free
WEDNESDAY
march 28, 2018 high 45°, low 37°
t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r of s y r a c u s e , n e w yor k |
O • Crossing the aisle
N • Reply all
Conservative columnist Brandon Ross commends Rep. John Katko’s recent bipartisan bill to address gun violence with comprehensive solutions. Page 5
An SU official said some exchanges between students sent after a mistaken campuswide email on Tuesday were “disrespectful and offensive.” Page 3
P • Summer camp
dailyorange.com
Camp Good Days and Special Times offers children affected by cancer or sickle cell anemia a chance to have fun and be part of a community. Page 9
S • Just a dream
Dom Madonna, a Liverpool native, always dreamt of playing lacrosse at SU. He’s now the starting goalie during his senior season with Syracuse. Page 16
city
Competing interests
SPD chief addresses safety concerns By Bianca Moorman staff writer
illustration by sarah allam head illustrator
Corporate strategies at SU often conflict with academic traditions, following higher ed trends By Michael Burke senior staff writer
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series on the role of corporate influences in Syracuse University’s governance and campus politics, based on dozens of interviews with faculty, staff, students, university leadership, higher education experts and other outside experts.
I
t was a point of tension often reached in Syracuse University’s campus politics: Tenure-track faculty members and a high-ranking administrator
When it comes to issues that concern our youth, we need to listen to them and allow them to tell us what those issues are, and we make the adjustment.
were not on the same page as they discussed a decision that would affect the university’s academic life. In this case, during a University Senate meeting last fall, the university’s chief academic officer, Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly, was at odds with professor of philosophy Sam Gorovitz and associate professor of history Osamah Khalil over the hiring of a new administrator. The previous day, SU appointed Steve Bennett, a senior executive at the Brookings Institution, to a position in the Office of Academic Affairs that gives him oversight in the university’s academic operations. Gorovitz asked for a description of the search
Frank Fowler
syracuse police chief
see governance page 4
suny-esf
Faculty discuss future after Wheeler’s departure By Haley Kim
digital copy chief
WHEELER
At a student town hall meeting on Tuesday, faculty expressed optimism about the school’s future following President Quentin Wheeler’s recent
resignation announcement. The town hall, facilitated by SUNY-ESF Graduate Student Association President Ryan Scheel and the college’s Undergraduate Student Association was held in Marshall Auditorium. Students were able to ask questions of five faculty members and one administrator, many of whom have been at SUNY-ESF for decades. Stu-
dents asked officials about their visions for the future, the next steps following Wheeler’s announcement and other university initiatives, such as a proposed enrollment increase. Academic Governance, the college’s faculty body, voted no confidence in Wheeler in November 2016, citing what they said were examples of poor leadership and a climate of fear. Con-
flict between faculty and administrators continued after the 2016 vote, notably in the wake of the administration’s controversial decision earlier this year to remove three faculty department chairs just days before the start of the spring semester. One student raised questions about why there was so much criticism of Wheeler instead of the see town
Police Chief Frank Fowler said a safety assessment will be conducted in local schools as residents raised concerns about the Syracuse City School District during a forum on Tuesday. Jaime Alicea, super intendent of the Syracuse FOWLER City School District, said students, faculty, staff and parents have raised concerns about safety in schools following the violent shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in mid-February that left 17 people dead. The Tuesday forum, billed as a safety forum, was held at Henninger High School. The summit was the first of two safety events the school district will host in partnership with the Syracuse Police Department.
hall page 6
About 50 people attended the forum, and several residents addressed school district officials and law enforcement authorities. One man said some school buildings in the district are so defunct that it’s impossible for teachers and administrators to safely supervise and protect students, and that the district needs to build new schools with modern layouts to help solve its safety problems. Alicea said he has spoken with Fowler. The police chief has said he’s willing to meet with community members about safety issues so city officials can address their concerns, Fowler said. Fowler stressed that the SPD has prioritized keeping students, staff and the community safe. “We will terminate it, and terminate is the proper word choice for see forum page 6