Syracuse University is working with the Syracuse Police Department to set up a meeting between police officials and students about on and off-campus safety, an SU official said Thursday in a campus-wide email.  

Keith Alford, interim chief diversity officer, said in the email that SU is working to address students’ concerns after the assault of three students along Ackerman Avenue. Work on several initiatives came out of a Feb. 18 forum on campus where students criticized SPD and the Department of Public Safety’s handling of the assault.

SU is currently scheduling the meeting between students and SPD, Alford said. He also said the university is looking into adding cameras in the University Hill neighborhood to improve off-campus safety. DPS Chief Maldonado has said that the closest camera to the assault was on Euclid Avenue and did not show the assault taking place.

Several students at the Feb. 18 forum asked Maldonado about where the department has the jurisdiction to shut down parties and respond to calls. Maldonado said DPS only has authority to operate on properties owned, operated and managed by SU.

Alford said DPS is developing a map that shows the boundaries between DPS and SPD’s jurisdictions. The map will be shared with the campus community, he said.

SU has plans to create a Student of Color Advisory Committee where students will work with DPS on issues such as safety, late-night transportation and DPS intervention, Alford said. Alford suggested creating the committee at the Feb. 18 forum after students of color said they felt like their voices weren’t being heard.

Alford also provided updates on SU’s Greek life review, the university’s work to address sexual and relationship violence and an external disability services review.

The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs will appoint an associate director after external consultants who visited the campus last fall suggested structural changes to the office, Alford said. SU has a national search underway for an associate director, he said.

Chancellor Kent Syverud announced the Greek life review in April 2018 after SU expelled the professional engineering fraternity Theta Tau for participating in videos that Syverud called “extremely racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist, and hostile to people with disabilities.”

Alford also announced that Pamela Peter was named assistant dean of fraternity and sorority affairs. Peter previously served as director of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. As assistant dean, she will lead SU’s sorority and fraternity system and advise students, chapters and governing councils, Alford said.

The university is developing an advisory committee made of advisers, alumni, students both in Greek life and not in Greek life and other “University stakeholders,” Alford said. That committee will help SU review, assess and implement the consultants’ recommendations, he added.

Alford said the Chancellor’s Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence will release the results of a student survey regarding “awareness of and experiences relating to sexual and relationship violence.” The task force will use the results to create educational programming and help the university develop strategies to prevent sexual and relationship violence.  

As for SU’s planned review of disability services, the university expects to announce the firm that will conduct the review by early March, Alford said. The firm will also begin its work at that time.

Syverud first mentioned the audit in December 2017 at a University Senate meeting. In March 2018, SU announced that a committee was created to oversee the audit.

Published on February 28, 2019 at 9:25 pm

Contact Casey: [email protected] | @caseydarnell_