R.P.M.

Radical students seize the administration building and present a list of 12 demands. The tense standoff unfolds against the backdrop of the 1960s political turmoil. Unable to resolve the crisis, President Tyler resigns, forcing the Board of Trustees to consider a replacement.

The board considers a student-made shortlist of suggested professors to lead the university. They ultimately select Professor F. W. J. 'Paco' Perez, despite his radical beliefs, noting his close past ties with students. The choice signals a willingness to bridge student activism with leadership.

After midnight, Dean George Cooper calls Pérez and Rhoda, requesting an immediate meeting. Pérez is tapped as the acting president of the college. The call sets the stage for his temporary leadership role.

The next morning, Pérez arrives on campus aboard a motorcycle to assert his presence. Students and faculty watch as the new acting president steps into the crisis. His arrival marks the formal beginning of his handling of the negotiations.

Pérez attempts to negotiate, reading the activists' 12 demands aloud. He reveals his stance by disagreeing with three demands, notably the students' right to hire and fire faculty. The negotiation sets the frame for which demands he will grant.

Pérez declares he will fulfill the first nine demands. The moment clarifies which goals are within reach and which require compromise. The standoff continues as the three remaining demands are left unresolved.

A brief clash between Rossiter and Steve Dempsey culminates in altering the eighth demand to hire a black admissions officer. The change reframes the path toward integrating the administration's leadership. Pérez navigates the implications as the talks proceed.

Pérez nominates Steve Dempsey for the position of admissions officer, and the young Black activist accepts. This move addresses a core demand while keeping Pérez as mediator. The nomination symbolizes progress amid the tension.

Pérez serves as a mediator between the faculty and the unyielding student body, attempting to bridge perspectives. Back home, Rhoda berates him for hypocrisy, highlighting personal strains created by the crisis. The tension both on campus and at home underscores the stress of leadership.

Pérez informs the faculty of an audio-recorded message indicating Rossiter will destroy the school's computer hardware if the demands aren’t met. The threat escalates the imperative to act. The faculty weighs the risk as the crisis grows more perilous.

With no options left, Pérez authorizes a police intervention led by Police Chief Thatcher. The officers storm the building, deploy tear gas, and arrest several activists. Rhoda is among the detainees, highlighting the personal cost of the confrontation.

After the raid, Pérez meets with the faculty in the now under-control administration building and signs a bail grant defending the outcome. His leadership is framed as stabilization after the eruption. The outcome remains controversial among activists.

Leaving the building, Pérez walks through the crowd and is loudly booed by the activists. The scene captures the mixed reception of his compromise and the tumult of the rebellion. The campus atmosphere is left unsettled as the crisis seems temporarily resolved.