On Wednesday, April 25, Syracuse University, in partnership with students and student leaders, hosted a Campus Conversation. The event, which was held in Hendricks Chapel, featured a candid conversation about confronting and combating bigotry, intolerance and ignorance in our community.
Though releasing event transcripts is not standard practice, because of the important nature of the conversation and as the event was not live streamed, SU News is sharing the transcript.
>> Apologies, everybody. Apparently ‑‑ there we go. Does the CART ‑‑ awesome. Hello? Oh.
Apparently not. Apologies.
Hello. Okay.
Just want to make sure that the microphone is on so the CART can pick up everything we’re saying.
Hello. My name is Pria, I’m a sophomore studying political science in citizenship and civic engagement. I want to thank everybody, especially the students, for being here, it’s unfortunate that we have to take time out of our finals week to address these systemic oppressions that marginalized folks face every day on this campus. However we know systemic change will not happen without outside pressure. So we thank you for being here. Secondly, we want everyone to know that you not only are welcome but highly encouraged to live stream this. So that means taking out your cell phone, opening whatever social media app you prefer, whether it be Facebook or Instagram, but videoing this so we have an account of what has been said in this space and so we can hold everybody accountable to their words.
So first and foremost, in November of 2015 in response to the one‑year anniversary of the 18 day sit‑in in Crouse‑Hinds, the General Body’s activism is memorialized and deemed a part of history as opposed to continued struggle it is, therefore we do not aspire to be memorialized, we believe a similar coalition could just as easily arise again.
Three years later here we are again. Nearly all the student concerns expressed by the General Body have not been addressed. Concerns of marginalized students and staff are not being addressed despite the fact that consider Kent Syverud’s final email to the General Body, he said that he and his quote executive team had quote thoughtfully reviewed and responded to multiple demand and documents offered a variety of actions that would be implemented right away, that would quote do better. This is almost exactly the same statement that the Chancellor said to the organizers of the recognize us movement at the recent sit‑in in Schine this past Friday. He added he does not know how we will do better, and that this must be decided as a student body.
Today we call bullshit. The students of the General Body and the students of recognized us have made their needs very clear.
We have prepared a list of very specific questions and demands and we are willing to engage in the administration. But we want to make it clear we will not accept answers only intended to placate us. In every response we are looking for a firm willingness to take clear action and have deadlines for accountability. Again, every concern expressed must be addressed.
Additionally, as stated in our last statement, any attempt to dismiss the demands of RecognizeUS will be med with unbending opposition. We will not be dismissed to the formal systems in place because it’s clear to everyone who is marginalized on this campus those systems are broken.
It is clear that these systems need to be completely restructured before we engage them.
[ Applause ]
>> Hello, I’m Joy Johnson, a sophomore majoring in women and gender studies and minoring in art photography, and I’m really just here to read from the petition that was released this morning. Thank you to everyone who has signed and shared. Please continue to sign and share. Thank you. And there have been handouts going around so feel free to follow along your paper if you’d like.
Additionally, these requests, they’re not just from the Recognize movement, they are things that I put together from listening at forums, to what students have to say, from engaging students, from going back and forth with different student groups that have been meeting to discuss and to organize how we can try to make sure that this campus is conducive to learning and living, in addition to members from the RecognizeUS movement and also in addition to just being out on the Quad and ask being students to please share your concerns and demands. So it’s definitely from a large number of the student body and it will continue to get revised as people continue to comment.
Theta Tau’s sexist, ableist, anti‑Semitic traditions and the perpetual marginalization of students on the Syracuse University campus. The discriminatory and oppressive experiences students experience on Syracuse University’s campus are not isolated. Theta Tau is a mere manifestation of the systematic roots of white supremacy within college institutions and is an example of the toxicity of the oppressive and dominant culture at predominantly white institutions across the United States of America.
As a result, now that the video has been released, and Theta Tau Syracuse University chapter has been permanently expelled from the University it is imperative to use this platform, attention, time, and space to demand changes that will challenge the complex system of marginalization prevalent throughout our campus community. We cannot accept bandaid fixes from the Syracuse University administration when these issues are so ingrained within our campus culture and identity.
We demand, Number 1: An audit on all Greek life at Syracuse University campus. For an in depth evaluation of Greek culture. This is to determine the ways in which the racist, sexist, and in which the racist and sexist practices employed by Syracuse University’s Greek letter organizations deducts from the upliftment of the University campus.
This investigation of Greek life needs to center the voices and experiences of Syracuse University students.
A thorough survey needs to be provided to the campus body by fall 2018, where students are allowed to anonymously disclose their sentiments and experiences with relation to Greek life and the nature of violent traditions such as hazing.
The results of these surveys should be shared with the entire student body by October 2018, in addition to the results gathered from ‑‑ gathered through the auditing process, which we’ve been told is already on its way.
This will create a campus‑wide dialogue about how Greek life can be restructured to continue its positive contributions to student life while synonymously ending its oppressive enactments. This dialogue should lead to implements during fall semester of 2018.
Two: A complete reshaping of diversity and implicit bias training into a required introductory first‑year course which replaces the current first‑year seminars.
This should strongly engage faculty from the African American studies, Asian‑American studies, disability studies, Hispanic/Latinx studies, indigenous or Native American studies, LGBT studies, women’s and gender studies and other faculty members who engage liberatory discourse to contribute towards its composition. The inclusion of these departments is not just because they incorporate diverse identities and diverse departments on campus, but because their historical and pedagogical legacy engages American history, particularly regarding systematic oppression.
This identifies that one cannot merely be told not to be a ‑‑ not to be discriminatory and be expected to follow these guidelines when systems such as white supremacy, patriarchy, and racism are so knitted into the fibers of society.
Being that this is an intellectual and academic institution, students and faculty need to be trained to engage oppression as an intellectual discourse to thoroughly understand how it manifests throughout our society and University social climate.
This will highlight how we can be better human beings to each other ranging to how we can be better agents for justice throughout our society. This needs not be villainized as any one‑sided political agenda, being that it aligns with the identity of our country, the United States of America, as a land of freedom and equal opportunity.
Additionally, these departments need to receive more and sufficient resources to make this possible.
Three: All professors and teaching assistants must go through a mandatory diversity and implicit bias program to the adjust the problematic and oppressive conduct against marginalized students by faculty. Students have reported being asked invasive racial oppressive questions about race and skin color by faculty. Professors have been active enactors of micro and macroaggressions along with and in addition to students.
This includes the failure of teachers to hold students accountable for oppressive behavior towards other students within the classroom.
Additionally, Chancellor Syverud and the Board of Trustees should be obliged to participate in training so that they can be aware of necessary things to consider when planning ways to serve the entire campus community.
Four: Useful responses must be put in place to service individuals who are victims of sexual assault on SU campus.
[ Applause ]
And to ‑‑ and to better train the student body so that we are not enabling the perpetuation of sexual violence.
This includes the replacement of It’s On Us with a more in depth educational mandatory first‑year training. It’s On Us is ineffective as issues of assault are engaged as laughing matters, which discourages students from taking their conduct seriously. This helps to explain why sexual assault is such a rampant occurrence on our campus.
Additionally, better provisions must be created to employ more Title IX officers and make filing reports of assault an easier and more timely process. Additionally, there must be a larger investment into expanding the Counseling Center with a better ‑‑ with a larger staff and diverse faculty as well as larger and more inclusive programs.
This will undoubtedly serve not just sexual assault victims but will aid the well‑being of the entire campus community.
Syracuse University ‑‑ five, sorry. Syracuse University must be accessible to all students, staff, faculty, and community members.
[ Applause ]
This means that all campus buildings such as the LGBT Resource Center must be made accessible to disabled individuals and to all other marginalized identities. When new building restructuring or construction is planned, accessibility must be a foundational consideration. This also means that there needs to be a centralized budget set for students, staff, and faculty to acquire accommodations, such as but not limited to American Sign Language interpretation and communication access realtime translation, CART, for meetings and events.
