On May 8th, 2024, members of UMBO, along with labor representatives from the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO), met with Dean Hamilton and his administrative team to address Dr. Watson's harmful behavior and its effects on the program. Several students submitted testimonies, which were presented anonymously along with the following demands:

1. The revocation of Dr. Watson’s tenure will be initiated.

2. Dr. Watson will be removed from her capacity as conductor of UISO, and a new director will be appointed for the remainder of her time at UIUC.

3. Dr. Watson will not be allowed to oversee, evaluate, or direct any TA activity.  A different TA advisor will be appointed to monitor all Orchestral TA activities in the running of the UIUC orchestras.  

4. Dr. Watson will be removed from any position of management and/or administrative power (ie. timesheet approval) over undergraduate and graduate student workers in relation to the Orchestras or any other departmental function. 

5. There will be no retaliation towards any student, faculty, or staff who has signed the petition and who has supported efforts to achieve a safe environment at UIUC.

6. We will receive biweekly updates from the Dean’s office so we can be assured of sufficient progress in the processes.

Members of UMBO attended a follow-up meeting with Dean Hamilton on May 14th, 2024, which the administrative team used to provide information on the University's processes and grievance offices. While they promised protection from academic retaliation and agreed to provide biweekly updates, they were unable to comment on any of the other demands. 

We, the UIUC Musicians for a Better Orchestra, are relieved to hear that Dr. Carolyn Watson will not be returning to the podium and will be on leave for the 2024-2025 academic year. We demonstrated the power of collective action by collecting over a thousand signatures calling for her removal, marching to deliver the petition to the Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts, meeting collectively with University Administration, filling labor grievances through the Graduate Employees’ Organization and complaints through the Office of Access and Equity, and sharing our story with the media.

Together with our allies on campus and in the Champaign-Urbana community, we were able to improve our working and learning conditions. However, we will not accept Dr. Watson’s return in the Fall of 2025 and will continue to organize against it throughout the year. Even though many of us might have graduated from our respective programs by the end of this academic year, we believe it is imperative to advocate for those that come after us. Unfortunately, the abuse that we endured is not uncommon in academia and the music industry, and we encourage others to also take a stand and demand to be treated with respect and dignity.