Recognize Us, a student coalition, released a set of demands last spring to advocate for minority students in the wake of the Theta Tau controversy. Here were Recognize Us’ demands and what has happened in the year since the release of the videos:

“We Demand:

 1.     A thorough evaluation of Greek life and culture on Syracuse University (SU) Campus. This is to determine the ways in which the racist and sexist practices employed by Syracuse University’s Greek letter organizations deducts from the upliftment of the university campus. This investigation needs to center the voices and experiences of Syracuse University students. So, a thorough survey needs to be provided to the campus body by Fall 2018, where students are allowed to anonymously disclose their sentiments and experiences with relation to Greek life, and the nature of violent traditions such as hazing. The results of these surveys should be shared with the entire student body by October 2018, in addition to the results gathered through the auditing process that has already begun. This will create a campus wide dialogue about how Greek life can be restructured to continue its positive contributions to student life, while synonymously ending its oppressive enactments. This dialogue should lead to concrete implementations during our fall semester of 2018.”

Chancellor Kent Syverud announced a review of SU’s Greek life and culture in the days after the Theta Tau fraternity’s suspension. The review included a survey open to undergraduate students in summer 2018.

The results of the review were released in January 2019. Some of the challenge areas identified in the review were:

    •       The organizational structure and operational practices in the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs

    •       Consistent communication with internal stakeholders around policies and processes

    •       Diversity and inclusion within Greek communities

    •       Law enforcement jurisdiction related to parties, hazing and event security

    •       “High-risk” behaviors associated with a party culture, lack of clarity surrounding rules and hazing

    •       Unrecognized groups operating on campus

“2.     A complete reshaping of “Diversity and Implicit Bias Training” into a required introductory first year course, which replaces the current first year seminars. This should strongly engage faculty from the African American Studies, Asian American Studies, Disability Studies, Hispanic/Latinx Studies, Native American and Indigenous Studies, LGBT Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, and other faculty members who engage liberatory discourse to contribute towards its composition. The inclusion of these departments is not just because they incorporate diverse identities among faculty on campus, but because their historical and pedagogical legacy engages American history, particularly regarding systematic oppression. This identifies that one cannot merely be told not to discriminate, and be expected to follow these guidelines, when systems such as white supremacy, patriarchy, and racism are so knitted into the fibers of society. Being that this is an intellectual and academic institution, students and faculty need to be trained to engage oppression as an intellectual discourse to thoroughly understand how it manifests throughout our society and university social climate. This will highlight how we can be better human beings to each other ranging to how we can be better agents for justice throughout our society. This needs not be villainized as any one-sided political agenda, being that it aligns with the identity of our country, The United States of America, as a land of freedom and equal opportunity. Additionally, these departments need to receive more and sufficient resources to make this possible.”

SU launched SEM 100, a five-week seminar designed to confront implicit bias and promote health and wellness and communication skills, in fall 2018. As part of the seminar, students were required to read comedian Trevor Noah’s memoir “Born a Crime,” which recounted Noah’s experiences as a child of a black mother and white father in a country where government-mandated racial segregation persisted until the mid-1990s.

SEM 100 was developed before the Theta Tau videos controversy, but implemented during the semester after.

“3.     All professors and teaching assistants must go through a mandatory a “Diversity and Implicit Bias Program” to address the problematic and oppressive conduct against marginalized students by faculty. Professors have been active enactors of micro- and macro-aggressions along with and in addition to students. For example, students have reported being asked invasive discriminatory questions about their race and skin color by faculty. Such aggressions also include the failure of teachers to hold students accountable for oppressive behavior towards other students within the classroom. Additionally, Chancellor Syverud and the Board of Trustees need to also participate in this training, so they can be aware of necessary things to consider when planning ways to serve the entire campus community.”

It is unclear if the university has introduced faculty-wide diversity and implicit bias training. In the week after the Theta Tau videos controversy, the College of Engineering and Computer Science announced that the Dean’s Leadership Team would participate in mandatory diversity training before the end of the 2017-18 academic year. The college’s day-long retreat would also be devoted to diversity training.

“4.     Useful responses must be put in place to service individuals who are victims of sexual assault on SU Campus, and to better train the student body so we are not enabling the perpetuation of sexual violence. This includes the replacement of ItsOnUs with a more in depth educational mandatory first year training. ItsOnUs student org production is an ineffective follow up from the online sexual assault training, mainly because issues of assault are engaged as laughing matters. This  discourages students from taking their conduct seriously, and enables participation in the sexist culture that taints the Syracuse University community. This helps to explains why sexual assault is such a rampant occurrence on our campus. Additionally, better provisions must be created to employ more Title IX officers and make filing reports of assault an easier and more timely process.

There must be a larger investment into expanding the Counseling center, with more counselors, necessarily including  diverse faculty, as well as larger and more inclusive programs. This will undoubtedly serve not just sexual assault victims but will aid the well-being of the entire campus community.”

SU’s chapter of It’s On Us, a national campaign and cultural movement aimed at changing discussions about sexual assault, still operates on campus.

SU announced extended Counseling Center hours in January 2018, prior to the Theta Tau videos controversy. The university also hired three new Counseling Center staff members, including two staff therapists, in summer 2018.

“5.     Syracuse University must be accessible to all students, staff, faculty, and community members. This means all campus buildings, such as the LGBT Resource Center, must be made accessible to disabled individuals and to all other marginalized identities. When new buildings, restructuring or construction is planned, accessibility must be a foundational requirement. This also means there needs to be a centralized budget set for students, staff, and faculty to acquire accommodations, such as but not limited to American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART), for meetings and events.”

It is unclear what part of SU’s budget is set aside for student, staff and faculty accommodations. The LGBT Resource Center, which was previously located on Ostrom Avenue, moved to Bird Library before the start of the spring 2019 semester and will eventually be located in the renovated Schine Student Center.

“6.     Syracuse University must cluster hire more faculty of marginalized identities, specifically but not only disabled people, people of color, women, people with varying religious beliefs, LGBT+/ queer people, and immigrants. Students have continually shared the rare instances in which they have engaged professors and faculty who identify similarly has resulted in the most meaningful and uplifting experiences. Also, students have shared how detrimental it has been to exist in learning environments where faculty is predominantly white, and often time lacking consideration for their livelihood and perspectives. This has manifested in innumerable instances where professors have been the enactors of racially oppressive violence upon student bodies. In addition to better training current Syracuse University professors, it is necessary to hold professors accountable for the ways they have been discriminating against students throughout the years. This will undoubtedly create a more comfortable campus environment; diverse faculty will attract a diverse student body.”

 SU announced in fall 2018 that it would hire 53 faculty as part of its Cluster Hires Initiative.It is unclear if race is the main factor in the university’s cluster hiring. But Syverud’s Academic Strategic Plan included creating a more diverse student body as one of the key elements to improving the student experience. The Academic Strategic Plan was first submitted to SU’s Board of Trustees as a draft in May 2015. In January 2019, Syverud announced that the university would hire 200 people through its Signature and Cluster Hires Initiatives.

Published on April 17, 2019 at 10:36 pm

Contact Jordan: jmulle01@syr.edu | @jordanmuller18