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UNIVERSITY POLITICS

Ad hoc committee creates strategies to increase support for undocumented students at Syracuse University

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The committee recommended creating a formal committee for accountability and a scholarship for undocumented students.

By Sandhya Iyer

The Ad Hoc Committee on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)/Undocumented Students has delivered its report to Chancellor Kent Syverud, the university announced Friday.

The report is composed of immediate, short- and long-term strategies to increase support for undocumented students and those who have undocumented family members.

Several of the immediate recommendations have already been implemented. These include providing students with contacts for on-campus support, finding career advisers that recognize these students’ circumstances, creating an institutional emergency response team and identifying a legal expert to provide guidance and assistance.

Syverud said he appreciated the committee’s work.

“Our collective focus must be to ensure that all students feel welcome, safe and supported, including those who came to this country as children, were raised and educated here, but are undocumented,” he said in the release.



Recommendations to meet short- and long-term needs of the students were also listed in the release. Among these suggestions are:

  • Organizing a permanent, formal committee for accountability and oversight
  • Creating a website with contact information, campus resources and information about scholarships
  • Conducting professional training for teaching assistants, student leaders, faculty and staff who often work with undocumented students
  • Designing a campaign to establish a scholarship for DACA and undocumented students

The committee is made up of students, faculty and university staff who have the opportunity to directly interact with students. While trying to address the needs of undocumented students and come up with strategies, the committee conducted considerable research and explored the best practices at multiple peer institutions, according to the release.

The report was a “step forward in recognizing the unique needs of our undocumented and DACA students, as well as the similar needs of our students with mixed-status family members,” the committee said in the release.





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