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University Union hosted its Bandersnatch concert series on Wednesday night, featuring performances by musical artists SahBabii, Melii and Valee. Page 7
Syracuse University has approved funding for 53 new tenure-track faculty through its Cluster Hires Initiative. The faculty fit within seven “themes” of research. Page 3
Students, facilitators say the first-year forum this semester
IN
THE HUDDLE SEE INSERT
‘Missed the mark’ Story by Casey Darnell and Colleen Ferguson the daily orange
Illustration by Sarah Allam illustration editor
university senate
SU to finance research center By India Miraglia asst. copy editor
M
alate Aschalew walked into the first meeting of her five-week SEM 100 class in late September, ready to facilitate discussions about diversity at Syracuse University. But the students in her class had a “different agenda,” she said. Before Aschalew, a peer reading facilitator for SU’s new firstyear forum, could introduce herself, a student raised his hand. She remembers him saying, “We weren’t here when Theta Tau happened. I don’t know why we have to go through these things.” This was the general consensus about the course among her 18 students, Aschalew said. Aschalew tried to move on to the icebreaker activity, but some students said her questions, which were suggested by the curriculum workbook, were too personal. “It was a lot for the first day,” said Aschalew, a sophomore biochemistry major. “We were supposed to play games to introduce ourselves, but they were ready from the jump. They came to the door not trying to be there.” The next week, Aschalew emailed her lead facilitator and told her that she was quitting and wouldn’t return for the remaining four meetings. In more than a dozen interviews, first-year students and peer facilitators said the SEM 100 course didn’t accomplish its goal of sparking important conversations. Students said the course had some benefits, and it was an important first effort by SU to address the Theta Tau controversy. But they were ultimately disappointed with its discussions of diversity, inclusion and identity that they said failed to address issues of discrimination and prejudice. Amanda Nicholson, SU’s assistant provost and dean of student success, told The Daily Orange in September that the unified first-year experience was already being planned before the release of the Theta Tau videos, but the controversy accelerated its campus-wide introduction. SEM 100, as part of the first-year experience, was put together during the summer, according to emails sent to the student body by Chancellor Kent Syverud. Karen Hall, assistant director of civic engagement and academic advising in the Renée Crown University Honors Program, was one of 20 trainers who worked with see forum page 4
Syracuse University’s Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly gave updates on SU’s new Center for Undergraduate Research and the first round of the Cluster Hire Initiative at Wednesday’s University Senate meeting. The center will work across colleges and schools to foster undergraduate participation in faculty-guided scholar research and help students pursue internal and external research opportunities. Student Association, the Senate’s Research Committee and the Renée Crown University Honors program contributed to the center’s development. Wheatly said the center will receive $1 million annually from Invest Syracuse, the university’s $100 million initiative to improve academics and the student experience. Cathryn Newton, a professor of earth sciences and dean emerita of the College of Arts and Sciences, was involved in the creation of the research center. She will oversee the implementation of the center until it is completely staffed, Wheatly said. The university will fund the hiring of 53 people as part of its Signature Hires Initiative. The program was announced in 2017, and the university detailed the cluster hires last June. It’s part of the university’s Academic Strategic Plan. Each hire will be part of one of seven themed clusters, Wheatly said. The decided hires and clusters were narrowed down from 19 cluster proposals and 71 possible new positions, she added. Wheatly said another round of discussion will be held to propose new hires and cluster ideas. Jackie Orr, an associate professor of sociology on the Senate’s research committee, said many of the hires are in the STEM field, and not social sciences or humanities. “All of these clusters have interdisciplinary representation, including the social sciences and the humanities in some cases,” Wheatley said. She added that the main goal of the hires was to expand SU’s research programs and ensure its position as an R1 research institution. Karin Ruhlandt, dean of Arts of Sciences, and David Van Slyke, dean of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, will also be working to create a recommendation for a new first-year experience, Wheatly said. see senate page 4