As the semester comes to an end, it’s time for us to examine Syracuse University’s progress in its push toward improved inclusivity.

The Theta Tau videos controversy was a campus-wide call to action. In its aftermath, Chancellor Kent Syverud and SU’s administration made promises to foster diversity and inclusivity on campus. The steps taken to meet that goal included implicit bias training, a Greek life review and the hiring of new faculty.

Although changes have been implemented, it’s difficult to pinpoint impact on campus. The most visible change is the addition of SEM 100 — a mandatory seminar for first-year students.

Despite the seminar’s well-intentioned curriculum — including topics such as identity, diversity and communication — it’s unclear if the course was actually successful. Many students and facilitators did not find the seminar effective in meeting its goal — to promote a warm and welcoming environment for all students.

That can be discouraging. But, there’s still hope that we could see improvement from SU, in the future.

Through all of its efforts, SU has managed to do one thing right — it has started a conversation.

“It is evident that our students and some of our faculty feel empowered to share their experiences and expectations; this openness has been encouraged through intentional outreach, and is an important step toward creating a more inclusive environment,” said Keith Alford, interim chief diversity officer in an email.

The discussion of SU’s flawed racial climate was once limited to the student body. Now, with our passionate demands, we have garnered the attention of SU as an institution. Our fight continues to force them to make the changes we want to see in our community.

“Opportunities like these, where we identify and develop ways to learn and celebrate one another’s identities, cultures, backgrounds, and differences — and their intersections — through dialogue, education and awareness are paramount. This allows us to further foster a living and learning environment where all of our campus community members — inclusive of alumni — feel welcomed, supported, connected, and valued,” Alford said.

It’s important to remember that real structural change cannot occur over the course of just 15 weeks. Achieving complete inclusivity, diversity and unity is a slow, and demanding, transition.

Jennifer Bancamper is a sophomore English and textual studies major. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at jbancamp@syr.edu.

Published on December 11, 2018 at 6:52 pm