Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud on Tuesday provided an address to the campus community in the Milton Atrium of the university’s Life Sciences Complex.

In addition to announcements about the Academic Strategic Plan implementation and the university’s review of policies related to sexual relationships between faculty and students, here are three things Syverud said in his speech.

 

Disability services evaluation

Syverud announced that he’s tasked Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly and M. Dolan Evanovich, senior vice president for enrollment and the student experience, to start an evaluation this month of the university’s disability services and related policies.

The evaluation will include, “process and policy of student housing, academic accommodations, medical leaves, service animals and other areas,” Syverud said.

“I’ve asked that they include members of our disabilities communities at each step of the way, including in designing the review process,” Syverud said.

The chancellor said he’s requested Wheatly to assure that SU will make “substantial progress” this semester on assuring that, under the university’s new Information and Communication Technology Accessibility Policy, “our classroom materials, library resources and many other areas of digital content are accessible to those with disabilities.”

That technology policy was first announced at the start of December 2017 and took effect earlier this month.

 

Federal immigration law

With the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program still uncertain, as lawmakers debate over the federal budget, the chancellor on Tuesday said SU “remains steadfast in supporting our undocumented students.”

The chancellor said SU has reactivated the Ad Hoc Committee on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)/Undocumented Students. Syverud also announced that Evanovich and committee members will hold one-on-one meetings with students affected by changing immigration policy this semester.

“I believe it has never been more important that we as a university, and as a community … embrace the ideal that we remain open and welcoming to the whole world,” Syverud said on Tuesday.

Students and other university community members, throughout the spring 2017 semester, called on Syverud to declare SU a “sanctuary campus,” but he declined, citing concerns over federal funding.

 

Carrier Dome roof

The chancellor announced that he expects the Carrier Dome roof project to take a major step forward in a few months.

“I believe we should make a definitive decision on the future of the Dome roof by this summer,” Syverud said. In a December interview with The Daily Orange, Syverud said the Board of Trustees will discuss the project during its May meeting.

 

Chief diversity officer

Syverud on Tuesday said the university will start the process of appointing a chief diversity officer this spring.

The appointment of a chief diversity officer was first recommended by the Chancellor’s Workgroup on Diversity and Inclusion in 2016.

The university will focus this spring on the short-term recommendations identified by the workgroup, Syverud said. Only six of those recommendations have yet to be completed, Syverud said. The chancellor said he expects those recommendations to be completed by June 30.

SU also plans on completing eight of the 15 long-term recommendations by June, Syverud said. The appointment of a chief diversity officer is one of the workgroup’s long-term recommendations.

Published on January 16, 2018 at 8:02 pm

Contact Sam: sfogozal@syr.edu | @SamOgozalek