Skidmore College president Marc Conner is responding to a list of demands from student protestors concerned about the Israel-Hamas war.
This week, students presented a list of demands of the administration including divestment from the Israeli economy and joining their calls for an immediate ceasefire.
In an interview with WAMC Thursday, Conner says he encourages students to engage with challenging topics and is open to speaking with them, but it’s more challenging for the school to take a concrete stance.
“We don’t take a stand on certain political issues, and certainly something like this — there’s no way I could speak a coherent stance that captures the views of all 2,600 students, all 1,100 employees, all 38,000 alumni. You can imagine how diffuse the perspectives are,” explained Conner.
Conner says the school will continue to host programs where students and faculty can discuss the conflict in productive ways. WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau is on Skidmore’s campus.
