Student sit-in protests fossil fuel company recruitment at University of Washington

A student group at the University of Washington is calling on the university to prohibit oil, gas, and mining operation companies from recruiting on campus.

Many such companies have graduate and internship programs. The ICA-UW Chapter started holding sit-ins at the university's career center in late November. The group plans to continue doing so through winter quarter. ICA stands for Institutional Climate Action.

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"We're gonna sit from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day and also try to get the attention of the attorney general of Washington state, because the Attorney General's Office is the group that will eventually approve this if it does get amended," said UW junior Lauren Henrie, who is leading the sit-in at UW.

The UW has been in the process of divesting its endowment fund from fossil fuels. The university's master's program in energy infrastructure is focused on new technologies and renewable energy sources.

University officials responded to KUOW in a statement, saying that while UW understands "that some individuals or advocacy groups may take issue with certain employers or industries, the UW Career & Internship Center is committed to ensuring that students with diverse career interests have access to a wide range of internship and career opportunities."

It goes to to say that the "the Center does this by connecting students with potential employers and students can make decisions for themselves about which employers may or may not be right for them."

About half a dozen colleges in the UK have already pushed fossil fuel recruitment off campuses.