I’d say what is clear to me, and I wanted folks to be clear that are in the Senate, is that the two clear changes that are coming is consolidation is continuing. It’s largely driven by media and where the money is, but conference realignment and consolidating into smaller numbers of schools that are receiving large amounts of revenue is continuing to occur.And if you want to compete at the highest level in intercollegiate sports, it’s going to cost a lot more money. What’s undecided and what’s really up for grabs is where that money is coming from, who it’s spent on and how it’s going to be spent. Those are issues that if this was just a professional sport league would be decided by the owners and the managers and the commissioners. That’s largely where this discussion has been occurring at colleges so far. But there are stakeholders that need to be at the table in that discussion, and those are the students themselves, and not just the student-athletes, but the students who come to college partly for this as part of the experience. It has to be the faculty that are responsible for teaching and curriculum related to these students. And a little more, it has to be the presidents owning up to responsibility for these decisions.

I’ve been trying to get that to happen, to get ���ϲ����� to be at the table nationally for these discussions and here, to get all the University stakeholders at the table. I’m thrilled about this discussion and the involvement of this committee and these issues going forward. I have strong views on a lot of the questions that have been raised, including the role of collective bargaining going forward, including Title IX, including other things. But it’s not just my decision; it’s not the athletic director’s decision; it’s not athletics’ decision—on ��whether to impose a student fee, for example. It’s a more general discussion, and this is just the beginning of that discussion, but it’s going to be fairly active all year. That’s pretty much all I can say at the moment about the uncertainty.

I can give three other quick updates and then take questions. On benefits, open enrollment ended. WellNow has reached an agreement with Excellus, so that urgent care provider is now in network. Negotiation is still going on with FamilyCare Medical Group and St. Joseph’s Health. So we’ll keep you informed as that goes forward. I’m still hopeful that those agreements will happen by Jan. 1.

I do want to let people know that we are transitioning the management of the bookstore, University Campus Store, to Barnes & Noble, and that includes books and course materials. As part of that transition, Associate Provost for Academic Programs Julie Hasenwinkel and Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer John Papazoglou have created and convened and are leading a Textbook Affordability Working Group. That’s formed in response to student concerns, including from the Student Association, about the high cost of textbooks and the lack of advanced notice on what textbooks are required in particular courses. The group’s goals include getting faculty to disclose their textbook requirements before students register for classes if possible, giving students more time to seek affordable options like used books or rentals, exploring options for supporting faculty to select lower cost textbooks and streamlining the textbook adoption process. This has been requested by the students multiple times, including the Student Association leadership. The group is going to share its recommendations once it concludes his work and will be reported out in some way through the Senate.

And the last thing to say is, with all the changes in athletics, I’d also like to notice that some of our teams are having good success, including in football and basketball. And, I hope women’s basketball again tonight. We are opening formally for the first time to the public, the Miron Victory Court for the football game on Saturday. It is a new event space that stretches the length of the space between the Barnes Center and the JMA Wireless Dome. This is a fairly large space that is useful for all kinds of things, indoor tailgating, student events, public events, job fairs. It opens both into the Barnes Center and into the JMA Dome so it can be an adjunct space to either one or both, or neither. If you think of it as a space that could be used for all sorts of things, including things that have currently been restricted to using the Goldstein Auditorium because of size. It has good acoustics and good technology. I thank everybody in Campus Planning, Design and Construction, in Advancement, everybody, who helped get that open, and I encourage you to take a look at it this weekend and buy tickets for the Connecticut game.

We’ve been working with the Employee Benefits Assessment Council, which was created in part on the recommendation of the University Senate, that Tom Dennison chairs, who spoke at the last meeting. In response to what that rise in cost has done, we’ve done two things bearing on open enrollment, which starts Monday morning.

First, we decided that the University should absorb a greater percentage of the cost increases this year, a greater percentage than has been our part in the past. Then separately we also paid very careful attention to the parameters of the separate employee contribution schedule for those folks at the lowest family incomes. Those changes are reflected in the announcements that HR, I think, is going to get out in connection with the open enrollment that starts Monday. So, you’ll be getting a lot more details on that part of it in the next couple of days.

The second issue is what we also talked about, which is this set of high-stakes down-to-the-wire negotiations between the largest local health care providers and Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield. That has been challenging. Just to remind folks who weren’t at the last Senate meeting, some area hospitals and large physician practices are not happy with what they perceive as the low rates of increase in reimbursement that Excellus is proposing, given the circumstances they’re operating under. Excellus, in the meantime, is bargaining for perceived lower rates, and they say they’re doing so to help keep health care costs down for employers and employees, like ���ϲ�����. If Excellus and the providers don’t reach agreement, here’s what’s going to happen sometime after Jan. 1:

• For those of you in SU Blue or SU Pro, you’ll be covered by health insurance at those providers, but you’ll be out of network, which practically means a lot more out-of-pocket costs when you visit them. This includes the private hospitals in the area and some of the largest physician practices.
• For employees who have SU Orange insurance from Excellus, they will not be covered if they go to those providers. They will have to pay the full cost then of visiting those providers. The only certain way to hedge against that risk at the moment is to switch to SU Blue or SU Pro, which are more expensive, in open enrollment that starts Oct. 28 and ends Nov. 8.

I want people to know, I think it’s likely that the providers and Excellus will reach agreements by Jan. 1. One of the providers, which is FamilyCare Medical Group, issued a joint statement with Excellus last week that said they were close to an agreement. I do want you to know that based on what I heard in the Senate and as the largest private employer in the region, and Excellus’ largest customer here, we’re doing everything we can to get Excellus and the providers to come to agreement before Jan. 1. But in the meantime, we just have to acknowledge this creates greater difficulty for people in making health care choices during open enrollment. I’m not happy about this. I’m doing everything I can to get things clarified sooner. If there are agreements for some of them before open enrollment ends, we’ll telegraph that right away. You should know, lots of folks, especially in Human Resources, are working hard on this.

Then the other thing is just to tell you about athletics. The next wave of change is coming to intercollegiate athletics. It is going to have wide-range implications, including for academics, for budget, for operations, for students, for the student-athlete experience. I am trying to see around corners and be involved in figuring out how to position ���ϲ����� for this.

The athletic experience here is pretty important to us. It’s part of our defining experience that recruits students, and not just student-athletes. It’s part of our academic programming, it’s part of our brand nationally. It’s very important to why we’ve had fairly significant enrollment success, I believe, in a year when enrollment is down dramatically in many places.

I have been a strong proponent of a plan to unite all 136 Football Bowl Subdivision schools into a single college football league with the National Players Association. It’s called the College Student Football League. It was profiled since the last Senate meeting in The Wall Street Journal and in an op-ed I co-wrote in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

It outlines why I think it’s worth considering and why academics and presidents should step up because of what otherwise may likely happen with athletics.

It’s supported by a significant group of people, but I don’t think that means it’s likely to be the final plan. I’m just hoping it will move the needle from where things are going by default, which is the direction that the SEC and the Big10 athletic directors and commissioners are driving things. That’s a higher education athletics model fueled by billion-dollar contracts from Disney and News Corp, with a relatively small number of large public universities pouring unlimited funds into developing professional football teams. I think the consequences to that are pretty severe, and not just for academics at those universities, but for women’s sports and Olympic sports across all universities in the United States. I think we should be trying to preserve a vibrant athletics culture, a competitive one, that remembers academic priorities of students, that values women’s and Olympic sports, that helps bind alumni to schools and creates rivalries and idiosyncrasies that define college sports right now.

I think that you should realize this is rapidly changing. We are facing right now the settlement of a massive antitrust case. One aspect of it is to create the probability that schools in the major conferences will be paying directly $20 million a year to student athletes, mostly to football players.

I think it’s important for ���ϲ����� to be competitive, but it’s important also to understand the budget implications of that, and the values implication of that. I’ve been trying to get groups to focus on this early and often. We’ve worked through it with the Board of Trustees recently. Faculty Athletic Representative Mary Graham has convened two meetings with stakeholders this week, including faculty, student-athletes, student leaders, and leadership from around the University, including especially the co-chairs of the Senate Athletic Policy Committee. I think the next step, learning from some of our experiences recently, is working through the Senate Athletic Policy Committee to focus on it promptly this year in the Senate and to figure out what other stakeholder groups need to be briefed and discuss the implications of it. We made some progress on that this week.

It’s not a thing that we can spend two years debating because, unfortunately, the landscape might be quite dramatically changed before we can reach a universal consensus in two years. But if the Senate wants to play a meaningful role in this, I need the Senate Athletic Policy Committee to be moving on it fairly soon, reporting on it and information sessions, including for senators who are interested. I need that as well, for student-athletes, for student leaders, and, believe me, there’s plenty of alumni very interested in this as well.

We have a long way to go before this is all going to settle down. Like everything else, it could be affected by the elections. I’m just saying this because if shared governance is going to mean something in this area, we actually have to do the work in this area, and we have to do it soon. Thank you.

Excellus has a huge fraction of the third-party administrative market in upstate New York. The other choices aren’t numerous. Excellus is also being very aggressive with the employers in terms of what they want to charge employers. That’s the next concern coming up soon as we go toward open enrollment. All I can say is that I am aware that people need doctors and need access to urgent care. I’m aware of that. There’s a little bit of brinksmanship going on with the health care providers and with the employers right now. I think what Tom said is it’s new to ���ϲ�����, but it is what’s been going on for more than a decade in other markets. So, we’re playing catch up and learning how you win these brinkmanship games for our employees. That’s a little more than you needed to know, and Tom can tell you if I got that wrong, but that’s how it feels to me.

One reason for this [Employee Benefits Advisory] council is because how this worked in the past was kind of this black box and suddenly whatever emerged was, “Surprise! You don’t have a doctor, and you’re going to pay a hundred percent more for it.” And then we had a Senate meeting, and it was too late to do much about it or even talk about it. We’ve been trying to get more integration with this council earlier in the year so that people representing all the constituencies affected have input and not the day open enrollment occurs. We’ll see how that works. From my perspective, folks, it’s worked really well in some of these early issues like the retirement fees and the dental [insurance]. I think facing the problems with Delta Dental that Professor Gray raised in this body was very helpful, but health benefits is such a bigger thing. So, it’s going to be harder in the year ahead.

The University overall, notwithstanding what I’ve just said, is in good shape right now, particularly in terms of finances, advancement, and enrollment. That’s kind of back-office stuff, but that’s pretty important for all our lives. We finished FY24, which ended on June 30 with a small surplus of $1.5 million on a budget of more than $1.7 billion. We are three months into a FY25, and we’re running a still smaller surplus–but still surplus, not a deficit–for this year. Our endowment has been steadily growing. By the end of this calendar year on Dec. 31, I expect we will achieve the very ambitious goals we set in 2019 when we launched the Forever Orange $1.5 Billion Campaign. And we’ll finish it on schedule, and we’ll close the campaign at the end of December.

We received this past year just under 45,000 undergraduate applications, the most in our history. We’ve enrolled a very strong undergraduate and transfer class despite historic changes from the Supreme Court and the truly unbelievable meltdown of the federal financial aid system. Many of our peers, I think, wish their news on finances and advancement and enrollment was like ours. So that’s good news. I thank a lot of people in this room who helped with all the aspects of that.

This is the first University Senate meeting for Lois Agnew as our interim provost and vice chancellor. She’s doing a fabulous job, in my humble view, and I’m very grateful to her. We have onboarded 94 new full-time faculty and 90 new part-time faculty this fall.

We last night formally opened our new D.C. center, which is on New Hampshire Avenue on DuPont Circle. That follows the successful opening of the new center in North Hollywood in Los Angeles. The new D.C. center provides home to academic programs for many schools and colleges and for students, a large group of whom are there this semester. It’s also where our Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship is based. It has offices for federal government relations, for alumni advancement, and for a local office for the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families. I just saw it for the first time last night. It has outstanding classroom space and event space for the whole university. I thank a lot of people who came together to pull that off.

We also opened two new residence halls this fall primarily for sophomores on the main campus. Orange Hall was transformed from the Sheraton, and it now houses 390 students. Milton Hall, the apartment complex that was called the Marshall just behind Marshall Street, also opened. It was brought under the University’s housing umbrella. It has 270 students in it. That’s been a lot of work. That’s been the first stage of the strategic housing plan implementation.

Ten days ago, we hosted the largest Coming Back Together Reunion of our Black and Latino alumni ever. Fifteen hundred Black and Latino alumni and friends were here. There were events in every school and college, in the Dome, and in Hendricks Chapel. We dedicated the Barner-McDuffie house on 119 Euclid. And just lots of people came together to make that a very engaging experience. I’m really grateful to everybody, especially to the team in advancement for that. So, that’s all good news.

I thought I would conclude with a caution about what’s coming at us, what’s coming at higher education, including at selective, private institutions like ���ϲ�����. We’ve watched what’s been happening to our neighbors, including Cazenovia College and Wells College that closed. The finances are getting tougher in the sector every year. Several of our peer institutions, including distinguished R1 research universities, are facing severe budget restrictions. Lately, that includes American University and Penn State University as well as West Virginia University. They’re abruptly dealing with layoffs, elimination of programs, and repeated deficits. And a lot of other schools also are facing highly fraught labor relations that are impacting the daily experience of students and faculty, as well as the staff that really keeps those schools running and intact.

A lot of schools like us are facing a dramatically changing and more expensive landscape in intercollegiate athletics. That’s a topic on which I want to work with the newly named committees in charge of the Senate. I’ll say it’s an environment that’s highly unstable and that is at times quite problematic, including from an academic standpoint. Some work through the Senate Committee, through the AAUP, through the full Senate on that probably has to happen this semester if there’s going to be meaningful involvement in the decision making ahead.

My point of all this is it’s stressful. I think we’re in pretty good shape to face all this, but I’m also not surprised that, given all this going on and given the politics of the world, I’m seeing attacks on traditions of shared governance continue and become exacerbated from various directions. I talked about this at the first Senate meeting last year, and I’ve seen it accelerate. By shared governance, what I mean is that at this institution, it is still the case under our bylaws and our practices that the Senate, through its constituent stakeholders has authority over the curriculum and the granting of degrees. That’s not advisory, that’s authority. Everything else is advisory to the chancellor, but the chancellor actually occasionally asks for advice and provides information so that that advice can be given on a timely basis. That’s in theory how it’s supposed to work.

I’ve been seeing that model either vanish or be lost faith in it at other institutions. I’m saying to you that I haven’t lost faith in it here. It does, though, require that when we have challenges coming at us, that we do the work. By doing the work, I mean your job as senators, humbly, and my job as an administrator is not to show up and be entertained once a month at these meetings. Our job is actually to show up for the committees, to read the reports, to write the reports, to give the information, to get the information that’s necessary. So that when we make tough decisions, they are decisions that people have had an opportunity to advise on or, where the authority over, to decide. And, that’s work. I know that everybody complains about meetings and committees, but I guess given what we’re going into, the alternative of not doing the work is seeing some of the things happening that we’ve seen on other campuses. What most troubles me about other campuses is a lack of valuing all of the university, and all parts of the university. So I’m going to do the work, or try to do the work, encourage others to, and I hope you do, too. I’m sure you’ll have many questions when we get to that point.

Thank you.

During the annual tradition, which takes place in the JMA Wireless Dome, the academic program includes leadership and faculty processing with full regalia.

The just over 4,000 new and transfer students hail from 49 states, including Washington, D.C., U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; 20 Indigenous nations and 59 countries. University leaders and student speakers imparted advice, words of wisdom and posed thoughtful questions to the new students, embarking on this new journey.

Wisdom From an Upperclass Student

Alie Savane (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

“Live it up; be in the moment. It’s okay to fail, I encourage it; it’s a learning point,” said��Alie Savane ’25, a biology major in the College of Arts and Sciences and the student speaker in his words of advice to new students.

Savane was candid about some of his struggles during his second year as a student but leaned on his connections with upperclass students and alumni. “I learned that my worth wasn’t tied to only my grades but to the effort that I put out every day. Even counting those days of rest, give yourself grace, one’s recovery is still effort,” he said.

“Growth is fundamental to this experience, and there’s a community here dedicated to fostering it. The Orange community makes this campus shine bright even on its cloudiest days, which is great because winters can be a bit cloudy,” said Savane.

Requests From the Chancellor

After addressing the loved ones of the students, Chancellor Kent Syverud made two requests of the new students.

The first: come as you are. “If you have not figured it out yet, you will figure it out pretty soon: there is no one way of thinking, no one way of dressing, no one person who is the ‘normal’ here at ���ϲ�����. People here are unique and amazing and dazzlingly different. So given that there is no ‘normal’ here, why not try just being yourself here. Not the image of perfection that appears on social media, not the identical replica of someone else, just be you. I believe you will find that if you come as you are here, you will become Orange.”

Chancellor Kent Syverud (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

The second piece of advice from the Chancellor: Become more at ���ϲ�����. “That’s the common thread in all the speeches you are hearing this week. You have a chance that has been denied to so many people in this world: a chance to be part of a great university. So, take it. Please become more here, in your own unique and defining way. That’s what so many people have done before you, and you can too.”

Showing Grace to Others

“Every one of you have earned your place here and every one of you deserves to be here,” said Allen Groves, senior vice president and chief student experience officer, sharing how almost 45,000 individuals applied to be part of the new first-year class and 1,500 applied to be transfer students.

“While you’re here I want you to make sure you explore fearlessly new ideas, new ways of thinking and expose yourself to people whose views may be different than your own,” said Groves. “I hope you’ll debate big, contentious issues and ideas respectfully, listening as much as speaking—and sometimes that’s hard—and being mindful of our goal of being a place of academic excellence in a university that is welcoming to all.”

After the program concluded, students and their families said their goodbyes. (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

“As you begin to navigate campus and figure out your own routine and favored spaces, I sincerely hope you will be willing to extend a hand to a classmate who may be struggling, and to show grace when a peer makes a mistake. That peer could just as easily be you, and we could all use a little more grace in this world.”

Seizing Possibilities

“Today you’re surrounded by your fellow new students, most or all of them strangers to you now. And yet many of them will become lifelong friends. Hard as it may be to imagine, you and the people who surround you now will gather again in this dome in four years to celebrate Commencement,”��said Lois Agnew, interim vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer. “Between that day and this celebratory moment, there is possibility—the possibility of who you will be as a student at ���ϲ�����, and the possibility of who you will become in the years that follow your time here.”

Agnew shared there are many ways for students to seize that possibility, noting research, creative inquiry, studying beyond campus through study away and study abroad programs, experiential learning and intellectual bravery as prime examples.

“Challenge yourself. Be brave and be curious. Go outside your comfort zone and explore new things. You may discover passions you did not know you had,’” Agnew said.

Before the conclusion of the program, the newest students to enter ���ϲ����� recited the charge and sang the alma mater. The next time they will all be together in the JMA Dome will be for their Commencement in May 2028.

New students recited the charge and sang the alma mater. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

“We are excited to welcome these new trustees, all of whom have a connection to the Orange community either though their personal experiences or through their families,” says Board Chair Jeff Scruggs. “They have each demonstrated extraordinary vision and expertise in their different fields of interest, and we look forward to their insights and service to our students and the continued growth of the University.”

“Our trustees express their dedication in so many different ways,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “They share their wisdom, their experiences and their generosity of time, talent and treasure in ensuring that we deliver on the promises we make to our students to prepare them for success. The newest trustees are joining a board that works collaboratively and effectively to strengthen our university.”

Nomi Bergman

Nomi Bergman

Bergman is a senior executive at Advance and president of Advance/Newhouse Investment Partnership, a subsidiary of Advance. Throughout her career, she has been an executive, investor and advisor in the communications and emerging technology space with a focus on transforming the customer experience.

Bergman also recently served as interim CEO of 1010data, a technology platform provider of decision science, data management and data analytics that was owned by the Advance/Newhouse Investment Partnership and acquired by SymphonyAI. Previously, Bergman was president of Bright House Networks and helped lead the company to become the sixth-largest cable operator in the nation. She and her team provided corporate guidance, execution and oversight of technology, product and strategic partnerships across the company’s video, broadband, voice and wireless platforms.

Bergman currently serves on the board of directors for Advance’s growth investment HawkEye360. In addition, she is on the boards of Visteon and Black & Veatch, and was honored to serve as a Comcast board member. She is involved with several industry and nonprofit organizations; as a member of the FCC Technological Advisory Council, The Marconi Society, Adaptive Spirit and Bridging Voice.

She received the National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s Vanguard Award for Distinguished Leadership in 2008. In 2011, she was recognized with Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) highest honor, Woman of the Year.

Bergman earned a B.A. in economics and statistics from the University of Rochester in 1985. Growing up in ���ϲ�����, her association with ���ϲ����� runs deep. Her father, Bob Miron ’59, is a Martin J. Whitman School of Management alumnus and a life trustee. Her husband, Neal, is a 1981 graduate of the Whitman School. Bergman herself has served on the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) Dean’s Leadership Council and taught part-time as an adjunct professor. She is working to complete her own ���ϲ����� degree, as she is enrolled in the Whitman School’s online MBA program.

Bergman lives in Fayetteville, New York, with her husband. They have three adult children, Becca (Hayworth), Dori and Allison.

Brian D. Grossman

Brian D. Grossman

Grossman is managing partner and chief investment officer for San Francisco-based PFM Health Sciences, a $1.6 billion health care focused investment advisor. The firm is one of the longest tenured public market life science investment funds, which focuses broadly across health sciences from small biotech firms to large global pharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostics companies.��The firm also has a long history of investing in hospitals, health insurance and other businesses involved in providing medical services.

Grossman was a founding member of Partner Fund Management (PFM), which started operations in the fall of 2004. Prior to PFM, Grossman spent time as an investment analyst at Andor Capital (2001-2004) and Pequot Capital (2001) where he focused primarily on the biotech industry. He started his career in 1996 at J.P. Morgan Investment in the summer of 1996.

A graduate of economics from the University of Pennsylvania, Grossman grew up in ���ϲ����� and has strong familial ties to ���ϲ�����. His grandfather Lionel O. Grossman L’1916; his father, Murray Grossman ’43, G’45 (College of Medicine); and his uncle Richard D. Grossman ’51, L’55 all attended the University as undergraduates, with his grandfather, uncle and sister Sarah going on to graduate from the College of Law. His father, Murray, provided medical services for many years to the athletics department, for which he was later recognized in 2016 with a Letterwinner of Distinction Award.

Grossman now lives in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife, Elizabeth, and three children: Brady, Zoe and Sylvie. He currently serves as co-chair of the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Health Executive Council, which evaluates business strategies, operations and financial performance for UCSF Health. The Grossmans are active philanthropically in their community, supporting the S.F. Ballet, Planned Parenthood, The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, Tipping Point and their children’s schools.

Stephen H. Hagerty ’91, G’93

Stephen H. Hagerty

Hagerty is a management consultant, entrepreneur and civic leader. He is the founder and president of Hagerty Consulting, one of the nation’s leading emergency management consulting firms that help governments, schools, hospitals, businesses and other large organizations prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. Between 2017 and 2021, he served as the mayor of Evanston, Illinois, successfully leading the city through a global pandemic and social unrest. As a result of his leadership, Evanston had one of the lowest infection and fatality rates in the state and one of the highest vaccination rates.��Soon after leaving office, Evanston was named an All-American City in 2021 by the National Civic League.

Hagerty has successfully helped manage the recovery efforts from major U.S. disasters, including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the California wildfires. Before starting his firm in 2001, Hagerty worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for eight years building a disaster recovery practice.

Hagerty earned a B.S. degree from the College for Human Development (now the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics) in consumer studies and went on to earn an M.P.A. from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He has served on the Maxwell Advisory Board since 2014.

Together with his wife, Lisa Altenbernd G’93, they established the ��in 2022, the Stephen Hagerty and Lisa Altenbernd Faculty Fellow Fund in 2018 and the William D. Duncombe Faculty Research Endowment in 2014. Hagerty and Altenbernd reside in Evanston, Illinois, with their two children, Caroline, a junior at Washington University in St. Louis, and Garrett, a sophomore at Evanston Township High School.

Allegra F. Ivey G’99

Allegra F. Ivey

Ivey is a managing director at BofA Securities Inc. She has served as a public finance investment banker in the municipal banking and markets division for 15 years, primarily covering large cities, such as New York, Atlanta, Houston, Detroit, Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans.

During her 25-year career, Ivey worked for PaineWebber Inc. (which became UBS Financial Services), J.P. Morgan and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. She has helped state and local governments nationwide finance over $40 billion in infrastructure projects, including airports, toll roads and water and sewer facilities, among others.

Ivey earned a master’s in public administration from the Maxwell School, where she has served on the advisory board since 2017. She inspired other Maxwell graduates when she delivered the keynote speech at the 2018 convocation.

Ivey came to ���ϲ����� after earning a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University in 1997. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, Matthew Brennan, and their four children, Tiernan (TJ), Ellison (Ellie), Kellan and Braden.

Jeannine L. Lostritto ’90

Jeannine L. Lostritto

Lostritto parlayed her interest in architecture into her professional, personal and volunteer experiences, most recently in her engagement with the board of trustees of Friends Academy in Locust Valley, New York, an independent Quaker college-preparatory private school serving early childhood through 12th grade.

A former Friends Academy parent, Lostritto serves as a member of its board of trustees and on its Governance Committee, and helps oversee new building construction, maintenance of the campus and existing buildings as clerk of the Buildings and Grounds Committee.

With an undergraduate degree from the School of Architecture, she first took a job as an architectural consultant at Avis Rent-a-Car and on commercial architecture projects. From 1995 to 1998, Lostritto was employed in the civil engineering division at Sear-Brown—an architecture, engineering, planning and construction services firm—where she worked on large highway and expressway projects, such as the renovation of the Queens Midtown Tunnel, as well as drainage and landscape architecture projects.

She is currently a board member of her family’s real estate company, Steel Equities and is a member of the Board of Regents at NYU-Winthrop Hospital. Additionally, she and her husband, Glenn, actively support ���ϲ����� through contributions to such initiatives as the Barnes Center at The Arch and the General Supported Scholarship Fund. She is also a member of the School of Architecture Advisory Board.

Lostritto lives in Old Brookville New York, with her husband. They have three children, Domenica “Sunny” L’23, Glenn Jr. and Joseph.

Kirthiga U. Reddy G’95

Kirthiga Reddy

Reddy is an��entrepreneur ���Ի���investor who has been at the helm of technology-driven transformations in innovative companies. She is CEO and co-founder of Virtualness, a mobile-first platform to help creators and brands navigate the complex world of Web3, and use��the power of generative AI and blockchain. She is a��founding investment partner of f7 Ventures,��whose mission is��“Bold Women Investing in Bold Ventures.” She is co-founder of Liftery, a��social impact��initiative focused on working mothers.

Previously, she was the first female investment partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers focused on frontier, enterprise and health tech investments. She was managing director for Facebook India and South Asia and then became managing global partner��and emerging markets lead for global accounts in markets, including Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa and Middle East.��She has also held engineering and product executive��roles at��of Phoenix Technologies, Motorola ���Ի���Silicon Graphics��Inc.

Reddy earned a master’s degree in computer engineering from the College of Engineering and Computer Science and later earned an MBA from Stanford University. She served on the ECS Dean’s Leadership Council for several years and has established the Kirthiga Reddy Graduate Scholarship in ECS.

Reddy lives in Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada, with her husband, Dev G’94, who also attended the College of Engineering and Computer Science. They have two adult children, Ashna and Ariya.

“Each of you graduating today got here because of your own hard work. Each of you got here by overcoming adversity. A global pandemic and so many other challenges made your time here unique,” the Chancellor told the graduates. “But you persevered, you displayed incredible grit and grace. Of course you did. You are Orange.”

