On April 13 a student sit-in began in Middle College to protest the housing price increase and differentiation taking place in Fall 2026. The protest has no individual or organizations leading but major student organizations such as Beloit Student Workers United (BSWU), Greek organizations, and others have given endorsements.
The sit-in was announced on BSWU’s Instagram account. The post stated, “[p]etitions are not enough! Students are organizing a sit-in at middle college, starting Monday (4/13) at 9am, and they will keep showing up until the housing cost increase is reversed. Bring your friends, games, and homework…This is what showing up for your community can look like!”
The protestors sat on the second floor, outside of President Boynton’s office, who had gone on a business trip to China. There was an instance of a protester who was asked to leave the Admissions office (which occupies almost all of the first floor), as they could not go upstairs due to their physical disability and had to sit outside.
On the first day of the sit-in protestors were asked to come to a meeting with Ron Watson (Dean of Students), Tim Leslie (Vice President of Finance Strategy & Operations), and Elizabeth Moore (Chief Financial Officer). This meeting was attended by more than two dozen students with the hopes that the College would reverse the housing policy.
During the meeting the College stressed that they had “effed up” on the housing announcement, as Leslie put it. They also stated that they were going to communicate better in the future. After the 45 minute meeting with students, the College did not reverse housing policy. However, the College did delay housing selection by a week afterwards.
Some students had audio recorded this meeting, believing it to be public. However, after BSWU posted one recording of the meeting on their Instagram, the administration forced them to take it down as it violated the student handbook on recordings on campus. The Round Table received this information from BSWU Leadership.
The sit-in continued outdoors, after protestors were told of new restrictions, limiting the amount of protesters inside to three. The protestors put up signs inside, stating “16% is too much for nothing to change”, “actions speak louder than words! Reverse the housing increase!!!” and more.
There were more signs and chalk writings outside of Middle College and around campus that said, “16% raise for black mold?”, “FIX YOUR OWN DEBT PROBLEM!” and “Beloit can’t fund themselves so they will DEFUND YOU”.
On April 15, Beloit Daily News interviewed some of the protestors in Middle College, publishing an article the same day. The following day, Representative Clinton Anderson in the Wisconsin State Assembly came to Middle College to talk to and show support to the protestors.
On April 21, an email was sent out to the student body from the President’s Office titled “Follow Up: Housing and Communication.” President Boynton wrote, “I returned to campus today from a trip where I was conducting business for the college. My priority today has been to meet with students and listen. I’ve met with the leadership of Beloit Student Government and spoken with students gathered in front of Middle College.”
On the topic of the housing price he wrote, “The housing prices for next year are final. We have taken steps to help students who needed more time or assistance with their housing for next year.”
President Boynton finished the email with, “I have also heard that your concerns extend beyond housing. I take those seriously. As a first step, I will continue meeting with Beloit Student Government to strengthen structures for collaboration and communication. Provost Donna Oliver and I have directed the college leadership team to establish a Residential Life Advisory Committee with student representation, as another step to improve transparency and communication.”
Protestors released a document of their demands, and a zine was given out to students during Spring Day on April 22.
The demands on the zine are as follows;
1. Transparency and Communication: Including at least one year of advance notice for changes that materially impact students.
2. Power Sharing: Including two elected students with voting power, on each Board of Trustees Committee.
3. Tuition and College Cost: Including consistent and meaningful student participation in any decision-making process involving cost increase to the student body, including a reversal of the housing cost increase for Fall 2026.
4. Accessibility: including increased accessibility in both academic and residential buildings on campus.
5. Training: Including mandatory and on-going anti-racism and accessibility training conducted by individuals outside of the college with proper credentials.
6. Space Creation: Including an active student role in the direction of space usage on campus including interest and identity housing.
7. Safety: Including dedicated door and keycard access for women’s only dorms, and a more efficient Title XI process and accountability on campus.
8. Health: Including improved Health and Wellness Center amenities and timely accommodations for students suffering from mold mildew.
9. Food Access: Including consistent and reliable shuttle access, and non-stigmatized and accessible 24/7 food pantry access.
The zine included a QR code to the full demands of the protestors.
On the same day, The Round Table talked to students Jake Fein’27, Lyndall Breaux’27, and Roo Doherty’26 about the protest, they expressed their concerns about transparency, communication and lack of student power on campus.
When asked about the mission of the protest, Fein stated, “the mission of the [sit-in] is to address the concerns of the student body around broad, systemic lack of communication, miscommunication, and overall power sharing concerns with the student body and compared to administration”.
Breaux added, “most people are there because they care about the college and campus community. It’s a whole bunch of students who are concerned about the lack of communication, and also the fact that this lack of communication, despite the administration saying they’re sorry…. saying sorry doesn’t make things cheaper, and most students can’t afford to pay the amount that they’re accepting them to pay.”
When asked about whether the protest is going to continue, Doherty said, “I think the primary driver of the protest is that housing prices increased, but I think the persistent lack of communication is what will continue to be a factor in student protest. Because the school hasn’t really communicated with us yet.”
The Round Table asked what the students thought about the email from President Boynton. Fein stated, “they’re either willfully ignoring the student body’s main concerns, or they’re simply…. Like, arrogant enough to believe that they can rise above it and wait us out. I think when you send an email saying…we are making this final decision, we are not doing anything, but we hear what you’re saying, but then don’t actually say anything of substance to back that up, that’s not hearing us.”
While touching on the new Residential Life Advisory Committee, Doherty stated, “Advisory committee is what it’s called, which doesn’t imply that it’s going to have any kind of actual power over housing.”
Breaux added on and said, “a committee that has students on it usually means the committee doesn’t do anything.”
Fein added, “[President Boynton] comes in making $400,000 plus a year, gets all [if not most] of his expenses covered. And then comes in and doesn’t even engage with the meaningful issues around affordability and offloads it, and essentially ignores the reality of being a low income student in this country.” They continued, “I don’t know if I can respect someone who preaches around progressive values, and then inaction doesn’t know how to perpetuate them”
Fein also echoed how the administration has suggested that financial constraints could potentially lead to cuts affecting faculty and staff, arguing that this kind of messaging creates unnecessary fear around campus. “That’s what people have done in other institutions. You take a voluntary cut in pay. It’s not like he’s somehow gonna go poor. He can take a $300,000 cut, and it still be a well paid individual.” Fein said.
The email from the president suggested reaching out to the Financial Aid office. But, students have expressed their concerns stating that the financial aid office wasn’t able to meet the full need of students after the 3.8% increase. Fein commented on this and said “there has been no increase in merit or need-based aid for the increase. And there are many students who are strongly considering leaving because of the 3.8% increase alone.”
In general, students have expressed concern over the continuing situation. Fein stated “it seems Eric Boynton and the administration, Tim Leslie, view the school as an institutional model that they manipulate, rather than a home for nearly a thousand people. There seems to be an utter lack of understanding of how [t]his college actually runs, how students are feeling. And [President Boynton] seems to be perpetually missing from campus when everyone needs him ,”
The housing prices are set to be implemented by next semester, with little signs of administration reversing their decisions, a lot of students are left rethinking their decisions, in hope for better and transparent communication in the future.
Fein stated, “[President Boynton] doesn’t care about the student body.”
Featured image: Ray Broad’26
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