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Syracuse University’s Senate discussed the Syracuse Statement on Free Expression and Free Inquiry during its second meeting of the semester Wednesday afternoon. Multiple senators voiced concerns regarding the statement and its approval process.

The statement, first written and approved by an ad hoc statement working group in early May, outlines protections for faculty and student speech on campus. The team was co-chaired by Gretchen Ritter, then vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer, and Allen Groves, senior vice president and chief student experience officer. It also included faculty, staff, students and alumni.

Thomas Keck, a former University Senator and member of the working group, presented the statement to the senate. He discussed the process of creating the statement and the importance of maintaining freedom of speech, academic freedom and university neutrality when facing social and political issues.

Senator Steven Diaz, a professor in SU’s Mathematics department, said the statement should have been overseen by an elected representative body such as the senate, not by an ad hoc committee.

SU Chancellor Kent Syverud said that other groups, including SU’s Board of Trustees, also showed interest in creating the statement. He said the statement working group was intended to include a small group of individuals with expertise in related areas.

Another senator, Humanities Professor Harvey Teres, said there needs to be “continued collaboration” on the statement and expressed concerns about the lack of input from sources outside the working group.

“If it’s a statement that speaks for the entire community, then different sectors of the community need to ratify the statement,” Teres said.

Later in the meeting, the discussion moved to freedom of speech among faculty. The statement says faculty members have the right to speak publicly within the area of their scholarly expertise, as well as in discussions of governance within the university.

Senator Robert Van Gulick, a professor in the Philosophy department, said he and others didn’t understand the need for the limitation to “area of expertise.” He raised concerns about the ability of professors and other members of the SU community to speak out about public and political issues.

Keck said the working group discussed this wording extensively and that the right to speak publicly on political matters as members of an academic institution is a debate that has existed for years. He said it was important to distinguish between academic freedom and free speech, as the two terms are often conflated.

“Freedom of speech … applies to all citizens, all members of the national and local community, to engage in any kind of political speech,” Keck said. “Academic freedom often is defined more narrowly to focus on speech that is relevant to the production and dissemination of knowledge within an academic enterprise.”

Senator Margaret Thompson, a professor in the History department, voiced concern about public speech by people associated with the university and asked how public figures, such as Rudy Giuliani, would be held accountable by the university.

Giuliani received an honorary degree from the SU’s College of Law in 1989. The former mayor of New York City was disbarred and indicted for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots and attempting to overturn election results.

Thompson said as the recipient of an honorary degree, Guiliani’s actions have implications for the university community and the statement.

Syverud said that Guilaini’s honorary degree has been discussed and reviewed by SU’s Board of Trustees. He said it was possible they could discuss the subject during their upcoming November meeting.

During the meeting’s Chancellor Q&A, Senator Biko Gray, a professor in SU’s Department of Religion, said he was “disgusted” by the hazing videos allegedly recorded at SU’s Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and other fraternities. He said he is “deeply concerned” for the safety of students participating in these activities.

Senator Sheriah Dixon, SU’s associate vice president and dean of students, agreed that the videos were “concerning” and said that, if investigations proved the allegations against the fraternities were accurate, those involved would be held accountable.

Syverud said that recent events on campus may justify widespread “climate assessments” of fraternities and sororities following the due process of ongoing investigations.

Other Business:

• During the Chancellor’s remarks, Syverud said he has been involved in national efforts exploring the future of college athletics, expressing his desire for a unified league including all 136 Football Bowl Subdivision schools in a College Student Football League.
• Senator Lisa Manning, chair of the Research and Creative Scholarship committee, outlined her committee’s plans to reform and update SU’s research resources. During her presentation, Manning emphasized the need to keep up with the ever-changing capabilities of artificial intelligence and update data finder technologies on campus.

Published on October 24, 2024 at 1:16 am

Contact Duncan: digreen@syr.edu