The Chancellor conferred 6,727 degrees at the ceremony.

Twenty-five days to Commencement. It’s hard to believe and package it. Today I’m going to be very brief. I do want to note with great sorrow the passing last week of two of our Life Trustees, Mike Falcone and Bernie Kossar, and the passing in the line of duty of two local law enforcement officers. They were Onondaga County Sheriff’s Deputy Lt. Michael Hoosock and ���ϲ����� Police Officer Michael Jensen. They’re both graduates of our sister school, Le Moyne College.

I’m just going to provide quick updates on four shared governance issues.

The first is honorary degrees. I have confirmed honorary degree recipients for the May 12 Commencement, all from the list approved by the Senate. The awarding and revocation of honorary degrees, like all degrees, is solely by the Board of Trustees and solely upon the recommendation of the Senate.

At the March 20 Senate meeting, the Senate voted to recommend the University revoke an honorary degree. In doing so, the Senate filed a new procedure approved a little more than a year ago by both the Board and the Senate. In accordance with that procedure, I referred the Senate’s recommendation to the Board of Trustees for consideration at their May meetings.

The second issue is staff and faculty benefits. In September at the University Senate meeting, I shared with you that, at the recommendation of a faculty and staff working group, I’d be creating a new employee Benefits Assessment Council. That group includes University Senators. The new council began meeting this year as a new experiment in furtherance of shared governance. It includes faculty and staff recommended by the Senate. Professor Tom Dennison chaired the council, and Professor Eric Kingson also helped a lot.

The council met all year. It worked well. In particular, they received a crash course on University benefits and plans, and they reviewed and approved recommendations for a more equitable and transparent payment of retirement plan fees that TIAA charges the faculty and staff plan.

I think the experiment has been a success. I, therefore, ask that the council in the future continue to work and provide updates to and through the Senate Committee on Employee Services, Fiscal Affairs and Operations. That’s one of the new Senate committees, and one of the issues that we left hanging was exactly how it would integrate with the Senate. That seems like the right committee to do that for next year.

I want to say that the only major issue I currently foresee in employee benefits is our dental plans, which have challenges and need to be reevaluated and I expect to be reevaluated in part by a survey of faculty and staff. And that is one of the issues that will go to this council.

The third issue of the shared governance is sustainability, pursuant to recommendations of the Student Association and the Graduate Student Organization. After briefing the full Senate, I last year appointed a Sustainability Oversight Council and, again following the recommendations, set the goal of ���ϲ����� reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2032.

Earlier this month, after review and approval by the council, the University released an updated Climate Action Plan. It can be founded on SU News among other places. I am happy to send the full report to anybody who emails me. The plan has two main goals:

1. To say precisely how we’re going to get to net zero emissions by 2032; and how we’re going to measure metrics and progress each year; and also
2. To dramatically reducing single-use plastics by the 2027-28 academic year through a phased approach.

The revised plan provides a phase structure and specific projects that are going to get us to these goals. I’m really grateful to the Sustainability Oversight Council. It is small. It’s one trustee, one faculty member, one student and me. The council is going to continue to work with the Sustainability Management staff on new ways to reduce emissions, and we’re going to be reporting to the Senate and the University each year. While 2032 may not sound ambitious, it’s considerably more ambitious than most other universities I’m aware of. So keeping track of being on track each year is pretty important for shared governance.

The last shared governance area this year is athletics. I think you all know that it’s been sweeping and turbulent change for the last three years in intercollegiate athletics. I hope you all realize that much more dramatic changes are coming fast at us. I’m part of a working group, which includes some university presidents and leaders in sports working on new solutions, some of which have been featured recently in The New York Times and The Athletic. I believe colleges and universities must work together fast to create sustainable models that ensure the future success of collegiate athletics and especially includes preserving women’s sports and Olympic sports. I’ve been vocal on this issue because ���ϲ�����’s strong athletic tradition is so important to our students and our alumni, to our brand, and to Central New York.

So far there has been little shared governance involvement in planning for the changes coming at us. This has to be different next academic year. I’ve reached out to the Senate Agenda Committee, to AAUP leadership, and to the academic deans to discuss over the summer how we approach these issues in the next year. I’m sure they will involve consultation and counsel with and from the Senate Committee on Athletic Policy. I think there’s going to be more action in that committee for the coming year as well.

So those are my updates. Thanks to everybody for the hard work all year.

The One University Awards Ceremony, an annual event to honor members of the ���ϲ����� community who are making a difference through academics, scholarship, creative work and dedicated service, will be held Friday, April 19, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel.

“Every year, we come together to celebrate the outstanding contributions and tremendous success of our students, faculty, staff and broader community,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “The accomplishments of this year’s recipients reinforce what it means to be Orange. This ceremony also shines a bright spotlight on the work being done around campus, much of which happens behind the scenes. I thank the many members of our community who organized this event and look forward to recognizing this year’s winners.”

Two major awards—the Chancellor’s Medal and the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence—will be bestowed. The ceremony will also include the presentation of the Student-Athlete Award, Judith Seinfeld Scholarship, Meredith Professorship for Teaching Excellence, Teaching Recognition Award, Diversity and Inclusion Award, William Pearson Tolley Medal for Distinguished Leadership in Lifelong Learning and Chancellor’s Forever Orange Award.

���Ի��� will also be recognized. This year’s��University Scholars,��, and Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars will also be honored.

All members of the University community are invited and encouraged to attend. A reception will follow in the lobby of the Heroy Geology Laboratory.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided at the ceremony. For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, contact Gabe Coleman at gbcolma@syr.edu.

Award Recipients��

The��Chancellor’s Medal��is the University’s highest honor and is awarded to individuals in honor of their trailblazing and extraordinary contributions to the University, to an academic body of knowledge or to society. This year’s recipient is��, Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence and professor of electrical engineering and computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

The��Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence��recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions in four overarching categories:

• The award for��Excellence in Student Research recognizes students who have engaged in collaborative research that has the potential to make a deep and lasting impact on greater society. This year’s recipients are Jingjing Ji, a doctoral candidate in chemical engineering in the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (graduate), and Ashtha Singh, an international relations major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and citizenship and civic engagement major in the Maxwell School (undergraduate).
• The award for��Outstanding Contributions to the Student Experience and University Initiatives acknowledges faculty and staff who, through their work, enhance the undergraduate experience for students or make invaluable contributions to supporting and advancing the University’s mission and goals. The recipients are��, associate professor of communications in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications (faculty); , chief operating officer for the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (professional staff); , program coordinator of citizenship and civic engagement in the Maxwell School (professional staff) and , events coordinator at Lubin House (support staff).
• The��Faculty Excellence and Scholarly Distinction award is intended for faculty members who are collaborators in work of intellectual richness that has the potential for future impact. The work of these nominees offers possibilities for collaboration within the University and outside in partnership with others. This year’s honorees are��, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Art and Music Histories in the College of Arts and Sciences, and , associate dean of research and professor of Public Health in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.
• Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence, Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors those who have made extraordinary contributions toward advancing all four pillars of excellence over the arc of their careers while at ���ϲ����� and beyond. This year’s recipient is��, Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence and professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

The other awards to be presented are:

• The��Student-Athlete Award recognizes the top female and top male student athletes and are presented to the senior student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade point average over the course of their academic and athletic careers. This year’s recipients are Izabela Krakic, an international relations major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences and member of the women’s rowing team, and Julius Rauch, an entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises major in the Whitman School of Management and a member of the men’s soccer team.
• Seinfeld Scholarship: Each year ���ϲ����� honors the talents of outstanding faculty or students through an��, a distinguished alumna and member of the University Board of Trustees. Awards are made to those who have been determined by their peers to have made outstanding contributions to the beauty of the world, to have added to human values and to ending human abuse anywhere in the world, and to have demonstrated passion for excellence, creativity and originality in academic or artistic fields. This year, the designation is bestowed upon a faculty member,��, associate professor of advertising in the Newhouse School.
• The��Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professorships for Teaching Excellence were created in 1995 to recognize and reward outstanding teaching among faculty. The 2024-27 Meredith Professors are��, professor in the School of Information Studies, and , Bond, Schoeneck and King Distinguished Professor in the College of Law.
• In 2001, the Meredith Professorship Program was expanded to recognize teaching excellence by non-tenured faculty and adjunct and part-time instructors. Awards are given in two categories:��Early Performance ���Ի���Continuing Excellence. This year’s honorees in the Early Performance category are��, assistant professor of television, radio and film in the Newhouse School; , associate teaching professor of electrical engineering and computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science; , assistant professor of visual communications in the Newhouse School; , assistant teaching professor of Chinese and Chinese language in the College of Arts and Sciences; and , assistant professor in the School of Architecture. The two honorees in the Continuing Excellence category are��, assistant dean of online and distance education and associate teaching professor of social work in the Falk College, and , teaching professor and graduate director of nutrition and food studies in the Falk College.
• The��Diversity and Inclusion Award��recognizes an individual who is integral in helping us achieve academic excellence at a university that is welcoming to all through our investments in a diverse, inclusive, accessible and equitable community. This year’s recipient is��, teaching professor in the College of Law and faculty fellow for the Office of Strategic Initiatives and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
• The��William Pearson Tolley Medal for Distinguished Leadership in Lifelong Learning is based in the School of Education and honors national or international leadership in support of lifelong learning. This year’s recipient is ’77, executive director of MidPenn Legal Services, adjunct professor of law at PennState’s Dickinson Law and an alumna of the School of Education.
• The��Chancellor’s Forever Orange Award recognizes individual students, faculty or staff who—by virtue of extraordinary hard work, good values and commitment to excellence—have come to embody the best of ���ϲ�����. This year’s recipients are , associate vice president of parent engagement and student experience, and , head coach of the men’s soccer team.

From left to right, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Skarda, Chancellor Kent Syverud and U.S. Army Lt. Col. Matthew Coyne at the 107th Chancellor’s Review and Awards Ceremony.

During the 107^th Chancellor’s Review this year, more than 70 scholarships were presented to cadets from the University’s two Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs. Cadets from the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force ROTC programs were acknowledged by more than 23 scholarship programs made available by supporting organizations as well as the generosity of esteemed supporters of the University’s military-connected initiatives.

U.S. Army ROTC Cadet Luke Bonenberger, a senior in the�� College of Engineering and Computer Science, and U.S. Air Force ROTC Cadet Emily Weaver, a senior�� in the College of Arts and Sciences, were both recognized with the top honors of the Harvey S. Smith Memorial Award for placing in the top 10 percent of their class and upper 25 percent of their school’s class ranking.

U.S. Army ROTC Cadet Luke Bonenberger, a senior in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, was awarded the Harvey S. Smith Memorial Award.

“It’s really awesome because it’s the full four years coming full circle.�� When you’re a freshman, looking up to the seniors, you hope to walk across the line one day hoping to be a distinguished military graduate,” says Bonenberger, who will be commissioned as a U.S. Army second lieutenant in the infantry in May. “It’s everything coming full circle and paying off for four years of hard work. It’s a great opportunity to be recognized and I really appreciate it a lot.”

Weaver, who will also be commissioned in May, will serve as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force after graduating. Weaver was also awarded the ROTC Cadet Endowed Scholarship, the American Legion William P. Tolley Scholastic Excellence Award and the Professor of Aerospace Studies Scholastic Achievement Award.

“It is an honor to be a recipient of the Cadet Endowed Scholarship. Receiving this award is a testament to the kind of support we have as cadets at ���ϲ�����,” Weaver says. “The generosity of awards such as this scholarship exemplifies the ways in which ���ϲ����� and its generous donors appreciate and reward military-connected students for the work we do both in and out of uniform.”

Paul Dottle, left, presents U.S. Air Force ROTC Cadet Aizhan Moore, a junior in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, with the Dottle Family ROTC Scholarship.

Cadets from both the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force ROTC were awarded the Dottle Family ROTC Scholarship, as well as the ROTC Cadet Endowed Scholarship, both made available through the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA) thanks to the philanthropy of supporters for the University’s military-connected initiatives.

The Dottle Family ROTC Scholarship, established by Paul Dottle and Valerie E. Dottle and their family, was awarded to eight cadets this year. The award was presented by Paul Dottle during the Chancellor’s Review to deserving future leaders in the University’s Army and Air Force ROTC programs in recognition of their hard work, dedication and commitment to service. The eight recipients are:

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. John L. Litzenberger ’72 presents the ROTC Cadet Endowed Scholarship to U.S. Air Force Cadet Emily Weaver, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Isabella Gardea ’27, James Hrdy ’25, Byron Levi ’25, Bradley Miller ’25, Aizhan Moore ’25 Alejandro Parra ’24, Gabrielle Tetreault ’26 and Jose Venegas ’24.

The ROTC Cadet Endowed Scholarship, established in 2013 by retired U.S. Air Force Col. John L. Litzenberger ’72 and Barbara H. Litzenberger ’71, was presented to two ROTC cadets this year by John Litzenberger during the Chancellor’s Review. The scholarship is awarded each year to a deserving junior or senior ROTC cadet who is contractually committed to serving in the U.S. Army or U.S. Air Force. The two recipients this year are Giovanna Barsalona ’24 and Emily Weaver ’24.

For more information on how to support military-connected students at ���ϲ�����, visit the and consider donating to one of the many programs and services designed exclusively for military-connected students at ���ϲ�����.

Just before spring break, the University announced plans to build two new residence halls. These will be the first new construction residence halls in at least 15 years. The first will be a new residence hall located on Ostrom Avenue across the street from Thornden Park on what are currently vacant lots. This project is currently in design, and construction will begin later this year. The second project will start with the demolition of Marion and Kimmel residence halls and the Kimmel Dining Center. On that site, a modern new residence hall will be built. The size and timeline for the Marion Kimmel site is still under evaluation.

The student experience division has already hosted listening sessions to ensure the Ostrom Avenue facility meets students’ needs. These sessions have included first and second-year students, peer educators, LLC students, Student Living staff and student leaders, and the Student Advisory Council.

These two new planned residence halls are in addition to previously announced plans to convert the Sheraton Hotel to a residence hall, and fully incorporating 727 South Crouse, which used to be known as The Marshall, into our housing stock. Conversion of the Sheraton will begin just after Commencement in May. Both that building and the building at 727 South Crouse will be part of our residence halls for the Fall 2024 semester.

The other update is that most saw the announcement that two-time ���ϲ����� graduate and longtime iSchool Professor Jeff Rubin is taking on a new role as the University’s inaugural senior vice president for digital transformation and chief digital officer. His responsibilities will include establishing a Universitywide artificial intelligence strategy, overseeing data management and security, and leading the information technology team, among other key priorities. Jeff has been serving as a special advisor to me on SU Global and Digital Transformation for the last couple of years part-time. Now full-time he’s going to be helping in this new role. His extraordinary history of success includes planning and implementing high-speed connectivity at the JMA Wireless Dome. He’s the founder of SIDEARM Sports, which is the company that’s the nation’s leading digital provider for college athletics. I am confident that under his leadership the University is on course to be a digital and technology leader.

Finally, I’d like to recognize ACC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year, ���ϲ�����’s Felisha Legette-Jack. She was one of 10 semifinalist coaches for National Coach of the Year as well. In her second season, she’s really been an inspiring leader here. And, the women’s team heads to the NCAA Tournament. They play Saturday at 3:30 p.m. the winner of the Auburn/Arizona game, and I’m very proud of that.

I also want to recognize our men’s basketball Coach Adrian Autry. This year’s team won 20 games, the first time that’s been achieved in a decade. In his first season, Coach Autry has proven he’s a devoted coach who puts character front and center of what he does.

That’s my report. Thank you.

Sponsored by the and administered by the , the award is named after the former president of the University of Notre Dame, Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., H’73, who was a civil rights leader and longtime TIAA board member. It’s presented to a current college or university president or chancellor for outstanding leadership of their institution and broad impact on higher education and society.

Pictured from left to right are Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education; Dr. Ruth Chen, Professor of Practice in the College of Engineering and Computer Science; and Chancellor Kent Syverud. (Photo by Lisa Helfert Photography)

“I am honored to receive this award, in particular because it honors Father Hesburgh, who was a higher education hero and who was born and raised in ���ϲ�����,” Chancellor Syverud says. “I am grateful to be recognized by my peers for leading at a time of transformational change for ���ϲ����� and for higher education.”

“The TIAA Institute is proud to recognize Chancellor Syverud for all the ways his leadership has benefitted his school, his community and higher education as a whole,” says Surya Kolluri, head of the TIAA Institute. “He has demonstrated a deep commitment to bettering the lives of our nation’s veterans and other military connected individuals, unrelenting advocacy to create a sense of belonging among ���ϲ����� students and a collaborative, tenacious approach to supporting and advancing transformative economic development in the Central New York region.”

As a result of Chancellor Syverud’s leadership and vision, there are now more than 1,000 veteran and military-connected students at ���ϲ�����—a number that’s grown by 60% since he became Chancellor in 2014—and the school has been honored by the Military Times as being one of the “.” Chancellor Syverud has helped overhaul admissions processes, registration procedures, credit transfer policies, new student orientation and housing policies to align with the unique needs of military-connected students and to make entry to ���ϲ����� more achievable and seamless.

Chancellor Syverud positioned ���ϲ����� as a key partner in attracting Micron Technology, which in fall of 2022 announced plans to build a $100 billion semiconductor fabrication facility near the University—the largest investment and facility of its kind in the United States. ���ϲ�����’s will support the company’s plans to hire more than 1,500 veterans in the region.

At the time of the announcement, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. L’68, H’09 said, “This is going to ensure that the future is made in America.”

In addition to his work with veterans, during his tenure Chancellor Syverud has overseen significant transformation of the campus and the creation of innovative new programs that position ���ϲ����� students for career success. For example, under Chancellor Syverud’s leadership, the University has built the first of its kind National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building; reimagined the Schine Student Center, which serves as the hub of student life at ���ϲ�����; and overseen the transformation of the Barnes Center at The Arch, a holistic student health and wellness facility. Known for pushing his colleagues to think entrepreneurially, Chancellor Syverud’s leadership also led to the College of Law establishing one of the first online J.D. degree programs in the nation.

“Kent Syverud exemplifies what institutions and students need from a higher education leader: an individual who can convey an inspirational vision and ensure that it is turned into a reality that results in greater student access and success and a stronger institution,” says ACE President Ted Mitchell. “It is an honor to join with the TIAA Institute in paying tribute to all that Kent has accomplished at ���ϲ����� and the other institutions where over the years he also has made such a positive difference in the lives of his students.”

Established in 1993, the Hesburgh Award recognizes leadership and commitment to higher education and contributions to the greater good. It’s presented to a current college or university president or chancellor who embodies the spirit of the late Rev. Hesburgh, who was appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the newly created Civil Rights Commission. The winner is selected by an independent panel of judges. To learn more, visit the TIAA Institute’s ��page.

As part of the new strategy, which aligns with the goals and aspirations identified in the overarching , the University will:

• Build a new residence hall at 700 Ostrom Ave., adjacent to Thornden Park. This new facility will house at least 450 students. The architect has been selected, and the student experience team will host several opportunities this spring for student input. The University’s goal is to begin construction this year.
• Demolish Marion Hall and Kimmel Hall and Dining Center on the corner of Comstock and Waverly avenues to make way for a modern, new residence hall. The University is currently working through a timeline for the design and construction of this new facility.

The strategy was informed by an experience Chancellor Syverud had when he first arrived at ���ϲ�����. The Chancellor lived among first-year students in Brewster, Boland, and Brockway Halls with the goal of understanding how students were experiencing campus and what the University could do to make it better.

“Over the years, we’ve made renovations to residence hall bathrooms, and expanded and improved community spaces,” said Chancellor Syverud. “But many of the residence halls on campus have remained largely the same for too long. Today’s students have dramatically different wants and needs for student housing. This ambitious plan will provide our students with the living environments they expect that will allow them to succeed and thrive.”

The group charged with development of the new strategy was co-led by Senior Vice President and Chief Student Experience Officer Allen Groves and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Brett Padgett and a group of University Trustees. Together with other campus leaders, including John Papazoglou, senior vice president and chief operations officer, and Pete Sala, vice president and chief facilities officer, among others, the group analyzed what students expect in housing stock, the existing facilities of peer institutions, and what ���ϲ����� needs to meet expectations of our future students.

“I appreciated the opportunity to see what action our peers are taking to create comfortable, inclusive and supportive living environments that also build community,” says Groves. “That experience combined with the extensive feedback we had previously received from our campus community has helped to inform a housing strategy that is unique to ���ϲ����� and will benefit students for generations to come. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues and students on campus to bring this vision to life.”

“These two new facilities will be the first new residence halls since Ernie Davis Hall opened 15 years ago,” says Padgett. “Modern, comfortable housing is important for achieving our enrollment and retention goals, and it is key to the success of our students—both inside and outside the classroom. This multi-year strategy is innovative, and achievable, and will benefit ���ϲ����� long into the future.”

The housing strategy builds on the recent announcement that new housing will be made available at the Sheraton ���ϲ����� Hotel & Conference Center and at 727 South Crouse, the apartment complex formerly known as the Marshall. As the University previously announced, the Sheraton will be converted into a residence hall for sophomores. That work will begin immediately following Commencement in May. The renovated Sheraton will open as a residence hall for sophomores in fall 2024. And, 727 South Crouse will be fully brought into the University’s housing portfolio in fall 2024 and available to sophomores.

“Together, the new facilities and the enhancements to our housing portfolio will allow ���ϲ����� to continue redefining the Orange experience and ensure an outstanding living and learning environment for our students,” says Chancellor Syverud.

My only remark today is to answer Senator Van Gulick’s question from the Jan. 24 meeting. To remind folks, he asked about reseating the JMA Wireless Dome this summer, which will make it much more accessible and more comfortable, but also reduces the number of seats and moves almost everybody’s seats. As part of that, they’re repricing the Dome seats, and that’s been public. Senator Van Gulick’s question was, in the repricing, there’s a charge for a donation and a charge for the ticket price combined. Although he phrased it much more tactically, I think his question was really: Is the new pricing intended to avoid taxes under our RCM budget model?

I looked into that and the short answer is: No, it’s not intended to do that. Actually, it’s been the case since 1980 that there’s been for many, if not most seats, a separate ticket charge for the donation and for the ticket price, and that’s handled differently under RCM. That’s continuing now. Because people’s seats have moved, they’re seeing different percentage allocations. The intention is not to change what’s been the system since the 1980s. But because of Senator Van Gulick’s apt question, I’m going to closely monitor whether the RCM taxes on Dome ticket revenue as a percentage of total ticket revenue remain consistent under the new pricing. I know that’s pretty arcane, but I’m going to watch it closely.

Thank you.

Thank you, Professor Reed. I have some quick updates and a happy announcement I’ll conclude with, but first I’d like to acknowledge the loss of two students from the ���ϲ����� community over the winter break.

Matthew Benedict, of Massachusetts, was an online graduate student in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. He earned his undergraduate degree from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston and was pursuing a master’s degree in cybersecurity.

Liam Zoghby, a sophomore in the School of Education’s InclusiveU program, was a lifelong Orange fan. He recently served as a student manager to the men’s basketball team, and was a graduate of Jamesville-Dewitt High School. I thank a lot of people who supported one another and Liam’s family by attending his Celebration of Life last Friday afternoon. And I thank Coach Red Autry for honoring Liam with a moment of silence at the basketball game Saturday.

I join everyone in our community who is mourning the loss of these two students.

I hope everyone has had a good first week. We begin the spring 2024 semester with more than 560 new students on campus—first-year students, transfer students, law students, and graduate students. We also began with the wonderful Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dinner at the JMA Wireless Dome. I thank everybody who did that work.

The enrollment news is happy for the 2024 entering undergraduate class. For the third year in a row, applications are at a historic high. Traditional first-year undergraduate applications are up 6% from last year at this time, with well over 44,000 applications received.

I also want to alert the Senate to two pilot programs that we’ve been using to increase enrollment and access to the University and success at the University.

The first is to remove barriers that make it easier for veteran and military-connected transfer students to enroll at ���ϲ�����. This past fall, we started a new pilot program through the College of Professional Studies to streamline the transfer credit assessment process. This provides student veteran applicants very timely information that demonstrates ���ϲ����� is a competitive option. This pilot program will run through the end of fall 2024.

Second, the College of Professional Studies, working with academic units and academic affairs, initiated a degree completion pilot program this past summer. We currently offer 12 online undergraduate degrees and more than 400 online undergraduate courses. The idea of this pilot is to use that arsenal of online courses to help our students who have been unable to complete their degrees. There are thousands of students who started here at ���ϲ����� and then didn’t finish for various reasons, including challenging economics or health reasons or the pandemic. Instead of making those students feel like they are abandoned, we want to welcome them back and make it easy and affordable for them to finish.

The University reached out to 275 former full-time students last semester. Nearly 30% of those students have followed up to learn more. I think about five students are already finishing up, and another 28 students are working on their bespoke program to get their degree completed with these online courses. I thank the Office of Online Student Success for helping with this. This semester we’re reaching out to 600 additional non-complete degree students to help them do that. We’re going to assess this pilot at the end of the year and we’re going to work closely with Dean Mike Frasciello and academic affairs faculty and deans to see what worked and what didn’t, and decide whether to continue it.

We are in the middle of a chief information officer (CIO) search, just to remind folks. We’re looking for a forward-thinking, permanent technology leader. We have a wonderful interim. We launched that search last semester. We have a slate of candidates we’re interviewing virtually and expect to complete that in the next week of two and have a new CIO on board this semester.

I’d like to share a little bit on Micron and economic development. We had our Board of Trustees meeting this past week. One of the topics on the agenda was Micron and economic development, and Micron leaders attended. The most important thing to report to all of you is this project is moving forward quickly. It’s actually happening faster than many of you may be expecting. We have a lot of headlines of the challenges from it. The biggest challenge right now is the housing market and how we’re going to do housing when we have another 50,000 new jobs added, which will be in the next four to five years. All this economic development is going to change this university in significant ways—our ��housing, our neighborhoods, our commuting, our child care, our schools, and health care.

I experienced a time of fast growth in Nashville, Tennessee, when I was in a leadership role there. The difference from Nashville to ���ϲ����� right now is that our growth is coming faster, and our local culture has little experience with growth in our lifetimes. Upstate New Yorkers like me are understandably skeptical about the impending economic growth due to unrealized promised and hopes in the past. And yet this time it actually is really different, and it’s coming at us fast.

There’s a lot of people at the university preparing for this. In the year-and-a-half since the Micron announcement, we have a team, led by Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie, working every day to maximize this opportunity. It’s required a lot of work with local government and business leaders and other higher education institutions to adjust and figure out how we can help. Not all in the Senate are aware of everything going on. It has required a lot of bandwidth from many people, including and especially in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. There is tremendous opportunity more broadly. I think we need a bigger update to a broader community on what’s going on. If you’re peaked of interest by this and want to get more involved, let me know.

I am also very focused right now on reinforcing and rearticulating our historic values and commitment to academic freedom and free speech, partly because of events in the world last semester. I’m grateful to Provost Gretchen Ritter and to Vice Chancellor for Student Experience Allen Groves for helping with that. Provost Ritter will speak to that in a moment.

I have appointed Provost Gretchen Ritter and Chief Student Experience Officer Allen Groves to lead a working group to come up with a ���ϲ����� statement on free expression and academic freedom learning from the best elsewhere. They’re charged with developing a proposed statement that reflects our values, reaffirms our commitment to these values, and is informed by recent experiences and what we’ve learned from them. I’m glad Senator Thomas Keck from the Maxwell School has agreed to serve. He is joined by four other faculty members: Nina Brown, Sean Drake, Lauryn Gouldin, and Martin Abreu Zavaleta; Dean Behzad Mortazavi from the College of Arts and Sciences; Mary Grace Almandrez, vice president for diversity and inclusion; Daniel Kimmel, president and chief executive officer of the Graduate Student Organization; Student Association President William Treloar; Nathanael Linton, law student representative to the Board of Trustees; and two trustees, Steve Ballentine and Gisele Marcus.

