The winner of the Syracuse University competition will receive an expense paid trip to compete in the ACC InVenture Prize finals at the end of March at the University of Notre Dame. The televised finals feature one team from each ACC college/university who compete for ��$30,000 in prizes. Teams with generated revenue or venture capital funding of more than $100,000 are ineligible (including funding from both institutional and non-institutional sources such as contests, grants, friends and family, bank loans, etc.).

Katy Arons ’24 (School of Information Studies), founder of Continual Consent LLC, holds an oversize boarding pass for last year’s flight to the ACC InVenture competition in Florida

Syracuse University student startup teams or researchers are invited to submit�� of a venture idea to participate in the Syracuse campus qualifier along with a five-minute pitch video.�� All campus qualifier finalists will also be invited to apply for LaunchPad Innovation Fund grants as well as , both available through gifts to Syracuse University Libraries. Competitive applications typically include technology or research that is being commercialized in areas such as agriculture, biology, life sciences, medical, climate, consumer electronics, education, finance, sports, hardware, software, artificial intelligence, augmented or virtual reality, ��big data, autonomous devices, robotics, advanced materials, Internet of Things, 5G and more. Digital platforms or services should have an underlying novel technology and ideally should be past the idea stage with some customer discovery and design drawings.

The Syracuse University ACC InVenture Prize is supported by the Provost’s Office and is hosted by Syracuse University Libraries and the .

, FYS associate director, has worked with the for the past three years. This fall, FYS 101 student volunteers compiled 480 winter-care packages of warm clothing, snacks and personal care items for Rescue Mission clients. FYS 101 lead instructors and peer leaders also helped package meals for the organization’s annual Thanksgiving dinner, which is open to anyone in need.

As a result of that relationship, leaders from the Rescue Mission invited Luckman and FYS students to participate in this year’s donation drive, “,” on Sunday, Dec. 8. Luckman will appear as an on-air telethon guest between 12:30 and 12:50 p.m. He’ll talk about the purpose of FYS, the University’s partnership with the Rescue Mission and how the organizations work together to help community members while providing positive experiences for students. He and some student volunteers were also invited to answer telethon phones to receive viewer pledges.

Jimmy Luckman

The ability to help others through community volunteerism resonates with students, Luckman says. He believes the Rescue Mission’s motto, “Put Love Into Action,” reflects how students can see the immediate impact of their efforts.

“Our lead instructors and peer leaders have love for our campus and the local community. They recognize that helping people who need emergency shelter, housing, clothing, food, employment, educational resources and connections to other services—which the Rescue Mission provides—is a transformational experience that creates positive change within the community we love. As part of their exploration of the concepts of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA), working in the community provides tangible experiences [that connect] to what we discuss in class,” Luckman says. “ is a tool that creates connections to help make Syracuse home and to actively engage in DEIA work outside of the classroom. We’re happy to have this relationship with the Rescue Mission and to work with several other local organizations to help make a difference in the community.”

“Movie With a Mission,” now in its 35^th year, will air from noon to 3 p.m. on . The telethon features the 1935 movie classic, “Scrooge.” The fundraising goal is $85,000, and pledges can be made by calling 315.446.9999. Gifts made before and during the program will be matched by community sponsors.

Elections are held annually and are administered by the University Senate and the . Results are tabulated by the .

The committee has six this year. The positions are open to tenured full professors. Members serve two-year terms.

The committee was formed in spring 2014 to ensure that promotion and tenure processes are consistent. It also exists to ensure that the standards and procedures in the schools and colleges leading through approval by the vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer, and to concurrence by the chancellor and Board of Trustees, are implemented similarly across campus.

Convened by the associate provost for faculty affairs, the committee’s membership includes the vice president for research (or another full professor designated by the provost) plus 12 faculty representatives from each of the schools and colleges.�� Committee members are charged with reviewing candidate cases and reading promotion and tenure files that the designates as containing substantive disagreements between layers of recommendation and that have a strong possibility of negative determination.��Committee members then counsel the provost and offer advisory votes but do not issue a formal report or consider appeals.

Amber Anand

Committee member , Edward Pettinella Professor of Finance in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, encourages participation in balloting as well as faculty service on the committee. “Promotion and tenure decisions are among the most consequential decisions made by the University,” he says. “The provost and the associate provost engage deeply with the committee. Because committee members review the entirety of a case, faculty voices are part of the deliberations close to the final decision-making. Serving on the committee comes with the additional benefit of learning about many initiatives designed to support early-career faculty at the University.”

Katherine McDonald

, senior associate dean for research and�� administration��and professor of public health in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, says her committee service has been gratifying.

“Serving on this committee is one of the most important things I have done at Syracuse University. Junctures when faculty are evaluated are among the more vulnerable times in our careers. Committee members carefully consider each dossier in its entirety, searching critically for evidence of accomplishments and the contexts that influenced them, then providing informed perspectives to the provost for consideration. I remain amazed at how much I have enjoyed being a part of this work,” she says.

All tenured and tenure-track faculty members are eligible to vote for representatives from their school or college. Eligible voters will receive ballot information via email from the University Senate on the first day of balloting.

“Syracuse University is so fortunate to count outstanding teachers, scholars and administrators like Julie and Elisa among its faculty members, and I am truly grateful for their willingness to serve in these important roles,” Agnew says. “Their past leadership experiences and fresh perspectives position them to make a positive impact not only on the Academic Affairs team, but also across the University and in the local community.”

Julie Hasenwinkel

Julie Hasenwinkel

As associate provost for academic programs, Hasenwinkel will support teaching, learning and student success. Her portfolio will include oversight of a wide range of University offices and programs in these areas, including the , the and . She assumes the role from Agnew, who was named interim vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer July 1.

, a Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence, is currently chair of the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering in the (ECS). She is also a faculty affiliate of the . She has served as ECS associate dean for academic and student affairs and senior associate dean.

Her professional and scholarly areas of expertise include faculty development in teaching and learning; engineering education and active learning pedagogies; student success initiatives; orthopedic biomaterials; and biomaterials for nerve regeneration. She holds a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Northwestern University, an M.S. in bioengineering from Clemson University and a B.S.E. in biomedical engineering from Duke University.

“I’m very excited to take on this role and to have the opportunity to work with colleagues across the University and the leadership team in Academic Affairs to enhance our academic programs, student success, experiential inquiry and teaching and learning excellence,” Hasenwinkel says. “I look forward to implementing the goals of the academic strategic plan and exploring innovative ways that we can meet the current and future needs of our students so they can thrive at Syracuse University and beyond.”

Elisa Dekaney

Elisa Dekaney

In the role of associate provost for strategic initiatives, Dekaney will work to strengthen the academic experience through strong connections with campus and community-based programs, particularly in the arts and humanities. In this role, she will oversee University-based cultural organizations like the , and , among others. Dekaney will also have oversight of the University’s study abroad and study away initiatives. She assumes the role from Marcelle Haddix, who was recently named dean of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

, now the associate dean for research and global engagement and a professor of music education in the , is also a Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence.

Her scholarly research focuses on aesthetic response to music, world music and cultures, International Phonetic Alphabet, Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian culture and clinical simulation applied to music education. She holds a Ph.D. in choral music education from Florida State University, a master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas, a bachelor’s degree in sacred music (piano) from the Seminário Teológico Batista do Sul do Brasil and a bachelor’s degree in communications from the Universidade Federal Fluminense.

“I am honored to join Interim Provost Lois Agnew and the entire Academic Affairs team. This role presents an incredible opportunity to collaborate with Syracuse University faculty, staff and students in driving innovative projects and fostering a culture of excellence in an environment welcoming to all,” Dekaney says. “I am committed to advancing our strategic goals with a strong focus on diversity and inclusion. By ensuring that our initiatives reflect these core values, we can create a transformative educational experience that benefits all members of our community.”

As associate director of First Year Seminar, Jimmy Luckman helps provide a warm, welcoming and engaging atmosphere for the thousands of first-year students who arrive at the University each year.

When Jimmy Luckman prepared to embark on his college journey at SUNY Brockport, he desperately sought a meaningful connection with the campus community, opting from the get-go to become involved with a multitude of activities.

“I wanted to be a part of that process to welcome students into the college experience,” Luckman says.

Today, as associate director of the University’s (FYS) in the , Luckman helps provide a warm, welcoming and engaging atmosphere for the thousands of who arrive at the University each year.

His professional career and accompanying research studies the emerging field of orientation, transition and retention, which aims to examine why some college students excel and engage with their campus community while others feel disconnected once they arrive on campus.

Jimmy Luckman

“Every day I get to bring in the things that I’m passionate about, what I learned in the classroom, and figure out how we can continue to enhance the student experience and help students figure out their identities. That’s important because I didn’t really find out who I was and discover all the elements of my identity until graduate school. I’m still learning who I am,” says Luckman, a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ issues who identifies as a queer man.

Recently, Luckman completed a doctoral degree from St. John Fisher University in executive leadership and successfully defended his dissertation, “More than Just a Sticker of LGBTQ+ Inclusivity: Exploring College and University-Based LGBTQ+ Center Director’s Process and Perceptions of LGBTQ+ Campus Climate Assessments.”

Among the goals of his research: collecting and leveraging the stories of LGBTQ+ students at various universities to both ensure their experiences are being heard and to create meaningful changes and to explore what universities are doing to connect students with local LGBTQ+ community resources.

“By being outspoken and an advocate in public spaces, hopefully, I can inspire queer scholars, queer community members and allies in our community to make a difference. We have an obligation to inspire queer youth and we must support those who want to support the LGBTQ+ community, and that starts with setting an example. I’m grateful for these opportunities,” says Luckman, entering his fourth-year teaching FYS.

Luckman sat down with SU News to discuss how he uses his lived experiences to enhance his FYS teachings, how he hopes to use his dissertation research to make a difference and effect change and why you can find him wearing his trademark bow tie in class and around campus.

How does First Year Seminar enhance the development of our students?

Jimmy Luckman (second from right) poses with the Department of the Year award.

I tell my students that my classroom is a space for them to actively make a difference on campus. FYS helps students with their transition to the University.

Another thing I love is making students a little uncomfortable. When we think about the transition to college, we think about how to make a comfortable and inclusive environment, and I recognize that. But when I talk to my students about my LGBTQ+ identity, specifically my queer identity, I automatically tell my students on the first day that, based on the way I sound, you’re potentially going to assume certain things about me. This doesn’t make you a bad person if you did. That’s part of FYS, learning about yourself and the opinions we form and learning to get uncomfortable.

Syracuse University is a place to engage in conversations, and for some of our students, they’ve never talked to someone who was so out before. I often share my queer identity and that openness invites students to share the elements of who they are, and potentially to expand what they know about the LGBTQ+ community.

How has your time on campus helped you discover your queer identity?

Some people say coming out, but I say I came into my identity at age 24 because that reflects how I was able to truly embrace who I am. I came into my queer identity in my graduate program [at Northern Arizona University] and Syracuse was the space and the place where I first explored how my identity looks as a working professional and as a role model who engages with and forms friendships and connections in the community.

I started volunteering at the immediately when I came to Syracuse in 2019. The majority of my really close friends are members of the LGBTQ+ community because we have similar interests and that commonality of seeking spaces where we can be authentically queer, which is something that I didn’t get to do when I was younger.

Syracuse has given me an opportunity to learn, reflect and try to find those alliances, resources and people to help propel our community forward. The has been very intentional and inclusive in its efforts to provide counseling and resources to the community. The has invited me to do a on my dissertation. We have a space to celebrate queer work and I know we have people on campus who feel a sense of support through the people and the resources available to them.

How did you decide on your dissertation?

There’s not a lot of literature specifically focusing on LGBTQ+ campus climate assessments to see how we are actually supporting students. I wanted to look at it from a lens of what do colleges and universities say or do to bring in students while offering an inclusive space, collecting data from LGBTQ+ centers and then utilizing that data to share that out from the perspective of these centers. How do we leverage this data to make changes on campus?

For my dissertation, what I really focused on was the importance of storytelling. We have students who share their stories of their experiences on a college campus, and I explored how can we leverage this information and these stories to make sure their voices are being heard and then go about creating change. How can we support LGBTQ+ students and create inclusive environments and affirming spaces that allow our campus community members to feel safe sharing their life experiences.

What’s the significance of the bow ties you frequently wear?

Jimmy Luckman poses with a First Year Seminar participant.

It’s all about having fun. Students are spending their Friday afternoons with me, so why not dress up for them? I’ve lost track of how many bow ties I own. I have different color bow ties. Holiday-themed bow ties. Floral bow ties. Even an SU-themed bow tie! It’s just a fun and different way to engage with my students. For them to see their professor dressed up and excited for class, I’ve noticed that they will open up with me and trust me more than previous students might have. I’m known on campus hopefully for my positive demeanor and for being a queer leader, but the bow ties help me standout and they’re a conversation starter. Plus, it brings me happiness!

This year’s SummerStart cohort, which arrived on June 29, includes 121 students from all of the University’s schools and colleges. As participants in the program, the students will earn 7-9 credits toward their degree, learn about and access campus resources, make connections with faculty and classmates, and experience a sense of community, says Kal Srinivas, director of retention and student success. The initiative brings together various University departments, demonstrating the power of teamwork in fostering a supportive and enriching environment for incoming students, she says.

121 students participated in this year’s SummerStart program to receive an early acclimation to campus life. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

“From the moment they step onto campus, SummerStart students are met with a comprehensive network of support designed to address both their academic and personal needs,” Srinivas says.

SummerStart students also benefit from tutoring services in math and writing and resources like the . They also participate in social activities like (DPS) game nights, ropes course challenges, a resource fair and other group activities. DPS also conducts safety workshops and the offers the initiative to cultivate a culture of compassion, connection and well-being.

First-year student Tae Callam arrived at Syracuse from Cleveland. The biomedical engineering major in the says the SummerStart experience has already helped her acclimate to campus life and meet new people. And her coursework, particularly in writing, has helped her develop her language skills as a non-native English speaker, she says.

“I am so glad that I have this opportunity to participate in SummerStart,” Callam says. “Even in the first week of SummerStart, I have become familiar with the campus, got a head start on my academics and made friends. What more could anyone ask for?”

Srinivas emphasizes the collaborative nature of SummerStart, which also involves , , and other administrative units.

“SummerStart is not just a program; it is a testament to what can be achieved when an entire institution works together with a common goal,” she says. “By combining resources, expertise and a shared commitment to student success, Syracuse University has created a nurturing environment that prepares students for both academic and personal growth.”

“Jeff is a well-respected member of the iSchool community, engaged in committee work that impacts course development and academic excellence, and a trusted leader, mentor and teacher,” says Agnew. “Jeff can provide the strong and steady leadership to help the iSchool advance its strategic priorities during this transition period.”

Jeff Hemsley

Hemsley succeeds Dean Andrew Sears, who earlier this month announced his plan to depart the University for another academic leadership opportunity.

“I came to academia from industry because I saw the potential for creating opportunities for the next generation of thought leaders and doers in digital and interdisciplinary fields,” says Hemsley. “I am excited by this opportunity to support our faculty in their leading-edge research and our students in pursuit of knowledge and experiences that shape communities and industries. I look forward to working with my faculty colleagues to advance our vision and mission and deliver a best-in-class education to our students.”

Hemsley’s research mirrors the iSchool’s mission to explore the intersection of technology and humanity. He focuses on understanding how information flows on social media, the ways in which some people have more influence over those flows than others, and the ways that information flows manifest differently on different kinds of social media sites. Hemsley draws on theories and concepts such as information gatekeeping, personal influence and viral events, and uses exploratory data analysis (data visualization techniques), inferential statistics, social network analysis and content analysis to answer his questions. He teaches courses in information visualization and information organization.

