Dan Robinson, interim vice president for student affairs, has signed an agreement with five members of The September 29th Movement who received conduct probation sanctions for their parts in an unauthorized Nov. 5 rally in Beardshear Hall.

Robinson signed the agreements Tuesday morning. The agreements state that the students’ sanctions will be lowered to written reprimands instead of conduct probation.

“After reviewing the documents and reviewing the process, I came to the determination it would be in the best interest of the students involved and the university to try and resolve the issue. It’s not uncommon in areas where parties have conflict to try and reach a common ground and that was the intent,” he said.

Robinson said the agreement was reached by working with Doug Houghton, adviser for the All-University Judiciary, the five students and lawyers.

Meron Wondwosen, president of the Black Student Alliance, is one of the students who was charged. She said she and other September 29th Movement members signed the agreement because they were told prior to the unauthorized rally they would receive written reprimands.

“It’s only because of the backlash in the media and the outcry from students, faculty and staff that our sentences were reduced,” said Wondwosen, a senior in political science and French.

Eight students — who have come to be known as the Beardshear Eight — were given closed hearings in the Office of Judicial Affairs on Jan. 30. Three of the five students who received conduct probation hold leadership positions in registered student organizations. All are members of The Movement. Students under conduct probation are prohibited from holding offices in registered student organizations.

But by signing the agreement, the students will not be removed from their positions.

Other sanctioned students include Allan Nosworthy and Milton McGriff, both graduate students in English and Government of the Student Body senators. Nosworthy is also president of the Black Cultural Center.

Wondwosen said university administrators offered the agreement to avoid open AUJ hearings.

Robinson disagreed.

“The effort to do this has nothing to do with avoiding the AUJ hearings or exposing anything wrong with our student conduct code. That’s not the intent. My intent solely is to reach out to students, to make an effort again to reach common ground, and to at least try and open the door for future communication,” Robinson said.

Robinson said administrators will look at this situation when revising the Student Information Handbook.

“It does need to be improved, and we will incorporate what we’ve learned about into the process when that document is reviewed,” he said.

The Movement members made four requests in exchange for signing:

* A permit to hold a second rally in the lobby of Beardshear.

* A public apology from the ISU administration.

* A $3,000 scholarship in the name of The September 29th Movement for needy students.

* Copies of their files from the administration.

McGriff said the students are willing to let university officials meet the requests in “good faith.”

Robinson said anything in addition to the agreement “needs to be on the agenda for continued discussion.”

The requests will be discussed after spring break.

“We have a lot of work to do, and the administration is willing, including myself, to continue to work with these students and others on resolving issues, concerns and problems involving campus climate,” Robinson said.