Six: Syracuse University must cluster hire more faculty of marginalized identities.
[ Applause ]
Specifically, but not only, disabled people, people of color, women, people with varying religious beliefs, LGBT plus or queer people, and immigrants. Students have continually shared that the rare instances in which they have engaged professors and faculty who identity similarly has resulted in the most meaningful and uplifting experiences. Also, students have shared how detrimental it has been to exist in learning environments where faculty is predominantly white, and often time lacking consideration for their livelihood and perspectives.
This has manifested in innumerable instances where professors have been the enactors of racially‑oppressive violence upon student bodies. In addition to better training current Syracuse University professors, it is necessary to hold professors accountable for the ways they have been discriminatory against students throughout the years. This will undoubtedly create a more comfortable campus environment. Diverse faculty will attract diverse student body.
Lastly, a plan to address these demands needs to be disclosed to the SU community and be ready for implementation by September 3rd, 2018, unless otherwise specified in the individual demand.
If our demands are not properly engaged and the new and necessary developments suggested are not implemented, students will be forced to employ other measures to demand recognition and respect. Thank you.
[ Applause ]
>> Let’s give RecognizeUS ‑‑ let’s give them another round of applause, please.
[ Applause ]
RecognizeUS. RecognizeUS. We thank you for your comments. We have heard them loud and clear. And we appreciate the attention to detail that you’ve shared in each point made.
Many of you if not all of you may have noticed we didn’t start exactly at 7:00. We had a discussion because the format was in question at the time. But I want to say that that discussion was fruitful, was productive, and we were able to come to a very reasonable compromise, as a result you heard from some various students, just a few minutes ago, and now we will proceed with the rest of our program, our event, our forum, our town hall, our conversation, however you want to frame it, we will proceed with that tonight. And we will proceed in an orderly fashion.
And again, I thank you for your indulgence.
At this time I would like to ask Chancellor Kent Syverud to come because he also has a few words to share with all of us.
[ Applause ]
>> I thank Joe Johnson and those who worked on the petition, which I received today and have read carefully and think is impressive work, I’ll say more about it in a minute.
It’s been one week since this community became aware of videos depicting appalling and hateful conduct at one of our professional fraternities. Our response to this behavior had to be swift, it had to be strong. I am grateful to this community for coming together to condemn the behavior that took place at Theta Tau. I am grateful to everyone who has spoken out and I’m grateful to everyone who has provided support to those targeted in those videos.
I have since engaged with a lot of people at a lot of meetings. I watched recordings of four hours of members of our community speaking in this space exactly one week ago. I have heard from people all over the world. Our 250,000 alumni are particularly concerned. They have all passed through this same sacred space and they are all with you here in spirit. I’m not sure you all have heard as much as I have from them.
Our alumni have reminded me that this is one of the leading universities that pioneered research and teaching about inclusive education for people with disabilities. Our alumni have reminded me that this is an old University that unlike so many in this country from its founding has been open to all races, to women, to Jews, to religious minorities. Our alumni have reminded me that this is a University that accepted veterans in large numbers when most others would not.
Our alumni have reminded me that we have been a University that has had faith in the potential of all people when other universities would not, and that we are and have been more open to people of lower socio‑economic status than the vast majority of our private University peers.
Our alumni have reminded me that many of our faculty, including many who are here today, have been leaders in diversity and inclusion here and around the world and have helped alumni in countless ways as students and in their careers. And our alumni have reminded me of the ancient ideal carved in the wall at Maxwell, an obligation as citizens to improve things.
Given that heritage, our alumni are appalled that we are ‑‑ we who are here today might let these videos define our values and our University. And the videos will so define us unless we today act and show by our actions what our values really mean, unless we in Jo Johnson’s words, concretely show how we are going to change things. There have been substantial steps in the last few years, including new educational programs, new services, new people, new initiatives. There have been substantial steps towards better diversity and the inclusion on this campus. But they are not enough.
More is needed at Syracuse University and more is needed because Syracuse University needs to show the world in these areas as it has in the past.
I’ve received this petition today, I’ve received other communications with demands and requests for what we do. They all say change is needed. They all suggest next steps.
The one you just heard has six main points as I read it. And emphasizes deadlines and connection with them.
A thorough evaluation of Greek life and culture, Greek life and culture on this campus. A reshaping of training on diversity and implicit bias into our first year curriculum for all our new students. Mandatory training for teachers and administrators. Better responses and services dealing with sexual assault and sexual violence. Accessible facilities and better services for those with disabilities. And better hiring from ‑‑ of faculty from our marginalized identities. That’s how I would summarize it. I agree that these are the six areas that we must address and continue to address. And address promptly. I trust we’re going to discuss that today from various perspectives, and that other steps will be suggested, including in various formats, social media, by whatever method.
I welcome the conversation, I welcome the work that follows. I do want to emphasize that I see so many faculty here who believe this as well, and who have worked hard on if for many years, and who I think are with this effort. I do not think it’s all faculty is a problem, I think it’s many faculty are part of this solution.
And I thank them for that. But what I really want you to know is that I accept my role in incentivizing and stewarding this work in part. In part because it can’t be just me stewarding it, it’s a collective responsibility. I expect each of us who works here, and there are many who work here who are here tonight, I expect that each of us who works here and each of us who doesn’t work for a living here but who cares about the values this place has espoused, this place espouses, I expect each of us also has to step up and play your own stewardship role in these priorities for our school. Thank you.
[ Applause ]
>> Thank you very much, Chancellor Syverud. We appreciate those remarks.
We also will hear at some point from James Franco, he actually yielded his time tonight so we would have more time for our questions and responses. But we are fortunate to have so many students here tonight as well as a number of faculty members, members from the SU administration and members from the Board of Trustees. As well as members from the greater Syracuse community.
So we appreciate everyone taking time out of their busy schedule to be with us tonight as we together work through this matter and do so with vigor.
My name is Keith Alford, and I am pleased to be able to serve as your moderator this evening.
I’m director of the School of Social Work until Falk College here at Syracuse University. And I’ve been here for 22 years.
[ Applause ]
Thank you. Syracuse University is my home and Syracuse University is my home as well, because I feel like a spend a great deal of time here just as I spend in my own house. And it means a lot that we are now trying to work through this as best as possible and make sure that we make our campus a better environment. And I think that is the frame of our conversation tonight. Addressing bigotry head on while at the same time engaging conversation around ways that we can do it best, from each one who’s able to offer their voice.
So, again, we thank you for coming.
As with any forum, conversation of this nature, it’s always important to have ground rules, and we offer that because it allows for the process to flow more orderly.
So as a result I want to think about what our ground rules are for tonight. Clearly we want to hear as I mentioned early, you heard from various students and of course our Chancellor, clearly we’ve heard from poignant remarks. We want to be respectful as each person shares their remarks. We also want to be mindful that our language will matter tonight. And we want to hear what everyone needs to say, so that when you construct your question, remember we don’t want to get lost in some of the other things that might come up in reference to our own emotion, we want to really hear what you are asking, what you’re saying, what you’re wanting to voice.
And I think we should also be mindful that there are people here who have different ways of expressing. So we have a Twitter feed as well, we have two very fine students, I would like for you to introduce yourself, I’m not sure who has a microphone, and bring the two students to introduce themselves. Those individuals who may not want to speak publicly, you can certainly send your questions to our Twitter feed. The hashtag is #SUCampus2018. Again, #SUCampus2018.
Yes.
>> Hello, everybody, my name is Ghufran Salih. I am the student the association vice ‑‑ no, I’m the president‑elect, sorry.
[ Applause ]
>> I’m Kyle Rosenblum, I am the vice president‑elect.
[ Applause ]
>> And I believe Angie Pati is here too, right? Is Angie here? There you are. Right. Let’s give Angie a hand, she’s going to be speaking later.
[ Applause ]
James, would you just stand to make sure everyone sees you, even though you won’t be speaking right now, but I want to make sure people see you. Very good. Thank you. Let’s give James a hand.