Hemsley earned a Ph.D. from the University of Washington’s Information School, where he was a founding member of the university’s Social Media Lab. The lab received RAPID and INSPIRE awards from the National Science Foundation, an Amazon Web Services in Education research grant award, and a gift from Microsoft Research. His research has appeared in several journals, including Policy & Internet, American Behavioral Scientist and the Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce. He is co-author of the book “Going Viral” (Polity Press, 2013), which explains what virality is, how it works technologically and socially, and draws out the implications of this process for social change. The book received the ASIS&T Best Science Books of 2014 Information Award and was selected by Choice magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2014.

Before entering academia, Hemsley spent 15 years in the software industry as a software test engineer and quality assurance manager for major companies, including Autodesk and Symantec.

Meetings were conducted with representatives of the University of Seoul, Ewha Women’s University, Korea University and Sungkyunkwan University. The discussions were part of an exploration to consider locating a Syracuse University center in South Korea, according to Pamela Young, director of academic strategic plan implementation in the Office of Academic Affairs.

University delegates participated in discussions with Korea University officials about potential faculty research collaborations and study abroad opportunities.

Young says a center there could provide Syracuse and Korean universities with new opportunities for collaborative research, including projects focused on the semiconductor industry and gravitational wave research. It could also facilitate joint faculty and student participation in seminars and workshops, faculty and graduate student exchanges and the development of new partners that support study abroad for Syracuse students in Korea.

The expansion of collaborative efforts in East Asia is an important part of the University’s strategic vision, says Young.��“There is great interest among many Syracuse University schools and colleges in partnering with Korean universities to enhance creative activities and the research enterprise, including through faculty and graduate student exchanges. There is also significant space to expand opportunities for Syracuse University students to study abroad and engage in experiential learning outside of Western Europe. Each year many students come from Korea to study and earn degrees at Syracuse. Our strong Korean alumni base has many business and industry connections that can provide students with opportunities for experiential learning, too,” she says.

The Korea Center Initiative group visited with officials at Ehwa Women’s University, one of several universities they visited in South Korea.

During the trip, the delegation enjoyed dinner with several members of Syracuse University’s Korean Alumni Association. It also caught up with two School of Architecture students who are studying at Ewha Women’s University and a group of Syracuse students who were in Seoul as part of a new Maymester design course led by Seyeon Lee, associate professor in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Among highlights of the trip was a dinner gathering for Syracuse University students studying abroad at Ewha Woman’s University along with a group of students participating in a Maymester program focused on South Korean design and culture led by College of Visual and Performing Arts Associate Professor Seyeon Lee.

At Sunkyunkwan University, the delegation heard a presentation from Youngseek Kim G’08, G’13, an associate professor who earned master’s and doctoral degrees at the School of Information Studies. In addition, the trip allowed Architecture Dean Michael Speaks and Daekwon Park, undergraduate program chair, to meet with high school students and their parents regarding program opportunities.

The Syracuse University delegation was also welcomed to Sunkyunkwan University. Among the presenters was alumnus Youngseek Kim G’08, G’13, who is now an associate professor there.

College of Arts and Sciences Dean says he appreciates the opportunity to pursue new partnerships in Korea and strengthen alumni ties.

“I am confident in the potential of these connections and I am eager to work with my fellow deans at the University to develop new opportunities for student exchange, internships and university and industry partnerships in Korea,” he says.

“We all look forward to continuing our efforts to develop new opportunities for student exchange, internships and industry collaborations in Korea with the goal of establishing in Seoul a new Asia center for the University,” says Speaks.

Syracuse University is a national leader in international education, with a highly ranked study abroad program. The University’s Academic Strategic Plan, “Leading With Distinction,” calls for the expansion of study abroad and study away venues and programs and the removal of barriers to make it possible for every undergraduate to participate. In addition to Mortazavi, Speaks, Young and Park, the delegation included Andrew Sears, then-dean of the School of Information Studies; Nicole Collins, director of strategic partnerships and outreach for Syracuse Abroad; and Brian Kim L’19, international engagement specialist, who served as liaison between Syracuse University and the Korean Alumni Association.

The work of the Human Dynamics Task Force will focus on programs in human development and family science; marriage and family therapy; public health; and social work with the aim of positioning them for future success by leveraging opportunities and expanding impact. Those programs have long been housed in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics which, as announced in April, will become the David B. Falk College of Sport and focus exclusively on sport-related disciplines.

“The human dynamics programs have played an important role in the history of our University, and have had a significant impact on the communities they serve,” Provost Ritter says. “With the transformation of Falk College comes a unique opportunity to take a thoughtful approach to ensuring the future success of these programs and the continuation of that legacy.”

The first meeting of the task force was held May 28, and work will continue throughout the summer. A final report will be submitted to Provost Ritter by the end of October.

Members of the task force include:

• , associate provost for academic programs (co-chair)
• , associate dean for human dynamics, Falk College (co-chair)
• , professor of practice of human development and family science, Falk College
• , associate provost for strategic initiatives
• , Falk College Advisory Board
• , Dean’s Professor, School of Education
• , assistant dean for online and distance education and associate teaching professor of social work, Falk College
• , deputy mayor, City of Syracuse
• , assistant director of undergraduate admissions, Falk College
• , deputy county executive for human services, Onondaga County
• , member, Falk Faculty Council and associate teaching professor and graduate director of marriage and family therapy, Falk College
• , professor of human development and family science and Marjorie Cantor Professor of Aging Studies, Falk College
• , associate professor of social work, Falk College
• , associate professor and undergraduate director of public health, Falk College
• , professor of practice and chair of marriage and family therapy, Falk College
• , associate dean, College of Professional Studies

At the request of Chancellor Kent Syverud, the working group spent the better part of the Spring 2024 semester engaging the campus community on how they have experienced free expression and academic freedom, and how they would like Syracuse University to approach these important principles moving forward.

“I am grateful to the working group members and the many students, faculty, staff and alumni, whose input directly informed the creation of the ‘Syracuse Statement,’” says Chancellor Syverud. “Syracuse University has a long history of engaging constructively on complex and provocative issues. The ‘Syracuse Statement’ reinforces our steadfast commitment to the principles of free expression and free inquiry to ensure free speech and academic freedom flourish.”

The working group, consisting of University leaders, faculty, staff, students and alumni, was co-chaired by Gretchen Ritter, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer, and Allen Groves, senior vice president and chief student experience officer. The other members of the working group included the following:

• Martín Abreu Zavaleta, assistant professor, philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences
• Mary Grace A. Almandrez, vice president for diversity and inclusion
• Steve Ballentine ’83, alumnus and University trustee
• Nina Brown, associate professor, public communications, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• Sean Drake, assistant professor, sociology, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• Lauryn Gouldin, Crandall Melvin Professor of Law, and director, Syracuse Civics Initiative, College of Law
• Thomas Keck, professor and Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics, Maxwell School
• Daniel Kimmel, president and chief executive officer, Graduate Student Organization
• Nathanael Linton L’24, law student representative, Board of Trustees
• Gisele Marcus ’89, alumna and University trustee
• Behzad Mortazavi, dean and professor, College of Arts and Sciences
• William Treloar ’24, president, Student Association

“This has been an enormously beneficial experience—not just for the members of the working group, but for everyone who thoughtfully contributed to this process,” says Ritter. “The ‘Syracuse Statement’ emphasizes how central free expression and academic freedom are in the mission of our University, but also calls on every member of our community to contribute productively to the advancement of this mission. For free expression and academic freedom to truly be honored at Syracuse, every single member of our community has a role to play.”

Groves adds, “The ‘Syracuse Statement’ is not a statement of policy, but rather an aspirational goal that summarizes what we believe our community values and what we hope to engender and achieve as a community when faced with difficult, complex and even divisive issues. I believe this aspiration is achievable based on the tremendous community participation, engagement and support our working group experienced over the last several months. This was a collaborative and Universitywide effort that resulted in a document created by our community for our community.”

As part of the engagement process, the working group sought the input of multiple constituencies, including undergraduate, graduate and law students; faculty; staff; and alumni.�� This feedback was reviewed and carefully considered in creating the final draft. The “Syracuse Statement,” among other things, emphasizes the following ideals:

• a commitment to free expression and free inquiry;
• free expression and academic freedom as essential to the mission of the University in equal measure;
• open deliberation that allows individuals to test and assess often conflicting ideas every day, sorting good ideas from bad through research, expression and inquiry;
• expression intended to incite violence or harass an individual based upon a protected characteristic, or which otherwise violates the law, may be restricted;
• faculty have a responsibility to encourage their students to test ideas and express viewpoints relevant to course topics, even where they differ from those of the faculty;
• faculty members have a right to speak publicly on matters within their scholarly expertise and on questions of institutional governance; and
• a faculty member’s right to pursue scholarly work without intimidation should be defended.

In addition, except under the most extraordinary circumstances and with the sole purpose of protecting its mission of discovery, improvement and dissemination of knowledge, the University does not make institutional statements or pronouncements on current controversies. Instead, the University will employ a commitment to institutional neutrality to prevent the University from committing to positions that go beyond the stated academic mission or its protection.

To read the full “Syracuse Statement,” .

The Retention and Student Success team receives the “Best Use of Results” award from Lois Agnew, associate provost for academic programs. From left: Hope Smalling, Radell Roberts, Lois Agnew, Kal Srinivas, Samantha Trumble, ShawnMarie Parry, Priyasha Sinha Roy ’24 and Prabin Raj Shrestha ’24

Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness (IE) presented awards to several faculty and staff members, students, offices and programs during the One University Assessment Celebration on April 26, in the School of Education, Education Commons.

In her opening remarks, Lois Agnew, associate provost for Academic Programs, highlighted the importance of celebrating the various ways faculty, staff and students have engaged in assessment practices, illuminating our strengths but also reinforcing a commitment to continuous improvement. Awards were given in five categories:

• Assessment Champion: Recognizing campus community members who advocate for meaningful assessment to enrich the student experience and who have made outstanding contributions to the University’s culture of improvement.
• Outstanding Assessment: Recognizing a distinguished academic, co-curricular and functional area for overall robust assessment.
• Best Engagement Strategies: Recognizing programs/units for engaging faculty, staff and students to participate and contribute to the assessment process.
• Best Use of Results: Recognizing an academic, co-curricular and functional area for how assessment results are used in making decisions.
• Collaborative Inquiry and Action: A new award recognizing a unit that collaborates with others outside of their primary school, college or division to use assessment methods and data, resulting in actions to improve student learning and campus operations.

This year’s recipients included:

• Assessment Champion | Academic: Blythe Bennett, program manager, School of Information Studies
• Assessment Champion | Co-Curricular/Functional: Jessica Newsom, assistant director, Living Learning Communities
• Assessment Champion | Shared Competencies: Maureen Thompson, undergraduate director and associate professor, Department of Public Health, Falk College
• Outstanding Assessment | Academic Programs: Forensic Science Undergraduate and Graduate Programs, Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute, College of Arts and Sciences (A&S)
• Outstanding Assessment | Co-Curricular: Student Outreach and Support, Student Experience
• Outstanding Assessment | Functional: Future Professoriate Program, Graduate School
• Best Faculty Engagement Strategies: Human Development and Family Science program, Department of Human Development and Family Science, Falk College
• Best Staff Engagement Strategies: College of Professional Studies Dean’s Office
• Best Student Engagement Strategies: Living Learning Communities, Student Experience
• Best Use of Results | Academic: Film program, Department of Film and Media Arts, College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA)
• Best Use of Results | Co-Curricular: Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (The SOURCE)
• Best Use of Results | Functional: Retention and Student Success
• Collaborative Inquiry and Action: Barnes Center at The Arch

After the awards, 2023 Assessment Leadership Institute participants were recognized for their poster presentations detailing assessment activities over the past year:

• Keonte Coleman, director of assessment and program review and assistant professor, Newhouse School of Public Communications
• Nadeem Ghani, assistant teaching professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS)
• Dimitar Gueorguiev, Chinese studies program director and associate professor, Political Science, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• Jody Nyboer, associate professor, School of Design, VPA
• Kathleen Roland-Silverstein, associate professor, presenting with Isabel Hampton ’24 and Katie Weber ’24, Sentor School of Music, VPA
• Darwin Tsen, Chinese language minor coordinator and assistant teaching professor, Languages, Literatures and Linguistics, A&S
• Andrea Willis, director of academic programs, College of Professional Studies

Recipients of the inaugural “Student Engagement in Assessment” grant were also acknowledged for their poster presentations showcasing the collaborative experiences of students, faculty and staff:

• Biomedical and Chemical Engineering: Tessa DeCicco ’25, Kerrin O’Grady ’25, Jade Carter ’24, Carly Ward ’24, Natalie Petryk ’21, Bridget Sides ’25, Mia Paynton ’25 and Doug Yung, associate teaching professor, Biomedical Engineering undergraduate program director, ECS
• Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS): Student Success Advisory Council, which includes Eadin Block ’26; Margot MacKechnie ’26; Gary Shteyman ’26; Karen Toole, coordinator of academic support, Center for Disability Resources; Tasha Terzini, advisor, A&S; Kate Bussell, assistant director of academic expectations CLASS; and George Athanas, associate director, CLASS
• New Student Programs: Winnie Naggar ’24 and Butch Hallmark, interim director, New Student Programs
• Retention and Student Success: Prabin Raj Shrestha ’24 and Hope Smalling, functional business analyst, Retention and Student Success

Jerry Edmonds, senior assistant provost, shared final remarks. He noted that Syracuse University achieved “two important milestones this year. It is the fifth annual celebration highlighting the dedicated efforts of faculty, staff and students to assess and improve, as well as 10 years since the University embarked on a campus-wide initiative of systematically collecting evidence to inform decision-making across our campus.” He concluded with thanks and appreciation for everyone’s continued efforts.

Visit the�� for event photos, presentation materials highlighting recipients’ achievements and posters.

Story by Laura Harrington, associate director, Institutional Effectiveness��

Cross-campus partnerships inclusive of and the Division have designed a comprehensive pilot for a reimagined summer orientation program hosted in July, which will complement Welcome Week (formerly Syracuse Welcome), hosted in August. This two-part pilot program will further evaluate opportunities to equip students earlier for a successful transition into the Orange community.

Dawn Singleton

“Summer orientation creates a longer runway to introduce our new students to campus and makes for a smoother transition. Our goal is to convert uncertainty and anxiety to knowledge and confidence,” says , vice president of student transition, access and inclusion in the Student Experience Division. “This pilot will be a cross-university collaboration with academic advisors, the Office of Housing, Meal Plan, and I.D. Card Services, Student Living, Admissions and the Office of the Registrar, who are also now part of the newly formed Onboarding Steering Committee. The committee’s purpose is to collaborate to develop a memorable and seamless onboarding experience for incoming students. The work of this committee will inform the Student Experience Division’s re-envisioning of new student orientation to foster a greater sense of belonging for students making the major transition away from family and into the next chapter of their lives.”

Summer Orientation Pilot

Designed with evolving student needs and current best practices in mind, this pilot program will launch this July.��Further prioritizing activities and engagement that facilitate campus connections, the first phase of the pilot, held over the first two days, will focus on pre-arrival advising, gaining knowledge of University resources while exploring temporarily living on campus. Phase two will continue to engage incoming students in milestone events throughout the days immediately preceding the start of the semester during Syracuse Welcome.

Butch Hallmark

“Transitioning to college looks different now than it did four years ago. Our priority is fostering a sense of belonging within the campus community, which includes ensuring students are able to become familiar with campus resources and the physical layout of campus prior to their arrival in August,” says , New Student Programs’ interim director.��“Together, the campus community, parents, families and supporters will ensure that each student is prepared, feels valued and is empowered to thrive.”

A group of 300 incoming students, accompanied by their families and adult supporters, will be invited to participate in phase one of the pilot. Incoming students invited to participate will not have an advantage toward course enrollment, housing or other requirements. Feedback will be sought from attendees and campus partners, used to then evaluate the pilot for possible future expansion and roll-out for the summer of 2025.