I thank all those for helping with this. I expect written reports to the Senate on their work this semester.

And, the last happy announcement is that today we can announce a historic gift from Trustee Sharon Barner in support of 119 Euclid, ���ϲ�����’s student center for Black culture and history.

This large naming gift will support robust student-centered programming, foster a sense of belonging, promote student leadership, and recognize the legacy of Black community contributions on this campus. 119 Euclid will be renamed the Barner-McDuffie House, in honor of the support of Trustee Barner and her husband, Haywood McDuffie.

Official celebrations of this gift are being planned for the coming year. I hope you will all join us. We really try to expand meaningful opportunities for all students to build a sense of belonging here.

I look forward to working with you this semester. Thank you.

“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 ‘���ϲ����� 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, ���ϲ����� 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 “���ϲ����� 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.

Among the delegation visiting campus from the University of Seoul were Yongkul Won, president; Jung Hyeun Kim, dean of the College of Engineering; Kang Su Kim, dean of the College of Urban Science; Ji Hee Song, vice president of international affairs; Nohjeong Park, chief secretary to the president; and Eunhwa Shin, head of international partnerships.

Leaders from the University of Seoul met with ���ϲ����� leaders Jan. 8 to advance and expand academic and cultural collaboration and exchange between the two institutions. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

They met with Chancellor Kent Syverud; Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter; and several other University leaders. The group also toured campus. A group from ���ϲ�����, including Chancellor Syverud, Provost Ritter and Dr. Ruth Chen, professor of practice in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, visited the University of Seoul last March.

University of Seoul President Yongkul Won, left, and Chancellor Kent Syverud sign the memorandum of understanding. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Among the possible outcomes of the burgeoning relationship between the two institutions are the establishment of a University center in Korea as well as the development of new University of Seoul programs that leverage ���ϲ�����’s study abroad and study away facilities. Other potential activities and programs include the exchange of faculty members; joint research activities, including semiconductor research; and participation in joint seminars and workshops.

The ongoing relationship between the two institutions includes an MOU between the University of Seoul and ���ϲ�����’s that was signed last year.

“As we seek to deepen ���ϲ�����’s relationships with partners in Korea, we were pleased to welcome leadership from the University of Seoul to our campus,” Ritter says. “We are interested in collaborating across many disciplines with our Korean counterparts, and I am very excited to explore these possibilities.”

Welcome to our new students and transfer students who today officially become Orange. And, welcome back to our returning students, faculty, and staff.

Yesterday, our nation celebrated the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Our campus honors Dr. King with a communitywide celebration on Sunday. It’s a 39-year tradition that brings together performers, artists, and leaders from across the region. I hope you’ll Sunday, Jan. 21, at the JMA Wireless Dome. This year our keynote speaker is Dr. Talithia Williams. She’s a mathematician, professor, author, host of “NOVA Wonders” on PBS, and viral TED Talk speaker. Dr. Williams was the first Black woman to receive tenure at Harvey Mudd College, just 10 years ago. Her passion for math and learning is contagious as she urges audiences to “show me the data.” I’m inspired by her leadership in encouraging young Black women to pursue careers in STEM fields. When Dr. Williams started her first STEM program for girls entering high school in 2015, most told her they had never met a mathematician or scientist who looked like them.

Our commitment to being a university welcoming to all means there are so many ways to pursue what you’re passionate about—and even discover something new. That’s what being Orange is all about.

Best wishes for a great semester and Go Orange!

Chancellor Kent Syverud

Thank you, Professor Reed. I am going to be brief. There are just six days left in the fall semester. My brief updates are on the University’s benefits process, which Professor Reed already talked about; saying a little bit about the proposed changes to the Senate Bylaws; and then a little bit more about the impact of events in the Middle East on campus.

On benefits over the last week, we really made significant progress to stand up a new system that will allow input early and often from faculty, staff, and the University Senate on proposed changes to benefits. That includes the establishment of the Employee Benefits Assessment Council that has membership from across the campus, part of which Professor Reed just discussed. These members have been selected. They include:

• Four faculty members elected by the Senate;
• Four staff members who were self-nominated and selected by Council Chair Professor Tom Dennison and staff members from the Senate, and
• Three additional members that have been selected by the chair of the council with input from me.

The committee will meet for the first time this month. I’ve already deferred one proposed change from administrators in benefits to the council. I am waiting for the outcome of today’s and next Senate meeting’s bylaws discussion to formalize the connection between the council and Senate governance, but we’ll be doing that early in the coming semester.

On the bylaws more generally, I think there’s been heroic work this fall by the Ad Hoc Bylaws Committee and Professor Kira Reed. I know the committee is going to present its initial recommendations for discussion, which I’m going to listen to carefully. I’ve heard a lot about it. I expect that I will support the outcome of the process, and I think I’m going to support that because I think the changes will help the Senate and its committees function more effectively in the future and will incorporate more diverse perspectives.

I do believe in shared governance. I believe it’s important. Over the course of my more than 30 years in academia, I’ve seen a slow yet steady decline in involvement in shared governance at most universities. I think part of that decline is because many college administrators don’t value it. But I think some of the decline simultaneously is because fewer faculty members show up and do the work for many reasons, one of which may be the perception that administrators don’t value it. But at this University, shared governance remains vital to our success and some of the challenges we’ve come through in recent years. I am grateful to all the Senators, including the faculty, staff, and students who are attending today’s meeting and who are engaging in and contributing to the Senate’s work through the committees. That includes the work to strengthen the governance by revisiting and consolidating the Senate’s structure.

On the Middle East, it’s continued to be a difficult semester at ���ϲ����� and in the world in part because of events in Israel and Gaza. There have continually been concerns coming in, at least I’ve been seeing concerns continually coming in from all sides—from students, from faculty, from staff, from alumni, from trustees, from parents, from the community—and most recently from a raft of elected officials, arising partly out of events in Washington in recent weeks. What I’d say about all those concerns is that there isn’t much that everybody agrees on, except the belief that most universities have handled things really badly.

For me, the safety of ���ϲ����� students must remain a top priority in all this. And what I say next, I don’t say lightly. I think sometimes we must prioritize the safety of our community above academic freedom and free speech. Since our Senate meeting last month, when I talked about this, I’ve received a lot of questions about the definition of “safety,” including from our AAUP leadership.

Again I must emphasize that when I say we sometimes must prioritize student safety, I’m not talking about being safe from disparate views or being safe from uncomfortable perspectives or from language which some may disagree with or find objectionable. By safety, I mean actual threats that may be reasonably perceived as resulting in physical violence or the real risk of physical violence, including even when the speaker may believe they don’t intend to actually incite or encourage violence.

What I want to say to you today is, folks, there really are crazy and extreme people out there, and some of them are violent and will be incited to take things out on campuses, particularly when egged on by extremist messaging or certain triggers. They are rare, but they are a real concern to me, and to many in our community.

Many of you have shared with me that while you understand this, you are also concerned that safety and this threat will be coopted as an excuse to erode free speech and academic freedom. I think those concerns are fair and merit vigorous debate. I believe the time is right for our university community to develop a shared statement on free speech and academic freedom. Over the break, I will confer with the appropriate stakeholders on campus to explore charging a working group with initiating this important work. I will provide an update on that at the next Senate meeting on Jan. 24.

Over the last three weeks, the University has sponsored three faculty panels and an online forum to discuss topics related to academic freedom and free speech. The Academic Affairs team has hosted training sessions for faculty and teaching assistants on navigating contentious topics in the classroom, especially with regards to events in the Middle East.

Provost Ritter will speak to that and the importance of this kind of discourse in a moment.

It remains a challenging time. I know that. I know these are difficult and deeply divisive topics about which many of you feel passionately, and which have a true human impact, including on many of you. I do think that the vast majority of our community has responded to these issues with grace and empathy for one another. I am particularly proud of how our students have conducted themselves. For example, the Student Association passed a resolution last week that called for peace. I think the Student Association articulated their position on the merits of the issues, while demonstrating real maturity, compassion, and care for all those in our community impacted by these really horrific events. I thank the students for their leadership.

I am going to take questions after the provost speaks. I wish you a good final week of the semester and a refreshing break. Thank you.

Thank you, Professor Reed. I need to update the Senate on two pieces of University business before turning to current issues for our community regarding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. I know our provost will address these latter issues in greater detail, including issues of student safety, free speech, and academic freedom.

The first update is about housing. As announced last week, the University plans to convert the Sheraton Hotel on Waverly into a 400-bed residence hall. Work will begin in May of 2024 following spring Commencement. We have met with all Sheraton employees and assured them they will be offered positions with the University. Many of those positions will be union roles. The new residence hall is expected to open in Fall 2024.

The changes at the Sheraton are the first phase of executing against the University’s new housing strategy. For the last three years, our finance, facilities, and student experience teams have conducted thorough research, an assessment of our existing facilities, and thoughtful exploration of our options. The result is a housing strategy that earned approval from the full Board of Trustees earlier this month.

I wanted to provide a little context for this work today. Basically, the University’s housing portfolio remains largely the same as in the 1970s, with two notable exceptions. Those include the addition of Ernie Davis Hall in 2009 and the addition last year of the building formerly known as The Marshall.

The University has made updates to many residence halls over the years, particularly to bathrooms.

As of last summer, ���ϲ�����’s housing was ranked in the 50th percentile, in comparison to our peers. But I fear we are falling further behind as our current housing stock cannot keep pace with students’ evolving wants and needs for living spaces that are welcoming, accessible, inclusive, and air conditioned. Merely adequate housing is not where ���ϲ����� wants to be, especially given the significant investments made over the last four years to enhance the student experience in our classrooms.

The housing strategy will be executed in phases and will take time to implement. We expect full implementation to take around a decade. Off ramps have been built into the plan to allow the University to think ahead and shift the approach, if necessary, because of changes in enrollment, finances, or student needs. Much like we’ve done with the Campus Framework, we can adjust and course correct based on emerging needs and new lessons we’ve learned. We’re going to be making public additional phases of the housing strategy as the plans are finalized in the coming months.

The other University update is on benefits. On Sept. 26, I delivered a proposal to University Senate members outlining a new process for incorporating faculty and staff feedback on proposed changes to our benefits. That process was informed by recommendations made over the summer by the Ad Hoc Working Group on Benefits Engagement, which was chaired by University Senator and Professor Eric Kingson and Chief Human Resource Officer Andy Gordon. We are now ready to proceed on the creation of the Employee Benefits Assessment Council that was recommended. My role under that is to select the chair and, using your feedback, to charge the committee for this year.

I have asked Tom Dennison, professor of practice emeritus in Maxwell’s Department of Public Administration, to serve as chair of the Employee Benefits Assessment Council, and he has agreed. He has deep personal and professional expertise in benefits-related issues and made a lot of contributions to the Ad Hoc Working Group that worked all summer. He holds a doctorate in health planning and administration from Penn State University, and a master’s in hospital administration from George Washington University.

The next step is for the University Senate to elect four faculty members to serve on the council and for Andy Gordon to coordinate with Senate Committee Chair Kira Reed on that process.

We also need four staff members to serve on the council. Tomorrow an email will be sent to all staff seeking nominations. The nomination form will be open through Monday, Nov. 27.

Chair Dennison will select the remaining three members of the council. I have strongly recommended to him that Professor Eric Kingson either be selected as a faculty representative by the University Senate or be included as one of the chair’s selections. That’s because Professor Kingson has a long history of fearlessly advocating for humane ���ϲ����� faculty and staff benefits. I have come to greatly respect his expertise, as I suspect many of you have. I believe his extensive knowledge of our benefits processes will aid the committee. I have talked to Professor Kingson, and he is willing to serve if asked.

My charge to the committee will formally specify the specific engagement with Senate shared governance through one of the standing Senate committees. Those committees are in somewhat of a state of flux right now, as you know, but that will be part of the process and the charge. I look forward to how this experiment works and assessing it at the end of the year. Those are the updates.

Turning to the Israel/Hamas war, the first thing I will say about this is to acknowledge that whatever I say won’t be enough. In the last five-and-a-half weeks, I have painfully learned that words will never be adequate for the horror of the terrorist attacks and the holding of hostages. Words will never be adequate for the anguish of innocent Palestinian civilians who have been and are being killed, have lost and are losing loved ones, and are suffering through a real humanitarian crisis.

The consequences of this conflict are continuing to accelerate and continuing to wash across our campus. With a community as diverse as ours, there is daily incoming anxiety and fear from all directions. Some of that anxiety is about what the University is doing, and what the University’s position is on the war and what’s going on in Gaza.

Some of that anxiety and fear is about the support for or sharp criticism of people who publicly take positions on all this. Some of it is frightened and angry students and parents. And just to be clear, students are frightened and angry. They are frightened about antisemitic acts. They’re frightened about hostility to anyone who speaks up for Palestinians in Gaza. They’re frightened about perceptions that law enforcement and the University are taking unfair sides and taking unfair steps.

On top of all of that, faculty and staff are concerned that, in the heat of this moment, basic values of free speech or academic freedom or civil discourse about important world issues, of which this is certainly one, will be lost or will be compromised in some way that is hard to recover from for this University.

I’ve seen all over campus people carefully and thoughtfully trying to figure out what’s right to do for everybody, and then doing it. And I’m proud of that. Our first priority has to be to all our students. That’s not just the students we agree with or disagree with, but to all our students. And for me, that responsibility to our students comes first, including over academic freedom and free speech. If our students are threatened and their safety is threatened, that’s a priority over academic freedom and free speech in my view.

But, and it’s a big but, I think we have to be very careful not to invoke student safety too easily and compromise academic freedom and free speech too quickly. Safety can be very broadly defined. I’m not talking about being safe from views you don’t like or to be safe from uncomfortable truths. I’m talking about actual threats that are reasonably perceived as resulting in physical violence or the real risk of physical violence, which we have seen on other campuses. When the safety of our students is significantly threatened, we have to act. It has been an incredibly difficult line to draw these past few weeks, and I know there are very strong opinions as to whether we are getting it right.

When it comes to academic freedom and freedom of speech, I have stood up for our faculty before. I will continue to do so. I believe these are values integral to a great academic institution. This has not always been popular. I have taken heat from people within and outside of our campus. And I will take that pressure. But I will always prioritize the safety of our students above all else. I will do that without reservation.

But in these moments where I have defended our faculty, they have publicly owned their perspectives. What I think about the substance of their ideas is not the point. I will defend their right to put it out there. The provost is going to speak more about this shortly.

In this tough time, I am so grateful to say I think our community has, by and large, been incredibly responsible to a degree not seen on many other campuses. Which brings me to an aspect of what students, faculty, and staff are experiencing around this country, and how we are dealing with it here. People are being subjected to anonymous statements that are at times profoundly disturbing. People are hiding their identities so that they can say or do things they do not want to be held responsible for out of fear. They are doing it online, some not out of fear but because they do not want to be held accountable. They are doing it especially in connection with professors and students they disagree with. And they are doing it on campuses and in various forms of communication.

I have, for the last 10 years, insisted that this University and its people stand firmly in support of students and faculty when they are threatened, whether anonymously or not, for acting within their academic freedom. That has come at a personal cost that I gladly bear. What I have not done and will not do, is support or respond to anonymous messages or anonymous groups. This is an academic community in which we each have to take responsibility for what we say and do.

If you want to be anonymous, you are avoiding that responsibility, and I do not respond to or engage with people who do not want to be responsible for the consequences of their actions. That said, what I will do is my utmost to protect the confidentiality of those who need to communicate, but fear retaliation in any form.

Finally, I want to remind all of you of what I said at the first Senate meeting of this year. In September, I said I expected it to be a stressful year on this campus because of events and challenges coming at us from Washington and the world. And I urged us to listen to each other, and to listen believing in the good faith and concern for the whole University of those who speak. That is how I intend to continue to listen to all in this community. I am grateful that you have done so as well. Thank you.

Over the last several weeks, colleges and universities around our country have experienced a sharp uptick in antisemitism, Islamophobia and abhorrent conduct threatening members of campus communities based on their identity. Since the horrific Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, and throughout the escalating violence that has claimed the lives of innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilians, ���ϲ����� has been focused on the safety and well-being of our campus community. We have taken action and made decisions that have been difficult, and to some unpopular, with the security of our people at the forefront.

Today, the University must make another difficult decision. This afternoon, a faculty member in one of our academic departments, in partnership with student groups, had planned to host a Middle Eastern studies scholar for a teach-in. This event was first brought to the attention of the University less than 24 hours ago after the faculty member involved in planning the event contacted the Department of Public Safety (DPS) with safety concerns. Since learning of the event, DPS, in partnership with local and federal law enforcement, has been working to assess how to safely host such an event. At this time, based on that assessment, ���ϲ����� is not able to confidently ensure the safety of the attendees, the speaker and our whole campus community and, thus, has made the decision that this event will not occur as scheduled today.

���ϲ����� cares deeply about free speech and remains strongly committed to academic freedom. We support those seeking to become better informed about important public issues, such as the conflict in the Middle East. However, in the current environment, it is vital that all of us plan carefully and in advance to ensure free speech also occurs in a time, place and manner that takes into account the safety and security of our whole community. We will work with the organizers to reschedule this event when it can be done safely.

We urge our community to continue to show kindness and empathy to one another during these extraordinarily difficult times.

Sincerely,

Kent Syverud
Chancellor and President

Gretchen Ritter
Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer

Thank you, Professor Reed. My remarks will be brief. I don’t need the full time allotted, and I’ll answer questions after the provost’s remarks.

I’d like to start by acknowledging that it’s been a really challenging time these past two and a half weeks.

I appreciate how deeply our campus is feeling the terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel, the escalating conflict, and now the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. I am grateful for your support of your colleagues, your students, faculty, and staff, especially those with family, friends, and loved ones in the region. On campus, there have been peaceful vigils hosted by both Jewish and Muslim student organizations that have welcomed students from many faiths. The Maxwell School hosted a panel that provided space for an academic discussion with experts representing multiple disciplines and perspectives. And tonight, the University’s 14 chaplains and 27 religious and spiritual life groups will co-host an interfaith peace vigil in Hendricks Chapel.

There have been incidents in classrooms and around campus that have been challenging for our students and faculty. Concerns about those incidents are being run through the University’s appropriate processes with great care. It is important that we don’t overreact and that we don’t underreact. Provost Ritter will address some of the ways Academic Affairs is providing guidance and resources to faculty in a moment.

We have students, faculty, and staff from all over the world, many of whom hail directly from the impacted region. We are a university that is committed to being welcoming to all. Living up to that is especially important and sometimes difficult in times like these.

This includes how we support our Jewish students, especially those with loved ones and connections in Israel, and our Muslim students, with loved ones and connections to Gaza. I continue to call on our community to show kindness, grace, empathy, and compassion to all our students, faculty, and staff—particularly those who are suffering and grieving, and to do this regardless of your individual views and perspectives.

Many people in this country are unhappy with how universities are handling these issues. I have heard from members of this community who are both happy and unhappy with this university’s response. Our official communications have been proactive. We’ve been trying to be very careful in them. We are driven by our moral obligation to all in our community, that includes students, faculty, and staff. Community members do have the right to speak out on their personal perspectives as individuals. The University’s official communications are our best effort to speak on behalf of our entire community and to continue to foster a community that holds together and is welcoming to all. Because we are a real university with a wide array of people and views, I would not expect everyone to agree with the University’s official communications. But I do think almost everyone here does agree that our students who are struggling deserve our diplomacy, sensitivity, and kindness.

At a time when, across the country and around the world, there is a rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic threats and violence, our students really are on edge, and we need to listen to them. I assure you that we are taking appropriate measures to keep our community safe, and will continue to do so.

The only other thing I wanted to talk about today is employee benefits. Prior to the last Senate meeting, I shared a memo and several additional documents to engage faculty and staff in the benefits process.

The information outlined a new proposed process to incorporate faculty and staff input on any proposed benefits changes. I’d like to try this experimentally starting next month, and I had requested your feedback before I implemented that experiment.

I have received some feedback, particularly encouraging me to specify how the Senate bodies are going to be engaged in an ongoing basis in the benefits review process. I will specify that shortly. I have also received at least one proposed change in benefits internally for 2025 that I am deferring to this experimental process. I’ll incorporate any other suggestions I receive, including at this meeting and today, and get this process started next week. I want to remind folks that this was the result of a lot of people’s efforts over the summer, including the working group that Eric Kingson and Andy Gordon chaired. I thank everybody who has worked on it.

I think we should all give this a chance and see what its results are and honestly assess it at the end of the year in the Senate. I will specify steps in the process for ongoing engagement by Senate committees when I get this out next week.

Thank you.

It has been 10 days since Hamas crossed into Israel and conducted a series of horrific terror attacks targeting innocent civilians. As last week unfolded, we learned more about the barbaric nature of these atrocities. We are also witnessing a developing humanitarian crisis in Gaza where innocent civilians are facing death and displacement, and dire conditions are growing worse.

Half a world away here in Central New York, I recognize the uncertainty and suffering felt by members of our ���ϲ����� community. I have heard from many of you—students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents—who come from varied cultures and faith traditions. Some in our community have deep roots in the impacted region. The pain and sadness are profound. A week ago,��I asked our community��to extend kindness, respect, and compassion to one another in this moment. I am grateful for how the people who make up this university have responded. Peaceful vigils remembering those lost; academic exploration into the history and depth of this long and complex conflict; a commitment to understanding through constructive discourse; and offering grace to others with whom we may disagree—that is what a great university looks like in times of crisis and suffering. I am proud of how this community has responded.

Sadly, divisions are deepening in the world around us. There has been a sharp increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic threats and violence nationwide and around the globe, creating a heightened sense of vulnerability and uncertainty. Please know that we take the security of our campus seriously. We are taking additional action to keep our community safe. For that reason, among other things, you may note an elevated presence of Department of Public Safety personnel on and around our campus and facilities.

We know what we believe in at ���ϲ�����. We reject antisemitism. We reject Islamophobia. We condemn terrorism. We believe the pursuit of knowledge and respect and true understanding of others is the best antidote to the hatred that can divide and destroy us.

Personal attacks and divisive rhetoric are roadblocks to this understanding. I ask that we remain committed to supporting those who are suffering, extending kindness to those who need it, and engaging one another with respect. If you need additional support, please reach out. There are several�����ϲ����� resources��ready to provide help and assistance.

University leaders will continue to communicate with our community as appropriate. Until then, I pray for those lost and missing, for those who are suffering, and for a swift and peaceful resolution to this conflict.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Kent Syverud

Like so many of you, I have watched in horror at the latest eruption of terrorism against Israel and violence in both Israel and Gaza over the last two days. The violence is unfathomable. The stories from victims and their loved ones are devastating and heartbreaking.

Over the weekend, the University quickly worked to determine whether members of our community were traveling in the region. Currently, we have no reports of students, faculty, or staff in the area or in harm’s way.

This ongoing, complex, and escalating conflict will affect members of our community, here on campus and abroad, in deeply personal and lasting ways. Among us are those that may hail from Israel and Gaza, have family directly impacted by these horrific events, or fear for the safety of their loved ones and homelands. These uncertain times may leave some feeling powerless. What we do control is how we treat and engage one another. I ask every member of our community to extend kindness, respect, and compassion to those who are suffering and grieving.

For those who need support, please reach out to any of the resources listed below.

• : Students can receive confidential counseling 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 315.443.8000.
• : Students can receive ongoing assistance by contacting the case management team Monday through Friday at 315.443.4357.
• : Faculty and staff can reach trained clinicians 24 hours a day by calling 800.437.0911.
• : All campus community members can access additional services and support by calling 315.443.2901 or��.

University leaders will continue to monitor the situation and make additional supports available as necessary.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Kent Syverud

Thank you, Professor [Kira] Reed. It’s a pleasure to see so many of you in person. We’re well into the fall semester and the new academic year, and it’s off to a great start.

Today I want to provide updates on our strong close to fiscal year (FY) ’23, on our ever-changing athletics environment, on benefits, and on sustainability. Provost Ritter is going to address, among other things, legacy admissions and changes to the University’s admissions process in light of the Supreme Court decisions this summer impacting race as a consideration in university admissions.

First, some key metrics: Last month, we welcomed 22,948 students to ���ϲ�����, 103 new full-time faculty members, many wonderful new part-time faculty members, and four new deans to campus. Two weeks ago we celebrated the career of a ���ϲ����� legend, Dean and Senator Diane Murphy. Last week, we surpassed 200,000 graduates from programs of the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families. And yesterday we launched the implementation of a new academic strategic plan.

All this builds on an astounding finish to FY23. ���ϲ����� met or exceeded our goals based on just about every goal and metric. The Fall Census for enrollment last week confirmed the University has the largest total enrollment and undergraduate enrollment in our history. The University was more selective in our undergraduate admissions than we’ve been in at least the last 25 years.

The Forever Orange Campaign, launched in 2019 right before COVID, is now within 9% of our $1.5 billion goal. Our FY23 budget, which was completed on June 30, had a small, less than 1/2 of 1% of our budget, but a surplus, which is good. And we project a balanced budget for FY24. We have announced several new partnerships that are creating unique opportunities for growth for our students, faculty, staff, for this University, and for the Central New York region. We’re in a pretty strong position going into this year, including compared to our peers.

It is a good time to build on this strength. Because we have some pretty significant challenges coming at us.

I want to start with the challenges of athletics. The world of college sports continues to evolve, and we are far from done with changes. They are impacting the ACC [Athletic Coast Conference]. In June 2024, Stanford, the University of California, Berkeley, and Southern Methodist University (SMU) will join the ACC. These are fine schools. They align with our academic profile and athletic strengths, including in Olympic sports. I believe, and Athletic Director John Wildhack believes, these new schools provide stability for the conference in the short term. In the long term, I think we should expect more change. A lot happened over the summer. I did consult with academic leaders in the course of deciding how to vote and how to proceed on Stanford, and Berkeley and SMU.

In the short run, it protects our conference and does so with schools that are strong academic schools. It protects the ACC from the experience of the Pac-12. But, given the continuing change coming at intercollegiate athletics, we as a university need to be prepared for whatever comes. We need to be strongly positioned to be prominent in sports, including academically. But we also need to be prepared to realize that the current situation is not a stable one, for a whole bunch of reasons. I just want to reassure you that a lot of us are working to make sure ���ϲ����� has a strategy.

Orange football is undefeated this season, which makes many people very happy. Four of our six teams are nationally ranked in the top 25 this fall. That includes men’s soccer, field hockey, and men’s and women’s cross country. We’re so proud of our student athletes, who continue to compete at the highest level and deliver on the academic level as well.

Next, I want to talk about benefits. This morning I forwarded to the senators and other University stakeholders a memorandum on a new process for evaluating proposed changes to our University’s faculty and staff benefits. It’s a long memorandum in the supplemental materials, and I don’t expect any of you to have read it all yet. It builds on hard work all summer by a working group chaired by Eric Kingson and Andy Gordon. I neglected to credit and acknowledge the other members of the working group, to whom I am deeply grateful.

They are:

• Suzette Meléndez, professor, College of Law
• PJ DiPietro, professor, College of Arts and Sciences
• Tom Dennison, professor emeritus, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• Dan Cutler, director of learning communities, Student Experience division
• Kristi Johnson, administrative specialist, College of Arts and Sciences
• Cory Wallack, associate vice president of student health and wellness, Student Experience division
• Alicia Madden, senior director of budget and administration, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• Pun To (Doug) Yung, professor, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Matthew Sessler, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 200*

I would appreciate feedback on this report. As I said in the memo, I hope that feedback comes via email to me at chancellor@syr.edu or in the next Senate meeting or in the committees between now and then. After incorporating that feedback, we will implement the proposals on an experimental basis for this academic year. We’ll see how it goes and decide what the final process is. I thank everyone who helped with getting us to this point, including senators and committee chairs who wrote to me about this last year.