[ Applause ]
All right. And now we would like to proceed. And I would also add that if there are additional ground rules that come to mind for you, feel free to interject those at any point in time and we will hear them and make sure that we govern ourselves accordingly.
All right. I mentioned earlier that there are a number of SU administrators, people who hold other positions here at the University, the list is rather long, so as opposed to me reading all of those names, I will refer to the individuals based on the question or comment that’s offered. But we want to hear from as many students as possible, as many community members as possible, faculty, and staff. We appreciate your presence.
Who would like to begin? Yes, here is a question here. Is there a microphone?
>> Test, test, yeah. I think it’s working. All right, first and foremost, I want to apologize to the people that stand up for me. I’m go to try to keep this short and two quick points. My first point is just to point out something that Chancellor Syverud said about admissions and all that and how this University has been accepting students from different races and students from different backgrounds. Receiving an acceptance letter is one thing, and feeling accepted at this University is the a completely different thing.
[ Applause ]
So you can accept as many students as you want and in the end your admissions number can look like you’re ‑‑ like this is a diverse University but our feeling of acceptance is not the same as just receiving an acceptance letter. That’s the first thing. My second point is I just want to make it clear to everyone here who is listening and everybody who’s viewing this on social media that a specific or a certain group’s feeling of happiness and having fun does not outweigh another group’s feeling of inclusion and this is very important. This is not an attempt to bash Greek life, this is not an attempt to bash anything, I just want to point out and make sure that if the inclusion of everyone is going to come at a cost of some group not having as much fun or having the same level of happiness that they currently have, that is an acceptable compromise and people need to understand that. And everybody has to understand that this is an acceptable compromise. So that’s my second point.
And just so because I for to introduce myself, I’m from Egypt. Very, very proud Egyptian, Kuwait, Muslim, Arab, Middle Eastern, even though there’s a lot happening I want to express my gratitude to everybody here, you’re all supportive, everybody on campus is very supportive, and you know thank you, I appreciate it.
>> Before you sit down, before you sit down, before you sit down, we do have other questions and we will certainly get to those as well, thank you so much for sharing. And you mentioned acceptance, and how that’s different. What do you envision real acceptance to be so that we can hear exactly what you’re referring to.
>> I feel like acceptance for me especially as a student, I’m a 20 year old, I’m still young, so for us acceptance is kind of different. I just feel like acceptance is being able to walk around campus and not feel that anybody’s superior to me. That’s a main thing. Just like being able to ‑‑ again, this is not an attempt to the bash a specific group of people, but being able to walk around campus and not feel like a specific group that’s walking right next to me is ‑‑ thinks they’re better than me or is actually better than me on this campus. This is one thing that has to do with acceptance. And the second thing that also links to acceptance is just feel ‑‑ like there’s a lot of microaggression that happens on campus, it happens to not necessarily just like people minorities, it happens to every people, even white people from specific backgrounds, it always is happening, happens to white people not in Greek life, who are in Greek life, there are so many microagressions, even with Greek life to other houses, there are so many microagressions that happened on campus. For me, that ‑‑ I see how people sometimes look at the guy with the beard, you know. And it’s that feeling that I don’t want to have, like that feeling that somebody’s looking at me and they have a thought that they’re not supposed to have. That’s my main feeling of acceptance.
>> We don’t want you to have that feeling either. Thank you for sharing. I appreciate that.
>> Thank you.
>> Yes.
[ Applause ]
There’s a question over there.
>> Thank you for taking my question. I am Jan, I’m a faculty member in the philosophy department, but more importantly, I’m head of Syracuse divest, which is a campus organization dedicated to securing the University’s public commitment to for‑profit prison divestment from its endowment. As many of you likely do not know, the Board of Trustees will be considering whether or not to divest at their meeting next month. So my question for you is in light of recent events, does the University and the Board of Trustees now see that it’s especially urgent to commit to divestment as a significant tool in fighting mass incarceration and demonstrating its commitment to racial justice.
>> Thank you for your question. Thank you.
[ Applause ]
>> We wanted tonight to be a conversation, a conversation where questions are ask and answers are given. So is there someone who would like to address that particular question directly?
As they are thinking about who might address that particular question, we will come back to that, so please, thank you so much. I see a question, comment here as well, so I’m going to try to pan around the room as much as possible. So if you would stay put, we do want to come back to that. Thank you. Yes.
>> Hi. I just have a comment. My name is Bobby, I’m a freshman. I just wanted to expand on the different departments that are going to be like talked to during the information sessions coming in the fall. I am a Jew, I identify as Jewish, I did see the videos, I was really hurt by the specific comments that they said about Jews and about the Holocaust. My family had to leave in 1907 to escape the Nazis and I actually don’t know half my family because a lot of it was separated. So just to like I know this is a lot to say, but I think there are ‑‑ I think we all feel some sort of hatred from these videos, I think that it’s something that we all need to address. And me being as a Jew, I haven’t really seen that ‑‑ that being talked bar as much. So I think in these times where we all feel hate, we all have to join together to talk about these things and how we are all connected, not just ‑‑ not ‑‑ everyone. Everyone is included. And I think seeing that and not hearing any responses to that has been really hurtful just because I experience things in my past with my family and, yeah, I think during these times we all have to talk, we all have to think about our different hatred we felt and join together and talk about those things, be connected, not feel separated. We all have to join together and include everyone. So that’s just a comment.
>> It was very, very powerful. Thank you for sharing. Can you give me your name one more time, please?
>> Bobby, thank you.
[ Applause ]
>> Bobby reminds us obviously of the anti‑Semitism that continues to exist. And that each group humiliated deals with that in their own way and we should be sensitive and aware of how deep that pain is. So I appreciate your comment, Bobby. Before we answer additional questions and hear additional comments, I know there was an individual who indicated that he would or she would respond to the previous question? Thank you.
>> Yes, I’m senior vice president, chief financial officer at Syracuse University. I’m responding to the question that was raised by Professor Dowell, I appreciate the sentiment and the concern, we’ve communicated with Professor Dowell directly on the matter and I’m pleased to say that the University does not currently have any direct investments in private prisons, nor do we intend to.
>> That’s not [indiscernible] to the question.
[ Applause ]
>> [indiscernible]
>> Answer the question.
>> And again, we want to reiterate the question, but we can reiterate it and allow for a second response. So would you like to do that?
>> Yes, thank you. In February of 2017 I received an email from David Smith, who is the treasurer of the University, he told me at the time of that email, which was over a year ago, that at that moment the University had no direct investments in for profit prison companies or the major suppliers. I received no commitment from the CFO or from any other member of this administration that the University will not in future indeed is not now invested in for profit prison companies. It’s imperative that this commitment is made public so that other institutions can be guided by our example.
[ Applause ]
>> Point well taken. And I’m sure that it will be addressed in more detail. I appreciate that very much. Thank you. Thank you.
I believe there was a comment or a question here and then we’ll come here and around. In the balcony as well. Well, all right, we’ll have to do a pan around.
Yes, we’ll start up in the balcony and then come around. Thank you for your patience.
>> Hi. Students have been raising serious concerns that the resource centers, specifically but not limited to the Counseling Center, the Disability Cultural Center, the LGBT Resource Center, the Slutzger Centers are underfunded, understaffed and are not accessible. And specifically I would like to hear either from Chancellor Syverud or from the Board what actions are you taking in order to you fundamentally redistribute funds to resource centers and departments that offer critical support to marginalized students, what is the timeline for these actions to be completed, because right now based off of where the funds are going, it demonstrates to these students that we are not important.
[ Applause ]
>> Thank you so much. We will respond. Dolan Evanovich.
>> Good evening. Dolan Evanovich, I’m the senior vice president for enrollment and the student experience.
