Campus & Community

Chancellor Syverud Charges Working Group With Developing a ‘Syracuse Statement’ to Define Free Expression and Academic Freedom

Wednesday, January 24, 2024, By News Staff

Chancellor Kent Syverud announced today that he has charged a working group of University leaders, faculty, staff, students and trustees with developing a statement that clarifies and defines Syracuse University’s commitment to free expression and academic freedom.

“There is a vigorous debate on university campuses around free speech and academic freedom,” says Chancellor Syverud. “I believe the time is right for our community to come together to define a framework that will guide future discussions and set parameters for how our community respectfully and constructively engages on complex and provocative issues. The ‘Syracuse Statement’ will reflect the University’s unique perspective and Orange values and reaffirm our historical commitment.”

The working group will be 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 are the following:

  • Martin Abreu Zavaleta, assistant professor, philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Mary Grace Almandrez, vice president for diversity and inclusion
  • Steve Ballentine ’83, University trustee, Board of Trustees
  • 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, University trustee, Board of Trustees
  • Behzad Mortazavi, dean and professor, College of Arts and Sciences
  • William Treloar ’24, president, Student Association

The members will begin work in the coming days and seek to complete the draft “Syracuse Statement” prior to Commencement in May. The working group will seek community input throughout the process and provide periodic updates on how students, faculty and staff can engage with and contribute to the draft statement.