Next on sustainability, we made a commitment as a university last year at the April 19 University Senate meeting based on an extraordinary amount of work by the Student Association and other groups at the University. We accelerated the University’s timeline for achieving carbon neutrality to 2032, eight years earlier than our previous goal of 2040. That is going to be a lift, and the work on that lift has started.

First, I’ve established a Sustainability Oversight Council to make sure we’re on track and shared in that goal, and to oversee and audit the work being done by the Sustainability Management Office of the University. The Council has four members and those members have all agreed to serve. They include:

• Student Association representative Olivia Curreri, who is Student Association vice president of university affairs, and a senior in Maxwell and Newhouse;
• Charley Driscoll, University Professor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and a faculty member with expertise in this area;
• Trustee Ken Pontarelli, who leads a group at Goldman Sachs focused on sustainable investing in transformative areas such as clean energy and waste; and
• the fourth new member I decided is going to be me so I can pay attention to this closely.

The Sustainability Management Office has been working hard in recent months to realize what we need to do to reach this new goal. The University replaced the Lally Athletics Complex arena lighting, which is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 141 metric tons per year. The exterior lighting in front of Smith Hall, the Hall of Languages, and Maxwell was also updated over the summer. This fall, lighting in the main Quad and the main parking lots on North Campus will be updated. But there’s more to come and not all of it has been realized yet.

Future sustainability projects in the near term are focused on the science buildings, which have the highest energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Further steps and some shared changes to all our cultural practices are going to be needed as part of this. I need the Senate to realize that there may be habits we engage in that we need to change if we’re going to get to carbon neutrality by the deadline.

So those are my quick reports, and I’m willing to take questions on anything. But I want to speak lastly about the year ahead. It’s more than a little scary. What’s going on globally, what’s going on in politics—as our agenda committee chair referred to, what’s going on in climate change, what’s going on in the courts, and what’s going on in higher education, leaves a lot of us with some good reasons to despair. I know that. But I also believe many of the challenges really are opportunities for this University to step up and lead. It’s up to us working together to identify the opportunities and take them. This is a chance to show the world— certainly the higher education world—that ���ϲ����� is a different and better place than many others. We have done well as a community through challenging times. I believe that is because for all our warts, for all the constraints, we still have better values and better shared governance than most of our peers.

I saw this because all summer I have watched as preeminent institutions of higher learning in this country faltered on issues of academic freedom, and faltered on support for the full range of academic programs that define a great university. And, indeed, they faltered on basic understandings of principles of faculty authority and shared governance.

We should not go there at ���ϲ�����. We should actually listen to each other. Every year, I learn more about what I don’t know, which is a lot, by listening. I believe the key to success in this scary year ahead starts by each of us starting with an assumption of good faith in one another and truly listening to each other as scary things commence. I for one intend to practice that good faith.

I say that to you today because having studied pretty carefully where it has gone south, too often the deterioration of shared governance is preceded by the belief that criticism is made with evil intent. In my experience, that’s just not true here at ���ϲ�����.

I urge us all to approach our interactions with students, with our colleagues, and with leaders with the belief that each of us honestly has the best interests of this University at heart. Our university will benefit. We’ll keep the incredible momentum ���ϲ����� now has going strong, and we’ll be able to lead in some areas where other universities cannot.

Thank you.

*After the creation of the working group, Matthew was appointed to a non-union position and he stopped attending the working group meetings after July 1.

With pomp and circumstance—including their first time singing the alma mater, the newest members of the Orange family were given a rousing, official welcome to the University during New Student Convocation Thursday in the JMA Wireless Dome.

An annual tradition, the academic program includes leadership and faculty processing into the JMA Dome with full regalia. As a highlight of�����ϲ����� Welcome, it’s also the first time new students gather together as a class.

Family members were there to cheer on their students, share dinner on the turf after the ceremony and say their goodbyes, as classes start next week.

The nearly 4,000 new and transfer students hail from 48 states, including Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico; 14 indigenous nations and 56 countries from around the world. University leaders and student speakers imparted advice, words of wisdom and posed thoughtful questions to the new students, embarking on this new journey.

Thomas O’Brien (Photos by Jeremy Brinn)

Food for Thought From an Upperclass Student

“Today, I ask you a question, a question that will guide the choices you make and the experiences you encounter during your tenure at this university, and that question is ‘what is your purpose here?’” asked Thomas O’Brien ’25, a film major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the student speaker.

O’Brien then shared his experience as a first-year student and how it did not go as how he had expected but realized it was on himself to make a change. “Opportunities are not handed to you, but rather you must be open to find and seek the opportunities that already surround you on this campus,” he said.

“Understand, whatever you believe your purpose is here, know that ���ϲ����� will provide you with the resources you need to succeed,” O’Brien said. “However, it is up to you to pursue the things you want to achieve and pursue them with a confidence and a belief that they will come true.”

Two Pieces of Wisdom From the Chancellor

Chancellor Kent Syverud offered two pieces of advice to new students.

The first: come as you are. “If you have not figured it out already, you will pretty soon: there is no one way of thinking, no one way of dressing, no one person who is the ‘normal’ here. People are unique and amazing and dazzlingly different. And that’s why it’s wonderful. Given that there is no ‘normal’ here, why not try just being yourself here. Not the image of perfection that appears on social media, not the identical replica of someone else, but please just be you. I believe you will find that if you come as you are here, you will become Orange.”

The second piece of advice from the Chancellor: Become more ���ϲ�����. “That’s the common thread in all the speeches you are hearing this week. People are trying to tell you to wake up. You have a chance that has been denied to so many people in this world: a chance to be part of a great university. So, take it. Please become more here, in your own unique and defining way. That’s what so many people have done before you, and you can too.”

Chancellor Kent Syverud addresses students and their families during New Student Convocation.

Dare to Be Fearless in Your Journey

“Every one of you have earned your place here and every one of you deserves to be here,” said Allen Groves, senior vice president and chief student experience officer, sharing how 42,500 individuals applied to be part of the new first-year class and 1,600 applied to be transfer students.

“When you are here in these coming days and years, I want you to fearlessly explore many new ideas and expose yourself to diverse points of views,” said Groves. “You are living in a time in which social media algorithms feed you what it believes and analyzes that you already believe and think, and intentionally screen out from you ideas and viewpoints that do not match your own.

“So, you’re going to have to take the initiative and take full advantage of the next few years and open yourself to talking with and engaging with people different from you. I hope you are willing to debate big contentious ideas, respectfully, listening probably more than talking because listening is where true knowledge is gained.”

Endless Possibilities

Nearly 4,000 new and transfer students gather during the New Student Convocation ceremony.

“Today you open the door to possibility—the possibility of who you will be as a student here, and the possibility of who you will become in the future,” said Gretchen Ritter, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer.

Provost Ritter shared there are many ways for students to seize that possibility, noting research, experiential learning and intellectual bravery as prime examples.

“There are so many things you can do as a student here. There are paths to discovery and paths that you will forge. In all of this, I challenge you to embrace the insight offered by the great education philosopher John Dewey more a century ago when he wrote that ‘Every great advance in science has issued from an audacity of imagination,’” Ritter said.

Before the conclusion of the program, the newest students to enter ���ϲ����� recited the charge and sang the alma mater. The next time they will all be together in the JMA Dome will be for their Commencement.

���ϲ����� Chancellor and President Kent Syverud addressed the Class of 2023 during Commencement exercises Sunday, May 14, at the JMA Wireless Dome.

Chancellor Syverud noted the efforts of students during the challenges of the pandemic. “I don’t think there is any student body in the United States that did a better job throughout the pandemic in remaining open, in person, and safe. It was a heavy lift for all of us,” Chancellor Syverud said.

“I just want to remind you that we did remain open and in person for instruction and activities starting in the summer of 2020. Unlike almost all schools in the northeast, we did not close down in person for a year or more. Unlike almost all schools in the south and the midwest, we reopened and stayed open safely. We took so many steps, and enforced so many rules and restrictions, to contain the virus. For almost a year, we all lived under public health rules in New York State that said that if we had just 100 or more positive COVID tests among our 30,000-person campus population, we had to close down, most likely for the rest of the semester and the year. We came close to closing, but we made it, thanks to all of you and all of us.”

Finally, as Chancellor Syverud wrapped up his address to the Class of 2023, he also made the following favorable announcement, in the spirit of grace that so many showed during the pandemic, and to the delight of the Commencement audience: “As Chancellor of ���ϲ�����, I hereby declare and direct an amnesty for, and the expungement of all records concerning, COVID-19 related student conduct violations.”

With both sectors preparing for significant recruitment and enrollment challenges, ���ϲ����� and the University of Tennessee co-hosted a first-of-its-kind, two-day summit to explore how higher education and the federal government could partner up to better support our nation’s service members.

Chancellor Kent Syverud

Held during the 50th anniversary of the end of the military draft and the birth of America’s all-volunteer force, “The All-Volunteer Force at 50: Higher Education and America’s Volunteer Military” summit saw more than two dozen university chancellors and presidents from across the country meet with senior government officials in the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to address some of the most pressing challenges facing veterans and the long-term sustainability of an all-volunteer armed services.

“We can work together for the common good, and that’s special. We need to create clear pathways to opportunities for enlisted persons, and we need to tell their stories if we expect our enlisted service system to continue working. The pathways need to include much less siloed cooperation, moving back and forth between jobs, academia and the military to create those pathways,” told the summit attendees during his closing remarks.

More than two dozen university chancellors and presidents from across the country met with senior government officials in the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs to address some of the most pressing challenges facing veterans and the long-term sustainability of an all-volunteer armed services.

Seven Key Takeaways

Kori Schake, senior fellow and director of foreign and defense policy with the American Enterprise Institute, moderated the panel discussion “Where Do We Go From Here?” and summarized the key takeaways as the following:

• Understanding the difference between being veteran friendly (think social media posts touting the benefits of attending a university) and veteran ready (providing the resources, support and access to education that sets members of the military-connected community up for success).
• Improving higher education’s access to the DoD, including nearby military bases.
• Understanding how to navigate DoD bureaucracy, including communicating with military-connected individuals to ensure they understand the process and costs of earning a degree.
• Establishing VA pilot programs to see what’s working for veterans, and what support they need to succeed.
• Creating community for all veterans on campus.
• Reimagining education, military service and work as an ecosystem of exchange, including what the lifecycle in that ecosystem looks like for service members.
• Conveying student veteran best practices to the DoD and VA.

J. Michael Haynie

“How can we think differently about our relationship, and maybe explore opportunities to collaborate and partner moving forward? One of the drivers of volunteerism for military service today is service as a pathway to education. How can we make access to higher education easier, more accessible, more affordable, and by doing so, create more of a push to national service?” said , founder and executive director of the (IVMF).

An Obligation to Make Sure Veterans Reach Their Full Potential

Summit participants agreed that changes need to come, and soon, including altering the narrative around veterans who serve. Matt Amidon, senior advisor with the George W. Bush Institute, said young people view veterans as either heroes who deserve to be lauded or victims to feel sorry for, thanks to their depiction in films and television shows, instead of valued community members who just want to focus on their goals as civilians once they transition out of active duty.

Also, instead of viewing veterans as outsiders in society, University of Montana President Seth Bodnar, a U.S. Army veteran, pointed to the use of compelling storytelling to help spotlight how military-connected students can enhance a college campus.

“Let’s not ‘otherize’ our veterans by acting like they’re not part of our society. I get that military service is so concentrated, but our veterans are not a separate part of our society; they are an integral part, and we have an obligation to make sure every member of our veteran community can reach their unique, full potential,” Bodnar said during the panel, “Competition vs. Collaboration: Common Challenges Make Us Better Together.”

A different mentality is needed too, when it comes to recruiting the next class of veterans to higher education.

“Instead of competing, maybe we can think about innovative ways to collaborate and to partner to the betterment of both institutions,” said Haynie.

Eliminating Barriers to Higher Education

Each year, more than 200,000 military members make the transition from active duty to civilian life, with 74% of that population pursuing a higher education degree once their service has ended.

But only 60% of veterans take advantage of their post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, while 19% of veterans won’t use their benefits because they think it’s too difficult to navigate through higher education or they don’t have enough knowledge about their benefits.

“How can everyone who has served and earned that right, which they’re entitled to, take advantage of their benefits? This is part of paying and rewarding those who made the sacrifice with their hard-earned benefits,” said Joseph Garcia, executive director of education service in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Ashish S. Vazirani, the Department of Defense’s deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, delivered the keynote address at the summit.

There are currently 2.3 million active and reserve service members in the U.S., and 75% of enlistees come from military legacy families, meaning their decision to serve was inspired by someone they know who had a history of service, said Ashish S. Vazirani, the DoD’s deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness who delivered the keynote address.

“Younger Americans are not exposed to the unique and compelling stories of service and the pathways to education offered by service. The military embraces most of the values these young people seek in life and in a career,” Vazirani said.

“We’re Going to Work Forward, Together”

As the summit drew to a close, there was a sense of optimism that the core principles addressed during the two-day gathering would lead to momentum and sustained change moving forward.

“I’ve been to ���ϲ����� three times before [to discuss this topic] and up until this visit, the conversation was always linear and one-way,” said Brent Orrell, senior fellow with the American Enterprise Institute. “But today we had productive conversations that were not linear but an ecosphere of exchanges between the institutions. Each of these institutions are working to progress toward the same ends of creating a stronger America.”

“This summit was never intended to be a one and done. It was intended to be a call to action on a critical problem facing our military and our country. We’re going to work forward, together,” added Chancellor Syverud.

I also want to remind folks that the One University Awards are happening this Friday at 4 p.m. at Hendricks Chapel. It’s a way to celebrate so many extraordinary people at this University—faculty, staff, students, community members, including the Chancellor’s Citations and the Forever Orange Award. We’re celebrating professors emeriti. We’re conferring the Chancellor’s Medal on Dean Diane Murphy. And Gwenn Judge is coming back so we can give her an award. If you have a chance to come, if you worked with folks, there’s a lot of meaning in that event. So I hope you come.

At the last Senate meeting I promised an update on the commitment to advance our sustainability goals at this university. I’m pleased to report that the University has revised our timeline for achieving net carbon neutrality to 2032, eight years earlier than our previous goal of 2040.

This grew out of efforts of our Student Association and its outgoing President David Bruen, and the student leaders here and at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and at LeMoyne College. David just relentlessly focused, because they’re going to be around longer than some of us, on reducing our carbon footprint sooner. Reaching this ambitious new goal is going to require every member of our community to work on changes. And we’re going to be doing that this fall.

Just for a preview of coming attractions, it will require that the days of these things [holds up plastic water bottle] are numbered, as are single-use plastics in various ways on this campus and in our facilities all over the world. There will be other things, too. We’re also adding a proactive oversight group to assure we’re on track each year to get into net carbon neutral, no later than 2032. I thank everybody who worked on that.

Turning to the benefits issue: this was part of an issue that is raised in the resolution and in some materials.��I provided a report in a written letter to Emily [Stokes-Rees] on Monday that was not that far away from some of these committee reports. It’s been provided to some of you, but will be published to all of you. But I want to give a gist of that quickly.

I’m appointing an ad hoc working group right away on benefits engagement to work over the summer and reach recommendations in a report by August. I’ve reached out to Senate Chair Emily Stokes-Rees to request recommendations, including for four or five faculty members or staff to work with me over the summer on that. I’d like to receive recommendations from you all as well by May 1 because I want the first meeting to occur before Commencement.

I have asked the leaders of that effort to be Falk College Professor Eric Kingson and Andy Gordon, senior vice president and chief human resource officer. I’m going to meet with that group over the summer. The charge for that group is:

• Review options and recommend a structure for soliciting feedback from faculty and staff;
• Make recommendations on health care rates and review proposed benefits changes for calendar year 2024; and
• Consider other matters directly about benefits brought forth by the University Senate, faculty and staff.

We’ll share their report with the Senate and appropriate committees before the first Senate meeting in the fall. The first Senate meeting in fall often is not quite as crammed an agenda. Based on that report and the discussion of it, we’re going to have a new process that we’ll use on an experimental basis for next year. And we’ll get feedback at the end of the year as to how that worked, and come up with the final process for the year after. I know that’s a very iterative process, but this turns out to be more complicated. And there are disagreements. I identified at least one in the first meeting with Eric and Andy. I want to get them transparently on the table and resolve them over the summer so we can talk about what they are. Thanks for everybody for helping with that. I do think it’s going to be a fairly transparent process for the coming year—both on what the process is going to be, and what it’s going to be for the coming year.

Just quickly, there’s good news I want to share that the University’s Student Experience division was recently named one of the 27 Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs by Diverse Issues in Higher Education. That award goes to workplaces that are vibrant, diverse, supportive and committed to increase excellence. Thanks to everybody who helped make that happen, including the leadership under Senior Vice President Allen Groves.

The Schine Student Center has now officially been designated a great place. Our renovated Schine Center was recognized for excellence in the design of student-centered facilities from the Association of College Unions International. Congratulations to Facilities and all the students and people who participated in the design. I could also thank lot of people, but the provost has told me she’s going to thank them in her remarks, so I’m going to stop. I’ll be here for questions after her remarks. Thanks.

The One University Awards Ceremony, an annual event to honor members of the ���ϲ����� community who are making a difference through academics, scholarship, creative work and dedicated service, will be held Friday, April 21, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel.

“The One University Awards give us an opportunity to recognize excellence in our students, faculty, staff and community,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “This year’s award winners embody the best of our Orange values. Many of the faculty and staff honored have dedicated their careers to making ���ϲ����� a more wonderful and welcoming place. I look forward to coming together as a community to celebrate them.”

Two major awards—the Chancellor’s Medal and the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence—will be bestowed. The ceremony will also include the presentation of the Student-Athlete Award, Judith Seinfeld Scholarship, Meredith Professorship for Teaching Excellence, Teaching Recognition Award, Diversity and Inclusion Award, William Pearson Tolley Medal for Distinguished Leadership in Lifelong Learning and Chancellor’s Forever Orange Award.

and will also be recognized. This year’s University Scholars; ; and Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars will also be honored.

All members of the University community are invited and encouraged to attend. A reception will follow in the lobby of the Heroy Geology Laboratory.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided at the ceremony. For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, contact Souher Cosselman at 315.443.2123 or sscossel@syr.edu.

The Chancellor’s Medal is the University’s highest honor and is awarded to individuals in honor of their trailblazing and extraordinary contributions to the University, to an academic body of knowledge or to society. This year’s recipient is , dean of the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

The Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions in four overarching categories:

• The award for Excellence in Student Research recognizes students who have engaged in collaborative research that has the potential to make a deep and lasting impact on greater society. This year’s recipients are Erin Matsuba, a doctoral candidate in school psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences; Evan Bode, a master’s degree student in film and media arts in the College of Visual and Performing Arts; Ana Aponte González, a junior communications and rhetorical studies major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and women’s and gender studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences; and Donyell Logan, a senior medicinal chemistry major in the College of Arts and Sciences.
• The award for Outstanding Contributions to the Student Experience and University Initiatives��acknowledges faculty and staff who, through their work, enhance the undergraduate experience for students or make invaluable contributions to supporting and advancing the University’s mission and goals. The recipients are ; George Wazen, library operations coordinator in the Department of Public Safety; and , associate teaching professor in biomedical and chemical engineering and bioengineering undergraduate program director in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
• The Faculty Excellence and Scholarly Distinction award is intended for faculty members who are collaborators in work of intellectual richness that has the potential for future impact. The work of these nominees offers possibilities for collaboration within the University and outside in partnership with others. This year’s honorees are , professor of sociology, Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion and Population Health and director and senior research associate with the Center for Policy Research in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and , professor of electrical engineering and computer science and graduate program director in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
• Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence, Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors those who have made extraordinary contributions toward advancing all four pillars of excellence over the arc of their careers while at ���ϲ����� and beyond. This year’s recipient is , Distinguished Professor of electrical engineering and computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

The other awards to be presented are:

The Student-Athlete Award recognizes the top female and top male student athletes and are presented to the senior student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade point average over the course of their academic and athletic careers. This year’s recipients are Grace Brock, a political science major in the Maxwell School and College of Arts and Sciences and member of the women’s track and field and cross-country teams; and Arnaud Buard, a senior mechanical and aerospace engineering major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and a member of the men’s crew team.

Seinfeld Scholarship: Each year ���ϲ����� honors the talents of outstanding faculty or students through an , a distinguished alumna and member of the University Board of Trustees. Awards are made to those who have been determined by their peers to have made outstanding contributions to the beauty of the world, to have added to human values and to ending human abuse anywhere in the world, and to have demonstrated passion for excellence, creativity and originality in academic or artistic fields. This year, the designation is bestowed upon a faculty member, , associate professor in the School of Architecture.

The Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professorships for Teaching Excellence were created in 1995 to recognize and reward outstanding teaching among faculty. The 2023-26 Meredith Professors are , associate professor of anthropology in the Maxwell School and College of Arts and Sciences, the Dr. Ralph E. Montonna Endowed Professor and senior research associate in the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration, and , associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science0 and director of the computer/information science engineering doctoral program in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

In 2001, the Meredith Professorship Program was expanded to recognize teaching excellence by non-tenured faculty and adjunct and part-time instructors. Awards are given in two categories: Early Performance and Continuing Excellence. This year’s honorees in the Early Performance category are , associate professor in the College of Law; , assistant teaching professor of neuroscience and the primary advisor to neuroscience integrated learning major students in the College of Arts and Sciences; , assistant professor of communications in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications; , assistant teaching professor of English and creative writing coordinator in the College of Arts and Sciences; , assistant teaching professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and Dean’s Faculty Fellow for Academic Affairs; and , associate teaching professor of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences. The two honorees in the Continuing Excellence category are , associate teaching professor of English and associate director of creative writing in the College of Arts and Sciences; and , professor of practice of advertising in the Newhouse School.

The Diversity and Inclusion Award recognizes an individual who is integral in helping us achieve academic excellence at a university that is welcoming to all through our investments in a diverse, inclusive, accessible and equitable community. This year’s recipient is , Muslim chaplain at Hendricks Chapel.

The William Pearson Tolley Medal for Distinguished Leadership in Lifelong Learning is based in the School of Education and honors national or international leadership in support of lifelong learning. This year’s recipient is Linda M. LeMura, president of LeMoyne College.

The Chancellor’s Forever Orange Award recognizes individual students, faculty or staff who—by virtue of extraordinary hard work, good values and commitment to excellence—have come to embody the best of ���ϲ�����. This year’s recipient is Gwenn B. Judge, retired director of the Office of Budget and former acting chief financial officer.

U.S. Army Lt.Col. Matthew Coyne, Chancellor Kent Syverud, and U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Ryan Lippert prepare to present individual awards at the 106th Chancellor’s Review.

When ���ϲ�����’s fourth Chancellor, James R. Day, reviewed the University’s Cadet Corps on May 4, 1917, he started what would become an annual tradition for the University’s future military leaders.

On March 31, 2023, both Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) units from the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force assembled inside the JMA Wireless Dome for the 106^th Chancellor’s Review to carry on that tradition.

Chancellor Kent Syverud, the University’s 12^th Chancellor who called upon the campus community to make ���ϲ����� the best place for veterans, conducted the pass and review of cadets, escorted by U.S. Army Lt. Col. Matthew Coyne and U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Ryan Lippert, the ranking members of the respective ROTC units.

Chancellor Syverud highlighted the accomplishments of the University’s ROTC units over the last year. Both the Army and Air Force ROTC will commission 32 officers later this spring. Additionally, the U.S. Army Stalwart Battalion has four distinguished military graduates who will commission in the top 10% of the U.S. Army’s 2023 year group, including Cadet Sarah Sharpe ’23, who came in first out of 802 cadets commissioning into the U.S. Army Reserve.

���ϲ����� Army & Air Force ROTC Cadets prepare to be individually awarded for their performance during the 2023 Academic Year at the 106th Chancellor’s Review.

The U.S. Air Force ROTC Detachment 535 will commission nine active-duty officers in the spring, including three who are from the detachment’s crosstown universities at SUNY Oswego, SUNY Polytechnic Institute and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

“I’m so proud of the 140 cadets here today who continue our proud tradition of support to those who volunteer to serve,” said Chancellor Syverud during his remarks to the assembled cadets. “Congratulations on your service, leadership and academic excellence. And I’m grateful to our nine partner schools joining us today.”

The annual Chancellor’s Review is also a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the University’s ROTC cadets through a presentation of awards issued by the University and off-campus organizations.

Lt. Col. Lippert presented the Professor of Aerospace Studies Scholastic Achievement Award to cadets Adam Landry, Emily Weaver, Charles Tang and Emma Corby. The award is presented to the Air Force cadet with the highest overall academic average for each class.

OVMA Executive Director Col. Ron Novack (U.S. Army, Ret.), presents U.S. Air Force ROTC Cadet Aizhan Moore ’25 with the OVMA Commitment to Service Award.

The U.S. Air Force ROTC Detachment awarded the McClune Scholar Award, presented by Kelly Rodoski ’92,�� senior communications manager and Lockerbie Scholars liaison. The award is presented to an Air Force cadet who is in the top half of their class academically, displays outstanding spirit and a positive attitude, and a commitment to international understanding and cooperation. This year’s recipient was Cadet Hunter Burns.

For the U.S. Army Stalwart Battalion, Lt. Col. Coyne presented the Distinguished Military Graduate Awards to members of the graduating class who have maintained a distinguished military student status throughout their time in ROTC and are in the top 20 percent of the national accessions order of merit list. The award was presented to Cadets Jason DiNapoli, Nolan McNeill, Benjamin Rabin and Sarah Sharpe.

Chancellor Kent Syverud congratulates U.S. Army ROTC Cadet Alex Musau ’24 for receiving the Veterans of Foreign Wars Award.

Lt. Col. Coyne also presented the Department of the Army Superior Cadet Award, which recognizes a cadet in the top 25 percent of their class academically, who demonstrates outstanding leadership and has strong officer potential. This year’s recipients are Army Cadets Jason DiNapoli, Richard Bruschi, John Harbaugh and Nicholas Robinson.

A complete list of the awards presented during this year’s Chancellor’s Review, along with additional photos, can be found on the . Those interested in learning more about the university’s ROTC detachments are encouraged to visit .

First, I have been reviewing suggestions for changes to our process for deciding benefits for our faculty and staff. I have received some input from our human resources professionals, from concerned Senate bodies and from faculty experts. I’ve also reviewed a report that a group of Senators worked on titled “Recommendations Toward Improving the Employee Benefits Determination Process,” and I am taking that report quite seriously. I expect to consult with HR leadership and Professor Eric Kingson in the coming week and to report fully at the April meeting on this and to provide a written report to the Senate on next steps before that meeting.

The second thing is to talk about sustainability at ���ϲ�����. We have some previous guideposts for the University’s efforts. First—we have ���ϲ�����’s that you can find on the . This document benchmarks our status and outlines specific strategies over the next five years to bring us closer to carbon neutrality.

I have now also reviewed carefully the more recent report on sustainability and recommendations of our Student Association (SA) which worked with students from ESF and Le Moyne on this project. I have spoken since then about priorities under that report with the SA leadership. I expect an announcement, in conjunction with SA leadership, before the next Senate meeting on new steps the University is going to take to enhance sustainability.