Let me address a couple of issues that you brought up, very important funding issues. So just recently we hired the new director of the LGBT Resource Center, Christian started about a month ago. I believe he’s here this evening. We are in the process of searching for the assistant director position. We’re also in conversations about the location and how do we have that building become more accessible. That started with Tiffany gray before she left and continues now with Christian coming in.
We are in the process now where we have five positions posted in the mental health area. So four counselors, a psychiatrist. We’re working with the College of Arts & Sciences and Falk to hire six graduate assistants that will expand not only the days of the week but the hours of the day that would create more opportunities for students to get mental health counseling.
We are also investing in our international students. We are creating a pilot program this summer where we will use synchronous learning and have opportunities for students, we’re piloting this in China where we will be having the parents of the Chinese student and the student go through an orientation in country to help them with the acclimation to our community. We’re working with Amanda Nicholson, our new dean of student success, to build welcoming programs for international student. We’re hiring an additional counselor in our orientation area to assist with orientation. And we are reviewing additional proposals to enhance services, staffing, and programs in each of the areas that you mentioned.
>> Timeline? What’s the timeline on that?
>> Thank you so much ‑‑
>> Timeline on that, please?
>> I’m sorry, go ahead.
>> General timeline on that, please?
>> The LGBT Resource Center, Christian is forming a committee right now to begin the search process for that assistant director position. The five positions that I mentioned in the mental health counseling area are already posted and interviews are happening. Our desire is to have these people on board for the class that’s entering in the fall semester. So searches take a little bit of time, but all of those positions are posted. They’re searching and that process is ongoing.
The search for the position in orientation is also being posted.
>> Thank you very much. I want to make sure that we go around the wonderful edifice that we have to use tonight and hear from individuals in the balcony and then again on the floor as well. So middle balcony. Do we have a microphone? Yes. I thought there was a question here.
>> I asked this on Twitter, but I’ll just ask it here. I want to know why SU School of Education thinks it’s appropriate to send students of color to schools in the district that are known to be racist.
>> We hear your question. I am not sure if there is anyone ‑‑ yes, go right ahead, I’m sorry, dean.
>> I’m Joanna Massingila. I’m the dean of the School of Education.
>> [away from mic]
>> I’m going to have to interrupt. You remember the ground rules was one of them should I say was to be respectful. And she certainly does. You’re exactly right. She does have a right to her emotions, I just don’t want the emotions not to be heard in a way that the question isn’t answered. And so if you will allow that answer and then we will hear again any additional comments you what want to share, you’re exactly right, she is loud.
>> We work carefully with our field partners to identify teachers that we place with and I know you and I have had conversations in my office about this, and our faculty from my point of view and I think from the faculty’s point of view, they worked carefully with you on those issues. I know that you have not been happy with the results. But we work very closely. If we have situations where we don’t feel are productive for students, we do not place with those teachers again.
>> Thank you.
>> ‑‑ but thanks.
>> Thank you for your question. Yes. Now I’m going come down to the floor. Yes.
>> Okay. Hello, Chancellor, hello everyone here. My name is Samantha Brown, I am a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. It’s not as much of a question as it is a statement.
I do not believe that auditing Greek life is the answer to an institutional problem. I don’t know if the Chancellor’s aware of the Greek life organizations on his campus, but not all organizations are rooted in separatist, oppressivistic exclusionary tactics, my organization is the first collegiate sorority to be founded by Black women, we were created at a time where the gay were not welcomed, Black women weren’t welcome and other commonly oppressed identities were not welcome and we created a home for those people, thus excluding Greek life and auditing Greek life is contradictory to your goal. I’m not sure if you guys are familiar, my organization is in the NPHC, also known as the National Panhellenic Council. If anyone attended the ‘Cuse for Good social justice panel, a professor at the University, we created the first social justice panel for the University to discuss these issues.
So to audit organizations like my organization in councils like the national panhellenic council paving the way for our multicultural cultural organizations, it’s contradictory to inclusivity. And that’s just my statement.
>> Thank you so much for your statement.
[ Applause ]
We appreciate that very much. We appreciate that.
And I know there was one statement here, so thank you for your patience.
>> Thanks. My name is Ashley, I am in the department of English, I’m in a particularly I think useful for these purposes position insofar as I ‑‑ are you listening? Insofar as I am both a student and instructor and I also serve on a number of different service positions on committees on the University. There are a few I’d like to clarifications I think I’d like to make about some of the ground rules or some of the premises on which is we are working tonight.
Someone ‑‑ it may have been you made earlier a comment about how not all of us are of the problem on the University, and I’d like to the amend that by telling a story from one of my classes where each semester we start the semester, whether studying race or agenda, doesn’t matter, we start with an implicit bias test. Even those students who identify as the minority gender or the minority racial identity in those tests, they will recognize that they also have implicit biases against their own selves. So internalized colonialism, misogyny, homophobia, intellectualized a phobia, whatever, we haven’t figured out a word yet. So I’d like to emphasize everyone here is the problem. We are all participating in structures of oppression. Consciously or unconsciously. Largely unconsciously, but it is through our own failures, I include myself in this, I include everyone in this, but especially myself, I make a point of doing this in front of my students, in the front of the classroom, exposing how this is a socially‑constructed position that I should have a position of thought over them. It is a socially‑constructed position that I should ‑‑ I would have the ability to shave the discussions that are happening in the classroom. And I need the administration, the people who are in further positions of authority to self reflect, to participate in the kinds of consciousness raising articulated by bell Hooks in feminism is for everyone, include all of the libratory principles for all marginalized identities.
I’d also like to emphasize that not only are we all the problem, that we all have self reflection and dismantling to do, we all have a responsibility to check our privilege and know our power.
We also I’d like to underscore that when we try to curtail emotional speech in places like this under the assertion we should be speaking reasonably rather than emotionally, anyone who’s has studded psychology around here, we know we need wisdom, not reason. We need wisdom, which is the union of emotion and reason.
And so to marginalize or discredit statements because of emotional inflection is to remove the opportunity for wisdom in our discussions.
I’d also just a question in addition to recognizing the premises on which we operate tonight, I believe there are members of the Board of Trustees in here and they have not introduced themselves yet and I would appreciate if they would do that.
[ Applause ]
>> Right, and I have ‑‑
Thank you so much. And I don’t want to interrupt. Were you wanting to add more? And please do.
>> Not yet.
>> Not yet, okay, great. Thank you though for your comments and you’re exactly right, we all have a part to play, and if I did intimate that, I don’t remember intimating that, I certainly concur with you 100%. And we are very much wanting to hear everyone offer their commentary in every shape form or fashion they are able to do so. We just don’t want it to not be heard in the mix so that’s what I was referring to. But thank you so much. Thank you so much. We want to hear from the Board of Trustees and we also want to hear from Provost Wheatly.
>> I’m Ted McKee, a member of the board, and I reached for the microphone before the invitation. But I thank you for the invitation anyhow. I think what we ‑‑ we’re here to listen also, which is why we have been sitting here quietly and not been verbally engaged in the conversation, we’re engaged in listening because we want to hear manifestation of your concerns.
When I saw the videos I was incredibly hurt and I live in Philadelphia, so I cannot begin to imagine the depth of the pain of the folks in this immediate community. But what we have just heard was so incredibly important. My reaction when I heard the tape was when I saw the tape was that I have gone through life and continue to go through life, the things I have to worry about the things my kids have had zero worry about are not the ignorant assholes who blurt out the N word or do obscene and incredibly ignorant things in my presence. It’s the subliminal, implicit bias that as you just heard we all share. People who do things that have a disparate impact on me or my family and loved ones, and they’re not even aware they’re doing it.