Committee members, who serve two-year, staggered terms, work in an advisory capacity to ensure consistency across the promotion and tenure processes and promote high academic standards. They advise Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter, providing a wide range of perspectives and serving as Universitywide faculty representatives. Members must be tenured full professors and are not eligible to serve consecutive terms.

Newly elected committee members, whose terms span the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years (except where noted), include:

• , professor, College of Law
• , Distinguished Professor, School of Architecture
• , professor of Spanish and chair of languages, literatures and linguistics, College of Arts and Sciences (completing the two-year term of Amanda Eubanks-Winkler following her departure from the University)
• , Distinguished Professor of Information Science, School of Information Studies
• , associate dean for research and professor of inclusive education and disability studies, School of Education
• , Thonis Family Professor of earth and environmental sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
• , professor of political science, Maxwell School

They join the following committee members, who are completing their terms this academic year:

• , Edward Pettinella Professor of Finance, Whitman School
• , associate dean for research and professor of public health, Falk College
• , professor of electrical engineering and computer science, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• , professor of communications and director of mass communications and media studies, Newhouse School
• , professor of communication and rhetorical studies, College of Visual and Performing Arts

Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs Jamie Winders convenes the committee. Winders assigns a subset of seven members to assess cases that meet the criteria for review, including those that have substantial disagreement between layers of recommendation or a strong probability of a negative determination. Members engage in timely consultation with the provost and offer an advisory vote but do not issue a formal report or consider appeals.

Provost Ritter is chair of the committee. Vice President for Research Duncan Brown serves in an ex-officio capacity.

The announcement was made today by , associate provost for academic programs.

“Jessamyn Neuhaus is a nationally respected scholar and leader in teaching and learning who will bring an exciting and creative vision to the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence,” Agnew says. “Jessamyn is noted for her skill in building collaborative partnerships, listening and responding carefully, supporting teachers across all ranks and levels of experience and centering diversity, equity and inclusion in all of her work. We are extremely fortunate that Jessamyn has agreed to lead the CTLE, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with her.”

Neuhaus is currently director of the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) at SUNY Plattsburgh, where she is also a professor of history.

Jessamyn Neuhaus

“I am elated to be joining the Syracuse University CTLE. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with these outstanding faculty, professionals, staff and students, and so excited to become a member of the Syracuse pedagogical community of practice. I very much look forward to building connections with other centers, programs, departments and individuals on campus, and to supporting educators’ innovative, inclusive, and scholarly teaching,” Neuhaus says.

As CTE director at Plattsburgh, Neuhaus developed multiple professional development opportunities and spearheaded several new initiatives. She wrote and implemented a new mission and vision statement, collaborated on programming with other offices—such as the Office of Accessibility Resources and the Technology Enhanced Learning Unit—and created a “Thank a Professor” program and a CTE Student Think Tank. Neuhaus also created a CTE Advisory Board comprised of faculty and staff, the Department Delegate program to increase inclusive teaching and the “CTE Superstar” recognition program for faculty who engaged in five or more hours of center programming per semester.

Neuhaus teaches a wide range of courses on topics such as history methodology, historiography, social studies pedagogy and the history of popular culture in the United States, including courses on youth culture, religion, race, ethnicity and gender.

She has held teaching positions at Denison University, Case Western Reserve University, Oregon State University, Lewis and Clark College, Portland Community College, California State University East Bay and New College of California. She earned both a Ph.D. and a master of arts degree in history from Claremont Graduate University and a bachelor of arts degree in religious studies from the College of Wooster.

Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness (IE) are pleased to announce a call for nominations for . through Friday, March 22.

Nominations for the One University Assessment Awards are open through March 22.

The assessment awards recognize faculty, staff and students for their efforts to examine and enhance learning and campus operations. The meaningful and sustainable practices with which they engage to provide students with an unsurpassed learning experience will be showcased.

“Assessment plays a critical role in our effort to fulfill our goal of providing the best possible academic experience for our students,” says , associate provost for academic programs. “I look forward to celebrating the many ways in which faculty, staff, and students are participating in assessment practices that illuminate our strengths and enact our commitment to consistent improvement.”

The fifth annual One University Assessment Celebration will be held Friday, April 26, 2024, at 1 p.m. in the School of Education. Twelve awards will be announced in the following categories:

• Assessment Champion
• Shared Competencies Champion
• Outstanding Assessment
• Best Student, Faculty, and Staff Engagement Strategies
• Best Use of Results

Visit the for more information,��including award descriptions, past recipients and event photos.��If you have any questions, please contact the Assessment Working Team.

The (OSPO) is supported by a grant from the totaling more than $630,000, according to , vice president for research. A collaboration between the , and (ITS), OSPO will be operated by (CASE).

’05, G’11 has been named as the office director. ��He previously served as the high-performance computing facilitator at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and as a senior scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics. Capano recently returned to Syracuse University to also serve as a research professor in the .

Collin Capano

“I am excited to be back in Syracuse and leading such an important initiative,” Capano says. “There is growing recognition in academia of the importance of open-source software and open-source research more generally. The OSPO will help nurture open-source work and make Syracuse University a leading institution on open-source education and research.”

OSPO is a multidisciplinary initiative that coordinates activities across schools and colleges and accelerates research and creative work by leveraging open-source software and best practices. The goal is to train the next generation of leaders in open-source software development and help faculty, staff and students transition existing software into sustainable, open-source material or adopt open-source solutions to pressing problems across disciplines.

Besides Libraries and ITS, additional support for the initiative is provided by the , the and the . The grant also supports a new postdoctoral fellowship and single-semester research assistantships for students who are doing software-intensive research.

“While we have excelled at providing computing hardware for research, Syracuse University has lacked a hub to coordinate open-source development efforts across campus; the Open Source Project Office fills that missing critical need,” Brown says. “This builds on the University’s history of cross-campus collaboration, a public-spirited approach to innovation and technology, a vision of bringing emerging technologies to research labs and classrooms and ultimately offering knowledge to the world through public engagement around emerging technologies.”

OSPO will work with the to help shape how open-source practices impact career development and to strengthen the University’s open-source community relationships.

Brown, who has two decades of experience in open-source software development, is the principal investigator on the development project. Co-principal investigators are and .

The University’s open-access publishing policies, read-and-publish agreements and open publishing systems are coordinated by the Libraries, as is the development of the University’s Open Data archive. The Libraries will expand advising and support services for open-access publishing and data management as part of OSPO.

The ITS team includes two cyberinfrastructure engineers who support access to a variety of computing hardware and infrastructure for faculty and students. ITS also oversees the University’s multi-faceted digital transformation project.

Contact OSPO by emailing ospo@syr.edu.

Members are:

• , professor of accounting, Whitman J. Whitman School of Management
• , professor and associate chair of psychology, College of Arts and Sciences (A&S)
• , professor of practice, Whitman School
• , professor of public affairs and international affairs, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• , professor of magazine, news and digital journalism, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• , associate professor of women’s and gender studies and director of undergraduate studies, A&S
• , professor of electrical engineering and computer science, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• , associate teaching professor of writing studies, rhetoric and composition and director of undergraduate studies, A&S
• , associate teaching professor of public relations and graduate program director, Newhouse School
• , professor of public health, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
• , associate professor of architecture, School of Architecture
• , teaching professor of nutrition and graduate director, Falk College
• , professor of art education and teaching and leadership, College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) and School of Education
• , professor of anthropology, Maxwell School
• , associate teaching professor and executive director of the Center for Online and Digital Learning, College of Professional Studies
• , associate professor of acting, VPA

“The PFSAC is tasked with providing key feedback and advice on faculty salary appeals and plays an important role in our efforts around salary transparency and equity,” Winders says. Members are jointly selected by Winders and the chair of the University Senate from a pool of nominees brought forward by deans and the senate agenda committee.

A for full-time faculty members seeking to appeal their current salary was recently established by the Office of Academic Affairs.

For each salary appeal, Winders will convene a subcommittee of nine PFSAC members based on disciplinary closeness with the faculty member whose case is under review. The subcommittee will not include faculty members who have had a prior role in a particular faculty salary appeals case or who come from the faculty member’s home department or unit.

The deadline for submitting faculty salary appeals for consideration by the PFSAC in this academic year is Friday, March 1. Appeals must first have been reviewed by the dean of the faculty member’s school or college.

is available online or by contacting the Office of Faculty Affairs at facultyaffairs@syr.edu.

“Bringing these already strong offices together creates an even stronger operation,” Provost Ritter says. “This is an important step that enhances our ability to produce data-driven decision making that supports students and faculty.”

Jerry Edmonds

OIRA serves all members of the University community. Its services span quantitative data, qualitative research, systems and processes, and helps to advance evidence-based decision making across campus. To that end, a new data request tool, accessible to all, will be available soon on the OIRA website.

The office is comprised of two aligned and integrated departments: Institutional Research and Institutional Effectiveness. Senior Assistant Provost Gerald Edmonds oversees the Institutional Effectiveness department, reporting to Steven Bennett, senior vice president, and Lois Agnew, associate provost for academic programs. Seth Ovadia, formerly the interim director of OIR, has been promoted to assistant vice president and oversees the Institutional Research department, reporting to Bennett.

Seth Ovadia

“While we have outstanding professionals in both institutional research and institutional effectiveness and assessment, they have not been able to leverage each other’s strengths. This combined office aligns the deep relationships and qualitative expertise of institutional effectiveness with the data analytics and practices of institutional research,” Bennett says.

He notes that OIRA provides services to all schools and colleges and many departments across multiple divisions, including budget, student experience, government affairs, legal, compliance, faculty affairs, public safety and others. It supports key activities such as the Middle States accreditation process, school and college accreditation data requests and reporting, faculty development, and curriculum planning and course development, as well as surveys of faculty, staff and students on matters ranging from diversity and inclusion to student wellness to project effectiveness.

Mary Graham, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Sport Management, has been named Falk College associate dean of faculty affairs.

“I am excited to appoint Dr. Graham to this new role for Falk College,” says Jeremy S. Jordan, dean of Falk College. “I am very confident that she will be able to further the support and development of our faculty based on her wealth of professional experiences and academic expertise.”

As Falk College associate dean of faculty affairs, Graham will work with department chairs to develop strategic hiring plans for faculty and oversee the successful execution of faculty searches. She will participate in faculty review processes, including recommendations for contract renewals and promotion and tenure, and manage operational aspects of faculty affairs. Together with Falk College leadership, Graham will steer the college toward enhanced faculty research and teaching excellence.

“Falk College has an exceptionally talented, diverse faculty with unparalleled dedication to the student experience and the creation of new knowledge,” says Graham. “I am honored to serve as associate dean of faculty affairs in service to my faculty colleagues and the linked missions of Falk College and Syracuse University. I look forward to collaborating with our visionary dean, Jeremy Jordan, and his leadership team on strategic and operational faculty matters.”

Graham joined the faculty in 2012 and is also affiliated faculty in the Whitman School of Management. She teaches applied courses in organizational behavior and strategic human resource management, as well as diversity in sport organizations at the undergraduate, graduate and executive levels. An expert in gender disparities in employment, she has conducted numerous American Association of University Women salary negotiations workshops for students since 2009.

In 2022, Graham was named Syracuse University’s faculty athletics representative (FAR) to the NCAA and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).�� In this capacity she serves as a key advisor to Chancellor Kent Syverud and Provost Gretchen Ritter on policy proposals and issues affecting student-athletes’ academic and overall wellbeing, working closely with Tommy Powell, assistant provost for student-athlete academic development; Athletic Director John Wildhack; and their teams of professionals. Graham chairs the Faculty Oversight Committee on Athletics, which reviews student-athlete academic data and conducts exit interviews of departing student-athletes.

She previously served as a Syracuse University Provost Faculty Fellow from 2018 to 2020, where she worked with the provost and University Senate to develop and implement campuswide shared competencies for undergraduate students. Graham has been a University senator since 2018, and she currently serves on the Senate Committee on Athletic Policy.

Prior to joining Syracuse University, Graham held faculty positions in business schools at Clarkson University, George Washington University and Georgia State University. She has served as a visiting scholar at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, National Central University in Taiwan and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. She also has prior work experience with several members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Graham has published extensively and has been widely cited in the areas of human resource management (HRM), public policy and employment discrimination, gender in employment and HRM in supply chains. She is currently studying the equal employment opportunity transparency among professional sport teams, and the impact of concussions on player misconduct.

Graham is on the Editorial Board of the journal Human Resource Management (Wiley), where she previously served as an associate editor. Her professional memberships include the Society for Human Resource Management and the Academy of Management, where she serves on the executive committee of the Research Methods Division.

A former CPA, Graham has a B.S. in accounting from Le Moyne College and work experience in public accounting and human resource management. Graham earned both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University, specializing in human resource management, organizational behavior and gender studies.

“Navigating Civil Dialogue in the Context of the War in the Middle East” will be held Tuesday, Nov. 28, at 10:30 a.m. ET via .

Tarek El-Ariss (left) and Susannah Heschel

The professors—, James Wright Professor and chair of Middle Eastern Studies, and , Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor and chair of Jewish Studies—will share insights and relate details about the ways they have sought to educate and listen to students in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. The pair recently discussed their approach to these issues in an .

Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer will offer opening remarks. , Kramer Director of the Syracuse University Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship, will serve as moderator.

The event, sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs, is open to the University community. A Q&A session will follow the discussion, which can be on Nov. 28 at 10:30 a.m.

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided. For more information, contact Sarah McAndrew at provost@syr.edu.

The discussion will address questions such as:

• How do you define academic freedom?
• Why is academic freedom a core value for universities?
• What distinguishes academic freedom from free speech?
• What are some responsibilities that apply to academic freedom?
• How do we foster academic freedom at a time of extreme social polarization?

, associate provost for academic programs, will serve as moderator.

Panelists are:

• , professor, philosopher of education and former associate dean at the School of Education; and former senior associate provost for faculty affairs.
• , professor of geography and the environment at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs; and president of the Syracuse University chapter of the American Association of University Professors.
• , professor of political science, Michael O. Sawyer Chair of Constitutional Law and Politics and senior research associate with the Campbell Public Affairs Institute at the Maxwell School; and co-chair of the Senate Committee on Academic Freedom, Tenure and Professional Ethics.
• , vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer.

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be available. For more information, or to request additional accommodations, contact Sarah McAndrew at provost@syr.edu.

Part of the Office of Research and developed in partnership with the Graduate School, the new office is an expansion of the University’s commitment to a quality campus experience and positive career outcomes for postdoctoral associates, says , vice president for research.

“Postdoctoral scholars are essential to the University’s research and creative activities,” Brown says. “They contribute to the research program of their faculty advisors through their own research accomplishments and their interactions with our students. Their work enriches the environment of their research groups while they build their own skills through mentoring and collaboration.”

New Support Services��

Located at 227 Lyman Hall, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will provide professional development, peer groups and skillset development opportunities, which will help the University recruit and support outstanding postdocs who advance the research and creative mission, Brown says. Office staff members expect to facilitate opportunities for practice research presentations, writing groups and mentoring resources for faculty members who supervise postdocs.

Onboarding Help

A comprehensive orientation and onboarding program for incoming postdoctoral scholars, aimed at helping them quickly acclimate to the University, is currently being developed. Additionally, Postdoc Communal Lunches are held every Wednesday from noon to 1:30 p.m. Postdoctoral scholars are welcome to bring their own lunch and enjoy coffee, tea and snacks with fellow postdocs.

Dedicated Staff

Colleen Burton

Colleen Burton joined the Office of Research in February as associate director of postdoctoral affairs and research services and led the establishment of the new office. Burton provides management and financial oversight for all postdoctoral program functions, facilitates hiring and onboarding for postdoctoral researchers and collaborates with campus partners to develop resources and programming to enhance the postdoctoral experience.

