Updated: Nov. 6, 11:45 p.m.

The Syracuse University administration shared its response on Thursday night to demands made by THE General Body.

In its response, which was sent to the SU community in an email, the administration addressed issues that were discussed in a Wednesday night meeting among Chancellor Kent Syverud, members of THE General Body and University College Dean Bea Gonzalez, who is the liaison between the protesters and the chancellor.

Student protesters have camped out in Crouse-Hinds Hall since Monday, when they presented a 43-page document of demands and grievances to administrators following the Diversity and Transparency Rally.

The university’s 18-page response was focused on several main issues brought up in the document. Some of the topics addressed include a lack of transparency in the administration’s decision-making, the closing of the Advocacy Center, divesting the university from fossil fuels, increasing training on students with marginalized identities and disability and mental health services. The response document offered solutions and reactions to the demands, but is “not intended to be an exhaustive response.”

Transparency

The first demand that was addressed was the lack of transparency with changes in student services and university policy. In response, the administration said that it acknowledges that “we can provide more advance discussion and opportunity for input on matters that affect the broad constituency of the University.” The response said a policy communication strategy is being put in place to ensure better communication in changes that affect the SU community.

THE General Body also called for “a financially transparent university.” In SU’s response, it provided links to the budget plan for the 2015 fiscal year, a link to budgets for previous years, a link the “The Campaign for Syracuse University” website. The University Senate Budget Committee has been charged by Syverud to focus on the athletics budget as one of three main priorities for the current academic year, according to SU’s document.

Diversity 

The university also addressed several demands that related to diversity on campus. In its list of grievances, THE General Body said the university’s “No place for hate” campaign should be revised to include “No place for silence” to empower bystanders. SU called this a “reasonable request” but one that requires more conversation as the current phrase is widely supported by some students.

THE General Body also called for a student center that brings all cultural centers together in one location and the university said it is “seriously considering” this step and is studying it as part of the Campus Master Plan process.

In its response, SU also noted that many of the students’ demands were being addressed through working groups that came out of the “Express Yourself” forum held in October. Some of the protesters’ demands being addressed in these groups include:

• Requiring an Intergroup Dialogue Program or other diversity coursework for students
• Mandatory Conversations Around Race and Ethnicity (CARE) and Safer People Safer Spaces (SPSS) training for DPS, department chairs, faculty, Student Association representatives, RAs and student organization executive boards.
• Reinstatement of the Multicultural Spring Program

Divestment

In response to THE General Body’s demand to divest SU and freeze any fossil fuel investments, the administration said the university’s endowment does not directly invest in any fossil fuels. Any exposure to those investments would be through third parties. But the university is committed to eliminating or minimizing that exposure, according to the response.

Sexual assault resources

Another issue that was discussed at the Wednesday night meeting and addressed in the written response was the closure of the Advocacy Center. The document expressed concerns about both the closure of the Advocacy Center and the way the decision was communicated.

In response, the administration said resources for victims of sexual assault were restructured for legal and personnel reasons, as well as to provide a “greater integration of services across units.” The response also noted that the Chancellor’s Workgroup on Sexual Violence Prevention, Education and Advocacy is now “‘on point’ in communication to the campus community.”

In the list of grievances, THE General Body also demanded an affirmative consent “Yes Means Yes” policy. In the administration’s response, SU said the university’s current consent policy is a “Yes Means Yes” policy.

The response said SU reviewed its consent policy after California and SUNY adopted similar language with a “Yes Means Yes” tag line. The response said SU considered adding the tag line this year, “but because the semester was already underway, to make any change could be perceived as substantive and could be perceived as changing expectations of students in the middle of the semester after the mandatory training discussed above.”

Another item addressed in the university response was THE General Body’s demand for increased training on students with marginalized identities and experiences. The group demanded further sexual assault advocacy training for the SU Title IX coordinator.

In response, the administration said the university’s Title IX coordinator, Cynthia Maxwell Curtin, has received extensive training and education in regards to sexual assault advocacy. The response said Maxwell Curtin “has performed or overseen over 1,000 investigations of harassment and discrimination, including a significant number at Syracuse…”

Mental health services

THE General Body said in its list of grievances that it wants psychiatrists and counselors to be in the same building. In SU’s response, the university said it has conducted a study on space feasibility and hired an architectural firm to offer preliminary design plans.

“The impetus for this plan was the co-locating of all of the health and wellness units in one centralized location,” the response said. “At this point, we are awaiting direction from the Master Space Planning committee for next steps.”

During Wednesday night’s meeting, representatives of THE General Body said that SU must hire an additional psychiatrist to compliment the lone employee to date. In the list of grievances, the group said “at least one more psychiatrist must be hired by December 1, 2014.”

In SU’s response, the university said there is a search currently under way to hire an additional psychiatrist and said it is its expectation the search will be completed by the end of the semester.

THE General Body said in its list of grievances that “The Counseling Center must expand its full-time professional staff, its office hours, the length f the counseling sessions and the number of sessions offered to students.”

The SU response said that although the current staffing falls within the International Association of Counseling Services’ recommendations, “the office would benefit from increased staffing such that the office would meet the recommended 1:1000 ratio.” The response said SU is currently working on a staffing and funding plan that will begin to address the issue.

Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator

In response to THE General Body’s demand for an immediate and transparent search for an Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator, the administration said it “commits to immediately begin an inclusive search process for an ADA coordinator with faculty, staff, and student representation.” The response also said the administration has appointed an interim ADA coordinator, Sharon Therise, to investigate accessibility concerns on campus.

As of Thursday night, an agreement had not been reached between the administration and the protesters.

Published on November 6, 2014 at 10:44 pm

Contact Justin: jmatting@syr.edu | @jmattingly306