GSO discusses academic freedom, passes amended constitution

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Syracuse University’s Graduate Student Organization Senate President Daniel J. Kimmel led a discussion on the topic of free expression and safety amid the university’s effort to create the “Syracuse Statement” — a statement providing an update of SU’s stance on academic freedom and free speech — during its Wednesday meeting.

Kimmel is a member of the statement’s working group, which is co-chaired by Provost Gretchen Ritter and Senior Vice President and Chief Student Experience Officer Allen Groves. After listening to GSO members’ answers to a list of questions, Kimmel said a survey will be sent out in the next week.

“I’m feeling that the minimal amount of responses we had to these really critical questions to our citizenship – myself included, I didn’t have any responses – speaks to the amount of voice we feel that we have on campus on graduate students,” said Alex Scrivner, a senator-at-large. “We can’t even comment because we don’t actually believe (our voice) will go anywhere.”

Kimmel said they would “relay” that message and feedback from other GSO members to the working group.

The Senate passed an amended constitution after voting on multiple motions to add or remove proposed text on the document. New additions to the constitution include a general membership article, a standardization of executive board duties and the removal of officer clauses, Kimmel said.

“I just wanted to thank all the members of the Senate … for doing this work,” Kimmel said. “I specifically want to thank the parliamentarian, the pro tempore and the chair for the close-to-30 hours of work they put into the constitutional convention, which resulted in the resolution you passed tonight.”

Before passing the revised constitution, the Senate voted against a resolution that would limit Senate meetings to three hours.

The Senate passed a resolution that establishes that resolutions to amend constitutional amendments must be approved by a three-fourths majority vote. It also passed resolutions that Senate agendas must be sent three business days before the meeting and that the Comptroller’s monthly meeting with the budget officer, which Comptroller Melissa Alvisi said happens unofficially, is officially added to her responsibilities.

In the president’s report, Kimmel said the Community Review Board — which monitors the conduct, community functions and policy of the Department of Public Safety — has a graduate student spot open and encouraged applications.

The Senate will meet next in 132 Lyman Hall at 5:30 p.m. on April 3.

Other business:

• A resolution was passed to require proposed guest speakers be approved by a majority vote by the Senate — except guest speakers deemed “vital” by the GSO Executive Board.
• A resolution to override the Executive Board’s sustainment of the Finance Committee’s previous decisions to reject the Sigma Upsilon Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota International Honor Society for Counselors failed.
• A motion to use GSO Funding to purchase shrimp for the Senate Appreciation dinner was referred to the Climate Action Committee. Becca Vinciquerra, the interim vice president of external affairs, said the motion would expand the dinner’s pescatarian options.
• Funding requests for the Marriage and Family Therapy Trans Team, Black Graduate Student Association and Iranian Student Association were approved.