In a message sent Wednesday night to Syracuse University Posse scholars, Deborah Bial, president and founder of The Posse Foundation, acknowledged the ongoing sit-in at Crouse-Hinds Hall, and spoke about the future of the program at SU.

“For now the best suggestion I have is for you to get back to classes,” Bial said. “I can tell you with full confidence that Chancellor Syverud and his administration are committed to Posse.”

Bial said in the message that Posse is working closely with SU regarding its commitment to the scholarship program. Bial said she met with Chancellor Kent Syverud in October and she knows he wants the Posse program to be strong at SU. She also acknowledged the role that recent cuts to the Posse program have played for many protesters at the sit-in.

“I am really proud of how you have made your voices heard and shown how much Posse means to you,” Bial said.

The Posse program at SU takes students from Atlanta, Miami and Los Angeles and provides full, four-year scholarships for those students. However, in September, the university announced cuts to that program that would eliminate the Posse program in Los Angeles and Atlanta starting next fall. In early October, following a student protest about the cuts, SU announced that it would extend the Atlanta program for one more year. The cuts do not affect Posse scholars currently enrolled at the university.

Posse came to the forefront once again when it was included on a list of demands and grievances written by THE General Body, a coalition of student organizations that has been sitting-in at Crouse-Hinds since Nov. 3. The organization wanted SU to honor its original contract with Posse, which would mean maintaining all three Posses for another five years.

However negotiations between THE General Body and administrators on the topic resulted in little progress. At a meeting Monday night between the group and Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric Spina, Dean of Student Affairs Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz and Dean of University College Bea Gonzalez, protesters asked if the university had reconsidered its stance on cutting Posse

“Not at this time, no,” Spina told the group.

In her message to Posse scholars, Bial, the founder of the program, said she hopes scholars trust that she and Syverud will find the right balance for Posse and SU moving forward. She added that she will be visiting Syracuse on Dec. 9th, when she will meet with Syverud and the administration, as well as Posse scholars.

“I know you will continue to be engaged on campus and contribute to an open and productive dialogue,” Bial said.

Published on November 12, 2014 at 10:53 pm

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