Third, I want to speak about the forthcoming Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action in higher education. We expect that these decisions will be coming in June in both the Harvard and University of North Carolina cases. Based on the oral arguments in those cases, it appears quite possible that the Supreme Court will effectively end affirmative action in higher education in these opinions.

With that possibility in mind, we are faced with a question of how ���ϲ����� is prepared to maintain a diverse and inclusive student body in what may be a post-affirmative action era.

I have created a working group led by Provost Ritter and Chief Student Experience Officer Groves to proactively prepare for this issue. The group has been working hard on several actions in recent months. First, the team is assessing potential outcomes of the court’s decisions. Second, they are devising strategies to maintain our diverse and inclusive University based on each of these potential outcomes. And third, they will be communicating this work in the coming weeks to raise everybody’s awareness and to engage our community on this effort.

We are being proactive in our approach so that we can be nimble and respond based on the detail in the court’s decisions. Inclusion has been one of the core tenets of ���ϲ����� since its founding in 1870. We are committed to maintaining a diverse student body in the future. The Supreme Court’s decisions may make this more difficult, and may require us to redouble our efforts in different ways. But ���ϲ����� will remain a diverse and inclusive university.

Those are my two minutes today. ��Thank you.

Good afternoon. I’d like to give a couple of my minutes to Senior Vice President Allen Groves and DPS Chief Craig Stone for a reason I’ll give.

Monday night, like some of you, I was up late following the horrible events at Michigan State University. Of course, we learned that three promising, young students were killed and five others seriously injured. On behalf of all of us at ���ϲ�����, I have expressed condolences and offered support to our colleagues at Michigan State, as I did to our colleagues at Virginia last semester, and I have with dismal regularity done at other colleges and universities.

These are jarring and horrific events. It is hard to understand them. I know that when it happens on a college campus, it’s hard not to think “what if this happened at ���ϲ�����.” I know that thought has probably occurred to all of you multiple times.

I wish I could promise that an event like this will never happen here. I wish I could guarantee that we can take steps that will guarantee that it never happens here. Unfortunately, in the situation we’re in currently in this country, I can’t make those promises.

What I can say is that our university has been across the entire leadership aggressively preparing and training for these moments. Preventing these events, as best we can, is the highest goal. We do a lot of work on that. But we also prepare to react, respond and minimize the threat to our communities to keep it as safe as possible. It is easy to forget between the events, the steps and resources available. I thought given recent events, just two minutes from Allen [Groves] and Chief Stone reminding us of some of this might be appropriate.

I ask permission for Allen to speak.

The full text of his remarks is below.

I’m going to be very brief. Last week in my winter message I provided a thorough update on many of the University’s top priorities. If you haven’t had an opportunity to watch or read it, a link to the message and the transcript of it is on SU News, and it was emailed to you last Wednesday. Please treat that as my written report or part of it.��I just have three other quick updates.

First, I want to thank everybody who participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in the Dome on Sunday. It was a capacity crowd of 2,000 people for the dinner and even more for the really inspiring program and keynote address from pastor and community leader Rev. Phil Turner.

Second, on enrollment for fall 2023, we are fortunate once again to have received a record number of undergraduate applications–41,678. This is a 3% increase from last year, which was itself the highest in our history up to that point. Applications from students of color are 8% higher than last year. Undergraduate early decision applications are up 9% from last year. And applicants have a higher high school GPA than last year’s applicants.

���ϲ����� remains test optional, but we saw a significant increase in the number of students who submitted SAT scores this year. The average SAT is down slightly from last year.

It is still very early in the process for our graduate, doctoral and law applications, but our graduate and doctoral applications are running well ahead of last year at this time. Our applications for our online JDi program were also very strong. Overall law applications are down compared to this time last year, which is consistent with national trends.

The bottom line is, early signs are very positive for an outstanding cohort of new students for the fall of 2023.

Benefits Update

Third, on benefits for our faculty and staff: As you know, after getting counsel from some of you on this call, the University is investing an additional $1 million to offset rising health care costs this year. That includes lowering the anticipated contribution increases for all employees enrolled in health insurance for 2023, but also expanding eligibility for the lower cost Schedule B health insurance, and then further subsidizing the Schedule B employee contribution to limit increases for all plans to less than four percent. As a result, the number of employees enrolled in Schedule B this year increased by 54%. I am happy at this result. I’m grateful to those who helped me work that through, including especially Professor Kingson, who is a senator.

In my October report to the Senate, I also indicated that the University would refine the process of how health care benefits and changes to them are determined. I requested the process incorporate more feedback from the Senate and Senate committees, and this is the semester that process is going to be refined. I’ve asked Karen Morrisey in Human Resources to work directly with the Senate Committee on Services to Faculty and Staff this semester on this.

I just today have read the committee’s annual report to the Senate, which is on the agenda for this meeting, and I really look forward to working with Karen and the committee on those recommendations. That concludes my report.

Thank you.

Below is the text of his remarks.

Greetings! I welcome all friends of ���ϲ����� to a new semester and a new year, whether you are here in ���ϲ����� or part of the Orange community around the world.

I am coming to you today on campus from Link Hall and the College of Engineering and Computer Science. The spaces here are in the process of dramatic renovations to benefit students, faculty and research. That includes state-of-the-art laboratory renovations. By this fall, the space I am in will be a working laboratory for Professor Ian Hosein and his team in biomedical and chemical engineering. They are investigating battery power sources that may be safer, more abundant and more environmentally sustainable for all of us in the future.

This important work is an example of exciting progress and contributions to humanity at our university. There are many such examples, and they should give us reason for optimism about our university and our community in the year ahead. This is a time of extraordinary challenges in the world, and extraordinary opportunities for ���ϲ����� and its people to make a difference in addressing them. Our university is ready to do so. We are thriving as we take on the future.

Today in this message, I want to concisely brief you on what has been happening at ���ϲ����� and what to expect in the semester and the year ahead.

This semester begins with great momentum. In the fall, the University hosted a once-in-a-generation announcement from Micron Technology that puts Central New York on the path to economic resurgence.

There also was a campuswide focus on mapping out the University’s academic priorities and setting a course for the future. And, our athletics teams are having unprecedented success, including a national championship! No matter how you slice it, it’s a great time to be Orange!

Our People

First and most important, ���ϲ����� is thriving because of our amazing people—faculty, students, staff, alumni and supporters—and because of their great work.

Our students want to be here. There is joy in returning to day-to-day collaboration in classrooms and laboratories, studio spaces and performance halls.

In August of 2022 we had one of the largest first-year classes in school history—4,095 students strong. On Saturday we officially welcomed more than 470 new students to campus. That includes transfer students from more than 40 colleges and universities.

For the third year in a row, ���ϲ����� has received a record number of undergraduate applications. Graduate and doctoral applications are up as well, bucking national trends of declines in these areas.

Our students are talented and curious. They come from various backgrounds, geographies, experiences and cultures.

Students of color make up 41% of this year’s applicants and comprise 30% of the fall 2022 entering first-year class. Twelve percent of students hail from a country outside the United States. And our campus is home to 350 Indigenous students. Nearly one in five students is the first in their family to attend college. Nearly 6% of the student body are veterans or military-connected. Each student is unique, but all equally Orange.

And all are fortunate to learn from our outstanding faculty. They are leaders in their areas of expertise and scholars at the forefront of developing fields. Last fall we welcomed our largest faculty cohort on record, including 106 new full-time and 78 new part-time faculty members. This semester 21 faculty members join the University. These scholars are eager to contribute to our vibrant academic community.

And our staff keep the engine of the University running. They are the essential people who support the well-being of our students in and out of the classroom. They are the people who care for our community. They are the people who support our faculty in their scholarly endeavors. They are a critical piece to making ���ϲ����� a great university.

Sound Finances

As we embark on a new semester, ���ϲ����� is on sound financial footing. This is an enviable position at a time when many other private institutions are struggling post-pandemic. For the second year in a row, we have a balanced budget and project a small surplus. Through disciplined decisions, this university is in a strong fiscal position and poised to make investments in strategic priorities.

Forever Orange Campaign

There is great momentum with the Forever Orange Campaign. Alumni, donors, friends and ambassadors are putting their resources behind ���ϲ�����. More than 100,000 donors have stepped up to support the campaign. Over $1.297 billion has been raised for this university’s highest priorities. And, more than 18% of the powerful Orange alumni network have deepened their connection to their alma mater—either by making a gift, participating in an event or re-engaging with the University.

I know for many fundraising campaigns can feel abstract. Let me share a few concrete ways the campaign is directly impacting our community.

Five hundred ninety-two new scholarships have been created thanks to the Forever Orange Campaign. These scholarships put a ���ϲ����� education in reach for hundreds of students. These resources give our financial aid and student experience teams the flexibility to respond to students in need.

The Forever Orange Campaign has created 76 faculty funds in all 13 schools and colleges to support teaching, research and creative work. This includes the creation of 28 new endowed professorships and chairs.

These endowed positions are critical in our efforts to attract, recruit and retain exceptional faculty.

This past Friday we recognized two of our intellectual leaders appointed to new endowed professorships: Dr. Karin Nisenbaum of the philosophy department as the inaugural Renée Crown Professor in the Humanities, and Dr. Heidi Hehnly as the inaugural Renée Crown Professor in Sciences and Mathematics.

Dr. Nisenbaum came to ���ϲ����� in 2021 and has already established herself as an inspired teacher of some of humanity’s oldest philosophical questions. Her book and writings offer a new perspective on the history of German idealism. Dr. Hehnly is a biochemistry and biotechnology professor. She has been awarded more than $3 million in federal research grants to study developmental disorders, genetic mutations and cancer-causing genes. Professor Hehnly also co-founded ���ϲ�����’s Bio-Art course, where students utilize biological science techniques to create pieces of art. This is just one of the ways she is hoping to bridge the gap between art and science for honors students and all those she teaches.

I am grateful to Life Trustee Renée Crown and her husband Lester for their most recent gift to support best-in-class faculty through these endowed professorships.

It’s our people, here on campus and beyond, that make it a great time to be Orange. They are committed to the ���ϲ����� of today, and the ���ϲ����� of tomorrow.

Welcoming to All

Maintaining a richly diverse community is a priority of so many of our donors. Their philanthropy plays a critical role in ensuring ���ϲ����� is a place that is welcoming to all. It is one of this University’s greatest strengths.

Last semester, our new vice president for diversity and inclusion, Mary Grace Almandrez, began implementing the five-year strategic plan for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Our campus celebrated the one-year anniversary of 119 Euclid, the University’s home honoring Black culture.

We dedicated Gayaneñhsä•ʔgo•nah [Guy-AH-na Set GO-na], the Onondaga Nation Memorial on Shaw Quadrangle. The installation honors over 1,000 years of Haudenosaunee history and the University’s commitment to Indigenous students.

We recognize the unique perspectives our veteran and military-connected students contribute to campus. Through the work of our Office of Veteran and Military Affairs and our Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), we are making good on the University’s goal of being the best place for vets. You may be surprised to learn that 44% of the College of Professional Studies’ online undergraduate students this fall were military-connected.

In 2023 we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the School of Education’s InclusiveU. This program has become a national model in higher education for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It’s a reminder that ���ϲ����� succeeds when we trust in faculty research and expertise.

When it comes to the important work of inclusion at ���ϲ�����, we don’t just practice what we preach. We also invest in the work, research and scholarship that leads to societal change broadly.

For example, ���ϲ�����’s Lender Center for Social Justice is conducting research on poverty, opportunity and the root causes of wealth disparity in America. In support of that work, the MetLife Foundation recently awarded the center a $2.7 million grant. With this grant, the center will convene a group of up to 25 interdisciplinary scholars, thinkers and voices. The group will focus on generational wealth disparities, income and housing, health and wellness, education and career development.

Academic Excellence

The academic excellence of this university is evident in the achievements of our students and of our faculty. ���ϲ����� has had a student named to the prestigious Marshall Scholarship four of the last five years.

Congratulations to 2023 Marshall Scholar Maggie Sardino, a senior with a double major in the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Last year the University had a record-setting number of Goldwater Scholars and an impressive 11 students named as Fulbright Scholars. This scratches the surface of deep and widespread student achievement.

Our faculty are equally accomplished. An unprecedented nine faculty members received National Science Foundation CAREER awards.

These grants provide faculty members early in their careers with critical resources to expand research and establish career-driving academic focus.

Our faculty are solving some of the world’s toughest problems. They are leading in fields with a direct impact on tomorrow. In several cases, new fields have been established based on research happening on campus.

The University launched the Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship Institute last fall. The Washington, D.C.-based institute is a joint effort of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Director Margaret Telev takes the helm this month after a distinguished 30-year career as a political journalist, CNN commentator and White House correspondent. This work is an investment in academic excellence and in the kind of strategic initiatives that propel the reputation of this great University. Further, it’s an investment in the future of our society, our democracy and our First Amendment rights.

As we look to the future, ���ϲ����� will soon have a new roadmap in place to guide us to greater levels of distinction. Next month, Provost Gretchen Ritter will deliver the initial draft of the academic strategic plan to the campus community. It’s a big undertaking, one in which so many of you have participated.

This plan’s creation was driven by community input. It doesn’t belong to me, or to the Provost, or to the deans. It belongs to and reflects all of us. I want to thank the 2,000 students, faculty and staff who provided counsel to this process. This plan will accentuate ���ϲ�����’s areas of academic distinction. It will build on those opportunities unique to this university.

Academic Excellence – Art Museum

Among the opportunities before us is expanding our vibrant artistic and cultural community. In the coming days we will launch a search for the next executive director and chief curator for the ���ϲ����� Art Museum. This individual will deliver on the museum’s mission to support original research and creative thinking that will position the University as a national leader. The person will also continue the museum’s accreditation process. This is an important step in elevating our appreciation of our spectacular collections, and affirming our commitment to excellence in the arts.

That commitment can be experienced through the extraordinary artists that choose to work with ���ϲ�����. Acclaimed artists like Rina Banerjee—the 2023 Watson Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Humanities.��Starting tomorrow, a new exhibition will open entitled “Take Me to the Palace of Love.” It explores the meaning of home in diaspora communities, and the ideas of identity, place and belonging.

I encourage everyone to take time to experience this extraordinary exhibit and the many other treasures that reside within the museum and the University’s artistic community.

Academic Excellence – Esports

Advancing academic excellence at ���ϲ����� also means forging new paths, innovating and responding to what our students want. I am excited to announce that in the Fall 2024 semester, ���ϲ����� will launch an esports major. This will be a dual program between Falk and Newhouse. Launching a robust esports major builds on the University’s excellence in sport-related programs.

In support of this extraordinary opportunity, the University will be building two new, state-of-the-art esports facilities on campus. First: a world-class esports venue will be located in the Marley building. This will be home to esports competitions as well as educational space that will support academic needs, including the new esports major.

Second: a new recreational gaming venue will be located in the Schine Student Center. This is in addition to the Esports Room in the Barnes Center. Now we will have two best-in-class spaces at the centers of student life on campus. It is what our students want, and what students of the future will expect.

With these new spaces, ���ϲ����� is putting a stake in the ground as a leader in esports education and recreation.

Club Sports

This facility will provide our esports club team and recreational gamers alike with space that is among the best on any campus.

The Esports club team will join the University’s Club Sports under a new unit within the Division of Student Experience. For thousands of our students, club sports are an enriching part of the Orange experience. With this new unit, the University will grow club sports programs, will invest in our club sports and will enhance the club sports experience for all of our students. It’s important that we recognize the dedicated achievements of our students in all areas, including club sports.

Athletics

That same spirit extends to our intercollegiate athletic programs. Though the world of college athletics is evolving, our commitment to our student-athletes remains constant. It begins by delivering an education that will serve our student-athletes long after their final competition.

I am proud to report that ���ϲ����� is in the top five among the 65 Autonomy Five Conference schools in turning athletes into alumni. Ninety-three percent of Orange student-athletes graduate within six years. Three of those programs—women’s soccer, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball—have graduated every student-athlete for at least a decade.

Among the teams with a 100% graduation rate is the Orange men’s soccer team. This team proved it has what it takes both in the classroom and on the field.

Men’s soccer brought home its first national title, winning a heart-stopping final in penalty kicks. I think it was the first time in ���ϲ����� history that fans at the Dome for a basketball game were watching soccer and not basketball! We’re incredibly proud of this team. As they like to say, they dared to dream. They made it a reality. We’re also proud of the Orange coaching staff, which was named National Staff of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches. Their inspiring season reminds us of the powerful impact sports have on the Orange experience.

We saw it again and again during multiple sold-out Orange football games at the JMA Wireless Dome this year. And, returning to a bowl game this season is such a source of Orange pride.

And with ACC play now well underway, Coach Felisha Legette-Jack and her team have ushered in a new Orange era for women’s basketball. When Coach Legette-Jack returned to her alma mater, I promised her fans would turn out. Now is the time to do so. If you haven’t been to a game yet this season, go there. This team is electric on the court. All our student-athletes and coaching staffs make us proud to be Orange.

New Leaders

Coach Legette-Jack was one of many new leaders who joined ���ϲ����� last year. And in the year ahead, we’ll have some other new faces.

In May, the University will install a new Chair of the Board of Trustees. Jeff Scruggs will be the first person of color to chair the board. He succeeds the Board’s first female chair, Kathy Walters. Though he’s not a graduate, Jeff grew up on campus. His father, Otey Scruggs, was a distinguished professor of African American history in the Maxwell School for more than 25 years. Trustee Scruggs’ background in finance and passion for our students makes him a great fit for ���ϲ�����.

Five new deans will help determine the trajectory of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Whitman School of Management, the School of Education, the School of Information Studies and the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

And finally, just last week, I announced that John Papazoglou will join the University as chief operations officer. John comes to us from Penn State University where he serves as associate vice president for auxiliary and business services. As our new chief operations officer, John will oversee dining, housing, food services and an array of units, including the University’s Minnowbrook Conference Center, the Sheraton hotel and Drumlins Country Club.

Sustainability

As we welcome new leadership to the University, I remain impressed by the leadership shown by our students. In December, the Student Association issued a climate policy report and recommendations. ���ϲ����� students led a group that includes SUNY ESF in exploring sustainability issues and pathways to a more sustainable campus.

The report has been reviewed by Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala and his team. They have met regularly with Student Association President David Bruen and other student leaders. Much of what is in the report aligns with the University’s long-term sustainability plans. The University will work with student leaders toward achieving these important goals.

I am grateful to David, and all of those who committed their time, energy and knowledge to this effort. Our students’ leadership in these efforts will lead to positive change while they are here, and when they go out into the world when they graduate.

Community Revitalization

In my very first address to this University in 2014, I said that the greatest contribution ���ϲ����� can make to this city and this region is to be a great, thriving and engaged international research university. In my nine years here, I have emphasized the University’s role in fueling the engine of public prosperity as a partner in our community’s growth.

Last fall, we realized a significant milestone in the economic resurgence of Central New York. Global microchip fabricator Micron Technology announced Central New York will be the site of its largest fabrication facility in the western hemisphere. Our community stands to benefit from a $100 billion investment over the next 20 years. ���ϲ����� was a driving force in the community team recruiting Micron to our area. And, we are a leading partner as work begins.

In December, a team of ���ϲ����� leaders, including Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie, visited Micron’s headquarters in Idaho. We did this as the University is preparing our community for transformational change through three key initiatives.

• First, Micron will support and help expand the Future Professors Fellowship Program at ���ϲ�����. This program seeks to recruit diverse faculty and establish cutting-edge research labs that will support the quantum and chips industry. This will build on changes already taking place here at Link Hall.
• Next, we have partnered with Micron in creating the ���ϲ����� Future-Ready Workforce Innovation Consortium. Through this effort, we will deliver workforce and professional training to the Central New York community. This includes a focus on preparing those in historically economically disadvantaged neighborhoods with the skills necessary for high-tech jobs
• Finally, Micron plans to hire 1,500 veterans. Micron will lean on ���ϲ����� to make it happen. The D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families will play a critical role as a pipeline for veteran talent. Micron’s first hire in our area was ���ϲ����� student-veteran Savion Pollard, a sophomore engineering major.

Veteran Summit

This is one more way that the IVMF and our Office of Veteran and Military Affairs is playing a critical role well beyond our campus.

Since the IVMF was founded more than a decade ago, “Best for Vets” has become a hallmark of this great university. Our commitment to serving those who have served has never wavered.

But to really be the best university, public or private, for veterans, we cannot be the only. We have a moral obligation to share what we have learned with others while continuing to innovate.

In April, ���ϲ����� will host a national veterans summit on campus. This first-of-its-kind event will be co-hosted by the University of Tennessee. Attending will be University presidents alongside government and military leaders. During this summit, leaders will focus on creating new and innovative pathways to education for those who are serving and those who have served.

Veterans and military-connected students are among the best of our university community. I am proud that we are hosting this summit to seek solutions to critical challenges facing our veterans and active-duty military. I am grateful to Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie for leading this important effort.

We launch a new semester on a campus that has never looked better, and continues to expand. Our faculty and their work are enhancing ���ϲ�����’s reputation and attracting scholars from around the world. Our community is on the cusp of an economic renaissance. And, ���ϲ����� is a place committed to advancing our students, building in those students a sense of belonging that stays with them long after graduation. Our powerful Orange network is engaged and giving back to make this university better than ever.

We head into the spring semester with so much positive momentum. This thriving university on a Hill is poised to push its boundaries even further. Thank you and go Orange.

“Over the last nine years, Chancellor Syverud, along with the talented leadership team he has built, has worked tirelessly to advance academic and research excellence, elevate the student experience and create a campus community that is truly welcoming to all,” says Kathy Walters ’73, chair of the Board. “He has done all this despite facing historic challenges, including a once-in-a-generation global pandemic. We are grateful for his leadership, calm under pressure and distinctive vision for the future of ���ϲ�����.”

In making this decision, the Board also cited the Chancellor’s evolving and distinctive vision for the University’s future, and the positive momentum he has built during his nine years at ���ϲ�����. Sound management of the COVID-19 crisis, the University’s strong financial standing and the transformative physical changes on campus are among the accomplishments recognized by the Board. Specifically, during his tenure, the University has:

• Reimagined and redefined the student experience with significant physical changes to the University’s campus, including the opening of the Barnes Center at The Arch, a holistic student health and wellness facility; renovating the Schine Student Center to better meet the needs of today’s students; transforming and renaming the iconic JMA Wireless Dome; and replacing a busy road with a pedestrian-friendly promenade, the Einhorn Family Walk, through the heart of campus.
• Built operating financial strength and stability: the endowment doubled to more than $1.7 billion in 2022; and launched the ongoing Forever Orange campaign, which has raised more than $1.24 billion.
• Focused on academic excellence, including hiring nearly 500 new full-time faculty since 2018 across multiple disciplines, schools and colleges and through the Cluster, Signature and Diversity Hire Programs, which together seek to advance interdisciplinary research, expand faculty diversity and strengthen the University’s global research reputation.
• Tripled enrollment of veterans and military-connected families since 2014, while simultaneously advancing key priorities in this area, including the expansion of ���ϲ�����’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families and the creation of the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, a state-of-the-art facility to house innovative military-centered programming.
• Hired the University’s inaugural chief diversity and inclusion officer and commissioned the University’s first ever Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Strategic Plan.
• Experienced record applications and enrollment, attracting an increasingly diverse and academically accomplished undergraduate student body.
• Embraced and encouraged innovation with the launch of online degrees and programs, including overseeing of ���ϲ����� Global and the first online J.D. degree program in the nation.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

We lost both a student and a trustee since our last meeting of the Senate, and I want to recognize and acknowledge them. Last weekend, I met with the family and attended the Hendricks Chapel Memorial service for Bob Sharipov, who was a junior in Falk College. He was a first-generation student, an immigrant from Brooklyn, New York. He was killed in a car accident as he was traveling home for Thanksgiving. Another ���ϲ����� student traveling with him was seriously injured in remains hospitalized. I’m just really grateful to all the folks in student experience and in Falk College who really came together to support our students and Bob’s family. I especially thank all the students who turned out on Sunday to speak about Bob at the memorial service in the middle of their exams. It meant a lot to Bob’s family.

Also, today was the funeral for Walter Broadnax, who was one of our most distinguished professors in the Maxwell School and a longtime trustee of the University. I’m proud he was my friend, and I’m very grateful to Dean David Van Slyke, who traveled and spoke at his service, which was in Washington, D.C.

This past weekend, the United States Department of Justice took into custody a man who I believe made and placed the bomb that destroyed Pan Am 103 in 1988. That’s such a significant milestone in a decades-long process to bring those responsible for the bombing to justice. I’m grateful to the law enforcement officials in both the United States and Scotland for just relentless work on this project. I know that the victim’s families, their friends and their loved ones have shown tremendous strength and determination in seeking justice for more than three decades. So, it’s really welcome news. And I note that the annual memorial service marking the Dec. 21 attack is in Hendricks Chapel on Wednesday of next week. I hope those of you who can come, will come and join at 2 p.m. on the 21st.

Finally, I just want to congratulate our student athletes and the coaches and staff on the men’s soccer team, which on Monday won the national championship and a close game against Indiana. We’re proud of their hard work. We’re proud of their success, both on and off the field. The men’s soccer team is one of 10 of our athletic teams that had a perfect graduation rate this past year.

Let me just thank everyone for a very full semester and all the work you did all semester. I hope you enjoy a well-deserved break and especially safe travels over the holidays.

“The full Board of Trustees had its November meeting on campus earlier this month. They installed five new Trustees and there’s a new Board Chair. Trustee Jeff Scruggs will be the first person of color to serve as chair of the Board of Trustees when he assumes the role at the May meeting. He has over 20 years of finance experience and currently serves as head of the public sector and infrastructure group at Goldman Sachs.

“Jeff Scruggs is not a ���ϲ����� graduate, but has a deep connection. I think some people in the meeting probably know that his father, Otey Scruggs, was a renowned professor of African American history at the Maxwell School for more than 25 years.

“Jeff Scruggs has been a strong advocate in ensuring this University is welcoming to all. He served as the co-lead of the Board’s Advisory Committee on University Climate, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility and also the Special Committee on University Climate, Diversity and Inclusion.

“The Board also reviewed the honorary degree revocation standard and process. This included consideration of the feedback provided by the University Senate Committee on Honorary Degrees, Student Association and other constituent groups.

“The Board made two revisions to the draft report. First, they clarified in the standard that lawful speech is not a valid basis for the revocation of an honorary degree. Second, they accepted the recommendation that came through the Senate to remove the world “moral” from the standard. They voted then to adopt the revised standard and process.

“Through Emily [Stokes-Rees], all of you should have received the final policy along with the report and all the comments that were received on it. The next step is for the Senate to take any steps necessary to implement the process.

“A specific petition for the revocation of an honorary degree, as I understand it, would then be submitted to the Senate Committee on Honorary Degrees. If the Senate committee advances it, it would go to the full board.

“The only other new development since the fairly recent Senate meeting is it’s been a highly successful fall season in many fall sports. That includes the men’s soccer team, which won the ACC [Atlantic Coast Conrference] championship this past weekend and is in the NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] tournament playing here this coming weekend.

“But undoubtedly our biggest success was announced today—the high graduation rate for our student-athletes. This year we achieved a 93% graduation success rate—with more than half of our teams having a 100% success rate. That ties ���ϲ����� for fifth among all 69 schools in the Power 5 conferences and is the most important thing after all.

“Just reminding everybody we have a long-standing tradition here on campus to host an annual international Thanksgiving dinner for our international students. That’s tomorrow night. Thanks for all of you who are coming and serving as hosts. It introduces the more than 600 international students who are coming to Thanksgiving traditions in this country. Thank you for participating.

“I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving next week as well.”