They do it because they’ve been trained, we’ve all been trained, Malcolm said the worst thing this society has done is teach us to hate ourselves, and that’s what she’s talking about, we all have to recognize that. As I thought more and more about this, coming up today, and I said it to the chair on the way over here, this is an incredible opportunity and I’m very grateful, I’m not grateful for the way it happened, but I’m grateful for the fact it has happened. It’s an opportunity for us to make Syracuse a special place. Demands put forward, incredibly thoughtful demands by, I will say Ms. Johnson, I know she wasn’t the only one that worked on them, very reasonable, sensible, concrete demands that we all need to be engaged in, we probably would not have been thinking billion had it not been for the manifestation of ignorance that we witnessed on YouTube or wherever we saw it. The tragedy would be if we let this opportunity pass by and don’t seize it. But the things that you heard about, the implicit bias training especially is so important. And I do think the board is going to act on it, we’re here to listen for that purpose. The Chancellor is incredibly sincere, and you don’t know him as I know him, he’s incredibly I know sear, the chairman of the board is sincere, and you might just be thinking this is one of the Toms they dragged out this they keep in the closet, every time there’s conflict, Theo come out here and calm the masses. 40 years I would have been holding up a sign and that spirit has not left me. And I really do empathize with you. But let’s not forget the fact it is an opportunity to move forward. I’m not going to castigate Greek life, but if every fraternity was banned tomorrow I think we all agree on campus, the ignorance and racism, and the elitism and the sense of privilege that was manifested in those videos would still be here and probably would not be reduce the by one iota.
[ Applause ]
So let’s ‑‑ so let’s try to focus on what we can do, forget about the symbols and let’s move forward keeping our eye on that list of demands that was so thoughtfully provided to us and the kind of remarks that we are hearing from I forgot your name already, I’m sorry. Ted, we can talk afterwards if we get a chance.
>> Would it be helpful to know the other members of the Board of Trustees.
>> I’m Steve Barnes, chairman of the board, and I also couldn’t ‑‑ hard to compress the outrage and disappointment I had when I saw that video. Ted and I and the other members of the board that have been spending time talking about this are heartbroken at the pain and the anger that you all have, but we do hope that this can actually be a catalyst for positive change.
I too believe that the outlined of the recommendations, the demands make a ton of sense. There is an awful lot that we have to do, we are incredibly supportive to try to make this a more inclusive place and more diverse place, a place that is safe and more tolerant. And we know that it’s not where it needs to be. And we are here to listen, this is really helpful for us to hear directly from you so that we can go back to the board and express what we’ve heard directly to our other board members.
[ Applause ]
>> Hi, I’m Joan Nicholson, I came to SU 50 years ago. And that was the Vietnam era. And this is a little bit of déjà vu of sitting in Hendricks Chapel. It’s great to have an opportunity to listen and to discuss and come up with solutions, the best solutions we possibly can in a situation like this. I think we learned 50 years ago a very destructive pathway can go when we are upset about things, and I really applaud the very positive outcome that I see that this can have. Thank you.
[ Applause ]
>> Good evening, I’m ‑‑
>> [away from mic]
>> And we actually are ‑‑ we would like to go longer, we would like to go to 8:50, if at all possible. And you’re right, we definitely want to hear from more students. I just wanted to respond to Ashley, who wanted to know who the Board of Trustees were.
>> [away from mic]
>> Is that fine with you?
>> Name and position, year they graduated from this institution, if they did. I’m mainly trying to assess if there have been any members who perhaps graduated in the last decade and if the University is doing anything to recruit people who are a little bit closer to the student body.
>> All right. Thank you. Thank you very much.
[ Applause ]
>> So ray, class of 1985, born and raised in Puerto Rico, came here 35 years ago when I barely spoke English.
>> Thank you very much. I think there is one other board member, right? Okay, good thank you. I appreciate your indulgence. Yes. Then we will need to take a Twitter question as well. From our Twitter feed. And if anyone is still interested, you can certainly submit your questions through Twitter.
>> So one of our questions is discrimination against marginalized bodies is not exclusive to campus spaces. What will you do to encourage a mutually beneficial engagement with the city of Syracuse and the indigenous people whose land we currently occupy additionally in what ways can we share our resources and give underserved people in those communities access to University resources, including but not limited to gyms, libraries, and food on campus.
[ Applause ]
>> Very good. Very good. Thank you for your question. And I appreciate that. Bea González will answer.
>> Thank you. Bea González, vice president for community engagement.
Great question. We are in the process right now of putting together a strategic plan that will help us get to those issues and concerns, right? We have a relationship with the Onondaga Nation that we continue to build on. We are working with the center and an academic collaborative to ensure that we are building our knowledge and awareness of the native community in our midst. And we are actually working to figure out ways to ensure that our student in our community get to go to that center. And hear the voice of the Onondaga people and hear their story.
So that’s just one concrete way that we’re doing that.
I have been meeting with student groups, faculty, and staff, to talk about just that. What are the opportunities that we’re missing and what are the opportunities that we can create working together with our community.
I will tell you that the administration of the city of Syracuse and the administration of this University have also started to meet and work together to solve and resolve and address these concerns.
Thank you.
>> All right. Thank you very much, Ms. González. And a quick follow‑up and then we really will have to work expeditiously so we can hear from other students as well. I’m sorry? Yes, balcony as well. She just had a follow‑up, that’s all.
>> So with all due respect, you spoke to how students can go off campus, but this land that we occupy I wanted to know how we are going to give them access to this space. And also a general timeline if possible.
>> So that is an issue that’s come up, it’s a question I’ve heard multiple times and we are working through that. One of the ideas I have and I hope to meet with Vivian May at the Humanities Center is to begin to make sure to let our community know the opportunities that are on our campus and facilitate access, right? To all of our public lectures, our movies, et cetera. I think that it’s important to know that I grew up in this city, and as a high school ‑‑ as a student in this city, I did avail myself to the resources on this campus, and it made all the difference in the world. And I want to make sure that I can create those same opportunities for the students that follow. I think it’s important to know that through University College and through some of our scholarship programs we are ‑‑ we have put major investment in ensuring that students from this region have access to the education offered by this institution.
>> All right, thank you very much. Thank you very much. At this time I’m going to hear ‑‑
>> I’m hoping to implement some of these programs by fall.
>> All right, good. I think that’s exactly what we need, more specifics, so as we answer the questions from our students from others who are here tonight, if we can be as specific as possible, that would be wonderful.
Let’s hear from Twitter and then we will hear from around the room.
Yes.
>> Hi. Oh, that’s ‑‑ I’m back. Okay. So this question comes from Adam, it is when will all buildings be accessible physically and with ‑‑ no, let me reread that. When will all buildings be physically accessible to all people with bathrooms everyone can use? And this is not ‑‑
[ Applause ]
It’s not particularly directed at anybody.
>> All right. Very good. If there is a University official that would like to answer that please raise yours hand now. As you are thinking about that we will go to the next question and come back. Because I want to make sure we hear from as many as possible. Yes, I did see new the balcony. The folks here have had their hand up for a while. Do you mind if I go there first and then come back up? Thank you. Yes.
>> We’ve heard from the Board of Trustees that members from the Board of Trustees and hopefully everyone agrees that the demands are indeed reasonable. The language of Number 4 in the second stanza says there must be a larger investment into expanding the Counseling Center with more counselors necessarily including diverse faculty as well as larger and more inclusive programs. With that being said, I would like to ask if five additional counselors is an investment into the Counseling Center with ‑‑ on a campus with over 15,000 students. And ‑‑
[ Applause ]
To whoever answers the question, if you do agree that five is a reasonable investment, I would love for you to explain how you think that that will then create a environment that is conducive to our general well‑being or being everyone on the University campus, if you do not agree I would love it to know how many more you would plan to hire, what kind of ideas you have or not ideas, but what you will implement to significantly expand the program and ‑‑
>> Okay.
>> ‑‑ by what time.
>> Thank you for that question again, I’m Dolan Evanovich. We benchmark our residence hall to staff ratios, we look at student to faculty ratios, we look at ratios of counselors to students. And our data compared right around the national average. These five counselors will help that better. It’s a good start. The additional six master’s degree counselors in social work and in psychology will expand service also. So we want to be able to expand the hours of the day because students need mental health counseling not just Monday through Friday eight to five, we understand that. So how do we expand the day and the days of the week. So this is our first investment. We are working quickly to hire these staff. This semester. So they’re ready over the summer and train so they’re ready to go in the fall.
