Chancellor’s Workgroup on Diversity & Inclusion Report Shared with the University Community

A report by the Chancellor’s Workgroup on Diversity and Inclusion details wide-ranging recommendations aimed at creating a more welcoming, respectful campus climate, including establishing a Diversity and Inclusion Council and hiring a chief diversity officer.

The workgroup’s full report, which has been sent to Chancellor Kent Syverud, can be found here.

The report contains 33 short- and long-term recommendations in three categories:

• Institutional Commitment, which addresses structural and policy issues that shape the campus environment
• Faculty, Staff and Student Education, which details the need for all University community members to be more engaged and informed on issues of diversity and inclusion
• Full Access, which addresses the need for students, staff and faculty to feel welcome and included at all University activities

According to the report, “To make our university a place in which all members feel welcome and find a sense of safety and ‘unity in our diversity,’ we need to rethink the ways we interact, remove structural barriers to full participation in the life of our community, and build intercultural competencies.”

The recommendations were developed by the workgroup after months of hearing input from University community members, meeting with stakeholders and reviewing previous work in diversity on campus.

“I am grateful for the work done by the members of the Workgroup on Diversity and Inclusion,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “The University will be stronger and better because of their collective work. I look forward to the campus community taking the time to review the report and share their thoughts and feedback.”

Some of the recommendations include:

• hiring a chief diversity officer (CDO) who reports to the Chancellor and provides oversight of programs and policies related to advancing the institution’s commitment to diversity and inclusion
• establishing a Diversity and Inclusion Council, made up of relevant offices, programs, committees, schools, colleges and undergraduate and graduate students, to support the work of the CDO
• offering free tutoring for all undergraduates to support marginalized and underrepresented groups
• adopting a policy on Information and Communication Technology accessibility
• increasing hiring and retention of faculty and staff of color and other underrepresented groups
• improving New Student Orientation to deepen understandings and forge relationships across racial, ethnic, religious and other lines
• requiring ongoing faculty and staff development on issues of race, class, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, sexual harassment and religion
• developing a Physical Access Plan to remove physical barriers to access
• acknowledging at all major public events on campus that Syracuse University sits on Native land
• compiling an online inventory of diversity and inclusion programs and activities across campus
• creating a plan within the Campus Framework to house distinct cultural centers in a centralized location

According to the report, the recommendations strengthen Syracuse University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and preparing global citizens.

“There was a very high level of commitment and engagement by members of the workgroup as we reviewed, listened, studied and contemplated the critically important issues surrounding diversity and inclusion on our campus,” says workgroup co-chair Barry L. Wells, special assistant to the Chancellor. “We realize that these recommendations are highly aspirational but we also strongly believe that we must be bold in our actions if we want Syracuse to achieve the excellence that we all are aiming for by ensuring that our University is fully committed to creating a diverse and inclusive community. These recommendations have the potential of moving us toward that goal.”

The members of the Chancellor’s Workgroup on Diversity and Inclusion first came together in October to develop a vision of how to create a more welcoming campus climate. They were tasked by Chancellor Syverud with developing an institutional diversity strategy aligned with the Academic Strategic Plan. The strategy would build on work previously done by relevant campus committees, task forces, workgroups, student organizations and other collectives.

“As the members of the workgroup consulted with concerned stakeholders across our campus, the need to better communicate and coordinate our efforts to make all members of our community feel welcome, valued and safe became evident,” says workgroup co-chair Francine D’Amico, associate professor of international relations and co-chair of the Senate LGBT Concerns Committee. “The workgroup’s recommendations are intended to move us beyond the fact of inclusion as presence toward the vision of inclusion as the practice of social justice. This process will require sustained support and participation at all levels.”

One way for University community members to participate is by sharing their experiences and concerns about diversity and inclusion, among other issues, confidentially through the Syracuse University Climate Assessment Survey. The participation period for the survey has been extended through Monday, March 28. The survey poses questions about the campus climate to help inform future plans to foster a more inclusive learning, living and working environment.

Members of the Chancellor’s Workgroup on Diversity and Inclusion

• Keith A. Alford, Associate Professor, School of Social Work
• Justin Bachman, Undergraduate Student, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• Shobha Bhatia, Meredith Professor, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Tammy M. Bluewolf-Kennedy, Admissions Counselor/Native American Liaison, Office of Admissions
• Harriet N. Brown, Associate Professor, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• Pedro A. Castro, Historically Black Church Chaplain, Office of Student Affairs/Hendricks Chapel
• Keith DiBello, Patrol Sergeant, Department of Public Safety
• Tiffany M. Gray, Interim Director, LGBT Resource Center
• Aaron J. Hodukavich, ADA/503/504 Coordinator, Director, Equal Opportunity, Inclusion, and Resolution Services
• Jane Hong, Undergraduate Student, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• Nithin Katragadda, Graduate Student, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Paula MacDonald, Associate Director, Development and Training, Human Resources
• Suzette Melendez, Lecturer and Director of Children’s Rights and Family Law Clinic, College of Law
• Cathryn R. Newton, Provost’s Faculty Fellow and Dean Emerita, College of Arts and Sciences
• Mara Sapon-Shevin, Professor, School of Education
• Alex Umstead, Graduate Student, School of Education
• Jordan Shelby West, Graduate Student, School of Education
• Chanté Williams, Undergraduate Student, College of Arts and Sciences
• Bea González, Dean, University College, and Special Assistant to the Chancellor, ex officio
• Sheila Johnson-Willis, Interim Chief, Equal Opportunity and Title IX Officer, ex officio
• Co-Chair Francine D’Amico, Associate Professor, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• Co-Chair Barry L. Wells, Special Assistant to the Chancellor