���ϲ����� Chancellor and President Kent Syverud was among the Central New York leaders who welcomed President Joseph R. Biden Jr. L’68; federal, state and local officials; and Micron leadership at a community event at Onondaga Community College this afternoon. President Biden, wearing a pin with both the American flag and the Orange block S flag on his suit coat, told a standing room crowd that the Micron investment is one of the most significant ever made in American history.

“This is going to ensure that the future is made in America. This is one of the bright spots around the country, and it should give us a sense of optimism and hope about who we are as a nation. … I’ve never been more optimistic in my life about America’s future. … We have entrepreneurs and people who know what they’re doing to lead us to a whole new era. I hope you feel what I feel standing here today: pride, pride in what we can do when we do it together,” the proud Orange alumnus added.

This unprecedented investment in the Central New York community presents a series of exciting opportunities for ���ϲ����� to contribute to these efforts to advance American innovation and ensure economic and national security. These initiatives include the following:

• Establishing ���ϲ�����’s Future-Ready Workforce Innovation Consortium at the College of Professional Studies. Together with the Central New York business community, trade unions, community colleges and other four-year institutions in New York State and beyond, Micron and ���ϲ����� will implement a multi-dimensional and inclusive approach to workforce development, upskilling and professional retention. The Workforce Innovation Consortium will foster an ecosystem for skills training, academic and partnership programs designed to support Micron’s workforce and talent development strategy.
• Leveraging the intellectual property and thought leadership of ���ϲ�����’s D’Aniello Institute for Veteran and Military Families (IVMF) to support Micron’s efforts to hire more than 1,500 veterans in the region over the next two decades. The IVMF will support veteran skill development for advanced manufacturing jobs and transitions into Micron and other industry roles.
• Partnering with Micron to enable ���ϲ����� to support new, diverse faculty whose research and teaching will train the workforce of the future through its Future Professors Fellowship Program. The program will focus on the quantum and chips cluster at ���ϲ�����, which is designed to enhance capacity for cutting-edge research in these domains. It will do so by adding world-class faculty, establishing facilities that serve as cutting-edge research labs, enabling experiential learning and attracting a large and diverse set of students at different stages of their educational careers to study engineering and science.
• Creating a Micron internship program designed to prepare students for full-time positions as engineers, scientists and other critical roles in the semiconductor industry. Recruitment will focus heavily on veterans and students from traditionally underrepresented communities. To initiate this program, Micron announced at today’s event that it has selected Savion Pollard ’25 as the first Micron intern hire from the ���ϲ����� veteran community. Pollard is a student in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and a U.S. Navy veteran.

During an event today, Chancellor Kent Syverud stressed the importance of ���ϲ����� and the Central New York community coming together to work nimbly and efficiently to help Micron succeed.

Speaking to the audience inside the SRC Arena at Onondaga Community College, Chancellor Syverud stressed the importance of ���ϲ����� and the CNY community coming together to work nimbly and efficiently to help Micron succeed with this investment, promising that the University community will “do our part in this work” to “assure Micron’s success and the growth of this community.”

“In partnership with Micron, our team is rolling up our sleeves and getting to work,” says Chancellor Syverud. “Already, we have several initiatives underway. These include the creation of the ���ϲ����� Future-Ready Workforce Innovation Consortium, efforts to ramp up Micron’s hiring of veterans and the further investment in the Future Professors Fellowship Program. Individually, these are great opportunities for our university and our community. Combined, they represent transformative and innovative ways to reimagine and reshape how we prepare the next generation of leaders, innovators, and disruptors.”

Micron’s investment will create 50,000 new jobs in this region, including 9,000 high-paying jobs directly with Micron. It involves $500 million in community and workforce development, focusing on assisting traditionally underrepresented and disadvantaged populations while training or retraining workers in our community. Micron’s historic investment was made possible by the passage of New York’s Green CHIPS legislation and the bipartisan federal CHIPS and Science Act, signed into law in August by President Biden to increase the country’s production of semiconductors while fueling efforts to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.

Site preparation is set to begin next year, with construction starting in 2024 and production in volume beginning after 2025.

In the last month, we have hosted more than 1,500 alumni for a successful Orange Central reunion weekend. We had more than 7,000 family members for Family Weekend, the largest ever. And, we have had major speakers on campus, including Representative Liz Cheney, and an incredible array of classes, events, research and performances. Last week I taught 51 students all day Saturday and Sunday—they were from six schools and colleges, graduate and undergraduate students. They came from 12 countries and spoke more than 20 languages. And, it was among the finest group of students I have taught in 35 years. I feel very fortunate to teach here.

The biggest news from the last month is the announcement by Micron Technology at ���ϲ�����’s D’Aniello Building. Micron is building the largest semiconductor fabrication facility in the U.S. here in Central New York. This megafab, as Micron Technology refers to it, will include the nation’s largest cleanroom, which is the size of 40 football fields.

This is a $100B investment in our community—the largest private investment in the history of the state of New York. It will create 50,000 new jobs in this region, including 9,000 high-paying jobs directly with Micron. This involves $500M in education alone to train or retrain workers in our community.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring an economic resurgence to Central New York. The University was a key part of the team that recruited Micron Technology to our area. I am really grateful to everyone in our community who played a role in attracting Micron. For the University that included Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie; Provost Gretchen Ritter; Dean Cole Smith from Engineering and Computer Science; Dean David Seaman, currently both dean of Libraries and the interim dean of the iSchool; Vice President for Research Duncan Brown and Vice President for Community Engagement and Government Relations Cydney Johnson, among others.

It really is a tremendous opportunity for ���ϲ����� too. In courting Micron, our team demonstrated how the University can be a partner in many critical ways. These include collaborating on new research and development efforts, student internships, student success initiatives, creating a pipeline of capable and talented workers, and building the infrastructure to prepare our community for jobs in new and evolving technology fields.

I’ve spoken a lot in the last couple of years about the importance of being entrepreneurial in all we do. This is really time to put that approach into action. We must move quickly and creatively to realize the full potential of this opportunity. How prepared and proactive we are as a university will have a direct impact on our success and the success of the region. I think we can do this well. I’ve created a program office to coordinate all our Micron-related efforts at the University. Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie will serve as executive leader.

The program office will run point on all coordination with Micron from research to educational training to community relations. At the same time, Provost Gretchen Ritter, who you will hear from next, will be working on advancing academic and research opportunities with our Micron counterparts. Our hope is to make collaborating with ���ϲ����� simple for Micron, and to build on the successful partnership we’ve already established over the last few months.

Next, I’d like to address employee benefits. Open enrollment begins in five days on Halloween on Oct. 31. This year, unusually high inflation is impacting just about everything in this country, including health care costs and benefits costs. For this year’s open enrollment that created a challenge. Because of my experience with benefits changes last year, I sought counsel on how to manage benefits changes differently going forward. If we follow past practice and process and apply the standard agreed algorithm used to determine the employee contribution rate for employee health insurance this year, it would have resulted in very significant double digit increases in health premiums and contributions by all our staff. After in the last month consulting with some deans, some faculty experts and staff in the budget office, I have concluded those increases are untenable for our people and particularly for our lowest paid staff. I understand the increasing pressure inflation has had on our employees and their families. As a result, I have directed Human Resources to do two things. First, to invest an additional $1M this year to offset rising health care costs for this year. Doing this has lessened the overall impact of what would have been double digit increases. As a result:

• For Schedule A employees, the individual coverage increase will be less than 5%, and the family coverage increase will be less than 8%.
• For Schedule B employees, the changes will be even more helpful. Schedule B provides lower cost insurance to our staff who meet lower income thresholds. For Schedule B employees, the increase will be less than 4% for all plans.
• After listening to faculty expertise, and I’m very grateful for it, the University is also expanding Schedule B eligibility by raising the income limits for those who qualify.
• I’ve also asked Provost Ritter to use part of the extra funding to work with Human Resources to explore expanded support and coverage for part-time faculty as well.
• Finally, I have checked very carefully and been assured that there will be no increases in deductibles, co-pays and coinsurance regardless of your plan selection this year.

That is the first step I have directed, albeit late in the process of preparing for open enrollment. You will receive more detailed information about open enrollment and 2023 benefits in the coming days. Nevertheless, this has not been an ideal process. The second step is that I have directed Human Resources to work with leadership and through the University leadership and the University Senate and its committees and appropriate other bodies to refine the process of how health care benefits and changes in them are determined. I would like changes in that process be made on a timely basis so that new process can be in place by the end of this academic year and inform next year’s open enrollment.

Later on the agenda, we have the honorary degree revocation proposal, which is in draft. I drafted it at the charge of the Board of Trustees. I thank many of you who have provided input on this standard of process already and the University Senate Committee on Honorary Degrees, which comprehensively debated it and we may hear from a little more later. I welcome questions and discussion later in this meeting.

We’ll do an executive summary of all the feedback we’ve gotten. That will go to the full Board of Trustees with the current draft for the Nov. 4 meeting. I will provide an update on the board actions at the Nov. 16 University Senate meeting.

Finally, I’d like to recognize all the student-athletes who had a pretty amazing fall season. The Orange men’s soccer team clinched the Atlantic Division title and are currently ranked fourth in the country. The women’s field hockey team finish the regular season undefeated at home and ranked ninth in the country. The men’s and women’s cross country teams are going to the ACC championships on Friday. Both teams are nationally ranked in the top 15.

And, ���ϲ����� Football is having its best season in 35 years, currently ranked 16th in the country. We are taking on Notre Dame this weekend. There must be somebody on this call who didn’t know that. It will be a sold-out game, the second this season.

It has been an incredibly busy and productive semester. We have much to be proud of and excited about for the future of ���ϲ�����. Thank you.

���ϲ����� was the site of a historic announcement today by Micron Technology, which will invest $100 billion to build a semiconductor fabrication facility in the Town of Clay. From left are Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, Chancellor Kent Syverud, New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul and Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra. (Photo by Ross Knight)

Earlier today, ���ϲ����� was the site of a historic announcement of a transformational investment by Micron Technology in the Central New York region: a $100 billion semiconductor fabrication facility in the Town of Clay—the largest investment and facility of its kind in the United States. Officials with Micron announced plans to build a leading-edge memory fab in New York state this morning during an event in the K.G. Tan Auditorium, at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, home of the National Veterans Resource Center.

Micron Technology Inc. is one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies and the only U.S.-based manufacturer of memory. The new megafab will increase domestic supply of leading-edge memory and create tens of thousands of new jobs. It is the largest private investment in New York state history.

Chancellor Kent Syverud welcomed Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra and several local, state and federal government representatives for this significant announcement that will impact the region and state for generations to come. The investment will create the largest-ever cleanroom space announced in the U.S., creating nearly 50,000 New York jobs over more than 20 years. Those include 9,000 new high-paying Micron jobs and over 40,000 community jobs, including suppliers, contractors and other supporting roles.

In August, President Joe Biden L’68 signed off on the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which will increase the country’s production of semiconductors while fueling efforts to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.

“I am grateful to President Biden and his administration for making the CHIPS and Science Act a priority, to Senator Schumer and a bipartisan coalition in Congress for passing the legislation, and to Governor Hochul and County Executive McMahon for the local and state partnerships that made this investment possible. Micron will leverage the diverse, highly educated and skilled talent in New York as we look to build our workforce in the Empire State,” said Mehrotra in a . “This historic leading-edge memory megafab in central New York will deliver benefits beyond the semiconductor industry by strengthening U.S. technology leadership as well as economic and national security, driving American innovation and competitiveness for decades to come.”

At today’s event with Micron Technology, Chancellor Syverud recognized the critical efforts of local and state leaders to help bring Micron to the area. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

At today’s event, Chancellor Syverud recognized the critical efforts of U.S. Sen.��Charles E. Schumer, New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul ’80 and County Executive Ryan McMahon, all of whom participated in the event’s speaking program, to help bring Micron to the area. Also in attendance were U.S. Rep. John Katko, ���ϲ����� Mayor Ben Walsh and CenterState CEO President Rob Simpson.

“Micron’s $100 billion investment in New York marks the start of something transformative in scale and possibility for our state’s economic future. I promised that we would jumpstart the economy by being the most business-friendly and worker-friendly state in the nation, and thanks to our State Green CHIPS legislation, the federal CHIPS and Science Act, and extraordinary partnerships with business, labor, and local and federal leaders, this project will do exactly that,” Gov. Hochul said in a . “Together, we are leveraging this investment—the largest private-sector investment in state history—to secure our economic future, solidify New York’s standing as a global manufacturing hub, and usher the state into another Industrial Revolution.”

���ϲ����� was chosen as the site of today’s announcement because of the University’s deep connections and commitment to the Central New York region.

In a message to the Orange community, Chancellor Syverud said: “This is a proud moment for our University. ���ϲ�����’s academic, economic, cultural and civic contributions to Central New York are among the factors that attracted Micron to our area. The opportunity for collaboration—across all facets of our University—is significant. From internship and career opportunities for our students and alumni, respectively, to interdisciplinary research opportunities, educational programs, veterans initiatives, community building, engagement and investment, and economic development, Micron will quickly become one of our region’s greatest partners and a key driver of Central New York’s long-term prosperity.”

Micron selected the New York site based on the state’s leading higher education institutions, access to talent traditionally underrepresented in technology jobs and a significant military population aligned with Micron’s commitment to veteran hiring. The site also offers access to water and clean, reliable power to enable a project of this scale while achieving the company’s long-term environmental goals.

Micron and the state of New York will also invest a historic $500 million in community and workforce development with a focus on disadvantaged populations over the duration of the project. Reflecting the company’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, Micron’s New York plans include initiatives to address economic disparities and accelerate economic opportunity for underserved communities in the semiconductor industry. Micron aims to hire a diverse workforce for both direct roles as well as broader construction ecosystem jobs.

I write today with great excitement and optimism for the future—not only for ���ϲ�����, but for the entire Central New York community. Earlier today, ���ϲ����� was proud to host leaders from Micron Technology as they announced a historic investment of up to $100 billion in Central New York over the next 20-plus years. This investment includes constructing a high-volume, leading-edge, semiconductor memory manufacturing site in Clay. The facility will create nearly 50,000 New York jobs, inclusive of approximately 9,000 high-paying Micron jobs, in a variety of disciplines, including construction, technical and engineering, and other supporting roles. The economic potential is extraordinary.

This is a proud moment for our University. ���ϲ�����’s academic, economic, cultural and civic contributions to Central New York are among the factors that attracted Micron to our area. The opportunity for collaboration—across all facets of our University—is significant. From internship and career opportunities for our students and alumni, respectively, to interdisciplinary research opportunities, educational programs, veterans initiatives, community building, engagement and investment, and economic development, Micron will quickly become one of our region’s greatest partners and a key driver of Central New York’s long-term prosperity.

In recent weeks, I have had the pleasure of getting to know the Micron team and learning about their vision for this new endeavor. What impressed me the most is their commitment to getting to know US and OUR community. They’ve shown special interest in the arts and culture, quality of life, caliber of local schools, and the potential that ���ϲ����� and others hold for a powerful workforce pipeline. I am grateful to U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, ���ϲ����� Mayor Ben Walsh and many others, for paving the way to make this day a reality.

Today’s announcement represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our region and our people. Micron’s commitment to Central New York means new jobs, new community investment, new partnerships and new opportunity—for all. This is a transformational moment for Central New York and for ���ϲ�����. I have never been more optimistic about our future.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Kent Syverud

Thank you.

We are in the fourth week of the fall semester and off to a strong start. For the first time in several years, it feels almost like the start of a typical year.

Our campus is in great shape thanks to our facilities team that worked all summer to make a number of improvements. The first of several transformative research laboratory renovations are underway at both Link Hall and the Center for Science and Technology. Maybe the most noticeable change is our new gateway to campus on Waverly Avenue between Schine and Newhouse. The entry features a new sign and enhances accessibility by replacing stairs with wheelchair-friendly walkways. Accessibility updates also were completed to the Link Hall Allyn Innovation Center entrances.

The University is also in the final stages of completing the Onondaga Nation Memorial on Shaw Quadrangle. The commissioned artwork of native artist Brandon Lazore was installed this summer. I hope you will join us later this semester at the dedication ceremony. We’ll get the details of that out to you as soon as it is available.

In May after the last meeting of the Senate, we entered into a new naming partnership at the Dome with JMA Wireless, a local 5G technology company with international reach. The new JMA Wireless global headquarters and its expanding manufacturing facility are just down the Hill from the Dome. And, it is helping to revitalize downtown ���ϲ�����. As part of the agreement, JMA will upgrade the stadium with the latest 5G technology. When complete, the JMA Wireless Dome will be the most networked stadium on a U.S. college campus. I think this partnership will transform the experience in the stadium. The improvements will help draw more high-profile events to campus, such as the recent Elton John concert, which just concluded.

This summer the University made changes to realign public safety and Title IX operations The realignment was based on very extensive feedback from students, faculty and staff. Today, both the Department of Public Safety and the new Student Title IX team now report to the Division of Student Experience. The new Faculty/Staff Title IX team will continue to report to Human Resources. The goal of this is to tailor our prevention and response strategies and to better support and advocate on behalf of our students, faculty and staff.

There have been some new leaders since Commencement. We welcomed in June Mary Grace Almandrez, who started as the new vice president for diversity and inclusion. Her enthusiasm and approach have proven to be a great fit for ���ϲ����� already.

She is overseeing and helping facilitate the implementation of the five-year strategic diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility plan. If you haven’t had the opportunity to get to know her, you will learn later in this meeting she is an extraordinary and great addition to ���ϲ�����.

Brett Padgett is our new senior vice president and chief financial officer. He also started on Sept. 1. He comes from the University of Chicago, where he most recently served as interim vice president and chief financial officer. Brett has more than two decades of experience in financial administration and a Navy veteran.

Professor Mary Graham has been selected as the University’s new faculty athletic representative. For a decade, she has served as professor of sport management in Falk College and as affiliated faculty member in Whitman. ��Many of you know her from her work with the Senate. In this new role, she will serve as an advisor to me and the provost on the student-athlete experience and as a liaison between academics and athletics, including to the NCAA and to the ACC. Mary succeeds Rick Burton, who served in this role since 2014. My thanks to Rick for his many years of service and thoughtful guidance through a time of great change in athletics.

I want to update the Senate on benefits issues because these matters were much discussed in the Senate last year. A lot has changed both at the University and in the world since we last discussed these issues.

First, as to retirement benefits. As some of you will recall, after listening to concerns in the Senate, I suspended the implementation of changes to our retirement benefits that would have required newly hired employees to choose to contribute some of their own compensation in order to qualify for a University 10% match. Senators expressed many concerns, including how this change would in fact play out for our lowest compensated new staff members.

Over the summer I decided to suspend indefinitely this change to our retirement benefits. The data I have now reviewed does not convince me that the proposed change will not have adverse effects on the retirement savings of our lowest paid employees. And we are in a time of staffing shortages where I believe the highest priority should be recruiting and retaining new staff.

The other benefits issue was health insurance contributions, which is particularly salient now because open enrollment is coming up on us beginning at the end of October. We at SU have very good health benefits, including compared to almost all our private university peers. They are so good that we faced a problem in that other employers in ���ϲ�����, and particularly new private employers, have strong incentives to have two employee couples insured by SU rather than by them. We were in a gradual process of adjusting our family contributions to lessen this incentive, which in turn caused contributions to rise for family coverage. That was the issue we discussed last year. It is still an issue of concern to me and still an issue of concern to the Provost.

But again, a lot has changed in the last year. In particular, for the last five years we have been able to keep increases to individual employee contributions for health insurance very low—indeed, at zero for three of the last five years. This year, we are seeing rapid inflation in health care costs, like almost every other cost. If we were to apply our traditional process and algorithm, that would call for very substantial increases in health insurance contributions across the board this year.

We are still working on what to do about this. All I can report today is what I am carefully considering in this area. First, I am considering, in this unique time of staff hardships and staff shortages, having the University absorb a substantial share of the increased costs that our algorithm would otherwise assign to each employee. Second, I believe it is time to expand our schedule B eligibility. Schedule B is the lower cost schedule for health insurance for our lowest paid employees. I believe the income threshold for schedule B probably needs to be raised.

We will need to make these decisions in the next few weeks, and we will be reaching out to some of you for counsel in that time frame. Those interested in providing that counsel, I would like to hear from soon.

Next, I’d like to provide a brief update on our key metrics for the fiscal year end close. The fiscal year of the University closes on June 30. ���ϲ����� is in better shape than most of our peer institutions coming out of the pandemic. Fiscal year 2022 was one of our strongest fundraising years in school history. We exceeded our cash flow goal by more than 150%. The Forever Orange Campaign just passed the $1.2 billion toward its $1.5 billion goal.

For the budget, we ended FY22 with a small surplus after two years of small deficits during COVID. Our endowment is down just slightly despite the turbulent market. That compares favorably with most of our peers.

Turning to enrollment, we have one of the largest entering first-year undergraduate classes ever. The fall census numbers will be finalized tomorrow but we are at approximately 4,100 new first-year students, about 400 over our goal. We had record applications. Although we admitted fewer students, we had a record number of students who accepted. We had lower summer melt than our modeling predicted, meaning more of the people we got deposits from really intended to come here. We were a first choice school.

The ultimate result is that ���ϲ����� was the first choice for a lot of students—more than we expected. That’s a great thing, but 400 more students that we expected is a challenge. And it is a challenge for lots of teams across the University.

I want to recognize the really heroic work of our deans, our academic affairs team, our leaders in student experience, in housing and facilities to get additional courses scheduled and staffed and to get housing identified so that all entering student will have the quality first-year experience we expect.

The team decided the top priority was keeping our first-year students together and on main campus. To do that DellPlain was converted to an all first-year residence hall. That meant moving 200 sophomores elsewhere who had previously selected rooms in DellPlain in the lottery, and that was upsetting to them. They were given four housing options, including the Sheraton, the newly purchased Marley Building—which has a floor of residence in it, a former sorority house on Walnut Street and University Village Apartments. Ninety percent of the sophomores got their first-choice alternatives. While they were not all happy with this change, I think the teams did their best to provide what our first-year students should reasonably expect, while accommodating our returning students. I’m grateful to everyone who helped with this effort.

My final report before I turn it over to the Provost and then take questions is on the Senate resolution last spring to revoke the honorary degree of Rudy Giuliani, which was awarded in 1989. Like all degrees, only the full Board of Trustees has the power to approve or revoke honorary degrees. I brought the resolutions from the University Senate as well as the Student Association and the Graduate Student Organization to the full Board of Trustees in the May meeting. The board discussed the issue and charged me with recommending a standard and process for revoking an honorary degree.

Over the summer, I worked with our legal counsel, our audit, our archives and others to research ���ϲ�����’s history and the processes in place at peer institutions. With the help of Gabe Coleman and Abby Perer here today, I drafted a very substantial report regarding honorary degree revocation, which I provided to the Executive Committee and was discussed last Friday.

To summarize quickly what the report shows, it shows that in our 152-year history, only two degrees had been revoked—both earned degrees. One was a Ph.D. revoked for plagiarism in a doctoral dissertation. The other was an undergraduate degree revoked based on fraud in an application. We did not find any evidence of an honorary degree being revoked.

The report I submitted recommends a process to revoke honorary degrees that largely follows the same process used to award a degree. The Board requested I share this report with the University Senate, Student Association and Graduate Student Organization for comment. It has today been issued publicly to those groups, I ask that comments be provided by the Oct. 26, 2022, Senate meeting, including at that meeting. The report and all comments will be referred to the full Board and discussed at the November Board meeting, which is on Nov. 4. ��The Senate also may need to amend some of the bylaws in order to implement it.

Once the process and standard are in place for revocation of an honorary degree, that process and standard would be applied to the Rudy Giuliani case. I think it is important that we look at this process as a whole and be careful, but I think there’s a way forward provided in the report. There are also some issues embedded here that are covered in the report that I think people will want to discuss. And I’d like the benefit of that discussion to go to the full board on Nov. 4. I encourage you to read that and make comments either directly to me or through the Senate processes, including at the Senate meeting on Oct. 26. I suspect that the Student Association and the Graduate Student Organization may also want to review and comment.

Those are my updates. It is good to see you all back. Thanks for getting us to this point.

The first: Come as you are.

“If you have not figured it out yet, you will pretty soon: there is no one way of thinking, no one way of dressing, no one person who is the ‘normal’ here. People are unique and amazing and dazzlingly different,” Chancellor Syverud said to the 4,000-plus new undergraduates and their families in the JMA Wireless Dome Thursday, Aug. 25.

“Given that there is no ‘normal’ here, why not try just being yourself? Not the image of perfection that appears on social media; not the identical replica of someone else, but just be you,” he said. “I believe you will find that if you come as you are here, you will become Orange.”

The second: Become more at ���ϲ�����.

Chancellor Kent Syverud addresses new students during Convocation Aug. 25. (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

“That’s the common thread in every speech you are hearing this week. You have a chance that has been denied to so many people in this world: a chance to be part of a great university,” Chancellor Syverud said. “What a waste, if you end up here without learning and doing and becoming more than you are now. So please, become more here, in your own unique and defining way.”

New students were officially welcomed to the University during New Student Convocation—an academic program with leadership and faculty progressing into the JMA Dome with full regalia—kicking off the academic year. A highlight of ���ϲ����� Welcome, it’s both the first time new students gather together as a class and a bookend to the next time they will all be together in the JMA Dome: Commencement.

Chancellor Syverud also shared his congratulations to the parents and families of those students who are now ���ϲ����� Orange.

“We know how much you have poured into these entering students, who are now adults. We know you want to continue to be there for them in different ways—ways that match the need for these adults to start off on their own in a great university,” Chancellor Syverud said. “We know the treasure you have entrusted to us, and so many of us take that responsibility very seriously.”

, encouraged the new class to boldly follow their creativity and remember a quote from philosopher and educator John Dewey: “Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination.”��

“Dewey believed—and I believe—that imagination is a vehicle for learning in all fields: from science and math, to politics and literature, to art and music,” Ritter said. “And audacity is the courage to stretch your thinking beyond the boundaries of current understanding.”

During New Student Convocation Aug. 25, Gretchen Ritter, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer, encouraged new students to boldly follow their creativity.

The determined charge of “Go Orange” empowers students with the freedom to be bold.

“It’s the rallying cry to explore the far reaches of your imagination—with audacity,” Ritter said. “We need your brave creativity to envision a world that provides economic opportunity to talented strivers of all backgrounds and abilities.”

Among other speakers, Allen Groves, senior vice president and chief student experience officer, and Marcelle Haddix, associate provost for strategic initiatives and Dean’s Professor of Literacy, Race and Justice, also shared remarks with students.

Before Convocation ended, students sang the alma mater, swaying arm in arm with their fellow students, ready for their academic career at ���ϲ����� to begin.

Brett Padgett

“Brett is an outstanding leader with an impressive depth and breadth of experience in finance administration,” says Chancellor Syverud. “His deep understanding of fiscal management in higher education, his track record of success aligning resources with strategic priorities and his military service will serve ���ϲ����� well in fulfilling its mission and achieving ambitious goals in the coming years. I am looking forward to welcoming him to the Orange community.”

Padgett comes to ���ϲ����� from the University of Chicago, where he is currently associate vice president for finance. In this position, Padgett is responsible for accounting and financial reporting; financial planning and analysis; payroll and human resources services; procurement and payment services; and treasury. While at the University of Chicago, he also served as interim vice president and chief financial officer from July 2021-April 2022.

“I am excited about joining ���ϲ����� at a time when financial planning, resource investment and innovative thinking must be aligned to tackle the many opportunities in higher education,” says Padgett. “I have been impressed with the dedication and passion of the leadership team in their determination to remain focused on delivering on the University’s mission and vision in the midst of change and growth.”

In his new role, Padgett will oversee the financial well-being of ���ϲ�����, working closely with Chancellor Syverud to proactively position the University to navigate a dynamic financial landscape, optimize resources and investments, and align the budget model in support of the University’s core mission of academic excellence.

