At the final Student Association meeting of the semester, president Boris Gresely thanked assembly members for their devotion and input to the projects SA has accomplished and the initiatives it will continue to work on next semester.

At the meeting on Monday evening in Maxwell Auditorium, Dean Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz discussed the campus master plan for Syracuse University, the chief of the Department of Public Safety gave a presentation about DPS policies and the assembly declined to vote on a resolution that would add SU to a list of universities that support the New York state DREAM Act.

During Monday’s meeting, Kantrowitz, SU’s senior vice president for student affairs, gave a presentation about the plan to renovate the university’s campus. The campus master plan is a component of Chancellor Kent Syverud’s Fast Forward Syracuse initiative.

“From our perspective, the three priorities that we are putting forward in a very significant way are a new student center, a new rec center and a wellness center,” Kantrowitz said.

Kantrowitz, who regularly meets with Gresely and SA Vice President Daniela Lopez, is a member of several committees that are planning these projects. She estimated that renovations will begin by the end of the spring semester.

Kantrowitz also announced that the Student Affairs department is creating a student affairs advisory board that will meet throughout the spring semester to discuss issues about academics and life on campus. The department has received nominations for student members of the board from SA and from the Graduate Student Organization.

“We really need to spend time and understand how we are communicating all these initiatives going on,” she said.

Following Kantrowitz’s report, DPS Chief Tony Callisto discussed how the department works together with the Syracuse Police Department.

“Our primary goal is community policing on our campus,” said Callisto. He added that DPS has “full jurisdiction on all properties that are owned, controlled or administered by SU.”

The Syracuse Police Department may ask for DPS assistance in situations that occur off campus and involve students from SU, SUNY-ESF, LeMoyne College or Upstate Medical University, Callisto said.

Assembly members also voted during the meeting to indefinitely table a resolution authored by the SU/ESF NYPIRG chapter. If passed, the resolution would add the chapter to a list of universities that support the NYS DREAM Act, which gives financial opportunities to undocumented students that live in New York.

According to the resolution, its purpose is to “(recognize) the importance of supporting immigrant students.”

The NYS DREAM Act would place undocumented students in a pool of students eligible for financial aid from the NYS Tuition Assistance Program. The act would increase the total amount of money available for students to account for the number of undocumented students eligible for aid.

Several representatives voiced concerns that they could not adequately represent their constituents’ opinions by voting on the resolution. Parliamentarian Stephen Thomas noted that there was a “scarce” number of assembly members to hold a fair vote. The motion to vote on the bill was defeated with a 3-18 result.

Published on December 2, 2014 at 12:02 am

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