The General College Truth Movement (GCTM) was a briefly lived but large group, led by
students
A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution.
In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementar ...
, that opposed the closure of the General College at the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. T ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
.
The General College was the most diverse college at the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. T ...
, disproportionately serving working class students, first-generation college students, and students of color.
University Regents voted to close college by an 11-1 vote on June 10, 2005
The group was founded on April 16, 2005, and consisted of U of M students, staff and faculty, as well as some community members and high school students.
The group staged several demonstrations on the University campus. At 10:00am on Wednesday May 4, 2005, GCTM members held a peaceful sit-in to oppose the closing of the General College in the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. T ...
President's office,
Morrill Hall. Nine people were arrested and two protesters were pepper sprayed by University Police for refusing to leave during overnight hours.
The decision to close the College was made by an 11-1 vote of the
University of Minnesota Regents on June 10, 2005. Surviving departments following the closure have been merged into the
College of Education and Human Development.
Significance
The General College Truth Movement was part of a long history of anti-racist student movements at the University of Minnesota. This legacy includes the 1969 Black Student Morrill Hall Takeover and the Whose Diversity? campaign.
References
{{Reflist
University of Minnesota
Student protests in the United States