Occupy SLU: The Case of the Clock Tower Accords

Occupy SLU: The Case of the Clock Tower Accords is a narrative of the events related to the October 2014 occupation of the Saint Louis University (SLU) campus by protestors associated with the Black Lives Matter movement. The narrative begins with the August 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, and proceeds with a description of the confluence of events and circumstances that led to the campus occupation. It then focuses on the heart of the case: the dramatic, week-long occupation and the agreement that ended the occupation, known as the Clock Tower Accords. The story of Occupy SLU is complex, multi-faceted, and filled with many characters. We have found this case helpful in teaching to accomplish the learning objectives listed below; because the case is so rich, it may be useful for many other purposes. The case offers numerous instances of dilemma-laden decision-nodes. A key feature of the case is that it provides an opportunity for readers to ask fundamental moral and social questions: Who are we? What kind of institution is this? What traits do we want to embody, as individuals and as a community? A second key feature of the case is that it provides an opportunity for readers to compare and contrast command-and-control versus cooperative approaches to leadership as well as technological versus entrepreneurial approaches to problem-solving.