforth Campus in April 2024.

Under the leadership of Emeritus Trustee William B. Pollard III, the committee, consisting of eight additional trustees, presented its findings to the entire Board of Trustees on March 7, which subsequently voted to endorse the report.

“Our objective was to perform a just, comprehensive, and independent examination of the occurrences from last spring and to pinpoint areas where the university’s policies and protocols regarding demonstrations could be enhanced or clarified,” Pollard stated. “Thanks to the support from our WashU community, we successfully achieved this goal. The report renders our evaluation of the administration’s response to the protests and provides suggestions worth considering for future events. We extend our gratitude to all participants in this project and anticipate that the administration will take our suggestions into account soon.”

Throughout a six-month review period, the committee enlisted external advisors to ascertain what transpired during the April 2024 protests; scrutinized extensive documents; conducted numerous interviews with administrators, faculty, staff, and students; and conferred with Faculty Senate Council leadership to enrich its findings and conclusions. The complete report from the committee features the external advisors’ factual narrative about the April incidents, the committee’s critique of the administration’s choices, and further specifics regarding the recommendations. The complete report is accessible online.

In the report, the committee acknowledges WashU’s long-standing tradition of endorsing peaceful protests on campus, but noted that the spring demonstrations posed “complex, challenging, and unique obstacles” for the administration. The recommendations identified potential areas for enhancement in university policies and processes related to future protests. The report concluded that the administration’s responses to the April 2024 demonstrations “were made in good faith and adhered to the university’s policies,” based on the factual findings.

The committee’s recommendations comprise:

• Examine and enhance policies that regulate demonstrations;

• Assess and bolster crisis communication abilities;

• Establish and share clear criteria for supporting students who have been suspended and excluded from campus;

• Create and publicize a policy governing protest activities by those not affiliated with WashU;

• Enhance the Demonstration and Disruption team and provide additional support;

• Review protocols for addressing demonstrations on campus;

• Clarify the chain of command for the university leadership team, especially in the absence of the chancellor;

• Evaluate information-gathering abilities; and

• Review police resources, including collaborations with nearby municipalities.

In its findings, the committee urged the WashU administration to collaborate with Faculty Senate Council leadership and student representatives to determine the best approach for implementing changes, particularly any updates to current policies or the creation of new policies to promote robust freedom of expression principles.

“On behalf of the board, I would like to convey my gratitude to the members of the temporary committee for their diligent, meticulous, and fair approach to their work, as well as to the many constituents of the university community — faculty, students, staff, and administrators — who provided their valuable insights to the committee’s work,” stated Andrew M. Bursky, chair of the Board of Trustees and an ex-officio member of the committee.

“The committee’s report offers meaningful insights and thoughtful recommendations for actions the WashU community may undertake to enhance the university’s policies, ensuring they accommodate free expression and protests within reasonable limits in an educational and research context. The committee has equipped the administration with a vital framework for navigating future demonstrations, and I believe our community will benefit from this.”

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