“Postdocs serve an important role in academic research,” says Burton, who earned a Ph.D. in political science from the . “I’m looking forward to enhancing the supports that help them thrive here and as they prepare for their next steps. This has been a great opportunity to collaborate with many different departments across campus. We have a lot more to do, but I feel that we are off to a good start.”

Claire Perrott

Joining Burton in the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is Claire Perrott, professional development postdoctoral fellow. She leads development of postdoctoral and mentor-facing resources, connects postdoctoral scholars to existing campus resources, creates onboarding and orientation programming and develops events promoting networking, community-building and professional development opportunities.

Perrott holds a Ph.D. in Latin American history from the University of Arizona. She was an instructor and assistant professor at several institutions before deciding to pursue a career in higher education administration. Her background provides a unique perspective on various pathways that postdoctoral scholars can pursue to develop professional resources, she says. “I believe we are filling an important gap by providing resources specifically for postdocs and I hope our efforts not only increase the research being done on campus but also help our postdocs land great jobs. I hope that postdocs feel comfortable approaching our office with questions. We want to hear from them so that we can set them up for success.”

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will continue to collaborate closely with the Career and Professional Development team in the to assess postdoctoral scholar needs and tailor programming toward them, Burton says.

, an initiative of the Lawrence B. Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education in the , offers a full four-year college experience for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For the first time this fall, InclusiveU students were invited to participate in FYS 101—a significant step toward full campus inclusion.

“Students in the InclusiveU program contribute significantly to the fabric of our campus community, and they bring invaluable perspectives to the conversations that are at the heart of FYS 101,” says , associate provost for strategic initiatives in the Office of Academic Affairs, who oversees the First Year Seminar program. “Integrating our 27 first-year InclusiveU students into FYS 101 this fall just made sense—it is the right thing to do, and every single student present in these classrooms is benefiting from their presence.”

Leaders from FYS and InclusiveU assembled before the fall semester began to build mutual understanding of the InclusiveU program and the unique needs of its students. (Photo by Jimmy Luckman, associate director, FYS)

Since FYS 101 encourages learning, conversation and introspection on topics relevant to all incoming students at Syracuse, incorporating InclusiveU students required no modifications to the curriculum.

“This is a class about diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA), so it’s just another identity we were able to add to the classroom conversations,” says Shannon Hitchcock Schantz G’21, director of FYS and a current lead instructor for the course. “Students are doing activities about their own identity and their transition to Syracuse University, and we’ve seen full participation from the InclusiveU students, sharing about their disabilities and their perspective on life.”

Brianna Shults, director of InclusiveU, says she sought out this partnership to broaden the participation of InclusiveU students in campuswide initiatives and offerings.

“These are students who want the opportunity to go to college and to be fully immersed in the culture, community and educational experience here at Syracuse,” Shults says. “We know that all students need an introduction to the University, which is why FYS exists. To include our students in things that are already being done here usually just takes a few extra steps in education and preparation, and I think the FYS 101 team has done a phenomenal job of incorporating InclusiveU students into their classrooms and fully enveloping them into the curriculum.”

The partnership officially kicked off in August, when InclusiveU staff attended training sessions for all FYS 101 lead instructors and peer leaders to provide education and build mutual understanding. “We wanted our lead instructors and peer leaders to know the InclusiveU program, understand the intentionality behind including those students in FYS 101 and learn ways to further support these students in the classroom,” says Schantz.

First-year InclusiveU student Stavros Ioannidis shared how he has appreciated the opportunity to take FYS, saying, “I like the classmates I have who tolerate different opinions, the teachers who are willing to help me (and others) out and the creativity of the teachers. They expose us to things we may not seek out on our own.”

InclusiveU students benefit not only from the curriculum, but the relationships and networks they’re able to develop with FYS classmates. “This is a class that our students take really seriously, and they’re engaged with, and it’s been great to see that level of commitment,” says Shults. “I think this only builds the network our students have available to them and increases understanding among the larger student population of why InclusiveU is here and the purpose of the program.”

Lead instructor Maithreyee Dubé ’96, ’16, G’17 has enjoyed having an InclusiveU student in her section. “Zach [Kilga] has a great sense of humor, participates in small group discussions, is great at remembering names (and helps me remember when he recognizes the need!) and submits all his work—even anything I clearly state as extra,” Dubé says.

Maithreyee Dubé (kneeling front, toward the right) and her FYS 101 section visited La Casita Cultural Center during their week 4 shared experience, which involves visits and collaborations with various organizations across campus. (Photo courtesy of Maithreyee Dubé)

“As the largest, most inclusive program in the country, we are continually thinking about new ways we can give our students access to things they didn’t have access to before,” Shults says. “This is just an expansion of that. We want InclusiveU students to be able to do and achieve anything they want during their time here on campus.”

Hosted by Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter, the symposium featured speakers from across the University community—including students Miguel Guzman ’24, as part of a panel discussion on STEM expansion, and Sophie Creager-Roberts ’24, sharing the impact of her study abroad experiences—who discussed key elements of the plan and details about implementation. During the event in the K.G. Tan Auditorium, National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, Chancellor Kent Syverud offered welcoming remarks. It was the first of what will become an annual event allowing participants to examine and refine the plan.

“The plan we’ve collectively developed recognizes the University’s distinctive strengths as well as our distinguished history, which is marked by values and commitments to being global, inclusive and diverse, and to cultivating engaged global citizenship,” said Provost Ritter in her remarks. “It is also a plan that responds to the challenges and opportunities of the moment, both broadly in our country, in our world, and locally in Central New York.”

If you weren’t able to attend, a video of the launch symposium is available below.

The Direct Transfer Admission Program Agreement guarantees eligible OCC graduates admission to academic programs in Syracuse University’s , , and , where they can complete a bachelor’s degree in four semesters.

“Syracuse University is proud to partner with Onondaga Community College to offer a new pathway to prepare students for emerging careers,” says Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud. “To fully take advantage of the economic opportunities developing in the region, we need a workforce with the training and knowledge to meet the needs of emerging industries. This new agreement makes it easier for learners from OCC to benefit from the outstanding educational opportunities available at Syracuse University while building a ready workforce for the region’s employers.”

“We’re honored to partner with Syracuse University on this Direct Transfer Admission Program,” says OCC President Warren Hilton. “As the community’s college, we are committed to giving students access to higher education pathways, and ultimately the opportunity to enjoy rewarding careers at places like Micron’s new chip fabrication facility right here in Onondaga County. This agreement gives our students a clearly defined pathway to one of the top institutions in the country, and we are proud to collaborate with Syracuse University for the betterment of our students and the Central New York region.”

Syracuse University Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter says, “This partnership reflects the University’s commitment not only to expanding academic excellence in STEM and other areas, but also to growing and strengthening our local community and embracing economic opportunities for our students and alumni.”

Adds OCC Provost and Senior Vice President Anastasia Urtz: “We appreciate the tireless work of our innovative faculty who have built more than 20 new programs in health and human services, STEM and advanced technologies, and the liberal arts. Our programs respond to local economic needs and prepare people for careers across New York state and around the world.”

To be eligible for the program, OCC graduates must have earned a minimum GPA of 3.0. Those with GPAs of 3.25 or higher will be awarded a merit-based scholarship of at least $10,000.

Both OCC and Syracuse University will establish advising guidelines and course transfer recommendations to support students in the program and ensure their ability to complete their degrees in a timely manner. The institutions will also work together to recruit students to the program from the Syracuse City School District and other regional schools.

While participants in the program may study a range of disciplines, an emphasis on pathways to STEM-related majors will serve to prepare students for careers at high-tech companies, including Micron Technology, which plans to build a $100 billion semiconductor fabrication facility in the Syracuse suburb of Clay. In this way, the program dovetails with OCC’s new associate degree in and related , as well as existing degrees in engineering science and liberal arts: mathematics and science.

The awards recognize and celebrate the efforts of faculty and staff who delivered learning experiences and services through innovative modalities and reflected on improving learning and operations. Awards were given in four categories:

• Assessment Champion—recognizing campus community members who advocate for meaningful assessment to enrich the student experience and who have made outstanding contributions to the University’s culture of improvement.
• Outstanding Assessment—recognizing a distinguished academic, co-curricular and functional area for overall robust assessment.
• Best Engagement Strategies—recognizing programs/units for engaging faculty, staff and students to participate and contribute to the assessment process.
• Best Use of Results—recognizing an academic, co-curricular, and functional area for how results from the assessment process are used in making decisions.

Receiving the Best Student Engagement Strategies award from Chris Johnson, associate provost for academic affairs and professor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (center), were the bioengineering instruction team of Doug Yung and Anna-Blessing Merife and student consultants Assul Larancuent and Zoe Rennock as part of the Partnership for Inclusive Education.

Chris Johnson, associate provost for academic affairs, greeted attendees. “Every year I see this culture growing stronger and smarter as innovators like you all find new ways to do assessment and new ways to use assessment results to improve your operations and programs,” he said. “These awards are meant to recognize that innovation and the effort behind it.”

This year’s recipients include:

• Assessment Champion | Academic—Jamie Desjardins, associate teaching professor and director of undergraduate programs in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Arts and Sciences.
• Assessment Champion | Co-Curricular/Functional—Christopher Maldonado, assistant director, career systems, Career Services.
• Assessment Champion | Shared Competencies—Kelly Delavan, information literacy librarian, Libraries.
• Outstanding Assessment | Academic Programs—Chemical Engineering Bachelor of Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Outstanding Assessment | Co-Curricular—Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS)
• Outstanding Assessment | Functional—Human Resources
• Best Faculty Engagement Strategies— Department of Biology
• Best Staff Engagement Strategies—Falk College Dean’s Office
• Best Student Engagement Strategies—Bioengineering Instruction Team and Student Consultants, Partnership for Inclusive Education (PIE)
• Best Use of Results | Academic—WRT 205 Student Learning Outcomes Assessment for the Liberal Arts Core
• Best Use of Results | Co-Curricular—Barnes Center at The Arch DEIA Committee
• Best Use of Results | Functional—Maxwell Staff Council

After the awards, 2022 Assessment Leadership Institute participants were recognized for their poster presentations detailing assessment activities over the past year:

• Nicole Beckwith, Dietetic Internship CAS, Falk College
• Jamie Desjardins, Communication Sciences and Disorders Bachelor of Science, College of Arts and Sciences
• Mary Kiernan, Food Studies Bachelor of Science, Falk College
• Kal Srinivas, SummerStart, Retention and Student Success

Jerry Edmonds, senior assistant provost, concluded the event by acknowledging “this great opportunity to highlight faculty, staff and students’ work to learn about and improve learning and program and unit operations” and thanking everyone for their continued efforts.”

Visit the����to see event photos and presentation materials describing recipients’ work to examine and enhance learning and operational success.

The event will recognize and celebrate faculty and staff for their efforts to examine and enhance student learning and operational success. Twelve awards will be given in four categories:

• Assessment Champion, commending campus community members who advocate for meaningful assessment to enrich the student experience and operational effectiveness.
• Outstanding Assessment, recognizing a distinguished academic program, co-curricular program/unit or functional unit for a robust assessment and action plan to support decision-making.
• Best Engagement Strategies, recognizing programs/units for engaging faculty, staff, and students in the assessment process.
• Best Use of Results, recognizing an academic program, co-curricular program/unit or functional unit for how results from the assessment process are used in making decisions.

Poster presentations created by 2022 Assessment Leadership Institute participants highlighting their work over the past academic year will be showcased. Refreshments will be served.

Miranda Traudt

Traudt will provide operational and programming leadership for arts, humanities and community-focused academic initiatives at the University and within the Syracuse community to support faculty and student engagement. She will work closely with the Coalition of Museums and Art Centers, South Side and Community Initiatives, Light Work, the Shaw Center and various community partners and stakeholders.

Traudt is an experienced arts administrator and educator who has managed art centers and galleries in the region and has been responsible for multi-faceted arts programming. Most recently, she oversaw the curation, administration and promotion of arts and cultural initiatives at the State University of New York at Oswego, where she developed and implemented a shared vision for a comprehensive arts program serving campus and community audiences. At SUNY Oswego, she also spearheaded creation of the college’s first artist-in-residence program that focused on artistic engaging with issues of diversity, intersectionality, inclusion and belonging.

Previously at Syracuse University, she served four years as the managing director of Point of Contact. She also served as program director at Auburn’s Schweinfurth Art Center and has taught in the areas of arts management and museum studies and art history at several area colleges and universities.��

Traudt received a B.F.A. in the history of art and design from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. She earned two master’s degrees, one in museum studies and another in art history, from Syracuse University in 2011.

“We welcome Miranda back to the Syracuse University campus. We are excited to put her skills and knowledge to significant use in this integral role serving multiple arts, humanities and community relations arenas,” Haddix says. “She will be a wonderful asset to this office’s wide range of operations at the many important centers, art spaces and organizations we work with and with our campus and community stakeholders.”

The event is open only to University students, faculty and staff.

��will moderate the conversation with Subramaniam, who will share how his time on campus prepared him to become a global leader at FedEx, explore areas where future Syracuse University graduates can make an impact and more. After the interactive conversation, audience members can participate in a Q&A with Subramaniam.

Raj Subramaniam G’89, president and chief executive officer of FedEx Corporation, will discuss his career as an international leader and the role Syracuse University played in his successes during an April 26 event on campus.

“Syracuse was my first point of entry in the U.S., and the first place I was able to fully immerse myself in American culture,” says Subramaniam, who earned a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the ��(ECS).

“This campus holds a special place in my heart, and I am honored to return to share my career experiences with students.”

Over the last 50 years, FedEx has built a well-connected network linking 220 countries and territories around the world. FedEx was also responsible for delivering the COVID-19 vaccine around the world.

With more than 30 years of industry experience at FedEx, one of the world’s largest transportation companies, Subramaniam’s forward-thinking, innovative ways have helped revolutionize the transportation and logistics industry.

“Whenever you can bring in an international leader as accomplished as Raj to Syracuse University, this is a terrific opportunity for our campus community to learn from one of the brightest minds at the intersection of business, technology and logistics. This is going to be a fascinating conversation, one that I’m excited to moderate,” Provost Ritter says.

Among the recent innovations under Subramaniam’s leadership is revitalizing FedEx’s operating strategy, profitably growing the company’s e-commerce business and harnessing the power of global supply chain data.

Subramaniam’s international leadership experience, sharp business insights and emphasis on globalization provided a blueprint for FedEx’s digital transformation while staying true to the company’s commitment to logistics, sustainability and reliability.

“One of the key things we emphasize to our students is that our programs teach key elements to success, including but not limited to rigorous technical material. We emphasize the elements of leadership, problem-solving, and communication necessary for a broad range of careers. Raj’s engineering education provided him the creativity and flexibility of thought needed to tackle the fascinating challenges facing a company like FedEx. He is a fantastic example of where an ECS degree can take you and why a STEM background is so valuable for leaders,” says , dean of the .

Subramaniam earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology. After his time at Syracuse, where he also served as captain of a Syracuse cricket club that he helped form, he earned a master’s degree in business administration from The University of Texas at Austin.

He currently serves on the board of directors of the Procter & Gamble Company, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s China Center Advisory Board, U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum and the U.S.-China Business Council. He is also a member of the U.S.-India CEO Forum.

In 2023, Subramaniam received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, the highest civilian award presented to the Indian diaspora, in recognition of outstanding achievements in India and abroad.

Lois Agnew

Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter has appointed Lois Agnew to the position of associate provost for academic programs. Agnew, who has served as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) since July 2022, takes on her new responsibilities effective July 1, following the decision by Associate Provost Chris Johnson to return to full-time faculty duties in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Agnew’s appointment was approved by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.