During the last five years at the University of Chicago, Padgett led the development of a new long-term financial forecast model for the university. He was engaged in campus land-use and planning, was responsible for the university’s banking relationships and led multiple departments with a total of more than 475 employees. Prior to his work with the university, Padgett was an investment banker for more than two decades, handling complex municipal finances throughout the Midwest. During this time, he worked at Citigroup and JPMorgan/Banc One Capital Markets, and he previously served in the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant in Special Operations.

Padgett earned a master of business administration from the University of Notre Dame and a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He also attended U.S. Navy Schools in Charleston, South Carolina; Newport, Rhode Island; Athens, Georgia; Panama City, Florida; and Coronado, California.

Padgett was selected by the search committee after an extensive, national search that yielded a diversely talented pool of applicants. The search committee, chaired by Chancellor Syverud, included Steven Barnes ’82, chairman emeritus, Board of Trustees;��Gretchen Ritter, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer; J. Michael Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation; Candace Campbell Jackson, senior vice president and chief of staff; Elisabeth “Lisa” Fontenelli ’86, University Trustee, former Board of Trustees Finance Committee chair and Whitman Advisory Council chair; Edward J. Pettinella G’76, Board of Trustees vice chair and Board Audit and Risk Committee chair; Jeffrey M. Scruggs, Board of Trustees Finance Committee chair and Maxwell Advisory Board member; and Professor Emily Stokes-Rees, director of the School of Design, College of Visual and Performing Arts.

“I want to thank fellow members of the search committee for their leadership and work in identifying an outstanding pool of candidates,” says Chancellor Syverud. “I also want to thank Gwenn Judge for serving as interim CFO since July of 2021. Gwenn has shepherded the University’s finances with great care through challenging times, and I am grateful for her service to ���ϲ�����.”

This weekend, we all were horrified to learn of the 10 lives that were stolen in an act fueled by hatred and racism. In this case, it hits especially close to home, impacting our neighbors in Western New York in a predominantly Black community. Among the victims of this mass shooting are two residents from Central New York—one from ���ϲ����� and another from Auburn. For their loved ones, the loss of these 10 individuals is incalculable. The hatred that emboldened this violence is incomprehensible. The ideology of white supremacy that led to this horrific violence is repugnant beyond words.

I know the Orange community shares my anger and deep sadness. Our hearts are with those individuals and families impacted by this senseless loss of life, as well as the entire Buffalo community.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Kent Syverud

���ϲ����� Chancellor and President Kent Syverud addressed the Class of 2022 during Commencement exercises.

“Today, I ask that we all thank in particular one subset of our Orange community. These last two years have been extraordinarily challenging for the world, and for every university in the world. In so many college towns in this country, things fell apart. It was not possible to continue in-person instruction and activities. But that did not happen in ���ϲ�����. In this place, our community came together in support of this university, and this university came together in support of this community,” Chancellor Syverud said.

“You have done wondrous things here in the most challenging of times. We all have faith you will do marvelous things in the future. Please aim high. And as always, go Orange!” Chancellor Syverud said in concluding his remarks.

David Muir, one of the most highly respected journalists in the country, has covered the issues that challenged us over the last four years: the COVID-19 pandemic; a national reckoning around race and social justice; a rise in hate crimes against some of the most marginalized communities; the war in Ukraine, and more.

Echoing what would be the two major themes of the day, Muir both lauded the resolve and determination of the nearly 6,500 students who had their degrees conferred inside the stadium—“you soldiered through, you kept all the noise at bay and you kept going”—and issued yet another challenge to the resolute Class of 2022.

“We’re all counting on you. In this moment we have never been in greater need of a generation of thinkers, of doers, of change-makers than we are right now. … Young people who care about themselves but also about their neighbors, their communities, the world. … There’s simply too much at stake for us not to care. Every single one of you here today has the power to have a profound impact on the world around us,” Muir said.

Members of the Class of 2022 listen to the Commencement address from “ABC World News Tonight” anchor David Muir.

A ���ϲ����� native, to millions of people each night as the anchor of “ABC World News Tonight with David Muir,” and is also co-anchor of ABC’s “20/20.”

It’s a path Muir has been on since he was 14 years old, when, as “the only kid in the neighborhood watching the evening news,” he began writing letters to the reporters and news anchors in town. That determination opened doors for Muir, who soon became a familiar face in ���ϲ����� newsrooms.

Once he walked through that door, “I never left. Summer breaks, school vacations, I’d be in the back of the news cruisers wherever they would take me. The snowstorms, ���ϲ����� City Hall, the Great New York State Fair, I remember it all. Every story, every moment, they were such defining moments, they are etched in my mind,” Muir said.

As a teenager, Muir admired the broadcasting style of “ABC World News Tonight” anchor Peter Jennings, and he would one day go on to hold down the same network anchor seat as Jennings as the voice and face of ABC’s network news coverage.

Commencement is a time to celebrate, but it’s also a time of great uncertainty. While Muir admitted it’s easy to become overwhelmed pondering that next chapter, he offered some advice to help these Orange graduates find their own door.

David Muir addressing ���ϲ�����’s Class of 2022 during Commencement.

“You have a gift within you already. You just have to discover it. I’m here to encourage you to find that dream and then to chase it. … Think about something you’re passionate about, that excites you, fuels you, challenges you, and then just follow the path. Don’t worry about the fear. You should never worry about the fear. You should worry if there is no fear because fear is proof that you’re still testing yourself, you’re still learning,” Muir said.

Marveling at the “extraordinary achievement” and the resiliency displayed by the Class of 2022 in earning their degrees, ���ϲ����� Chancellor and President Kent Syverud credited the hard work, determination and dedication of the graduates while setting the bar high for their successes once they leave campus.

“You have done wondrous things here. You will do marvelous things in the future. Please aim high. And always, go Orange,”��Chancellor Syverud said.

Three students with ties to the Central New York area—Lia Diaz Marrero ’22, who earned an international relations degree from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs; Nathan Redmond ’22, who earned a health and exercise science degree from the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics; and Victoria Baratta ’22, who earned a psychology degree from the College of Arts and Sciences through the College of Professional Studies—received recognition from Chancellor Syverud during his Commencement remarks.

Baratta’s story drew a standing ovation from the stadium crowd, as her degree marked the completion of a journey started 20 years ago. Baratta, a U.S. Army veteran, pursued her degree while working full-time as one of the first Black female police officers in the ���ϲ����� Police Department.

These students from Central New York were referenced to demonstrate how “this university is more a part of this community, and this community is more a part of this university, than at most places,” according to Syverud, who thanked the Central New York community and the ���ϲ����� community for rallying around each other and responding to the challenges of the last few years.

“In so many college towns in this country, things fell apart. It was not possible to continue in-person instruction and activities. But that did not happen in ���ϲ�����. In this place, our community came together in support of this University, and this University came together in support of this community. Our people, our institutions, our colleges, Upstate Medical University, our hospitals, our county and city governments, our neighbors—all of us pulled together and helped this University so that you could have a university experience this last two years,” Syverud said.

“Anyone who has ever stepped on this ���ϲ����� campus knows that in this community, we get through these times together,” Muir echoed in agreement.

Blazing your path. Pursuing your dreams. Making your world a better place. Finding your door. Valuable advice to the Class of 2022 from a Central New York native who set out to make his mark on this world from an early age.

As you heard, Provost Ritter isn’t able to join us today. She’s actually leading the accreditation or the evaluation of another great academic institution. And that’s a very important task. She asked me to share her gratitude to all of the senators for your commitment to our university, and your generosity and engagement with her during her first year at the University.

There are now 32 days left until Commencement. And it’s 78 degrees as I speak in ���ϲ�����. And that means that the next month is going to be very intense and very fast. And the temperature on Commencement day could be anywhere from 50 degrees colder to 20 degrees hotter—for those of you who haven’t experienced ���ϲ����� during the last month of the semester. We began the semester by changing the academic calendar to safely respond to the omicron surge. There have been a lot of changing situations since then, but I think we are ready to power through to the end of the academic year. And I thank you for that.

We’ve welcomed two new leaders to ���ϲ����� since we last met. At our last meeting, there was a specific question about the women’s basketball coach search, so I’ll start there. We are pleased to welcome back our alumna, and our first female student-athlete to have her jersey retired, Felisha Legette-Jack. Coach Legette-Jack comes to us from the University at Buffalo, where she spent 10 seasons building a strong program. I look forward to the upcoming season with her at the helm and seeing you at women’s basketball games. I also want to officially welcome Craig Stone to campus. He started on April 1 and has hit the ground running in his new role as associate vice president and chief of Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services. If you haven’t had the chance yet to meet Craig, I encourage you to reach out and introduce yourself.

Now, to updates. We’ll cover a couple of other topics but first let me talk about benefits.

On the subject of faculty and staff benefits, at the last Senate meeting, I shared that the University would be working with the appropriate Senate committees and groups to engage on this issue carefully and thoughtfully before any more changes are made. In the three weeks since that meeting, I understand that Andy Gordon has given fairly lengthy and detailed answers to questions about the retirement and health benefits issues that were submitted by the University Senate Committee on Services to Faculty and Staff. There was a lot to digest and it’s fairly recently been provided. I understand that the committee was not ready to meet with the HR team last week, and will do so in the near future.

So, where we stand right now with regard to retirement benefits is, as of today, there is still more that needs to be studied and understood and discussed. And I’m not satisfied that we have the right answer yet. As I have said before, no changes will be made until I am satisfied that has happened. It is important to take steps to help employees secure a strong retirement savings. At the same time, we need to be sure we are offering competitive benefits as compared to our peers on the health benefits issues.

I understand that the changes continue to raise questions for some faculty and staff. For this reason, I will await the further information that we receive from our outside actuaries over the summer and from consultations that are going on, including with the relevant folks in the Senate before making any decisions on health care contributions.

At our first Senate meeting in the fall, I will discuss the results of our actuarial information and issues about health plan costs for the November Open Enrollment period.

Finally, as I referenced in the last Senate meeting, I would like to evaluate further changes to selection and charges for the committees that assist us in providing feedback about benefits plans. I will be looking for experts both from within the University and from externally who can better provide feedback on proposed changes and our values related to them going forward, and hope to have that in place to report on it in the September meeting as well.

As we wrap up a semester where we’ve asked for flexibility and patience—as we have for the last two years—I want to talk a little bit about the in-person experience going forward and what to expect.

COVID will be with us for a long time, as an endemic illness like the flu. It’s not going to end at a set date and for certain, we are not going to have a victory dance. It is going to subside into an endemic situation that at various times will concern us more and at other times will fade into the background. We have proven that the University can make the right decisions when the latest public health guidance, science and data are available to us. I do want to emphasize that ���ϲ����� is now moving forward from a pandemic to endemic public health management.

And what that means is that we have a very concrete sense that all of us have sacrificed a lot in recent years. Juniors on this campus have never known what we’d call an entirely “normal” spring semester. Our students have been patient. Our students have largely followed the many extra protocols, rules and requirements we’ve requested and required. I’d say that going forward out of respect for that, we should all plan to provide out students all the experiences every ���ϲ����� student expects and deserves.

Over the past two years we have continually asked ourselves “can we do this?” As a university, we’ve shown that we can. Sometimes we have been able to do things that other universities haven’t and we’ve shown a lot of grit and grace. I think we should assume this will continue. We will conclude this spring semester safely and nimbly. I suspect there could be changes up and down depending on the circumstances, but I think we should all plan to have a normal fall semester in fall 2022 with all the academic and extracurricular activities that define the Orange experience.

Since Provost Ritter can’t be with us today, she asked me to give a brief update on the Academic Strategic Plan refresh. The Academic Strategic Plan Preparation Group represents almost every college and school. They have been meeting weekly to plan how to accomplish broad engagement with stakeholders across campus once the planning process kicks off. The provost has set out an aggressive timeline for completing the refresh. The goal is a process that results in a plan that is in place by the end of the Fall 2022 semester.

I’ll turn to some outstanding achievements from members of our community. Eight faculty members—so ��far—have been awarded prestigious CAREER grants from the National Science Foundation.

Our students are also doing very well this year competing for prestigious scholarships and fellowships. We have a record-breaking three Goldwater Scholars.

Our students have also earned other notable and competitive awards. Among them, a winner of a Hollings scholarship from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and a prestigious Beinecke Scholarship winner. We should all be proud of these accomplished members of our community.

We can also take great pride in the many people from across our campus who do things big and small that make ���ϲ����� thrive. We will celebrate many of them next week at the One University Awards on April 22 at 4 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel. This year, in addition to recognizing the 2021 class of emeriti faculty that I hope this body will approve later in this meeting, we’ll recommend service awards for countless faculty and staff who stuck with us through thick and thin throughout the pandemic. We will formally install Bea González as the University mace bearer.

We will also recognize individuals who have made an extraordinary impact on the University and our broader community. This will include presenting the Forever Orange Award to Patricia Burak and Father Gerry Waterman. Jorge Castillo, director of the LGBTQ Resource Center, will receive the Diversity and Inclusion Award. Professor Mark Glauser will receive the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence: Lifetime Achievement Award. I will also be presenting the Chancellor’s Medal to Jaime Alicea, the retiring superintendent of the ���ϲ����� City School District, who has worked with the University for many years and helped that district work through COVID this past two years.

This is an opportunity for all of us to honor these and many other outstanding individuals for their contributions to our campus and our community. I hope you will make every effort to attend the ceremony in person at 4 o’clock next Friday.

I’ll turn now to our search for a new faculty athletics representative. Professor Rick Burton has served admirably as our faculty athletics representative to the NCAA since 2014. He is coming to the end of his term, and we are actively seeking nominations for the next faculty member to serve in this important capacity.

The faculty athletics representative works closely with both the provost and the athletic director, and reports to me. This individual serves as an institutional liaison to ���ϲ����� Athletics as well as a representative of the University in ACC conference and NCAA matters. Key issues this position has focused on in the past include new and ongoing NCAA legislation, student-athlete welfare and advocating for the best interests of the University and its constituencies.

Individuals interested in applying for the position should submit a letter of interest by Friday, April 29, to nomination@syr.edu.

Next Thursday, April 21, the Community Review Board will hold its first open forum at 11 a.m. in the Melanie Gray Ceremonial Courtroom in Dineen Hall. This is the board that was created following the independent review of DPS. The entire community is invited to attend. The CRB is also inviting members of the campus community to serve on the CRB for the upcoming year. You received an email last week about the nomination process. There are six available seats—two undergraduate students, and one graduate student, staff member, faculty member and administrator. So if you are interested in the Community Review Board, you might attend that open forum or nominate those you think would be good to serve.

Finally, as I conclude on time, Professor Stokes-Rees, I strongly encourage faculty to participate in Commencement, Convocations and the Doctoral Hooding Ceremonies and related events. It has been three years since we have had an entirely normal set of graduation events, and I know it means a lot to our graduates when their teachers and mentors join the celebration.

If ever there was a year we should all turn out to acknowledge and respect what our students have accomplished, this would be that year. Please do your best to be there for our students in whatever way you appropriately can. I know you have been there for our students so amazingly these past few years, and I hope you can also help joyfully send them onward in May.

Thank you, I can take a few questions.

Chancellor Kent Syverud congratulates a cadet during the 105th annual Chancellor’s Review ceremony at the Stadium.

Among those recognized were Army Cadet Isabella Lee and Air Force Cadet Erin Beaudoin, presented with the Commitment to Service Award by Vice Chancellor Michael Haynie. The award honors one cadet from Army ROTC and one from Air Force ROTC, each a veteran or dependent of a military veteran, in the top 10% of their ROTC class academically, and demonstrate a strong commitment to military service and a proven understanding of citizenship through patriotism and community service.

In addition, 40 cadets were further recognized with awards presented by numerous civilian and military organizations, recognizing those with outstanding academic performances.

“With one of the longest consecutively running ROTC programs in the country, this annual ceremony is indicative of ���ϲ�����’s rich history and deep commitment of supporting veterans and military families,” says Col. (Ret.) Ron Novack, executive director of the OVMA. “The cadets’ leadership skills combined with their actions in and out of the classroom, in terms of a focus on service and dedication to learning, make the overall campus culture stronger, enhancing all of our experiences.”

Good afternoon. I hope everyone had a good spring break and is ready for the fast-moving second half of the semester.

Before I begin what are going to be really brief updates, I want to take a moment to reflect on the Service of Commemoration held yesterday in Hendricks Chapel. Some of you on this meeting helped with that moving ceremony, and I thank all of you. Each year at the ceremony, my role is to read the names of faculty, staff, retirees and trustees who have passed away during the previous year. There were a lot of them this year, and there were also student names read as well. Many of those whose names I read are people I know personally. Their friends and family attend this event, and it was meaningful to them. I know that many of the people we commemorated yesterday meant a great deal to people here in this assembly. I thought it would be a civilized thing to do to ask that the minutes of this Senate meeting reflect the names of the people we remembered and that we take a moment to hold their memory in our thoughts in silence.

Thank you. My updates are going to be brief. I want to talk a little bit about changes to the University’s benefits for faculty and staff and then about three searches ongoing or completed that we’ve been briefing the Senate on along the way.

I spent a day during the spring break reviewing just how we as a University got to where we currently stand on retirement benefits and health care benefits. By that I mean I reviewed the substance of our current retirement and health care benefits for faculty and staff, and the process by which two changes were adopted—one the requirement of a match for new employees to receive retirement contributions by the University, and the other an increase in the cost of family coverage under some, but not all, of our health plans.

I want to reaffirm that the match requirement for retirement benefits has not yet been implemented, and will not be implemented unless and until I am satisfied that the questions raised in the Senate and its committees have been adequately answered, which will be this summer at the very earliest. The increase in the cost of family coverage for some of our health plans was to be implemented in three steps, one this year this past January, one next year, and one in 2024. That first step has been implemented, but any further steps again will not be implemented unless and until I am satisfied that the questions raised in the Senate and its committees have been adequately answered, which in this case at the earliest will be open enrollment at the end of October 2022.

I said all of that at the last Senate meeting. What I did not say was how I thought we should go about addressing the concerns that have been raised. I did not say because I was not yet sure about it and wanted spring break to think about it. I do now know more about how I think we ought to proceed.

Over break, I reviewed the points made in the Senate meetings, and I read the various Senate reports and minutes, including the two committees that previously worked on these issues—the Benefits Advisory Council, which is appointed by our human resources leadership, and the Senate Committee on Services to Faculty and Staff. I have respect for these committees and their members. I believe they proceeded on these proposed changes consistently with how benefits changes were considered in the past under previous chancellors. That said, I don’t think the traditional process worked well in surfacing and addressing all the relevant issues so that the Senate could serve its appropriate shared governance role—in this case its role as advisor to the Chancellor on issues of concern to faculty and staff. In particular, I don’t think we consulted widely enough with the expertise we do have available across the University, including on the faculty, and I don’t think we consulted widely enough with representatives of those directly affected by the changes, which is a subset of our faculty and staff.

In reflection on all this, I would like to view this as an opportunity to revise our process for benefits changes so that this does not happen in the future. It has been a very long time since anyone looked carefully at our benefits process as a whole. And it is foreseeable that, given events in the world, including war and inflation, there will be pressure on our benefits, some of which we cannot predict, and anxiety about them in the future. We need to get the process right going forward and learn from what’s happened this year.

What I propose to do between now and the April Senate meeting, which is just three weeks away, is to have University leadership confer with broader groups of relevant stakeholders and experts on BOTH the substance of these particular proposed changes and the desirable process for any changes to our benefits going forward. I am also directing the collection of data on these particular proposed changes, some of which was recommended as part of the process of these Senate meetings. That would include comparable data from peers and data on impact on our people. That data will help inform both the substance and the process discussions going forward.

I will report back to the full Senate on the progress on this work again at the April meeting on what further steps need to occur after April given what we’ve learned. There will be more discussion of this and an opportunity to discuss the initial steps forward at the April meeting.

I will turn now to new leadership appointments. Our new associate vice president and chief of Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services, Craig Stone, starts April 1. He has over 30 years of law enforcement experience. Much of that has been in public safety at major universities, including Ohio State University. I want to thank those who served on the search committee, including Brice Nordquist, Andrew Saluti, Dean Raj Dewan, and our student representatives, David Bruen and Yousr Dhaouadi, who helped with that search.

Yesterday, we announced that Mary Grace Almandrez will be our new vice president for diversity and inclusion. She was selected following a national search that yielded a highly qualified and talented pool of candidates and finalists. She will lead the finalization and implementation of the draft DEIA Strategic Plan. She will also collaborate closely with student leadership and stakeholder groups.

She has nearly 25 years of experience in higher education, including leadership roles at Brown University, the University of San Francisco, and, most recently, at the University of Rhode Island (URI). Her appointment will start on June 1. I want to thank the entire committee, including chairs Cerri Banks and Brian Konkol; student representatives Britnee Johnson and Malique Lewis; and faculty representatives Christopher Hamilton, Gladys McCormick and Suzette Melendez. I think Mary Grace is going to lead us to the next level in this important work. This is important work not just for Mary Grace but for all of us.

Finally, the search committee for the new chief financial officer has almost finalized the position description. We are working with Korn Ferry as our search firm. We do anticipate a robust pool of candidates with the experience to drive the long-term fiscal sustainability of the University. That will be a relatively fast process that I hope will produce a chief financial officer in place this summer. I don’t want to take for granted what Gwenn Judge has done for us in the interim. Under her leadership, things have run well. We anticipate a balanced budget for this fiscal year, which had more challenges than expected because of what’s been happening in the world these last couple months. I am grateful to Gwenn and optimistic about that search.

Those are my updates. As usual, I will take questions after Provost Ritter’s remarks. Thank you.

I write today as the world observes, with great concern, news reports coming out of Ukraine with horrific images of airstrikes, bombings, gunfire and fleeing citizens. During the University Senate meeting Wednesday, I shared that part of my role as Chancellor is to anticipate and prepare for events that will impact ���ϲ�����. With Russia’s invasion of the sovereign state of Ukraine, I fear we are now facing a very significant moment that will have a ripple effect throughout our community.

These events are distressing for all of us, but especially to our community members who are experiencing this conflict in deeply personal ways. Our university is home to students, faculty, staff and alumni from Ukraine as well as from Russia. They have loved ones who may be in harm’s way. ���ϲ����� also has many students, faculty and staff that are active-duty military or in the Guard or Reserves. They, and their families, may have their lives changed dramatically on short notice due to the response to this conflict. The economic sanctions and measures being implemented and contemplated between nations could have a significant effect on our university and our people in an environment where supply chains and international travel are already strained.

Our Student Experience team has already reached out directly to our students from the region to offer individual support. Resources, services and supports are , as well as to . And, I have asked that University leadership and academic experts help our community navigate the potential challenges ahead.

On behalf of our university, I have reached out to our graduate, Borys Gudziak ’80, H’18, archbishop of the Ukrainian Archeparchy of Philadelphia, offering our support and concern. I assured him that our university joins all in the world who value peace in condemning the invasion of Ukraine.

As always, our Orange community will come together to support those in need. For now, I ask all of us to offer grace and kindness to students, faculty and staff who are impacted by these events.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Kent Syverud

Today, in February 2022, I fear we may be facing a very different but significant moment with some great challenges. I refer to the fact the sovereign state of Russia has apparently commenced an invasion of the sovereign state of Ukraine. ���ϲ����� has students, faculty, staff and alumni from Ukraine as well as from Russia, and they have families. An unusually high percentage of our students, faculty and staff are active-duty military or in the Guard or Reserves and may see their lives and schedules changed dramatically on short notice due to the response to this conflict. The economic sanctions and measures being implemented and contemplated between nations could have significant effect on our university and our people in an environment where supply chains and international travel are already quite strained. And a widening conflict in Europe is likely to make it quite a bit more challenging for us as a global university to realize our vision of being a place that is welcoming to all.

I am asking University leadership and academic experts to help us prepare for these potential challenges, to learn from history—for those of you who know it better than I do, and to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses in how we responded to the recent change in government in Afghanistan. For now, all I am specifically requesting of the University community is that we each be mindful of the additional stress that some of us are now bearing. In particular, I ask that we be understanding and supportive of student, faculty and staff who are directly affected by events in Europe. We will be reporting further in the coming days and weeks about the University’s proactive planning for this changing situation.

The first month of the spring semester is behind us, and I think things are going well—better than many expected. We were challenged with the omicron variant in January. I think our decision to delay the start of the semester has proven to be the right call. I also credit the University’s vaccine requirements and testing protocols in our successful start to the spring semester.

COVID cases have, in fact, significantly declined from the beginning of the semester. As of today, we have 66 active cases in the campus community.

On Monday, the University moved to the blue level of our masking framework based on the recommendations of our public health team. This followed the expiration of New York State’s mask mandate. Just as a reminder for those of you not aware, the blue level means masks will continue to be required during academic instruction, regardless of vaccination status. This includes classrooms, laboratories, libraries and lecture venues. For anyone who is not vaccinated, masks are still required everywhere indoors and outdoors when in groups, and the unvaccinated must continue to participate in weekly testing. Although the situation could change, I currently am not predicting any change from the blue level up to and through spring break.

At last week’s Senate forum, there was discussion about students whose access to campus IT resources was disconnected. That occurred with students who were not compliant with providing proof of meeting the University’s vaccination requirement. I just want to assure you that didn’t happen without a lot of notice. Students received more than 30 messages regarding the requirement since we announced it on Dec. 6. Since the start of the semester, noncompliant students received more than a dozen text and email messages that specifically referenced that they would lose access. I know this was challenging for students, but talking with our peers, including in the ACC, we have not found other methods that actually work in ensuring our students, faculty and staff are kept safe from the risks posed by exposure to large numbers of unvaccinated people. As evidence of that, we are now happily at 98% compliance among students, 100% compliance rate among faculty, and 99% compliance with staff. The remaining 1% of staff includes mostly newly hired employees in the process of getting vaccinated or those who are newly eligible for the booster.

I want to thank the staff at the Barnes Center at The Arch and in HR for managing all this in the last couple weeks. It has been a huge lift with all hands on deck to ensure that we are obtaining and tracking vaccination status where we need it to be for the safety of our community.

I know that has been challenging for all our students, all our staff and all our faculty. I know it has taken a lot of dedication to get this done.

In speaking with some of our ACC peers over the last few weeks, I just want to emphasize what I learned. As hard as all this has been for each of us in our community, thanks to all of you, we are doing exceptionally well compared to our peers. They are envious of what our community has been able to achieve in our commitment to safety.

I’ll turn now to searches for a few key leadership positions.

The search for the next associate vice president and chief of Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services is nearly complete. Over the last two weeks, the three finalists interviewed with the search committee and key stakeholders. I’ve met with the finalists. You can expect an announcement soon. I am grateful to Brice Nordquist and Andrew Saluti for serving on this search committee as well as Raj Dewan, our dean representative; David Bruen, the student association representative; and Yousr Dhaoudi, the graduate student organization representative.

On the search for a new chief financial officer, the search committee has been selected. We will be working with search firm Korn Ferry to identify qualified and dynamic candidates for this role. I am grateful to Emily Stokes-Rees for serving on this search committee. And I am grateful to Gwenn Judge, who has been very ably serving as interim CFO and will do so until we get the new CFO in place.

The search for the next vice president for diversity and inclusion is progressing well. The search committee, chaired by Brian Konkol and Cerri Banks, interviewed six candidates in recent weeks. The committee has narrowed the field to three finalists, who will be on campus for interviews over the next two weeks. Thanks to Raj Dewan for serving as the dean representative and to Gladys McCormick and Suzette Melendez for serving on this committee. Thanks as well to Brittnee Johnson from the Graduate Student Organization and Malique Lewis, who is the Undergraduate Student Representative. I think we will have our new vice president for diversity and inclusion on board before the end of the semester.

