Catch up on what you might have missed this week in The Daily Orange news:
Syverud makes research a priority at SU
The Daily Orange ran a series over the week on the progress of the four goals Chancellor Kent Syverud outlined during his inauguration speech at Syracuse University. The first installation in the series focused on how Syverud has moved the research mission of the university forward.
SU officials pointed to three key areas of growth: new hires, culture and partnerships. They said one of the most important recent developments was the hiring of Michele Wheatly, SU’s vice chancellor and provost-designate who has an extensive research background.
Officials also said there has been an renewed focus on undergraduate research. Undergraduate students, though, said even more funding and support should be provided to undergraduate researchers.
Courtesy of Caltech Media Assets
More top-down communication needed
The second installation in the series focused on the student experience, which Syverud said he sought to improve during his inauguration speech.
There is currently a “Student Experience” working group under the Academic Strategic Plan. The working group plans on looking at all aspects of student life, but some student leaders said communication between university officials and students needs to improve before changes are implemented.
The students said that big, sweeping policies like Syverud’s “One University” concept could go over students’ heads unless properly explained. This was unfortunate, they said, because many students do not fully understand all the resources that are available to them.
NVRC marks next step in improving veterans’ experience
Veterans have played a significant role in SU’s history, beginning when former Chancellor William Pearson Tolley helped create the G.I. Bill. Syverud renewed this commitment to veterans and has worked to improve veterans’ experiences in higher education, and particularly at SU.
One of the largest steps Syverud has taken toward this goal is creating the National Veterans Resource Complex. This facility will bring together community-based and university-based programs for veterans under one roof.
SU officials said they hope the complex will bring new research opportunities to SU as well as help improve communications between various organizations.
Son Tuyen Huynh | Contributing Illustrator
Faculty voice concerns about transparency in Fast Forward process
Syverud said he wanted the university to “embrace change” during his time as chancellor. The fourth installation of the series took a look at the Fast Forward initiative, one of Syverud’s vehicles for change.
Two years into the process, 20 working groups are coming up with initiatives and projects for the Academic Strategic Plan, one of the three parts of Fast Forward. These initiatives fall under six categories: internationalization, discovery, innovation, the student experience, commitment to veterans and military-connected communities and “One University.”
Some faculty members said they were concerned about the funding for these projects and a lack of communication around the next steps of the process.
Many faculty members also raised similar concerns at the University Senate meeting on Wednesday.
SU releases report on sexual assault
A report released by the university on Monday showed that 143 reports had been submitted to the Title IX coordinator at SU by students impacted by sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking and harassment during the 2014 -15 school year.
Only one incident of rape was reported in SU’s 2015 safety and security report for 2014 through the Clery Act. This is much lower than national statistics about rape on college campuses.
SU officials said the discrepancy could be in reporting culture on campus. They said students may fear social retaliation if they report.
Now that SU has adopted “Enough is Enough” legislation, the university will have to disclose the number of formal complaints of sexual assault, the outcome and the disciplinary action that was taken in future reports.
Campus Scenes Spring Hendricks Chapel Exterior Quad
Photo Courtesy of Stephen F Sartori