“Lois has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and scholarship in a variety of roles over the last several years,” says Ritter. “From the time she was named associate dean of A&S through her service as interim dean, along with her role in helping refresh the , Lois has been at the center of our efforts to advance excellence in academic affairs and ensure an unparalleled student academic experience. She is a gifted scholar, teacher and leader.”

A member of the Syracuse University community since 2004 and professor of writing and rhetoric, Agnew was named A&S associate dean of curriculum, innovation and pedagogy in July 2017. Other administrative positions held by Agnew include interim chair of the Department of African American Studies, chair of the Department of Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition and director of undergraduate studies for the writing program.

“I’m thrilled at the opportunity to work with colleagues in Academic Affairs and across the University to support the dynamic teaching and learning environment outlined in the Academic Strategic Plan,” says Agnew. “Specifically, I am excited about expanding faculty involvement in the ; ensuring that our academic processes are transparent and support a diverse population of students; and exploring ways that our curriculum can more effectively meet the changing needs of students in today’s higher education landscape.”

Agnew has described her arrival at Syracuse as “a gift” because it provided her an opportunity “to join a community of strong, committed and generous faculty and staff colleagues and to work with talented and dedicated graduate and undergraduate students.” She was a key player on the team that updated the��liberal arts core; established a professional development program to build community among teaching faculty in A&S; coordinated the development of health humanities and digital humanities integrated learning majors; and organized A&S’s annual undergraduate research festival. Agnew has received multiple honors and awards, including the 2015 William Wasserstrom Prize for the Teaching of Graduate Students, the 2011 Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Award and the 2007 Meredith Teaching Recognition Award.

Agnew’s research specializes in rhetorical history, with a primary focus on British rhetorical theories. She has published more than 25 journal articles, book chapters and two books, with a third book forthcoming. Before working at Syracuse University, Agnew was assistant professor of English at Rockford University (formerly Rockford College) in Illinois, where she served as chair of the Department of English and director of the Writing Center.

Agnew received a Ph.D. in English from Texas Christian University and a B.A. and M.A. in English from the University of Texas at Arlington.

The conference provides educational and professional opportunities for women of color and Indigenous colleagues in higher education to learn from the work of their peers regarding diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) issues and action plans. Talks and workshops are also designed to encourage leadership development, mentoring and empowerment for women of color in the academy. The conference, hosted by Virginia Tech, will be held in Arlington, Virginia.

Marcelle Haddix

Marcelle Haddix, associate provost of strategic initiatives in the Office of Academic Affairs, says the conference provides an excellent opportunity to share research, learn about special initiatives and hear different perspectives about DEIA programs and successes. “We look forward to meeting with counterparts from dozens of colleges and universities on these topics and connecting with peers in a setting that also promotes professional development and academic leadership growth,” says Haddix.

In addition to Haddix, delegates are:

• Kristen Barnes, associate dean for faculty research and professor of law, College of Law
• Renate Chancellor, associate professor of Library and information science, School of Information Studies
• LaVerne Gray, assistant professor, School of Information Studies
• Alicia Hatcher, assistant professor of writing studies, rhetoric and composition, College of Arts and Sciences
• Suzette Meléndez, faculty fellow for the Office of Strategic Initiatives in Academic Affairs and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and teaching professor, College of Law
• Ruth Opara, assistant professor of art and music histories, College of Arts and Sciences
• Jamie Perry, assistant professor of management, Martin J. Whitman School of Management
• Kira Reed, associate professor of management, Whitman School
• Rochele Royster, assistant professor of art therapy, College of Visual and Performing Arts
• Danielle Taana Smith, professor of African American studies, College of Arts and Sciences, and director, Renée Crown University Honors Program
• Melissa Yuen, interim chief curator, Syracuse University Art Museum

Several University attendees are presenting talks and workshop sessions. Haddix will speak on “Writing Our Lives: Turning Service into Scholarship” with co-presenters Sherri Williams G’10, G’15, assistant professor in the School of Communication at American University, and Dani Parker Moore, assistant professor of multicultural education at Wake Forest University.

Reed, Smith and Yuen will present a poster session on “The Arts and Engagement in DEIA: A Consideration of Social and Economic Inequities.” They will discuss how they formed strategic campus partnerships with interdisciplinary constituents using art and cultural centers as catalysts for hosting conversations on DEIA topics.

Keynote conference presenters are Katherine S. Cho, assistant professor of higher education at Loyola University Chicago; Tressie McMillan Cottom, associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Information and Library Science; and Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez, a feminist, theologian, advocate and storyteller.

I am writing to provide an update on the graduate assistant union election. During a two-day election process, 764 eligible graduate students cast their votes with 728 voting to unionize.

As a result, 1,124 current graduate students will be represented by Syracuse Graduate Employees United (SGEU) and Service Employees International Union Local 200United (SEIU).

The bargaining unit of qualifying graduate students includes:

• All University Ph.D. students who are: (i) matriculated in a doctoral degree program in the College of Arts and Sciences, Whitman School of Management, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, School of Education, Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, School of Information Studies, or College of Engineering and Computer Science; (ii) awarded a stipend and a condition of receiving the stipend is the performance of research, instructional or other specialty services that are related to the student’s academic program as duly appointed teaching assistants (TA), research assistants (RA) or graduate administrative assistants through the Graduate School.
• All University master’s students who are: (i) matriculated in a master’s degree program in the College of Arts and Sciences, Whitman School of Management, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, College of Visual and Performing Arts, School of Education, School of Architecture, Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, School of Information Studies, or College of Engineering and Computer Science; (ii) awarded a stipend and a condition of receiving the stipend is the performance of that in certain semesters these master’s students will provide research, instructional or other specialty services that are related to the student’s academic program as duly appointed TAs, RAs or graduate administrative assistants through the Graduate School.

Now that the election is complete, University and Union representatives will meet to discuss a possible schedule for negotiating a collective bargaining agreement, otherwise known as a “union contract.” This is an important process for all parties and we will negotiate in the spirit of partnership and respect that have been the hallmarks of our labor-management relationships to date. In the meantime, we remain committed to ensuring a positive, rewarding and successful experience for all our graduate students.

Finally, I want to thank our graduate students, union representatives and all members of our community for engaging in a constructive and respectful union election.

Sincerely,

Gretchen Ritter
Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer

As we approach the end of the semester, we are reaching out to provide you with an update on the Academic Strategic Plan.

Since releasing the on Feb. 17, we have received a steady stream of valuable feedback from all parts of the University. This input has helped us refine and strengthen the plan in preparation for the release of the final draft.

Feedback from faculty, staff and students encouraged us to prioritize the following areas:

• Strengthening the focus on retaining our R1 status and on research strengths across campus.
• Clarifying that curriculum review should focus on alignment with school/college strategic plans and stated values.
• Increasing our efforts to support the needs of online and post-traditional students.
• Acknowledging the impact and contributions of staff on all three pillars (research and creative excellence; educational excellence and student success; and public impact).
• Articulating the value of strong partnerships with local communities.
• Defining expectations around study abroad and study away commitments.
• Providing more detail about deliverables and how we will measure success.

As we finalize the Academic Strategic Plan, these suggestions have been useful in not only sharpening but also improving the plan. Stakeholder input has encouraged us to streamline and condense the plan and to reflect more explicitly on what specific outcomes we hope to achieve in the next five to seven years.

We remain deeply grateful for all the time and effort that faculty, staff and students have put into this planning process at both the University and the school/college levels. While this work has been labor intensive for our community, the outcome is an Academic Strategic Plan that charts an exciting and ambitious future for Syracuse University.

Thank you again for being part of this process and sharing your insights, ideas and constructive feedback on our collective future as an institution and a community.

As always, if you would like more information about the Academic Strategic Plan or the process of creating it, please visit the .

• A that shows how to use course tags for course planning.

• A that helps students and their advisors chart a four-year academic path based on plans to acquire the shared competencies.
• A that facilitates searching for tags outside of the MySlice or course catalog system.

“These added tools make it easier for students and their advisors to pinpoint the skills and competencies various courses offer as they consider their academic schedule,” says Amanda Johnson Sanguiliano, associate director of institutional effectiveness and assessment. “It has been a collective effort to provide convenient ways for students to use tags to identify courses for the competencies and then incorporate them as they plan course schedules, educational interests and career pathways.”

Easy-to-use online tools are available to help students select undergraduate courses.

Undergraduate courses are now tagged with up to three competency tags that illustrate the knowledge and skills students can expect to gain in courses. Tags are searchable in class search and schedule builder and appear in the 2023-24 course catalog.

Course registration for the fall 2023 semester begins April 3.

The Shared Competencies are six learning goals that enhance the learning experience. They can be obtained through major degree courses, liberal arts requirements, electives, campus jobs and co-curricular experiences. The competencies are:

1. Ethics, Integrity and Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
2. Critical and Creative Thinking
3. Scientific Inquiry and Research Skills
4. Civic and Global Responsibility
5. Communication Skills
6. Information Literacy and Technological Agility

Those questions will be addressed by more than 40 expert presenters—including faculty, doctoral students and alumni from schools and colleges across the University—during the Lender Center for Social Justice Symposium. The event, supported by MetLife Foundation, takes place Thursday, March 30, and Friday, March 31, in 130 Dineen Hall.

On March 30, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs Jamie Winders will offer opening remarks, followed by a keynote address by College of Law Professor Kristen Barnes, speaking on “Dispossession and Restoration.” Closing remarks will be given by Jasmine Bellamy ’92, vice president of merchandising, planning and allocation and leader of Reebok Culture at Reebok.

The March 31 keynote address will be given by dt ogilvie, professor of urban entrepreneurship and economic development, former distinguished professor of urban entrepreneurship and former dean of the Saunders College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Welcoming remarks will be offered by Marvin Lender, chairman of Baldwin Street Management LLC, Syracuse University Life Trustee and Investment and Endowment Committee member, and Charlie Pettigrew, director, corporate giving and employee engagement at MetLife Foundation. Remarks by Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives Marcelle Haddix will close the day’s program.

Speakers and guests attend the 2022 Lender Center Social Differences – Social Justice symposium held at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. (Photo by Evan Whitney)

Five panels will convene during the two-day event. The topics are:

• “Integrating a Humanities Perspective in Understanding and Addressing the Racial Wealth Gap”
• “Structural and Systemic Impact of Educational and Criminal Justice Systems on the Racial Wealth Gap”
• “Racial Wealth Disparities in the Military and Among Veterans”
• “Exploration of Factors Within Organizations That Impact the Racial Wealth Gap in the U.S.”
• “Converting Research to Policy Change and Action”

Presenters represent multiple Syracuse University schools and colleges, including the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Law, College of Professional Studies, Martin J. Whitman School of Management, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, School of Information Studies, School of Architecture, School of Education and S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, as well as the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families.

In 2022, MetLife Foundation awarded a three-year, $2.7 million grant to the Lender Center for new initiatives to explore the racial wealth gap in the U.S., looking at its causes and consequences and elevating effective solutions.

Initiatives include hosting conversations among academic and social justice leaders in city centers across the nation to gain deeper insights on the topic; hiring postdoctoral researchers to develop new data-collection and evidence-gathering research tools; and other efforts to assess and resolve the wealth gap’s impact on members of Black, Latinx, Indigenous and other communities of color. Projects are being managed by leaders of the Lender Center and the .

Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives Marcelle Haddix speaks at 2022’s Lender Center Symposium on Social Differences – Social Justice. (Photo by Evan Whitney)

Haddix says the innovative partnership between the Lender Center for Social Justice and MetLife Foundation “is intended not only to help uncover the systemic issues contributing to the racial wealth gap, but also to discover and develop scalable solutions to reduce inequities, provide access to opportunity and enable historically marginalized communities to ultimately build better economic futures.”

The was founded by Syracuse University Life Trustee (Marvin) Lender and is named for him, his wife, Helaine, and their family.

and are available.

For more information about the event or to request accommodations, contact Kira Reed at 315.443.3391 or kireed@syr.edu.

Today’s announcement follows a comprehensive decanal review that took into account the feedback of key stakeholders, including School of Architecture faculty, staff and Advisory Board members.

“With Michael’s deanship has come a new era of success for the School of Architecture,” Ritter says. “He has extended the school’s reach and enhanced its already strong academic program. I know the school will continue to flourish with him at the helm and I look forward to our continued work together.”

Michael A. Speaks, dean of the School of Architecture.

Speaks was named dean of the School of Architecture in 2013. His accomplishments since then include the establishment of the Harry der Boghosian Endowed Fellowship Program for emerging professors in architecture, the Patrick Ahearn Workshops, the Design | Energy | Futures post-professional M.S. degree program and the Hal and Nina Fetner Architecture + Real Estate Summer Internship Program.

In addition, Speaks established the China studies program, including studios in Beijing and Shanghai, the Three Cities Asia Summer Studio Program, a research partnership with the Institute Building Research in Shenzhen and a high school recruiting initiative. He also established a faculty and student exchange, research and project collaboration with Ewha Womans University, Yonsei University, Korea University, University of Seoul, Yeungnam University and Pusan National University in South Korea; and a scholarship program for overseas study in arts and design, organized by the Taiwan Ministry of Education.

He was selected three times as a Design Intelligence Most Admired Educator and served as an advisory group member for the Syracuse University Campus Framework and Campus Framework Refresh.

“It has been an honor and privilege to lead this great school of architecture over the last several years and I look forward to continuing as we prepare, this fall, to celebrate our 150th anniversary,” Speaks says. “With our incomparable students, faculty and staff to thank, the Syracuse University School of Architecture has become the best single-discipline, global school of architecture in the U.S. and in the world.”

Previously, he was dean of the University of Kentucky College of Design, and director of the graduate program and founding director of the metropolitan research and design postgraduate program at the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles. He earned a Ph.D. at Duke University.

“The Maxwell School has thrived under David’s leadership,” says Provost Ritter. “He has strengthened an already strong school in numerous areas ranging from undergraduate enrollment to external funding. I am grateful for his continued service to the school and the University.”

David Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Since he took the helm as dean in 2016, Van Slyke hired 79 faculty members who help broaden the school’s research impact and visibility, increased opportunities for students, advanced Maxwell’s cross-disciplinary ethos and amplified the University’s prestige among prospective students, alumni and benefactors.

Under Van Slyke’s leadership, the Maxwell School has made significant progress on a number of key strategic priorities, including:

• The racial, ethnic and gender balance of the school’s faculty, staff and advisory board have increased, and priority has been given to initiatives focused on developing an inclusive learning and working environment that is committed to principles of diversity, equity and accessibility.
• The appointment of an associate dean of diversity, equity and inclusion to lead the development of Maxwell’s strategic plan in these areas.
• Enhanced programming aimed at fostering discourse and mutual understanding amid some of the most divisive times in recent history, including the launch of the Renewing Democratic Community Speaker Series, featuring a range of perspectives on topics of racial, disability, gender and other inequalities aimed at building mutual understanding.
• External funding for disciplinary and interdisciplinary research has increased nearly 50%.
• Five new Maxwell-affiliated research centers and institutes have opened, including the Syracuse University Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship with the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Autonomous Systems Policy Institute with the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
• Significantly increased fundraising, with $74.1 million raised since 2016, which supports experiential learning opportunities, faculty and student research and named positions to support faculty recruitment and retention.
• The transition to direct-admit Maxwell undergraduates and a nearly 50% growth in undergraduate enrollment.
• The launch of three undergraduate majors, three graduate programs and three graduate certificates of advanced study, as well as expanded executive education opportunities.

“I am pleased with what we have accomplished together as we approach Maxwell’s centennial using research, learning and service to address challenges and opportunities facing our local and global communities,” Van Slyke says. “It is an honor to be reappointed, and I am optimistic that our approach to interdisciplinary, innovative, citizenship-focused education will enable the Syracuse University community to lead the way in solving complex societal issues.”

Van Slyke, a highly successful researcher, passionate educator and dedicated mentor, is a professor of , the Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business-Government Policy and a senior research associate with the and the .