We’ve created a mini and a one‑stop‑shop, if you will, on 111 Waverly, so we’ve created space for the additional counselors in the basement of that building so that we would be able to have another location. And getting ready as we move into the Arch, there will be an opportunity for us to look at even hiring additional staff. So that’s probably about 17, 18 months, as we move to the Arch. So this is the beginning of that process.
>> Thank you.
>> ‑‑ just have you just answer once more clearly you do believe that five additional staff is what we deserve as an investment, first, first step investment to expanding the Counseling Center, noting that students have reported not being seen on ‑‑ not being seen within the span of two weeks whereas they could have done harm to themselves over that course. Knowing that students have recorded that they don’t get as many ‑‑ they get a max on how many times they can be seen by the counselor. Noting that students have just reported depression significantly on this campus. So you do believe that five is a good enough first investment on a 15,000 plus student campus.
>> We believe it’s a good start. And we will continue to work and monitor availability, expanding services, expanding hours.
>> Okay. All right. Thank you for your question and thank you for your response.
The underlying message though is that we want to invest in our students A mental health just as we invest in physical health and clearly there is much more work to do. Thank you.
I see the gentleman who has had his hand up and then go back to the balcony on both sides.
>> [away from mic]
>> I’m still waiting for someone to respond to that. So we will come back to that question. Thank you for the reminder. Yes, sir.
>> Keith, we have ‑‑
>> You do, I’m sorry. Sir, did you mind waiting for a few minutes and then we will have the other question answered? Thank you.
>> So I’m here ‑‑ my name is Pete Sala, I’m the vice president of facilities, I’m sure you get my email on a monthly basis what’s going on on campus. I appreciate that. We make ‑‑ we have very conscious effort here of addressing every single request for accessible restrooms on this campus. We work very closely with Diane Wiener as we identify the needs for them in different buildings. We approach it immediately. Diane and I work very, very close together. We find a way to get it done when it’s requested and we ‑‑ every summer we do a minimum of in where from five to seven to ten restrooms on campus in academic buildings and we have a thorough process when we renovate the residence hall that’s one of the most important things we address to make all the restrooms in that residence hall accessible. Again, we went through a full attempt of the entire campus with the united spinal. We looked at every single square footage of this campus and what our our needs are for the different needs of accessible and access to all of our buildings. As we go through the Campus Framework, it’s an ongoing improvement, there are so many restrooms on campus to put a timeline on it, I wouldn’t be comfortable with that.
>> All right. Thank you very much. Just a reminder that we are going to extend our time to 8:50, so hopefully we will be able to hear from everyone. Yes, sir, thank you.
>> My name is Maria Norris. I am a film student, and a woman and gender studies minor. I’m also a member of the ISO here on campus. My question is how will you amend the policies and the code of conduct so that students who have been identified as sexual predators and those who have committed hate speech are quickly processed with a guaranteed expulsion if found guilty? How will you incorporate affected students’ voices in these conduct discussions?
[ Applause ]
>> Very good. Very important question. And as we look for someone to identify and answer that question. Thank you.
>> Hi, I’m Rob Hradsky, I’m the dean of students. As we look at the student conduct process, as I’ve shared with the community earlier this week, there is a hearing panel process where we invite members of our community to join hearing boards so that they can serve as the voice of the student body. If you look on the students rights and responsibilities website, right now you’ll see in fact it’s been up for over a month and application process, we would invite all of you to join us in applying to be a member of the conduct board so that you can have a voice in the way that we respond to conduct issues that come forward.
>> What about directly impacted students? Where is their voice in this process?
>> Great question. So the question was what about students who are directly impacted? As part of the conduct process there is an opportunity for those directly impacted to provide what we would call an impact statement. So their voice can be heard and the board can also consider that information.
>> It’s my understanding that there’s only one student, like, from the general body of students that are allowed on the board. Do you think that that’s a sufficient amount of students? Just one?
>> There are two different boards. There is the University conduct board, and the University conduct board is actually made up of five students. And the University conduct board is the one that would initially hear a conduct complaint. And then there’s an appeals board, and it’s the appeals board that typically would be made up of faculty and staff. So there’s actually a combination of folks who serve in different capacities.
>> Thank you very much. I appreciate the question and also appreciate the answer. Sounds like we continue to grapple with how this will work itself out, but nonetheless, we are trying to hear as many questions and respond as quickly as possible.
I want to follow the line and there were a question ‑‑ actually two questions if I’m not mistaken, here that were hands were up and also questions in the balcony. Yes.
>> Thank you. Actually, I know Susema had a question first, she’s been holding her hand up about 30 minutes now, so ‑‑ probably that’s ‑‑
>> Thank you.
>> Hi, my name is Susema. I have a question about relationship violence, sexual assault with the Title IX process. The University the provides no contact orders that protect survivors on campus. But graduate students are forced to live off campus, and many students do live off campus. So often Title IX survivors have to go to the family courts of Syracuse to get a no contact order to protect themselves. Part of that process requires evidence. So survivors have to go back to Title IX and, and for their transcripts. Which survivors have to pay for. Why does the University make survivors pay to access their own transcripts?
[ Applause ]
Which costs hundreds of dollars. It’s not a cheap thing. It costs hundreds of dollars to get your transcripts. When you’re also paying for a lawyer that cost $100 per hour.
>> All right. Thank you so much for your question.
[ Applause ]
Please know, as you are asking questions I’m also looking to see where we will get your answers, so I’m not being disrespectful to you in listening. I hear you loud and clear. I’m wondering if Sheila Johnson ‑‑ or Kent Syverud, our Chancellor, go ahead.
>> Based on your description, that’s a really stupid policy. So ‑‑
[ Applause ]
>> So we should figure that out.
>> Thank you for agreeing. So when will there be a fund for Title IX survivors to access their transcripts?
>> The question is when will there be a fund for Title IX survivors to access their transcripts?
>> Andy Gorman [indiscernible] equal opportunity and Title IX office reports to me. Immediately. Tomorrow.
>> So tomorrow there will be funds.
>> Yes.
>> Available?
>> You heard it here.
>> Thank you!
[ Applause ]
>> You heard it here. You heard it here. You heard it here.
Thank you. We will hear this question but we have to go to the balcony because our partners there have been waiting for a while. And we need to return to Twitter as well.
>> My name is Chris, I’m a faculty member in English.
>> Wanted to say that we as faculty support students and that there are faculty of color here who stand by you. First ‑‑
[ Applause ]
I want to thank the student organizers of RecognizeUS, especially our students of color who contributed so much time, energy, and labor to doing the work that administrators and faculty should be doing right now.
[ Applause ]
I want to thank you for your list of demands which clearly show us how the University can do better and that needs to be done promptly. I would like to encourage fellow faculty members to stand up and support our students. I would like to say as well that I think based on many of these conversations that what’s become clear is that we don’t really need anymore listening sessions, task forces or committee members. Committees.
[ Applause ]
I want to say thank you to the administrators for letting us know about how carefully you have consulted with community organizers, the constituents of the administration and the University campus. So I trust you will be able to implement the actions that have been asked for by fall and no more conversations are necessary.
I would also ‑‑ I would like to ask a question about one of the demands to emphasize one of the demands listed in the letter, the petition, as well as post several additional questions. Students of color have regularly expressed the fact that we need more faculty of color on campus.
[ Applause ]
And that in addition to that ‑‑ in addition to bodies, faculty of color, we need experts in ethnic studies. So one question ‑‑ actually, no questions. One suggestion, we need ethnic studies and cluster hires of faculty of color in ethnic studies here at SU.
Let’s make that happen.
One, additionally based on testimonials, students of color have mentioned the fact that the Department of Public Safety routinely polices and profiles students of color on campus.
