Over the semester, masses of NYU students, led by The Incarceration to Education Coalition (IEC), have called on NYU administration to address the “Abolish THE BOX” movement, an initiative pushing NYU to remove questions regarding an applicant’s criminal record from the university’s application. From Mar. 24 to Mar. 26, the IEC also held a 33-hour sit-in at the Kimmel Center for University Life, the longest student sit-in on campus to date. The IEC is an organization composed of NYU students, faculty, and other community members who aim to end discrimination against formerly incarcerated NYU members or prospective members with a criminal record. “We are founded on the principle that education is a human right and that we as members of the NYU community have an active obligation to expand that right while working for racial and economic justice.” The IEC often collaborates with other organizations for a nation-wide goal: Students in SUNY just launched a Ban the Box campaign and have worked closely with IEC in the past. Students at the University of Puget Sound in Washington have been meeting with Jenny Rickard, U or Puget Sound administration and a member of the Board of the Common App, regarding abolishing THE BOX and launching a petition. Moreover, students from George Washington University and various Black Student Unions and Prison Divest Campaigns all around America have incorporated the removal of THE BOX into their agenda.“Abolish THE BOX” is one of their key demands. It requires NYU to remove from its application the following questions: “Have you ever been found responsible for a disciplinary violation at any educational institution you have attended from the ninth grade (or the international equivalent) forward, whether related to academic misconduct or behavioral misconduct, that resulted in a disciplinary action?”, and “Have you ever been adjudicated guilty or convicted of a misdemeanor, felony or other crime?” The organization believes these questions can impact incarcerated persons’ chance of admittance into the university and to pursue higher education. It also discriminates against students of color and other marginalized groups due to the racial and ethnic disparities in the prison and justice system. The movement to end demands to reveal an applicant’s criminal history is not new to NYU or New York. By law, employers in the New York City area are prohibited from asking job applicants about their criminal history until after a conditional offer of employment has been given. THE BOX was removed from applications for the NYU Silver School of Social Work’s Masters program earlier this year. The focus now is removing THE BOX from the Common Application (informally known as Common App), a platform widely used by students all around the world to apply to American colleges, including NYU. The IEC had previously hosted a sit-in at the NYU Welcome Center on Dec. 4, 2015. Afterward, members met with NYU administration to draft a letter from the university to the Common App. The latest sit-in began Friday, Mar. 24 in the afternoon. Those directly involved chanted their demands and sang songs to keep hopes high, while others around the campus used social media to promote the initiative and support friends involved, often using the hashtag #AllEyesOnYouNYU. Despite administrative threats stating that staying in Kimmel past midnight constitutes trespassing and is punishable by disciplinary action, a group of 24 students stayed overnight. On Saturday morning, the IEC pledged to continue the sit-in until concrete steps were taken to abolish THE BOX. Students continued to protest until negotiations between the IEC and NYU administration began to take place at 3 pm on Saturday. While Senior Vice President of Student Affairs Marc Wais addressed the protestors, NYU President Andrew Hamilton was not present at the scene. As part of the negotiations, it was decided that before the end of the semester, the organizers would meet with President Hamilton, and on Tuesday, Mar. 29 be allowed to meet with Common App CEO Paul Mott. The organizers were also granted the right to record this meeting. The meeting was contingent on IEC members and its supporters leaving the Kimmel sit-in at 4 pm, and ceasing to protest until after Tuesday’s meeting with CEO Mott; the IEC’s demand to have the meeting open to the public was denied by the NYU administration. “We have witnessed so much momentum for Abolish THE BOX, from Silver School of Social Work abolishing THE BOX on their application to January, to the broad coalition of NYU student groups who have supported our demand.. What we saw at the March sit-in was dozens of NYU students risking their own position at NYU to demand that the university open its doors to communities that have been systematically locked out. Students saw that NYU admins often say they are committed to diversity and inclusion, yet they continue to support THE BOX, which overwhelmingly targets marginalized communities. NYU saw that students have enormous power, but students are also standing in solidarity with folks who do not have access to these elite institutions”, commented IEC organizer Eric Sturm. Following the decision of their meeting with Common App, the IEC hosted an Unbox NYU: Support Rally on Mar. 29 “to build energy, love, and support before this meeting.” The organization also encouraged all students to send an email to Common Application showing their support for NYU’s abolishment of THE BOX. A follow-up article will be provided by On Century Avenue to update the community on IEC’s meeting with Common Application. This article was written by Lathika Chandra Mouli. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: The Incarceration to Education Coalition at NYU