He is the only academic member of the , a select group of business leaders appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Defense to help the department operate more effectively. He also co-chairs the group on addressing structural racism and is a member of its military service to public service working group and a mentor with its Future Leaders of Schools of Public Service BIPOC faculty leadership mentoring group. He is actively involved with the National Academy of Public Administration and the Association for Professional Schools of International Affairs.

Van Slyke received a Ph.D. from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany.

“Since it launched nearly two decades ago, the Department of Sport Management has been enormously successful in attracting high-performing students and preparing them for careers in the sports industry,” says Provost Ritter. “This is an area of distinction not only for the Falk College but for Syracuse University and creates an opportunity to leverage our faculty’s intellectual property to capitalize on a significant and emerging field of study and professional industry. I appreciate the task force’s commitment to this work and look forward to reviewing its findings and recommendations.”

The task force will explore and recommend ways that a new School of Sport Management will connect, align and integrate with other areas of teaching and research related to sport on the Syracuse University campus.

Jeffrey Rubin, professor of practice in the School of Information Studies, special advisor to the Chancellor on eSports and digital transformation, and founder of Sidearm Sports, and Jamie Winders, associate provost for faculty affairs, will co-chair the task force. Other members include:

• Keonte Coleman, assistant professor, broadcast and digital journalism, director of assessment and program review, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• Lindsey Darvin, assistant professor, sport management, Falk College
• Brad Horn, professor of practice, public relations, associate dean for strategic initiatives, Newhouse School
• Kristen Konkol, associate teaching professor, exercise science, Falk College
• Rodney Paul, professor, sport management and director, sport analytics program, Falk College
• Gina Pauline, associate professor and undergraduate director, sport management, Falk College
• Tommy Powell, assistant provost for student-athlete academic development
• Lori Robinson G’09, Emerging Leaders Council, Falk College, Department of Sport Management

This task force will undertake its work at the same time the search is underway for the next dean of the Falk College, who will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the plan to elevate the new School of Sport Management. This will be the second school to be established within the Falk College, which already includes the School of Social Work.

The discussion begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium. The fireside chat-style conversation will be moderated by Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter. Tickets are required for the event; visit to claim your free ticket.

The event is co-hosted by the Office of Academic Affairs with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Student Experience, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

“The best conversations, the ones from which we learn the most, are often difficult, sometimes provocative, but always open and fair, presenting a range of views,” says Provost Ritter. “We look forward to hearing from Professors Dyson and McWhorter as they debate and discuss free speech issues and the health and future of our democracy.”

Michael Eric Dyson

A prominent professor, preacher and author, Dyson is the Distinguished University Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies in the College of Arts and Science and Distinguished University Professor of Ethics and Society at the Divinity School at Vanderbilt. He has previously taught at Brown University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Columbia University, DePaul University, the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University. Known as one of America’s premier public intellectuals, he has authored��more than 20 books, including seven New York Times��best sellers. He also has been a well-known media commentator for 30-plus years on major radio and television shows and currently is also a political analyst for MSNBC. Dyson has won two NAACP Image Awards and an American Book Award, and last year was awarded the Langston Hughes Medal.

John McWhorter

McWhorter teaches courses in linguistics, Western civilization and music history at Columbia University, specializing in language change and language contact. He has written extensively on issues related to linguistics and race for Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Republic and The Atlantic, and has discussed those topics as a guest on CNN. His books include “The Power of Babel,” “Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue,” “The Language Hoax,” “Words on the Move,” “Talking Back” and “Talking Black.” Two others, “Nine Nasty Words” and “Woke Racism,” were New York Times best sellers. He also hosts the Lexicon Valley language podcast, has authored six audiovisual sets on language for The Great Courses company, and writes a twice-weekly newsletter for The New York Times.

“The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is pleased to co-host this important conversation for today’s free-speech environment,” says Mary Grace Almandrez, vice president for diversity and inclusion. “We welcome professors Dyson and McWhorter to campus for open discussion on issues that matter to our SU community and are essential to moving society forward in advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.”

“Universities play a critical role in providing students exposure to a wide range of viewpoints and ideas in an environment that is respectful, is focused on intellectual growth and is welcoming,” says Allen Groves, senior vice president and chief student experience officer. “This lecture is just such an opportunity, featuring two prominent voices in the civic arena who model constructive engagement in a world that is increasingly fractured.”

“The breakdown of public discourse and open dialogue is one of the major ailments of our society today,” says Mark J. Lodato, dean of the Newhouse School. “Creating a place where free speech and the open marketplace of ideas are protected and valued is the obligation of higher education. This lecture is an example of how we do that, and how we can provide our students with the important opportunity to approach sometimes difficult topics with a willingness to learn and understand people whose viewpoints may be different from their own.”

“Co-hosting this lecture underscores the University’s belief that people can openly express opposing views as part of their active citizenship and public engagement,” says David M. Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School. “Learning to express frank opinions around provocative topics in civil and respectful ways is a valuable lesson for everyone, and it’s part of being responsibly engaged in today’s society. This lecture should offer useful insights into that awareness and process.”

To register for a ticket, visit . Your ticket will be loaded into your MyCuse account; once loaded, download the ticket on your phone and add it to your mobile wallet. If you do not have a MyCuse account, please select “sign up” and follow the prompts to create an account. If you have a MyCuse account, but forgot your password, please select “forgot password” and a new password link will be sent to you. If you are having trouble managing your mobile ticket, please visit the step-by-step for further assistance.

All tickets are mobile tickets and must be downloaded/added to your mobile wallet prior to the event. Please note: no screenshots of tickets will be accepted. Tickets are nontransferable or nonsalable; anyone who would like to attend is required to claim a ticket.

The Clear Bag Policy will be in effect for the event. Those attending will only be allowed to bring in either a clear bag that does not exceed 12” x 6” x 12” or a one-gallon clear plastic storage bag. In addition, small clutch bags for personal items, approximately 4.5” x 6.5, and diaper bags (with child) are allowed. Backpacks are not allowed.

I am writing today as a follow-up to��the message you received last week regarding the election agreement��made between the University, Syracuse Graduate Employees United (SGEU) and Service Employees International Union Local 200United (SEIU) governing the SGEU union campaign and election. As the process moves forward, there will be much discussion, dialogue and debate about the merits of a union. I ask that our University community remain open to all viewpoints and treat others with grace and respect throughout.

The University will not take a formal position. What we will do is encourage our graduate students to give this careful consideration and make an informed decision. Talk with peers and mentors. Explore the advantages and disadvantages, opportunities and challenges, of unionizing. Participate in the election process to ensure each voice is reflected in this decision. The outcome of the election will be decided by a majority of those voting and will be binding for graduate students, which means each vote is critical to reflecting true consensus.

To assist our community members seeking information on unions, we have��. Graduate students interested in learning more about SGEU should contact organizers directly.

Syracuse University currently has a collaborative relationship with four unions, including SEIU, that represent approximately 1,400 University employees. Should our graduate students make the collective decision to unionize, we will engage their union in the same collaborative, transparent and fair manner as we do with our existing union partners.

Sincerely,

Gretchen Ritter
Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer

Chris Johnson

After nearly five years of service as associate provost for academic affairs, Chris Johnson has announced he will step down from his administrative role and return to full-time faculty duties in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS).

“Chris has been an extraordinary partner, advisor, collaborator and leader through some of the most dynamic and challenging times in higher education,” says Vice Chancellor and Provost Gretchen Ritter. “His leadership was critical to helping faculty, students and academic staff navigate the pandemic and subsequent return to campus. Much of his work over the last five years set a strong foundation for growth in academic programs with a focus on innovation, inclusion, integrity and accountability. Thanks to his leadership, our community is benefiting from new metrics for measuring academic program performance, a strong record of accreditation and program reviews, and expansion in the Center for Learning and Student Success and the Center for Disability Resources.”

Johnson was appointed associate provost in September 2018. He started his career at Syracuse in 1989 as a postdoctoral research associate and joined the civil and environmental engineering faculty the following year, chairing the department from 2010-14 after one year as interim chair. Johnson was also interim director of the Renée Crown University Honors Program from July 2016 until June 2018, and has served on many committees and task forces within ECS and across the University.

“I have had the privilege of working with a wonderful team of professionals in the Office of Academic Affairs and many outstanding faculty, staff and students on a wide range of issues and initiatives,” says Johnson. “Syracuse is a truly great university and is heading in a promising direction thanks to the good work of so many members of our community. I am grateful for the opportunity to work on so many interesting projects over the last five years. Now I look forward to returning full time to research and teaching.”

“We are thrilled to have Chris return full time to our faculty,” says ECS Dean J. Cole Smith, noting that Johnson earned the Faculty Excellence Award for Excellence in Graduate Education in 2012. “He is beloved by his students and highly respected by his colleagues both in the college and across disciplines for the collaborative way he brings together engineers, natural scientists, social scientists and others in relevant and impactful research.”

Johnson has taught courses in environmental chemistry, soil chemistry, data analysis and surveying. In the Honors Program, he has taught Water for Gotham, a course on the New York City water supply system, and The Aqueducts of Ancient Rome.

In addition to serving on the engineering faculty at Syracuse, Johnson has served as a visiting faculty member at Charles University in Prague and Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. He is involved in numerous research projects in the broad area of environmental chemistry, including work on the fate of trace metals in forest soils and landscapes; the effects of clear-cut logging on soils and drainage waters; and the changing acid-base chemistry of soils historically affected by acid rain. His principal research sites are in the Catskills and Adirondack regions of New York, as well as the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Johnson has served on advisory panels for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Academies, the National Science Foundation and the Swedish Research Council. He earned a B.S. in civil engineering, an M.S. in statistics and a Ph.D. in geology, all from the University of Pennsylvania. Johnson is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi, and was a Fulbright Scholar in the Czech Republic in 1994.

As Johnson concludes his time as associate provost, Provost Ritter will begin the process to identify his successor. More information will be shared on those efforts soon.

The newest members for academic years 2022-23 and 2023-24 are:

• College of Arts and Sciences (Humanities – Electorate 2): , professor and department chair, art and music histories
• College of Engineering and Computer Science (Electorate 5): , professor of electrical engineering and computer science
• Falk College��(Electorate 6): , professor of public health
• The Newhouse School��(Electorate 10): , professor of communications
• The Whitman School��(Electorate 11): , Edward Pettinella professor of finance
• School of Visual and Performing Arts (Electorate 12): , professor, communication and rhetorical studies

Committee members who are continuing to serve for the second year of their two-year terms during the 2022-23 academic year are:

• School of Architecture (Electorate 1): , professor of architecture
• Arts and Sciences (Sciences – Electorate 3): , professor of psychology
• School of Education (Electorate 4): , interim associate dean for academic affairs and professor of instructional design, development and evaluation
• School of Information Studies (Electorate 7): , professor of information studies
• College of Law (Electorate 8): , Crandall Melvin Professor of Law
• The Maxwell School��(Electorate 9): , professor and chair, political science

The committee is composed of tenured professors drawn from 12 electorates aligned with the faculties of 11 of 12 schools and colleges. The College of Arts and Sciences has two electorates: one for faculty in the sciences and one for faculty in the humanities. The College of Professional Studies is not represented on the committee. Committee members serve staggered two-year terms and are not eligible to serve two terms consecutively.

The committee is chaired by and is convened by . It also includes the University’s .

Additional information about the committee, its composition and its operations can be found in the��on the provost’s website.

As faculty hiring for the 2023-24 academic year gets underway, I am writing to update you on the status of the University’s Cluster Hire Initiative. As you may recall, the Cluster Hire Initiative working group, co-chaired by Associate Provost Jamie Winders and Dean Cole Smith, was charged with assessing the program’s performance against its original objectives. Following intensive engagement with deans, program directors and faculty, the working group found that the Cluster Hire Initiative brought excellent faculty to Syracuse University and accelerated and expanded certain areas of research and creative work. It also found that work is needed to maximize the clusters’ impact on research and creative excellence.

Cluster Hire Initiative Working Group Recommendations

To that end, the working group offered four tangible recommendations, including the following:

• consider a smaller, more clearly focused set of clusters with appropriate funding to help them run as centers or institutes;
• provide support for cluster leadership and cluster facilities, including operations and management, to promote academic excellence;
• clarify and clearly message the goals, visions, objectives and governance of the cluster program; and
• continue to prioritize “regular” faculty hires to retain existing core strengths within our academic units by evaluating hiring incentives for cluster vs. non-cluster hires.

Action Underway

With these recommendations in mind, we will take the following actions:

1. Associate Provost Winders will work with the deans to ensure that “regular” faculty hires are prioritized for the 2023-24 academic year. These faculty searches should contribute to the school/college and/or department strategic goals,��research excellence and/or curricular needs and do not need to be associated with the Cluster Hire Initiative.
2. We will pause faculty hiring in the Energy and Environment, Health and Neuroscience, and Big Data clusters to allow consideration of the focus and direction of these clusters and their alignment with the Academic Strategic Plan. Duncan Brown, vice president for research, will work with stakeholders in these research clusters to develop plans for the future. I have asked for these plans by the end of the Spring 2023 semester.
3. We will work with the appropriate academic leaders and faculty to sunset the Virtual and Immersive Interactions and Innovation and Entrepreneurship clusters. The University will continue to support faculty hired into these clusters. There will be no impact on these faculty members regarding the path to tenure and promotion, and the schools/colleges involved will continue to support the research and creative activities of these faculty members.
4. Finally, I have asked Vice President Brown to develop a plan, guided by and aligned with the University’s new Academic Strategic Plan, for supporting cluster leadership and cluster facilities.

2023-24 Cluster Hires

Faculty searches for cluster hires proposed for the 2023-24 academic year should be discussed and approved by the cluster leads, the appropriate dean(s) and the vice president for research prior to requesting the hires. The following clusters are eligible to propose searches in 2023-24:

• Aging Studies
• Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Systems and the Human-Technology Frontier
• BioInspired Institute: Institute for Materials and Living Systems
• Citizenship and Democratic Institutions
• Chips+Quantum
• Social Differences, Social Justice

As we consider future enhancements of the Cluster Hire Initiative, we will continue to consult broadly with deans and faculty to assess how to best support, strengthen and evolve the existing clusters. We will also evaluate hiring incentives to ensure we are attracting and retaining high-performing faculty across diverse disciplines.

I am grateful to the many stakeholders who provided input during this process and look forward to our continued engagement.

Sincerely,

Gretchen Ritter
Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer

Four information sessions are scheduled in March to offer an overview of how the program positions function. Course leaders, current instructors and peer leaders will offer details regarding course goals and outcomes, as well as the expectations and responsibilities of the positions.��The information sessions are scheduled as follows:

• , 5-6 p.m. in Schine Student Center, room 228
• , 10-11 a.m. in National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, room 018
• , 2-3 p.m., virtually via Zoom
• , 1-2 p.m., Hall of Languages, room 500

The First-Year Seminar is part of a commitment the University made to students in the 2019-20 academic year requiring all students to take courses covering diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility topics as they start their academic and social transition into the Orange community.

At a training last summer, Kira Reed, right, moderated a conversation with campus partners from left, Kathryn Bradford, Scott Catucci, Kelly Delevan, Kate Holohan, Lorena Silva and Bennie Guzman.

The lead instructor position consists of the opportunity for faculty and staff to instruct a section of 19 first-year and transfer students as they start their Orange experience. FYS 101 is a one-credit academic course that is a graduation requirement for all incoming students. The lead instructor position application is open now on .

Peer leaders are undergraduate students who facilitate classroom conversations and course activities throughout the semester. This leadership opportunity is a paid position and applications are currently open on��, but will close on Monday, March 20, at 5 p.m. ET.

is required. Further questions can be addressed to Jimmy Luckman, associate director for First-Year Seminar, at firstyear@syr.edu.