[ Applause ]
And that in addition to that the task to protect and to look after safety has in the last few days been directed toward the Theta Tau faculty ‑‑ fraternity, brothers, quote unquote, in front of that house. What steps will be taken to audit DPS, diversifying is not the answer.
[ Applause ]
So I would like to know that diversifying the DPS is not the answer. What steps will be taking to make sure that we stop policing students of color and other communities of color on campus and off.
[ Applause ]
Lastly, several years ago and in a concerted move the administration moved to cut many scholarship programs directed toward recruiting and supporting students of color at the University. I’ve heard today several mentions of scholarship programs dedicated for students of color. How are we actually going to implement actual scholarships dedicated to our students of color and other students to make sure they can come here and that they could afford to continue here? And I wanted to raise one final concern as a faculty member. Right?
We as University we want to show that we’re amazing, we want to show that our rankings are as high as possible and we are a leader as a University and the world. Yeah? I want to make clear to administration that retention rates is a key factor in prestige and ranks.
So I also want to ask and note what are we doing about tuition to make sure that all students can actually thrive on campus?
[ Applause ]
I have students who work three jobs and who are unable to make it to class and I in my good conscience needed to give them a lower grade because the University does not support them financially to attend here. So that’s my set of concerns and suggestions.
[ Applause ]
>> I’m just going to briefly ‑‑ hi, everyone. I’m Dr. Gray, this is Dr. Eng, and this is Dr. Thomas. I want to be very clear, I want to be very clear before unfortunately you guys, I have to go, but I want to be very clear there have been three faculty of color that have been consistently present with these students for the past week. I bring that up not to say ‑‑ not to toot any of our horns but rather to speak to the revolutionary activity from the faculty in general, not specific people, but the fact there is a faculty I know (indiscernible) I can’t when it comes to sporting students on campus, I want to challenge my fellow faculty, especially the ones whom deem themselves progressive, that when a petition is sent out that you sign it without question.
[ Applause ]
I have to make that clear. That’s number one.
Number two, I’m going to give the board a quick suggestion as it relates to indigenous lands and relating to the city. Pay taxes. I’m going to be very clear about this.
[ Applause ]
I’m only bringing this up because if you want ‑‑ and this is not directed to Bea specifically, because she’s doing her thing, I see you, keep up the great work. But as relates to the boards, you operate according to profit margins instead of people. And the reality is that if you paid your taxes, this city would be able to recruit more people like my wife to work here so that I can stay here. I want to bring that up to say ‑‑ I bring that up to say that there are things that can happen and the students have made their demands, there are faculty, faculty of color, women faculty, queer faculty who have you guys’ backs and I just want to say we support you guys and please take these suggestions seriously, because trust me, these students ain’t playing this time. See you guys.
[ Applause ]
>> Thank you. Thank you. We’ve heard from my colleagues. Thank you. So let’s give them another round of applause, they made some important points. Thank you.
Yes. I want to go to the balcony because they have been very patient and then we have to go there and then come to the main floor. Yes. Do we still have a question from here?
>> [away from mic]
>> Oh, okay. Thank you.
>> Hello? Is it working? Thank you. So hello, everybody, my name is Jack. And I’m here, the issue I would like to press on the most is the problem of sexual assault specific to the issue of Greek life on campus, because I’m not going to sit here and act like all those sexual assault is pervasive through this campus, there is not a specific issue of sexual assault within Greek life in the hierarchies that traditions that exist there, perpetuate issues and reinforce this idea that women need to take this treatment on campus, and this war on women on campus. And if sexual assault on Greek life affected men as much as it did women, DPS would have SWAT teams marching on those houses at this moment. So I would like to reinforce how important this will issue is. This is not something we can sweep under the rug and say we have a strategic planning committee to take care of this. People are getting raped at these houses, if full view of the library, DPS, and the faculty this campus. We are here and speaking up this time and we are not going to stop. And not going to stop until the institutions that thrive off this behavior, which is hateful towards women, it is ruining people’s lives is stopped. We are coming to stop that. All power to the students.
[ Applause ]
>> Thank you. Thank you. We don’t want you to stop. We don’t want you to stop. We know what you’re saying and we believe in what you’re saying. Thank you for your very important words. Powerful words.
>> Board of Trustees was really aware of this issue on this campus they would not send their daughters to this school.
[ Applause ]
>> Thank you for sharing. There’s work to do and you have made that very clear. Thank you so very much. I really appreciate that.
I know there is another question from the balcony and then we’ll come back to the floor.
>> Yeah, hello, my name is Faro, my question is about transparency, because all these students are asking very specific questions and I’m hearing a lot of people answer they very conveniently say that we have been in the process of. About a month ago we started. And I know you’re saying that to combat seeming reactionary, but I’m telling you right now, it seems very, very reactionary and the reason for that is because there is no transparency. If Pete Sala can email the whole school every damn month about construction updates, why didn’t we know anything about any of these programs and startups and all this work you’re supposedly doing? All you Board of Trustee members and administrators, all you Board of Trustees and administrators have expressed how much you do care, and I don’t ‑‑ don’t mistake me as saying that’s not genuine, but why that’s has that not been expressed until listening sessions like this? So go back to the ‑‑ one of the first questions asked, oh, how do we go about making people feel accepted. How do we go about students feeling like their issues are actually cared about? You tell them. You tell them that you’re actually working on these things, not when something bad happens, all the time. So my question is what are you going to put in place to constantly let us know what work is being done? Because as one of the faculty said, this is a big embedded issue that doesn’t get solved with just these listening sessions and your quick answers. Students should be getting updated all the time about how you’re continuing to do this work, in the school, in the community, and how you’re trying to represent for other campuses, because if you pay attention to the news, this is happening every day, every day, everywhere. So if you’re really about that action, fix inside, but we also want take hear what you’re doing to outreach and to represent. So who is going to answer me that about transparency.
>> Thank you, thank you, thank you. We hear you loud and clear. There is an answer.
>> So I can take that. I didn’t catch your name, sir.
>> [away from mic]
>> Thank you. My name is Dara Royer, I’m the chief communications officer here at Syracuse University. And my position was created specifically because there was recognition by your Chancellor and Board of Trustees that what you’re talking about is a challenge. That this community had a trite understand what was happening here. And there were major gaps in the administration and the faculty and staff’s ability to communicate progress that was being made around a lot of the issues that you’re talking about. And so there was a very real commitment as evidenced by my position in communicating out in a timely, transparent and effective way.
And I hope, sir, that you will hold me accountable for that. Okay? Thank you.
>> [away from mic]
>> What was that? I’m sorry.
>> [away from mic]
>> Absolutely. That’s right. So that is a huge part of ‑‑ and I work with my colleague, Matt Tremolin and others on communicating out to alumni as well. So thank you, I appreciate your question. Thank you.
>> Thank you very much. And thank you for your response. We care with you. We care with you. Thank you so much. I appreciate that. All right. There’s a question in this balcony and then we’ll come back to the floor and we need to hear from Twitter. Yes.
>> Hi, my name is Sierra, I actually had a question but the DPS question was never answered. So I just want to go back to that and make sure it is answered, how are you auditing DPS and how is that going to be restructured within like just so we can have an answer about that before I can even ask mine.
>> Thank you for helping me out. I appreciate that. So we do want to hear a response with respect to DPS. Thank you.
>> Sure. I’m Bobby Maldonado, I’m the chief of DPS, and I’ve addressed this last seven days I’ve been addressing a number of forums and discussing specifically about the steps we’ve taken since I’ve been here over the last two and a half years. I know there was a comment before about diversifying the department. It doesn’t work. It doesn’t make a difference. I beg to differ on that because I truly believe that this department must reflect the community in which it serves. I have spent the last two and a half years ‑‑ two and a half years just being very strategic about making sure we increase the amount of people of color, women, any marginalized groups within the department. We’ve had five females two and a half years ago, we currently have ten. We’ve had two Latinos two and a half years ago, we currently have four. So I have worked very hard at doing that. I think that’s important for this community to realize that.
