Last week, 600 students marched to protest the  University of Maryland’s decision to remove a diversity administrator from his post. The activists formed the organization Students Taking Action to Reclaim our Education, or “STARE,” a new group dedicated to acting against student services cut by the University.

The march reacted to the dismissal of Associate Provost for Equity and Diversity Cordell Black, a 30-year faculty member, who had been informed of his dismissal earlier in the week. STARE drafted three demands for the university: Black’s reinstatement, the release of all the university’s budget and diversity records, and a moratorium on further layoffs and reorganizations until students, faculty and staff are given a say.

The three-point position appears to signal long-building student frustration that extends beyond just the removal of Associate Provost Black.

University President Dan Mote insisted the decision to remove Black from his position was strictly budgetary.
 
 “There’s a lot of people losing their jobs — we aren’t walking away from diversity,” Mote said. “Would you prefer we put money into a high-level administrator than diversity programs? We shouldn’t be hanging our diversity plan on one person.”
 
Provost Nariman Farvardin told the students his decision to remove Black was final.
 
The students do not plan to back down from their position, saying the march was only the first step.
 
Student Government Association President Steve Glickman said, “We [went] in there with the attitude, ‘You need to meet these demands or things are going to escalate,’” Glickman said.


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