Administrators gather feedback, concerns on Academic Strategic Plan at SA meeting

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Syracuse University administrators met with the Student Association during its Monday meeting to hold a forum on the final draft of the Academic Strategic Plan.

Administrators gathered feedback from the assembly and said they want to continue consulting SA regarding the plan’s implementation. SA members also discussed upcoming events for the rest of the fall and initial plans for the spring semester.

“We think it’s important that the plan makes sense to the people impacted by it — the students,” Jamie Winders, SU’s associate provost for faculty affairs, said. “We also want to stay accountable to the different communities on campus.”

The university unveiled its finalized ASP, titled “Leading With Distinction: Academic Excellence at a University Welcoming to All,” in September. Winders presented the goals of the initiative to the assembly alongside Marcelle Haddix, associate provost for strategic initiatives, Pamela Young, director of academic strategic plan implementation, and Steven Bennett, senior vice president for international programs and academic operations.

Winders hoped the communication would help administrators gather feedback from SA members to see how their goals, such as accessibility of study abroad programs and encouraging student engagement with co-curricular activities, align with students’ needs. She also said she wants to meet with SA yearly.

After presenting these initiatives, Winders opened the floor to questions from SA members. Several SA members questioned the speakers about ongoing student concerns, which included the perceived inconsistency in the instruction of the university’s first-year seminar course, accessibility of study abroad programs and general issues with academic advising.

SA President William Treloar said he wants SA to continue advocating for students and ensure the university’s adherence to the ASP. He also said he wants the university to improve its communication with the student body regarding resources on campus, such as financial aid options for study abroad and undergraduate research opportunities.

“Students have all these opportunities that they’re not entirely aware of,” Treloar said. “I would really like to stress consistency and accessibility of information in how we implement the Academic Strategic Plan.”

Throughout the meeting, Treloar and several SA leaders emphasized the organization’s commitment to student advocacy through its upcoming and ongoing initiatives.

Kennedy Williams, SA speaker pro tempore, promoted SA’s ongoing Fall Into Action volunteer opportunities. Fall Into Action events started Nov. 4 and will culminate with a clothing drive at several residence halls on campus, Williams said. The drive will tentatively continue during the second half of this week, she added.

Williams also mentioned Donuts with the Dean, which she said SA would like to expand to feature the deans of all schools in future events.

Several SA leaders also encouraged students to get involved in student wellness initiatives. This week, SA will give out sexual violence prevention kits in the Schine Student Center, which contain a Birdie personal safety alarm, a drink cover, 10 drink test kits and a portable door lock.

“I think getting (the kits) in the hands of students will really do some good on campus,” Treloar said.

Treloar also said SA is beginning to prepare new programming for the spring semester. The organization will hold a spring semester planning meeting before its Dec. 4 general assembly meeting, he said.

Other business:

• SA voted on all advanced allocation requests for the spring semester following hearings and decisions from its Finance Board. SA Comptroller Dylan France said organizations that received partial approval or a denial can go through an appeal process. SA also voted on semester allocations.
• SA will host its Gratitude Project on Tuesday and Wednesday in Schine. The event will feature Thanksgiving-related crafts, Richard Maj, SA’s chair of university affairs, said.
• SA and the SU Native Student Program will hold a Native Heritage Paint Night on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at 113 Euclid Ave.
• Kayla Turner, SA’s director of relationship violence advocacy, said the organization is building a planning committee for Take Back The Night, an annual event dedicated to raising awareness about sexual and relationship violence on campus. According to the university’s website, Take Back The Night will be held on April 10, 2024.