As far as auditing the department, I’ve encouraged folks and I’ve met with some faculty, I met with some student groups, I met with individual students, I’ve done that not only the last seven days, but the last two and a half years. Encouraging students to come out and speak. And speak loudly when they feel an injustice has been made. If they feel that parties are broken up more in African American communities than in white communities, I want to hear about those. I take my time to be very deliberate about investigating each concern. I’m accessible, I will continue to be accessible. When I met with students at the Schine center on Friday I gave out my personal number to students twice encouraging them to call me when these sort of things occur. So I understand the frustration, and I understand that it’s important that we move forward and that there’s a lot of work to do. And I’m committed to doing that.
[ Applause ]
>> Thank you very much. I appreciate that. And you have a follow‑up, right?
>> I did. I just want ‑‑ I thank you for your comment, I just want to say even though you diversify your department make sure you diversify your approach. Even if you get more officers, they’re still targeting the same communities. I think that’s important to be noted because I’ve been an RA in H2W for three years, I’ve walked on my rounds to Washington arms, I have called actually on Theta Tau many times for their loud parties and nothing was ever ‑‑ I’ve seen a DPS truck drive past the house during its party, but that would never fly on south or Livingston or anywhere off campus. So if you’re going to diversify the department, diversify the approach.
My actual question is for in regards to alumni relation because I’m a senior and I’m about to be an alumni as well. I also work at the alumni giving center and I’ve worked there since my first semester freshman year. I think something that’s not commonly known on campus is that we have not called any alumni since last Wednesday. Which is extremely depressing because a lot of the times alumni hear from students via our department, they hear what’s going on and that’s their only student connection. The fact that we weren’t able to actually talk to alumni and the only communications they got were from the administration and they have been so far in between and it’s kind of connected to ‑‑ connect to what Faro said so my direct question is why are did you not allow students to talk to alumni during this entire process? Because it’s one thing to hear from the administration, but it’s actually another thing to hear from the students who are actually going through this every single day. And their sentiments are different from the ones from the administration. And how are you going to keep up this communication with alumni in years to come to let them know not only from the administration stand point, but also what student are feeling like on campus to keep breaking that Orange community, making sure students have speaking to alumni and making sure it’s a holistic view of what’s going on on campus, not the view of the administration might want us to see.
[ Applause ]
>> Thank you. Thank you for your question. Your comment. Yes. Thank you.
>> Thank you very much for your question. My name is Matt, I’m the senior vice president for advancement for alumni relations and fundraising. We did resume student calling tonight. We have been communicating with alumni via social media. Now is the time for more communication instead of less. So I appreciate that very much and lesson learned. Thank you.
>> There’s a question about why communication was cut off.
>> [away from mic]
>> So we suspended calling just as events were developing and wanted just to share then via all alumni email as well as social media the University response and up to date information with alumni as opposed to just doing it via calling. But as I said, we did resume calling this evening.
>> All right. Thank you very much. I’ve been told that we are actually out of time, while at the same time we need to be respectful of all the questions.
I would like to suggest that we hear one last question and for those who will weren’t able to have your question answered, please send it to our Twitter feed #SUCampus2018, that’s #SUCampus2018. And obviously we will do our best and I’m sure answer each and every question and have that communicated to the student body. I apologize in reference to the time frame. I believe we’re hearing from ‑‑ were you standing the entire time? Okay. Thank you.
>> Hi, my name is ‑‑ actually, first off, I’d like to acknowledge, reiterate the fact that we stand on the ancestral lands of the Onondaga Nation.
[ Applause ]
Secondly, I want to state ‑‑ I want to call attention to the fact that the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs in the Maxwell School is named after Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a known racist academic who blamed the plight of the African American community in this country on themselves. Engaged in victim blaming. So I want to address that and address the fact that our institution and I’m sure many more on this campus are named after people who have done horrible things. Thanks. Appreciate it.
So I was going to talk about my personal experiences as a Mexican American on this campus, but I’ll keep it short and say that I’ve never felt like I’ve had a home at this University, no matter how hard I’ve tried because I don’t have any professors who look like me, the community on this campus is tiny and there are no support systems available to make us feel like ‑‑ to make anyone here who is not white and male feel like they are at home. And I want to state the fact that the boys who were in that Theta Tau video who were in that fraternity felt like they were at home when they said those disgusting things.
[ Applause ]
So to cap this off, I have one recommendation to give to the University in trying to create a more inclusive campus. Recognizing that the University is looking already to renovate Schine Student Center, I hope that it won’t just be a nice building that attracts money to the campus. I want Schine Student Center to be a center of unity where everyone finds a home. It should be the most relevant and out standing institution at SU with a presence that draws students together where they can unite across imaginary borders to fight the toxic culture of oppression. It should be a place where if students feeling lonely, depressed, insulted or in any way marginalized can come to speak to a counselor who has been what they’ve been through, a place where we can ‑‑ a place where we can share a meal or a conversation way stranger from a place we haven’t visited and learn something new about the world. Schine Student Center should be a place that develops critical thinking, empathy and compassion among our community.
A place that makes spaces like the Office of Multicultural Affairs a priority, not just that box in the basement.
[ Applause ]
>> Yes. I hear you.
>> And I’d also like to call attention to the fact that the African American studies and women and gender studies departments are located in Sims Hall, which is right above DPS. Coincidence? I think not.
[ Applause ]
So I’ll close with this: The University wants to make us entrepreneurs who are ready to be a part of a globalized world. I on behalf of the student body want this to be a University that graduates those who will change the world for the better. Not be a part of its injustice.
[ Applause ]
>> Thank you.
>> My name is Ray. Call me Ray.
>> Okay. Ray, I thank you so much and you are a valued member of this community.
And we want every student to feel valued and appreciated. I really appreciate the time that you took to write up your remarks. I hope that we will take heed to what Ray has said.
>> Yeah, I just ‑‑ so I want to ask if the University is willing to invest some of the hundreds ‑‑ at least a fraction of the hundreds of millions of dollars it’s dedicating to the Campus Framework to build gymnasiums and stadiums and all this material stuff which, I mean, I understand you all need to make a profit, but we need you all to invest in us as students.
>> Right.
>> As intellectuals. As educators, as people who are going to make ‑‑ as dreamers, people who are going make this a better world, not just go out and do the same thing that human have done since Cane slew Able. So I challenge the Board of Trustees to take the courage to not just be another corporatist University in the United States, but to make this an oasis of justice. Make this campus an oasis of equality. So I’ll stop taking up more of your time. Thank you.
[ Applause ]
>> You’re not taking up our time at all. We appreciate your words and we hear them loud and clear. And we need Tom act upon them. And that’s the piece that you’re telling us now. That’s the call that you’re giving us now.
Let’s give Ray a hand, please.
[ Applause ]
We are one University and we have certainly been challenged in this last week. But we are still the mighty Orange and we are moving forward, making strides. Tonight we heard from so many people and we want to hear from everyone who was not able, if you will, to provide a question verbally, but please send it to our Twitter feed, #SUCampus2018, #SUCampus2018, so that those questions can be answered. And the communication is shared with all.
But I want to thank each and every one of you, all of the students, students give yourselves a round of applause, please.
[ Applause ]
RecognizeUS, give them a round of applause, please, RecognizeUS.
[ Applause ]
We appreciate so very much all of our students tonight and what they’ve shared and what they are feeling. We heard it and we will respond. We also want to thank faculty, my colleagues, we want to thank our SU administrators who are here, who would like to thank Chancellor Syverud as well as the Board of Trustees and so many members from the Syracuse community are here, Linda Brown Robinson from the NAACP and other ‑‑ yes, let’s give Linda a round of applause.
[ Applause ]
And other groups are present tonight that are strong members of the Syracuse community. So again, I thank you all for your time. This will not be the end. We will move forward and we will make change.
Goodnight.
(Meeting concluded at 9:01 pm ET.)
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This has been provided in a rough‑draft format. Open Captioning is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings.
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