We look forward to this new leader driving the effort to finalize and implement the diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility strategic plan. We have been analyzing feedback received from just under 1,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni and groups. We have the quantitative analysis, and I am expecting the report on the qualitative feedback next week. All to help our new leader understand our community’s concerns before we finalize the plan.

I would like to address the comments that were made regarding both health and retirement benefits during last week’s Senate forum, which I have not yet fully processed. The proposed change to the retirement benefit for new employees has been deferred and will continue to be deferred until I have time to process the feedback I’ve received, including last week. Any further changes to health benefits will not occur until a careful process leading to late fall 2022 open enrollment. The University will engage with the appropriate groups in the spirit of shared governance later during the spring semester and into the summer. That includes among others, the Benefits Advisory Council and Senate Services Committee. I appreciate the feedback I have received from many of you and look forward to the findings that result from this work.

On the Campus Framework Refresh, we announced that we are going to refresh the Campus Framework last month. Our Campus Framework is our plan for the design of our campus to serve all our communities. It has served us very well for the last five years, but it is now time to review and refresh the plan. I’ve created a working group led by Pete Sala to assess our current needs and priorities particularly as they have changed over the last five years, in academics, housing, student experience and athletics.

So far we’ve followed the framework pretty carefully. It has directed nearly $300 million in capital investments that have transformed our campus and helped align our physical campus with our aspirations. This progress can be seen on the Einhorn Family Walk, at the Schine Student Center, the NVRC, the Barnes Center at The Arch and the stadium, and improvements to many teaching spaces and living spaces on campus. But the world has changed a lot in five years. We do not want a static plan that will not evolve with us. As we look to the future, I have asked the working group to address three areas:

1. What major lessons can be learned from the first five years of implementation of the Campus Framework report?
2. What revisions should be made based on those experiences?
3. What changes are necessary to reflect our current needs and strategies in academics, student experience, housing and athletics?

I’ve asked the committee to report back to me in April on their findings. Those recommendations will be presented to various stakeholders, including the full Board of Trustees in May.

Notwithstanding the caution I gave you at the start of these remarks, I am optimistic for our university as we head into the remainder of the semester—especially given all that we’ve been able to do under great stress this last month. With pandemic conditions improving dramatically, we can refocus on our long-term goals and priorities to advance academic excellence in a university welcoming to all. I do expect challenges, including some we do not foresee today, but I think you and our university are doing well, and we are equipped to address it. I am grateful to all of you.

Thank you.

Below is the text of his remarks.

Welcome to the spring semester of 2022. For the second year in a row, our tradition of gathering in person for this January message must adapt to changing circumstances. That’s something the Orange community has become pretty good at over the last two years.

We all are weary of this pandemic. And yet through it all, the Orange spirit of our people has kept us moving forward and making progress.

Last year in this very message, I talked about your Orange qualities of grit and grace and greatness in the face of the pandemic. In the year since, you have exceeded all expectations. You have shown how a great university responds to adversity. You have proved that, whatever the adversity, ���ϲ����� will persevere and, whatever the opportunity, ���ϲ����� will succeed.

I am grateful to our students for following public health guidance, for working hard and contributing to the vibrant campus life that makes ���ϲ����� distinctive. Thank you for valuing our togetherness.

I am grateful to our faculty, whose unbounded creativity and dedication to our students has continued to build the University’s global reputation. You have persevered for our students in meaningful and important ways while living with your own pandemic-related challenges.

And I am grateful to our staff who support our students. You help our students succeed academically and personally in countless ways, from advising to mental health and wellness. You show up for our students and faculty and for your colleagues, finding solutions to challenges we couldn’t have imagined two years ago.

This past fall, campus life was back to nearly normal, and it felt great. We welcomed alumni back for Coming Back Together and Orange Central. We hosted more than 120 events in the stadium, including New Student Convocation, Football Fan Fest, and reunion events including the Class of 2020 Commencement. We had fans back in full for football and basketball games and all athletics. We sent more than 500 students from ���ϲ����� and university partners to study abroad, and we brought them home safely.

���ϲ����� has also persevered on behalf of our broader community. When the omicron variant surge overwhelmed testing locations, we opened our testing center to the public. No appointment, no wait, no charge for the thousands of community members who came in to be tested. We are the only private university in New York State that did this. With community partners, we launched Operation Orange Warm Up, collecting hundreds of winter coats and other gear to help our residents endure the cold. We’re furthering our commitment to economic inclusion through the Building Local initiative. We’re expanding hiring in our Central New York community, particularly in neighborhoods that need jobs. We are broadening our efforts to purchase goods and services from local and minority-owned businesses.

This fall we hosted an amazing series of events and programs including the dedication of the National Veterans Resource Center and the endowment of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families. At that time, we put a stake in the ground. We don’t just want to be the best private university for veterans. We want to be the best university anywhere for veterans.

Achieving this ambition requires perseverance from all of us across the University. There have been some spectacular successes recently. One example is in the College of Law. ���ϲ����� College of Law is among the top four in the nation with the highest number of students accepted into the Army Judge Advocates General, or JAG, Active Duty program for 2022. This is historically an outstanding career path to becoming a trial lawyer, a prosecutor or a public defender in the United States.

Despite the pandemic impacting every aspect of our operations, we persevered and succeeded this past semester, but each semester has presented different challenges. We’ve had to keep the health and well-being of our campus and community at the heart of every decision we make.

We were one of the first universities to require vaccines and booster shots. We have made difficult decisions that have ultimately proven to be the right decisions. We have used our strengths as a world-class research university, tapping faculty expertise to pilot public health programs. ���ϲ�����’s innovative wastewater surveillance testing model was adopted by New York State and expanded to all 62 counties and to other cities around the country. We will continue to persevere and succeed by putting science first and being flexible and patient as COVID-19 evolves from a pandemic to an endemic illness.

Our alumni and donors have also persevered and succeeded with us in our commitment to ���ϲ�����. The Forever Orange Campaign passed the $1 billion mark last summer. And in the last six months, our University raised more in cash to support our mission than in any 12 months in our entire history. To our donors and alumni: your perseverance has led to our success so far. I thank each one of you. Now it is time for our campaign to pivot even further to support our University’s highest priorities in the coming years: academic excellence and being a university welcoming to all. Great universities change lives by preparing the next generation of experts, leaders, dreamers and doers. And great universities are the source of world-changing discoveries and highly innovative solutions.

The first two thirds of our Forever Orange campaign focused on our students. We have concentrated on the experiences, resources, the financial aid that enable them to persevere and succeed. We have raised more than $176 million for undergraduate and graduate scholarships and financial aid.

And Forever Orange has also created and expanded mentoring programs and unique learning opportunities. The Kessler Scholars Program makes ���ϲ����� part of a consortium that seeks to transform the first-generation student experience through scholarships, peer mentorship, career enrichment, community projects and study abroad. In the Whitman School of Management, the Goodman IMPRESS program is being expanded. This initiative helps business students enhance personal and professional skills, with tangible results.

When given opportunities like this, our students persevere and succeed through all challenges, driving academic excellence.

For example, Matt Cufari, a junior physics and computer science major, is investigating the dynamics of tidal disruption events with physics professor Eric Coughlin. He is first author on a paper, “The Eccentric Nature of Eccentric Tidal Disruption Events.” It was published by the Astrophysical Journal in October 2021. He will present this work at the American Astronomical Society meeting in March. Matt will represent our University well.

And then there is Julia Chou, a senior architecture major, who completed an internship with the architecture firm HKS last summer. She is also the lead graphic designer for the Women’s Network, a women-led national networking organization focused on empowering and connecting collegiate women and celebrating their ambition. During her time at ���ϲ�����, she created a podcast to discuss design and disability justice and is focusing on disability and equity in her thesis. Julia is a Remembrance Scholar and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program.

Today, I am asking us to pivot toward another vital driver of academic excellence at ���ϲ�����, our faculty. Here in the home stretch of the Forever Orange campaign, we’re turning the focus toward building the resources our faculty need to succeed. We will be working to raise funds that jumpstart new faculty research and provide seed funding for promising ideas. We will also be building the resources we need to attract and retain faculty in a highly competitive world.

That’s why I am announcing today that we are launching the Forever Orange Faculty Excellence Program. This initiative will provide incentives for donors and alumni to create endowments for professorships, chairs and faculty support funds. These resources are crucial to our ability to recruit and retain accomplished and diverse faculty. Doing this right will assure that ���ϲ�����’s academic mission will persevere and succeed for generations ahead.

Here’s one example of how endowments help put ���ϲ����� on the national stage. An endowed professorship helped the University recruit Tripti Bhattacharya, the Thonis Family Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences.��Her work uses environmental evidence to understand the effect of global climate change on future rainfall. This is a major factor in disasters that have plagued the western United States and areas around the globe. Not only has Professor Bhattacharya published in top scientific journals, but she is also one of just eight leading climate scholars recruited by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to make recommendations that will help shape future funding through the National Science Foundation.

Across our schools and colleges, faculty are working to secure more research funding. We are making good progress. In the last six months, our faculty have received more highly competitive awards from the National Science Foundation than the entire previous year, totaling just over $13.1 million.��Two of these are prestigious NSF CAREER grants.��Congratulations to Davoud Mozhdehi and John Franck on these highly selective awards.

This is research that makes a difference. Katherine McDonald, associate dean of research and professor of public health in Falk College is co-leading a project to develop research ethics training that is accessible to adults with cognitive disabilities.��In the spirit of “nothing about us without us,” the researchers will provide the online training free to research organizations. They are removing barriers to participation to ensure people with cognitive disabilities are represented.

And then there is Scott Manning Stevens, a professor in the English department and director of Native American Studies. He leads the multi-disciplinary team that received a Mellon Foundation grant.��This prestigious award will build further excellence in global Indigenous studies and environmental justice at ���ϲ�����. The project will create opportunities for researchers and students to collaborate across geographies, disciplines and methods of inquiry.

These outstanding faculty are moving us in the right direction.

To persevere and succeed in our pursuit of academic excellence, we need to aim higher with tough choices in our new academic investments. That’s why our Provost, Gretchen Ritter, is leading a refresh of our Academic Strategic Plan. Provost Ritter has only been here a few months, but she has already toured many corners of campus, met with faculty and learned a great deal about what makes ���ϲ����� distinctive. She has initiated a comprehensive review of University research. She has asked a task force to review and assess our research clusters and hiring. She has put key people in place on our team to drive the future of the academic enterprise.

Another aspect of building academic excellence and reputation is to consider how ���ϲ����� will grow our presence in Washington, D.C. Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie, working with Provost Ritter and other leaders, is developing a coordinated strategic plan. The vision is that—as One University—we will build on our strengths in citizenship and public affairs, journalism, veterans and military families, and in alumni connections and other areas. Our faculty and alumni are already engaged here. Our students want to learn and work in the nation’s capital. And, at the same time, we want to strengthen and expand the University’s ties with key policy makers and thought leaders.

Academic excellence also requires technologies and facilities that support our aspirations. On the technology front, the iSchool’s Jeff Rubin is advising me on technology strategy for the University. He is coordinating with stakeholders and evaluating opportunities as we determine our technology priorities.

As we expand ���ϲ����� Global and the College of Professional Studies, technology is the key to reaching students who would otherwise be unable to complete a ���ϲ����� degree. It enables us to deliver the highest-quality educational experiences to learners around the world. Here on campus, technology supports great teaching and learning. It is also critical that our technology supports the research being done today and is ready to enable the discoveries of tomorrow.

To ensure our facilities contribute to academic excellence, we are refreshing the Campus Framework in tandem with the Academic Strategic Plan. Established seven years ago, the intent of the framework was to guide our decisions about facilities in a way consistent with our priorities and aspirations.

The Campus Framework has been remarkably effective. The stadium renovation has transformed both our skyline and the fan experience.��The ���ϲ����� campus is more beautiful than ever. We’re enhancing holistic health and wellness in the Barnes Center. Our student organizations are anchored in the heart of campus at the Schine Student Center. We have upgraded academic facilities across campus to enhance technology and accessibility, including in the iconic Hall of Languages.��We have already begun planning projects such as upgrades to Link Hall and the Center for Science and Technology to make spaces more functional for student recruitment, collaboration and faculty research.

But we aren’t finished with the Framework. This is the right time to take a close look at our next set of Campus Framework priorities. I have appointed a working group to oversee the refresh. Their charge is to produce a recommendation for an addendum to the Campus Framework this spring. This group includes Steve Bennett, Julia Czerniak, Cerri Banks, Michael Speaks, Steven Einhorn, Pete Sala, Kris Klinger and Allen Groves. They will work with campus stakeholders to focus on lessons learned. I have asked them to evaluate the Campus Framework, and how we should revise it to reflect our current needs in academics, housing and the student experience.

In my view, academic excellence cannot exist without an equal, strong commitment to being a university welcoming to all—a place that leads in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion and access.

In September, we opened 119 Euclid Ave., a new space for students to gather and honor the University’s Black community and experiences.��This beautifully renovated space is the product of engagement by students, faculty, staff and alumni whose input shaped its look and feel.

This past fall, we also published a draft of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility strategic plan and asked our community for input. When the comment period closed in early December, we’d received feedback from more than 850 individuals and 60 groups of students, faculty, alumni and staff across the University. Their feedback will help as we move to implementation of the plan. I am grateful to the interim team of Diane Murphy, Shiu-Kai Chin and Cerri Banks for their continued work on making progress with our strategic plan. This team is coordinating the analysis of the data collected as we prepare to welcome new leadership.

And, yes, we’re looking for an amazing leader in our next vice president for diversity and inclusion. This national search seeks a committed and courageous individual. We must identify a leader who will help us achieve our goal of being a university that is welcoming to all.

Our Orange community has already persevered and succeeded through so much together these last two years. Much work remains ahead of us. As we begin the Spring 2022 semester, let’s continue our spirit of grit and grace as we emerge from the pandemic. I know we can do this.��I know this because we have the best, brightest, and most talented people here. I know this because we’ve proven it time after time.

Let’s continue to focus on those qualities that have defined ���ϲ�����’s past and will guide its future at our best.��Our perseverance.��Our curiosity.��Our empathy.��Our kindness.��Our drive to reach beyond the status quo.��That’s the best of the Orange spirit.��Because of you, ���ϲ����� will persevere and will succeed. Thank you, and Go Orange!

“Members of the Refresh Committee will reflect on both the accomplishments of the last several years and the lessons learned,” says Chancellor Syverud.�� “With that knowledge, the committee will offer recommendations on how the Campus Framework might be refreshed and revised to align with the current and future needs of our students and faculty in areas such as housing, academics and the entire student experience.”

Pete Sala, vice president and chief facilities officer, will chair the Refresh Committee. Other members include:

• Cerri A. Banks, vice president of student success and deputy to the senior vice president of the student experience
• Steve Bennett, senior vice president for international programs, academic operations and chief of staff, Academic Affairs
• Julia Czerniak, associate dean and professor, School of Architecture
• Steven Einhorn, Board of Trustees
• Allen Groves, senior vice president and chief student experience officer
• Kris Klinger, senior associate vice president, Auxiliary Services
• Michael Speaks, dean and professor, School of Architecture

Sasaki Associates will continue its work as a consultant on the project and serve as a partner to the new committee as its members consider future priorities to support academic excellence, the research enterprise, the student experience and student housing.

Since the Campus Framework was first implemented, the University has executed on nearly $300 million in capital projects. Several mission critical construction projects have been completed, including the transformations of the stadium, Barnes Center at The Arch and, most recently, the Schine Student Center, the building and opening of the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, and the creation of the Einhorn Family Walk. The University also made significant investments in classroom technology, completed accessibility enhancements throughout campus and upgraded several residence halls.

To review the full Campus Framework, visit��.

A short time ago, New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that ���ϲ����� will take on a significant role in our community’s fight against COVID. Beginning tomorrow, ���ϲ����� will open our Stadium Testing Center doors to our Central New York neighbors. For the next two weeks, we will welcome the community to take full advantage of our testing apparatus, which has become central to the University’s public health strategy.

I want to acknowledge and extend my gratitude to our public health team and all the individuals who have contributed to building our testing infrastructure. Because of their work, ���ϲ����� is poised to once again step up and support our broader community.

We are taking this action because COVID continues to spread rapidly across the country and right here in Central New York. The science tells us that although omicron appears to be a milder variant, it is highly transmissible. Like millions of Americans, I know this firsthand as I tested positive for COVID over the weekend. I have been vaccinated and received a booster shot, and am fortunate that my symptoms are mild.

Testing for and identifying those with COVID is an important part of protecting our community, especially those most vulnerable to the virus. I am proud that ���ϲ����� is able to support and partner with our state and community by opening our doors and sharing our testing capabilities. Working together, we will get through this current surge and move closer to overcoming the pandemic.

I wish you all good health and happiness as we begin this new year.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Kent Syverud

I write to you today to share important information regarding the Spring 2022 semester. Given the sharp increase in COVID cases, the rapid spread of the omicron variant and warnings from public health officials that the first three weeks of January will be the most challenging of this surge, the University will delay the start of the spring semester by one week. In-person classes will now begin on Jan. 24. Spring break will remain as previously scheduled: March 13-20.

I am optimistic for the spring semester because we have done this before. ���ϲ����� has safely and successfully held three in-person semesters of instruction in the midst of the pandemic. Each semester, the circumstances have been different. Each semester, the resilience of our Orange community has remained the same. Each semester, we have made decisions based on science and the best public health guidance. I am confident in our ability to do it again.

What is different for this upcoming semester is that we have booster shots that are proven to be both safe and effective. Vaccinations were key to our ability to enjoy a robust in-person fall semester. Booster shots will be critical to maintaining that same experience for the spring semester. As we announced earlier this month, booster shots will be required by the start of the new semester, or as soon as you are eligible to do so. We know that breakthrough cases of COVID will continue to occur. But individuals who have received a booster of mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) have significantly more antibodies than those who haven’t yet been boosted. These increased antibody levels result in greater efficacy and a significantly reduced risk of serious illness. This means our students, faculty and staff can be back on our campus. This means we can enjoy the traditions and activities we cherish. This means the University can continue to support the Central New York community in its efforts to combat the spread of COVID.

In the coming days and weeks, you will receive communications from University leaders with information and resources to return to campus and begin the spring semester. Please continue to visit for the most up-to-date public health guidance.

I wish you a safe and healthy holiday season.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Kent Syverud

Later this month, Department of Public Safety (DPS) Chief Bobby Maldonado will officially retire from ���ϲ�����. I am grateful for Chief Maldonado’s leadership and appreciate that he delayed his retirement until the end of the fall semester.

A search to succeed Chief Maldonado is well underway. The search committee, led by Allen Groves, senior vice president for the student experience, and made up of students, faculty and staff, recently completed the first round of virtual interviews. The committee has identified candidates to move to the next phase of the search. I look forward to meeting with them after the holiday break. Many campus stakeholders will also be meeting with these candidates, including the Community Review Board, academic leaders, student leaders, faculty and staff. Our goal is to conclude the search in the spring semester and announce the new chief before Commencement.

During this transition period, an interim leadership team will provide oversight to the Department of Public Safety. This leadership team includes Candace Campbell Jackson, senior vice president and chief of staff, Dan French, senior vice president and general counsel, and Allen Groves, senior vice president for the student experience. These senior leaders have extensive experience overseeing and working with campus public safety units and law enforcement agencies.

The University and DPS will continue put forth by former Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and her review team. This includes the inaugural , which has been meeting regularly to carry out its important work. I am pleased by the progress made to date and look forward to welcoming a new leader for DPS in the spring.

Sincerely,

Kent Syverud
Chancellor and President

The full text of his remarks is below.

Good afternoon. Forty-eight hours until the end of the fall semester 2021. I know it has been a long academic experience, like all of 2021. I know that many of you will still be grading or finishing final exams or projects for a while yet, but I sure hope that you are able to spend some time with loved ones and some rest.

I am extremely proud of and grateful for how well you have all navigated the semester. It required commitment from faculty, staff and students. I really think everyone has done their part to keep our campus safe and to help students continue to make progress toward their degrees. Our students have by and large very responsibly followed the COVID guidelines, and we brought back, with help from all of you, the vibrant campus life that is so important here.

We have had about 15,000 undergraduate students, 6,000 graduate and professional students on campus throughout this semester and more than 500 students studying abroad and are shortly on their way home safely. Applications for new students for 2022 are doing very well by all accounts. It is a hopeful sign for the coming year. And we will be welcoming a very strong new group of students to the University for the spring semester in January.

Our current plan is to open for the spring semester on Jan. 15 on schedule. Implicit in that plan is the hope that if there’s another wave of the virus, which I suspect there is, it will be waning by mid-January. All I can say is the team and I are spending a significant part of every day watching the situation and preparing for the various scenarios we might face.

This afternoon, I will provide an overview of our spring 2022 planning, a review of our academic year goals, and an update on a few key leadership searches.

Last week, we announced all eligible students, faculty and staff are required to receive a booster shot prior to the start of the spring semester, and those not yet eligible are required to do so as soon as they are eligible to do so. Once again, exceptions will be made only for those with medical or religious exemptions. This is due in part to the federal requirement that employees of all contractors be vaccinated. As far as our New York City employees, there are new requirements going in place in New York City on Dec. 27.

There are judicial challenges to the federal vaccine mandate for federal contractors, which we are. Some universities, a significant number, are backing off their vaccine requirements. At this point, the legal challenge does not affect the determination by ���ϲ����� on vaccination and boosters. We are proceeding. It is risky to hold off on planning for boosters until the courts provide clarity. We as a private university are proceeding with our expectation that our booster requirements will be in place for the spring semester.

We have the logistical pieces in place for faculty, staff and students to submit evidence of vaccination. All faculty and staff have received instructions on how to provide documentation through MySlice. The Barnes Center has contacted all students with guidance for uploading their documentation. While it may be a lift to make this happen, our public health team believes this is the right thing to do. And, I do too. We intend to continue to trust the science and follow the advice of our campus public health experts and those at the county and state level on this issue.

We are watching developments with the omicron variant and with another wave of the virus very closely. Monday, Onondaga County announced the identification of the first omicron case locally. We are seeing an increase in the local cases in our community. We can assume more will follow and a significant number of them will be omicron variant.

All semester, our case numbers have remained low. For the last 11 weeks, we have had a positivity rate of less than 1 percent, and we’ve been doing a lot of testing. However, there has been an uptick recently. With the emergence of omicron, we’re just going to have to watch this day by day because we have seen at a campus not far from us that the situation can change very quickly. Cornell announced yesterday that they were moving all finals online and closing down all in-person activities due to cases more than doubling since the end of last week. They had just under 1,000 student cases as of yesterday. We’re less than one-tenth of that. We aren’t there yet. I do think we’ll go up in the next reporting later today. I think we’ll be over 100 but not much over. Again, studying Cornell, what we’re seeing is things can increase very rapidly. We’re going to have to be very careful in our planning day by day, including for the remaining events we have planned at the University over the weekend and next week. We’ll be communicating about this as we go along as we have been. We’re ready to pivot if we have to. That said, it looks like we’re going to make it to the end of the semester in 48 hours intact.

That’s taken a lot from everybody, and I just want to acknowledge that and thank everyone in this meeting for your contribution.

In terms of progress toward goals for 2021-2022 and the overarching goal of advancing academic excellence in a University welcoming to all, I have six things to highlight since we last met.

In terms of the student experience, Orange Success has launched a mentoring program that will connect first-generation new and transfer undergraduate students, including those starting in January, with sophomore and junior mentors at ���ϲ�����.

Second, Academic Affairs, and we’ll hear more on this from Provost Ritter in a moment, has initiated the review of our cluster hire program and our research operations have commenced. Thank you to all of you who are involved in this effort. These reviews will be critical to the refresh of the Academic Strategic Plan.

There are lots of key faculty searches in progress. I think that’s great news. I hope everyone involved will help keep these moving forward with dispatch so that we are competitive in our hiring this year. That we hire early, not late.

In the area of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, we are looking forward to the preliminary feedback from the recent campuswide survey of the draft strategic plan. I know that there has been substantive input from Senate committees. Thank you for the time and thought you have brought to that process.

In advancement, and in order to meet our annual and Forever Orange fundraising goals, staff have resumed travel and in-person activities this summer. Fundraising this fall has been very strong. I’ll be reporting more on that after the close of the calendar year on Dec. 31.

This is a good time to acknowledge that while many of us appreciate Orange Appreciation days, there are many who continue to work full tilt through Orange Appreciation Days. That includes not just advancement staff but also facilities staff and the student support staff for the students who are not able to return home. I thank all of them.

And lastly, in area of the Campus Framework, design planning is in progress for the new Allyn Innovation Center and renovation of Link Hall and for Phase 1 of the Athletics Framework.

I want to say a little more about the Campus Framework, which was a fairly massive campuswide effort that Sasaki and Associates advised on almost five years ago. The framework did a great job informing our decisions in design and building on our campus over the last five years, but it is probably time to refresh it because the world has changed. In addition to issues brought to light by COVID, we have been working on a strategic approach for housing and for academic space. In the coming semester we’ll be collaborating across campus with a refresh to the Campus Framework.

Those are just a few examples of the progress we have made to date.

Turning to key leadership searches. The search for vice president for diversity and inclusion is moving along as scheduled. The search committee, co-chaired by Cerri Banks and Brian Konkol, has met several times. The committee participated in an implicit bias training session to ensure the search process is inclusive. The position description has been widely circulated. We’re building a very strong pool of candidates. First round interviews are expected to be held in early February.

Next, the search is in full swing for the associate vice president and chief of campus safety and emergency management services, which Allen Groves chairs. The search committee has vetted a list of approximately 10 semi-finalists. Virtual interviews were conducted last week. The search committee is recommending moving forward with three finalists with in-person interviews scheduled for January. Our plan is to have the position filled as soon as possible and no later than the end of spring semester.

As you all know, after more than 40 years in law enforcement, Bobby Maldonado will retire later this month.

Last week, the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees recognized Bobby Maldonado for his leadership in helping the department earn accreditation from the gold standard of law enforcement accreditation agencies. It cited his work strengthening training programs and community policing. And it praised his hiring of staff from underrepresented communities, resulting in 43% of the Department of Public Safety’s current team identifying as people of color. We are grateful to Bobby for his work here at ���ϲ�����, and we wish Bobby the very best!

Early in spring 2022, we will launch the search for a new chief financial officer for ���ϲ�����. In the meantime, I thank Gwenn Judge for her excellent service as interim senior vice president and chief financial officer through all of the coming semester. I will be conferring with leadership after the next 48 hours.

This semester and the last 48 hours are just like the rest of the semester. Every day there are new developments, and we have to adjust. I have one request to you all before I conclude. The deadline for nominations for the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence has been extended to Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022. Full guidelines are available on the Chancellor’s Citation webpage on the Academic Affairs website. I would be grateful if you would nominate your colleagues who you feel deserve Universitywide recognition. Faculty can be nominated for faculty excellence and scholarly distinction. Faculty and staff can receive the award for contributions to the student experience and University initiatives. Students can receive the award for excellence in graduate and undergraduate work and research. Finally, anyone can be nominated in the lifetime achievement category.

As you know, we’ve had a lot of retirements that we’ve had during COVID or are coming up, so please think about who particularly toward the end of their careers we should be recognizing with a lifetime achievement award at the University level. I don’t think I and others say thank you enough for extraordinary work.

I want to end with a few words of gratitude. Thank you for rising to the occasion all the past year. Thank you for giving your all to a very tough year at ���ϲ�����. I hope you unplug and unwind, enjoy time with loved ones, and have happy holidays!

Thank you.