The workshop will be held Wednesday, May 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with lunch provided, in 046 Bird Library. The workshop will assist faculty members in designing learning opportunities that are aligned with the newly created ILTA Rubric [PDF]. Faculty interested in participating should by March 24. Thanks to generous support from the Libraries and Academic Affairs, ten faculty participants will be selected and each will receive a $500 stipend after successful completion of the workshop.

The workshop will be facilitated by Kelly Delevan, information literacy librarian, and John Stawarz, online learning librarian. The Information Literacy Program at Syracuse University Libraries seeks to support faculty interested in developing strategies to incorporate information literacy knowledge, skills and attitudes into their teaching. In this one-day workshop, librarians will assist faculty in creating new or adapting existing assignments that will allow students to demonstrate their learning in a way that aligns with the ILTA rubric.

Faculty should apply if they currently teach a course that has been approved for an ILTA tag, are considering adding the ILTA tag to a course they teach or are interested in designing or redesigning an assignment that will enable their students to meet the learning outcomes as described in the ILTA rubric.

During the workshop, participants will:

• revise or create an assignment or learning activity that can be assessed using the ILTA rubric,
• discover learning strategies and pedagogies that enable students to demonstrate their information literacy skills,
• interact with faculty members from outside their discipline to build community,
• learn how the Libraries can support them in enhancing their assignments to incorporate diverse resources and
• share their new/revised assignments to an ILTA assignment repository maintained by the Libraries.

The assessment awards recognize faculty, staff and students for their efforts to examine and enhance learning and campus operations. The meaningful and sustainable practices with which they engage to provide students with an unsurpassed learning experience will be showcased.

“These awards celebrate the outstanding work that is going on across our campus in the area of assessment,” says Chris Johnson, associate provost for academic affairs. “It always amazes me to see the interesting and innovative ways our faculty and staff are using assessment to improve academic programs, the student experience, and business operations.”

The fourth annual One University Assessment Celebration will be held Friday, April 28, 2023, at 1 p.m. in the School of Education. Eleven awards will be announced in the following categories:

• Assessment Champion
• Outstanding Assessment
• Best Student, Faculty, and Staff Engagement Strategies
• Best Use of Results

Visit the for more information, including award descriptions, past recipients, and event photos. If you have any questions, please contact the Assessment Working Team.

Your Feedback Is Requested

The Academic Strategic Plan will play a pivotal role in the future of our University. We hope you will take the time to review and provide your feedback. Opportunities for doing so include the following:

• Thursday, Feb. 23, 10:30 a.m.-noon: – K.G. Tan Auditorium, National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, and on
• Wednesday, March 1, and Tuesday, March 7: Zoom feedback sessions (details to come)

You can also .

Following the feedback period, the Academic Strategic Plan will be revised, finalized and shared with the University community in early April.

Learn More

We will continue to provide information about events, feedback opportunities and ways to be involved with the refinement of the plan as we move through the next weeks and months. You can also�� on the latest news by visiting the .

Meléndez is a longtime teaching professor in the College of Law and a faculty member who has served the University Senate and the local law community in numerous diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) capacities over the past several years, as well as fulfilling a range of community legal-interest roles over two decades.

Suzette Meléndez

As faculty fellow, Meléndez will undertake several Universitywide initiatives associated with the University and community work of both offices, as well as various aspects of the University’s Academic Strategic Plan. She will be involved in the research and preparation of policy and recommendation reports on DEIA priorities and topics and support development and facilitation of programming for faculty of color recruitment and retention initiatives. She will also lead and guide the University’s strategy for collaborations and partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions.

Her duties also include providing programming and operational leadership to faculty and staff affinity groups, participating in Office of Diversity and Inclusion personnel searches and other campus DEIA-related searches, supporting the analysis and recommendations report for DEIA structure across all schools and colleges, and creating and supporting DEIA opportunities for faculty and staff development.

‘Tremendous Asset’

“Professor Meléndez has been a tremendous asset to the College of Law, the University and its Senate and the Syracuse community for many years. The University greatly appreciates her expertise in DEIA matters and her service as a faculty fellow for the important initiatives being undertaken this year,” says Haddix.

“In more than 20 years of service to the College of Law and Syracuse University, Professor Meléndez has advanced her thought leadership and her professional and community commitments to a wide range of inclusion and diversity efforts and legal affairs. We welcome the expertise, insights and experiences she brings to this position, and we look forward to the University benefitting from her impactful presence in this role,” says Mary Grace A. Almandrez, vice president for diversity and inclusion.

“With her deep interest and long history in advancing all aspects of diversity and inclusion in matters of law, collegiate affairs and society, Professor Meléndez will be an excellent resource for these efforts,” says Gretchen Ritter, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer. “Her skills, experience and empathy provide a superb backdrop for the important Academic Affairs and Academic Strategic Plan initiatives we plan to move forward this year.”

Important Focal Point

“I’m honored and pleased to receive this appointment, and I am excited to work on new projects and continuing objectives with the Office of Strategic Initiatives and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the University level,” Meléndez says. “This is such an important focal point for the University. I look forward to contributing to the momentum to advance equity and inclusion efforts designed to dismantle biased systems that act as barriers to learning, belonging and engagement on our campus and beyond.”

Equity, Inclusion Dean

Meléndez has been at the College of Law since 2002. In 2021, she was named its first associate dean for equity and inclusion. She chaired the College of Law’s Inclusion Council and co-chaired the implementation of a two-credit DEIA student requirement for fall 2024. In her capacity as associate dean, she was responsible for developing a program for the Inaugural Consortium Summer Residency for 22 students from the Atlanta University Center, a consortium of four historically Black colleges and universities, that successfully took place in Syracuse in May. She also assessed bias reporting processes and provided professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.

Meléndez chairs the University Senate’s committee, and has been faculty advisor to the Latin American Law Student Association and the Family Law Society for most of her time as a faculty member. She is also a coach for the annual appellate advocacy competition of the Hispanic National Bar Association.

Meléndez, who earned a bachelor’s degree at SUNY Binghamton and a J.D. degree from the University of Connecticut Law School, has been a teaching professor of family law and has served as the College of Law’s director of the Children’s Rights and Family Law clinics for two decades. Among other achievements, she was a member of the College of Law’s annual Diversity Law Day involving area high schools and was a member of the New York State Judiciary Diversity Pipeline Initiative.

She currently serves as a member of the New York State Indigent Legal Services Board, Onondaga County Human Rights Commission and Onondaga County Bar Association.

“The selection of members to serve on the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Promotion and Tenure is essential to the University’s efforts to assure fairness and consistency across the promotion and tenure process. It also assists in assuring adherence to the highest academic standards of excellence and in providing a superb educational experience for our students,” says Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer . “I encourage all eligible faculty to take part in the election process to help the University in its efforts on both of these forefront goals.”

The committee is composed of tenured professors drawn from 12 electorates aligned with the faculties of 10 of 11 schools and colleges plus two electorates from the College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences has separate electorates for faculty in the sciences and in the humanities. The College of Professional Studies is not represented on the committee.

The online balloting identifies potential committee members from each of the electorates having open seats. Only tenured full professors are eligible to serve on the committee. Once balloting closes, a slate of three candidates from each electorate is forwarded to the provost for final committee selection. Committee members serve staggered two-year terms and are not eligible to serve two terms consecutively. Additional information about the committee, its composition and its operations can be found in the ��on the provost’s website.

Nominations are to be returned electronically. Balloting closes Feb. 1. Representatives from the Appointment and Promotions Committee of the University Senate will then identify the faculty endorsed by their colleagues who are willing to serve and then forward the list to Ritter, who will invite individuals to serve. The committee will be fully seated by March 1.

The facilitates networking across member institutions and fosters collaboration among academic leaders. The program is designed to offer participants leadership development programming and broaden awareness of cutting-edge issues in the higher education landscape, such as challenges across disciplines, insights on leadership needs and emerging issues in organizational roles and structure.

The following faculty have been appointed for 2023:

Kristen Barnes

• , associate dean for faculty research and professor of law, College of Law;
• , associate dean, chair and professor, Public Administration and International Affairs Department, the Maxwell School;
• , associate dean of academic affairs and associate professor of public relations, the Newhouse School;
• , associate professor and Dean’s Professor of Community Engagement and founder and director of the Engaged Humanities Network, College of Arts and Sciences;
  

  Colleen Heflin

• , professor, senior associate dean for academic and faculty affairs, and director of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, School of Information Studies.

Hua Jiang

The University’s participants were selected from academic leaders having one to��two years in their current leadership roles and who have received foundational leadership training. Leaders from each of the 15 ACC institutions participate in three on-site sessions a year held at various participating university campuses. This year, the cohort will participate in on-site development opportunities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University. Syracuse University will be hosting the ACC-ALN in June of 2023.

Brice Nordquist

The program provides an outstanding opportunity for academic leaders to expand their perspectives on issues facing higher education in concert with peers from��academic institutions across the Atlantic Coast Conference, says , associate provost for faculty affairs.

Jennifer Stromer-Galley

“This is a wonderful leadership development and learning opportunity. It��permits attendees to collaborate professionally, share common concerns and learn about innovative ideas and emerging tactics they will need as they address the challenges of today’s academic environment,” Winders says. “Many difficult decisions are required to build great programs, departments and up-to-date approaches to academic excellence in higher education today, and this program reinforces the latest thinking in that arena.”

The awards are part of a new social justice initiative and one of the projects funded by a $2.7 million MetLife Foundation grant presented to the University’s last fall. That work is being conducted in collaboration with the University’s faculty and in concert with the Academic Affairs Office of Strategic Initiatives.

Deadline April 3

The deadline for applications is April 3. The opportunity applies to projects over the period of July 2023 to June 2024.

Total funding of approximately $300,000 will be awarded to multiple projects depending on the needs, scope, and anticipated impact of the project. The funds are meant to provide support to scholars with new or ongoing research projects that relate to the causes, consequences, and solutions to the racial wealth gap.

, associate professor of management and a co-lead for the Social Differences, Social Justice research cluster at the University, describes the racial wealth gap as a continuous issue that undermines potential economic and social progress and opportunities able to be pursued by members of underserved and underrepresented communities in the United States.

The grant funding provides welcome new opportunities to center attention on the problem of ever-expanding economic and social inequality and to find ways to work toward solutions that address it, says , interim director of the Lender Center for Social Justice and associate professor of sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

How to Apply

All submissions should be submitted to the at Syracuse University at .

The Lender Center for Social Justice welcomes applications from those with scholarly projects that address subjects along one or more of these tracks:

• structural and systemic factors positively or negatively impacting the building of generational wealth like slavery, settler colonialism, and historic legacies of racialized violence, racial capitalism, mass incarceration and inheritance laws;
• policies and practices that generate or minimize racial wealth disparities such as redlining, urban renewal schemes, tax policy, predatory financing, healthcare burdens and racially disparate housing appraisals;
• individual and organizational-level factors influencing educational attainment, skills acquisition, and career development, such as educational inequities, hiring queues and corporate programs.

More details about the specific orientations and the kinds of research being sought and the requirements of the submission process are available

I hope you’ve had an enjoyable winter break, with some time spent with loved ones and friends. Thank you all for everything you did to make the fall semester a successful one for our students. The energy on campus was wonderful to experience. I want to extend special thanks to all of you who taught our first-year students, helping them to transition effectively to their college experience. We had a larger-than-expected first-year class this year, and I appreciate the good work that everyone on campus did to welcome them to our community.

As we begin the Spring 2023 semester, I am writing to share some thoughts and updates on several topics, including:

• Religious Observance Notifications
• ChatGPT
• Student Mental Health
• Additional Resources

As always, the contains details on the topics covered in this message, as well as many other topics. It also includes suggested language for several sections of your syllabi.

Religious Observance Notifications

Based on feedback and questions I received from students, faculty and staff in the fall, I think there may be some uncertainty about how we work with students who wish to observe religious holidays.

The University’s recognizes the right of students to be absent from class for faith-based observances. Students must register their expected absences on MySlice (Student Services/Enrollment/My Religious Observances/Add a Notification). This semester, the deadline for these notifications is Feb. 7, coinciding with the academic drop deadline.

If a student has posted a religious observance notification, instructors may not require academic work to be done or submitted on that date. The due date for any such work should be adjusted to an appropriate date after the religious observance so as not to disadvantage the student.

Faculty are encouraged to plan proactively the dates of exams, group presentations and other significant class events to avoid major religious holidays. Hendricks Chapel maintains for many world religions. While you may receive notifications related to a wide array of faith traditions, you are most likely to encounter the following:

• Jan. 22: Lunar New Year
• April 5-13: Passover (begins at sundown on April 5; students are most likely to submit notifications for April 5-7; April 11-13 are also considered “no work” days; some students may submit notifications for those dates)
• April 7, 9: Good Friday, Easter
• April 21-22: Eid al-Fitr (sundown-sundown)

In addition, many Indigenous students participate in important religious observances on dates that are only determined by their community leaders a few weeks or days in advance. This frequently makes it impossible for the student to enter the observance in MySlice by the specified deadline. I ask that you work with these students to help them participate in these observances while continuing to make academic progress in your classes.

ChatGPT

The emergence of the artificial intelligence (AI) tool ChatGPT has generated a great deal of interest in the last month or so. This utility, which can provide relatively nuanced and lengthy responses to user-provided questions, with credible grammar and style, has all the markings of a truly disruptive technology.

I have received a few messages from faculty who teach writing-intensive courses, expressing their concern that students could submit writing produced by ChatGPT for grading. This would be a clear violation of the University’s academic integrity policy, yet without reliable tools for detecting text generated by ChatGPT, it will be difficult to prevent students from trying it. A identifies some new tools that attempt to detect text written by an AI engine. Faculty should be careful in using these tools as their reliability remains largely unproven. It should also be noted that AI-generated text is “original” in the sense that there is no source text from which it is derived, making it a challenge to prove definitively its AI origin.

Another article, which appeared in , provides perspectives from a variety of voices in higher education. I encourage anyone with an interest or concern about these emerging technologies to read it. I can personally attest that my colleagues at peer institutions are reporting a wide range of reactions to ChatGPT on their campuses.

I have asked the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence to develop guidance for faculty on how they can navigate this issue. In the meantime, I encourage you to make your expectations clear in your syllabus and in your assignments.

I should also note that some faculty may wish to have their students use ChatGPT as part of their coursework. It is a fairly sophisticated AI that is certainly worthy of study and examination.

Student Mental Health

During the pandemic, students across the country have reported elevated levels of stress, anxiety and depression. In some cases, students bring these concerns directly to their instructors, perhaps in the context of a missed assignment or poor performance in the course. The Barnes Center wellness team has developed a to help them navigate this challenging situation. The following text has been provided by the Barnes Center and may be included in your syllabus at your discretion:

“Mental health and overall well-being are significant predictors of academic success. As such it is essential that during your college experience you develop the skills and resources effectively to navigate stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns. Please familiarize yourself with the range of resources the Barnes Center provides () and seek out support for mental health concerns as needed.��Counseling services are available 24/7, 365 days a year, at 315.443.8000. I encourage you to explore the resources available through the Wellness Leadership Institute ().”

The Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS) offers , “Reduce Stress by Approaching Your Next Exam Mindfully” and “Conquer Procrastination by Tackling Assignments Mindfully.” Please feel free to promote these to your students generally, or specifically to students who you think would benefit.

Additional Resources

As mentioned above, please consult the for more detailed information and suggested syllabus language on a wide range of topics. I note only a few below:

• All faculty are obliged to follow the University’s policies and federal law related to serving students with disabilities. The (CDR) is your partner in these processes. The Disability Faculty Portal, located in the Faculty Services area of MySlice, can be used to view accommodation letters for your students, upload exams and assignments, and provide feedback to CDR. Please note that instructors may elect to administer their own exams for students who have disability-related accommodations. This is often easier for both student and instructor.
• Last year, we introduced a new system for reporting incomplete grades. Incomplete grades must now be accompanied by a letter grade that reflects the final grade to be assigned if the student does not resolve the incomplete. More information and guidance on how to record incomplete grades is available from the .
• Please consider using some form of mid-semester assessment in your classes. The (IEA) can help you design and implement a brief survey of your students to gather feedback. This sort of interim assessment can be very informative, and students really appreciate the opportunity to provide instructors with their thoughts on how the course is going. If you would like help, contact IEA at iea@syr.edu.

I wish you the best for this semester, and I thank you for your efforts to help our students reach their academic goals.

Chris Johnson
Associate Provost for Academic Affairs

The Thursday, Feb. 9, event is limited to 20 faculty participants who will be provided a hard copy of the book. Those seeking priority consideration should by Thursday, Jan. 12. Selected participants agree to read the book and participate in the discussion. “Notice of selection will be made by Friday, Jan. 13, and participants will be instructed on how to obtain the book,” says Marcelle Haddix, associate provost for strategic initiatives. The Feb. 9 reading event is scheduled from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Faculty Commons, 548 Bird Library.

In addition, the Syracuse-based Central New York Community Foundation is featuring the book’s author on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m.

The virtual event is being held to mark the National Day of Racial Healing and in coordination with the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo, the Community Foundation of Rochester and the Community Foundation of the Greater Capitol Region. To attend, pre-register at the Central New York Community Foundation’s .

The has been hosted by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation annually since 2017 to provide an understanding that racial healing is at the core of racial equity. More information is available on the .

Hamid Ekbia

Ekbia, who is also director of Indiana University’s Center for Research on Mediated Interaction (CROMI), succeeds , associate provost for faculty affairs and professor of geography in the Maxwell School. Winders served as the founding director of the institute.

Ekbia’s director appointment begins on July 1, 2023, and was approved by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.

, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer, says Ekbia brings a wealth of experience and deep expertise to the University, which elevated him above what was a very talented and competitive candidate pool.

“Hamid’s depth and breadth of knowledge, tremendous research achievements and successful track record as a director and leader uniquely qualify him for this role,” says Ritter. “As Syracuse University reimagines and redefines its academic strategic initiative, having someone of Hamid’s stature leading this interdisciplinary institute will allow us to further advance and promote our distinctive excellence in autonomous systems. I have no doubt Hamid will be an immediate asset to the University’s academic and research enterprise.”

, vice president for research and the Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, says Ekbia is a senior scholar and collaborative visionary whose work is at the intersection of autonomous technologies and public policy.

“Autonomous systems powered by artificial intelligence have the potential to impact all aspects of human society,” says Brown. “Hamid’s collaborative approach will allow him to work with faculty members in policy, social justice, the humanities and STEM at Syracuse to help shape the emerging field of autonomous systems.”

Ekbia says he is looking forward to joining the University’s academic community and has been impressed by its interdisciplinary spirit.

“I’m thrilled with the opportunity to be part of this community as ASPI is poised to become a national and global leader in technology policy,” says Ekbia. “Professor Winders, Maxwell School Dean David Van Slyke and others have done impressive work launching ASPI and setting a solid foundation for the next steps in implementing the vision Syracuse leadership has defined. I will rely on those visions and experiences, as well as the knowledge and perspectives of my colleagues across the campus—Maxwell, Engineering and Computer Science, the iSchool, Arts and Sciences, Architecture, Newhouse, Visual and Performing Arts and beyond—in taking on this role.”

As a University Professor, reporting directly to the provost, Ekbia will work closely with scholars across campus, particularly in the and the . He will join the faculty on Jan. 3.

“Professor Ekbia brings a diverse set of perspectives and research leadership experiences that will facilitate the dynamic growth of ASPI and demonstrate Syracuse University’s commitment to scholarly and applied excellence with policy implications,” says Van Slyke. “I am very excited to work with him and increase the visibility, impact and influence of ASPI.”

, dean of ECS, adds that Ekbia is the rare polymath researcher who can contribute meaningfully across computing, information and policy.

“Because of his impressive breadth of knowledge, Dr. Ekbia envisions the way that drones impact policy, how humans interact with technology, the resilience of digital networks that connect us socially and professionally, and—critically—the implications of these interactions on the future of work and the ethics of technology,” Smith says.

Ekbia previously served as assistant professor of computer science at the University of Redlands. He earned a Ph.D. in computer science and cognitive science from Indiana University, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Abadan Institute of Technology in Abadan, Iran.

Launched in 2019, the ASPI is a Universitywide interdisciplinary effort and includes 20 core faculty, from across disciplines, and engages more than 130 faculty. The institute seeks to advance knowledge and teaching in the field of autonomous systems by exploring new frontiers in the design, policy, law, governance and ethical frameworks of these fast-expanding technologies. Interdisciplinary by design, the ASPI focuses on all autonomous systems, from driverless cars to unmanned aerial vehicles to maritime systems. This broad and integrative approach allows it to offer a synthesizing, critical perspective on how autonomous systems impact the world around us and what kinds of policies, norms and practices can best shape their ethical and fair use.

, the University Professor and Director of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach at the , will honor contemporary disability culture, delivering a presentation addressing the less-than-nuanced history of normalcy and how such a concept has been constructed from the Victorian era until modern times.

A panel discussion featuring University faculty, staff and students will follow, addressing the topic of disability arts and culture.

The talk will occur on campus in the Peter Graham Scholarly Commons in Bird Library, and online via Zoom. . American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided, and light refreshments will be served.

“If the history of disability teaches us anything, it’s that disability life stands for freedom and not oppression,” Kuusisto says.

This free event is sponsored by the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach and the in the Burton Blatt Institute, with the support of the , the , Atrocity Studies, the , the , the and .

International Day of Persons with Disabilities was originally proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly to promote an understanding of disability issues around the globe while increasing awareness of how the inclusion of disabled people in every aspect of life benefits everyone.

The committee is composed of students, faculty and staff from the school and will be chaired by Christine (Christy) Ashby, professor of inclusive special education and disability studies and director of the Center on Disability and Inclusion. Ashby also recently served as co-chair of the Academic Strategic Plan Public Impact Working Group. Additional members of the search advisory committee include:

• Leela George, associate teaching professor, educational leadership
• Chris Johnson, associate provost for academic affairs
• Dawn Johnson, associate professor, higher education
• Jing Lei, professor and chair, instructional design, development and evaluation
• Paula Maxwell, director of information technology, School of Education
• Mario Rios Perez, associate professor, cultural foundations of education
• Sara Jo Soldovieri, graduate student, School of Education
• Savannah Stocker, undergraduate student, School of Education
• Torin Washington, assistant dean for advancement, School of Education

“The search advisory committee will play an integral role in identifying and securing an outstanding dean for the School of Education, who will oversee implementation of the school’s recent restructuring process,” says Provost Ritter. “The committee has representation from across the school, including individuals in diverse roles and with unique experiences and perspectives, and I look forward to collaborating with this group to continue elevating the School of Education at Syracuse University and ensuring its continued success.”

The search advisory committee will oversee an interview schedule, stakeholder meetings and all-school presentations by candidates, with the committee convening now and continuing its work in the early part of the Spring 2023 semester.

The Lender Center will use the three-year grant to address what the foundation calls a persistent crisis that continues to undermine social and economic opportunities for underserved and underrepresented communities throughout the United States. The projects will include new research on the topic, discussions among social justice leaders to gain added insights on the issue, and new data-collection and evidence-gathering activities to illustrate the racial wealth gap’s impacts.

The grant includes four key focus areas:

• The Lender Center will coordinate an “Addressing the Racial Wealth Gap Working Group” that partners with the University’s to organize thought leadership discussions. The panel discussions will promote collaboration between Syracuse University faculty and national social justice leaders. Discussions are planned to be held in New York City, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Los Angeles.
• The University will hire diverse postdoctoral researchers having pertinent and lived experience with the issue to examine fundamental questions regarding the gap and its impact on diverse communities, families and individuals.
• Annual research grants will be available for faculty fellows selected in coordination with the University’s Office of Research to conduct research investigations related to the gap.
• The Lender Center will partner with other leading voices on the subject to increase awareness of and amplify discussions around planned actions and potential solutions.

The work will include mapping the social dynamics of racial wealth disparity, charting perceptions of social justice and uncovering patterns that can serve as a foundation for ongoing work. Projects will be managed by leadership from the Lender Center and the Social Differences, Social Justice research cluster, which will include Kira Reed, associate professor of management in the Whitman School of Management, who also co-leads the Social Differences/Social Justice research cluster, and Gretchen Purser, associate professor of sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and Lender Center co-director, alongside James Rolling, professor of arts education in the School of Education. They will support researchers, coordinate convening activities and manage the release of scholarly publications, articles, reports and presentations.

“The Lender Center is grateful for the partnership with ��MetLife Foundation as we work together to further uncover systemic issues contributing to the racial wealth gap in the United States,” says , associate provost for strategic initiatives in the Office of Academic Affairs, who oversees the work of the Lender Center. “Together, we aim to find scalable solutions that reduce inequities, provide access to opportunity and enable historically marginalized communities to ultimately build better economic futures.”

Mike Zarcone, head of Corporate Affairs for MetLife and chairman of MetLife Foundation, says, “Transforming our diversity, equity and inclusion commitments into meaningful action is a top priority for both MetLife and MetLife Foundation. MetLife Foundation’s partnership with the University and Lender Center is directly aligned with our strategy to help drive economic mobility by addressing the needs of underserved and underrepresented communities. There’s strength in numbers, and by working together with the University and other national leaders, we have an even greater opportunity to further reduce the racial wealth gap.”

Community conversations, like this one on labor and economic impact in October, are regularly held by the Lender Center for Social Justice. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer views the existing cooperation between the University and the surrounding community as a perfect backdrop for the projects.

“Our research resources, our connection to the community, and the strong University and Lender Center commitments to social justice, as well as diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, provide an excellent foundation for this work,” Ritter says. “The MetLife Foundation’s generous funding of these projects will help propel the University forward as an evidence-based, field-focused research leader with the goal of finding additional ways to address the racial wealth gap across the country.”

Research materials produced, including scholarly articles and presentations, plus results of data collection and evidence-gathering activities, will be shared through the MetLife Foundation and Lender Center annual events. The information will also be posted on the and circulated by both the University and the MetLife Foundation.

Highest Poverty

Haddix believes that the University is ideally suited to lead new scholarly examinations and to initiate both local community and national leadership engagement in the social justice space. She points out that the City of Syracuse has one of the in the United States and that new data shows Syracuse has the highest child poverty rate in the nation among cities of more than 100,000 people. In addition, individual researchers in the arts and humanities from several University schools have already been studying the impact of economic disparities of those from historically marginalized communities through social, economic and public health lenses and via the University’s Social Differences/Social Justice research cluster.

The Lender Center aspires to foster proactive, innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to issues related to social justice, equity and inclusion. MetLife Foundation is committed to driving inclusive economic mobility for underserved and underrepresented communities around the world through collaboration with nonprofit organizations and grants aligned to three strategic focus areas: economic inclusion, financial health and resilient communities. Since 1976, MetLife Foundation has contributed more than $900 million to strengthen communities where MetLife has a presence.

Now in her role as associate provost for faculty affairs, partners with the and other academic affairs leaders to support key faculty initiatives and advance the University’s vision for and scholarly distinction.

Jamie Winders, associate provost for faculty affairs

“Being a faculty member has given me a knowledge base. I don’t always have the answers, but I have a good sense of what questions to ask. There are lots of moving parts in what we do, so we have to understand how the parts fit together as well as seeing the big picture,” Winders says. “It’s important to understand how to support faculty and support the work the deans are doing without getting in their way and without undermining the work of the schools and colleges. And it doesn’t hurt to have thick skin.”

Winders is also a in the in the . She’s best known for her work on international migration and emerging technologies and as founding director of the��University’s . Winders is associate editor of the international research journal and was editor-in-chief of the��International Migration Review��from 2017 to June 2022. She has served as department chair and director of undergraduate studies, faculty representative to the Board of Trustees, chair of the Arts and Sciences and Maxwell faculty councils and chair of the University Senate research committee. Winders began her new role as associate provost for faculty affairs in December 2021.

Winders answers some questions about how she approaches her role and implements its unique range of activities and perspectives.

Gretchen Ritter, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer, and Jamie Winders, associate provost for faculty affairs, discuss revamping the University’s Academic Strategic Plan and how it can set Syracuse University up for sustained success.

The Syracuse University campus community is embarking on an important five-year journey of self-discovery and self-improvement, to position itself as a leading global institution that attracts the best students and accomplished faculty who are respected thought leaders.

The goals are ambitious: creating an unsurpassed student experience that is guided and informed by extraordinary scholarship, research and discovery. The stakes are high: determining how Syracuse University can improve its academic excellence at every level while fostering a sense of welcome and belonging and ensuring the distinctive excellence, accessibility and collective success for all members of the campus community.

The impact of this revised ASP will be far-reaching. Besides setting the course for where the University is headed, the ASP will also be responsive to the cultural, economic, societal and governmental changes that impact the University and our world.

The ASP will set the course for the future of the University by addressing three key questions:

1. Where is the institution currently, what is Syracuse University really good at and in what areas could we improve to get even more proficient?
2. Where does the University want to go, and what values does it want to embody in the future?
3. How does the institution achieve that future state of academia, allowing students, faculty and staff to flourish and thrive on campus?

Check out episode 119 of the “’Cuse Conversations” podcast featuring Gretchen Ritter, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer, and Jamie Winders, associate provost for faculty affairs. A transcript [PDF]��is also available.

The ASP is guided by three core pillars, with working groups dedicated to each:

• Research and Creative Excellence
• Educational Excellence and Student Success
• Public Impact

Additionally, four working groups formed to shape the process of implementing our shared and cross-cutting values:

1. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA)
2. Global Engagement
3. Enrollment Strategy
4. Resource Sustainability and Budgeting

Recognizing the need to have all voices heard, the University’s students, faculty, staff and alumni are invited to . Between Wednesday, Oct. 12, and Nov. 1, there are also a , valuable opportunities for members of the campus community to get involved and give their feedback on the plan.

Wanting to both educate the campus community and drum up excitement for the far-reaching impact of the ASP, , and , stopped by the “’Cuse Conversations” podcast to discuss the thought process behind the Academic Strategic Plan, how an ASP can set Syracuse University up for sustained success, why members of the campus community should get involved in deciding the future of the University and how this ASP differs from other higher education institutions.

Note: This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity.

“I want people to see the arts and humanities as central to research, teaching and scholarship,” Haddix says. “I want us to have strong relationships and connections to the surrounding community and to disrupt and challenge the idea that we don’t have that.”

Marcelle Haddix serves as associate provost for strategic initiatives in the Office of Academic Affairs.

In February, Haddix was appointed by Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer to the new administrative role. Haddix is fulfilling key functions, overseeing multiple University units and being the Academic Affairs liaison to many campus and community initiatives. She advances diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives and oversees the and .

Many University arts and humanities organizations, affiliates and research programs report to her office. They include , , Cultural Center, Point of Contact, the , the and the Mary Ann for Public and Community Service. She also is principal liaison to the and liaison to the , the and the University’s other academic programs having community-based or experiential learning components.

In addition, she works to connect the Office of Academic Affairs with the Academic Leadership for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (ALDEIA), the and the . Currently, the office consists of herself and executive assistant Lucianna Juiliani.

Before her new appointment, Haddix, who has been at the University since 2008 in the , served as Distinguished Dean’s Professor of Literacy, Race and Justice in reading and language arts and as an affiliated faculty member in the departments of African American Studies, Composition and Cultural Studies, Cultural Foundations of Education, and Women’s and Gender Studies. She also holds a courtesy faculty appointment in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies.