Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud approved recommendations suggested by a university committee to improve the campus experience for students, faculty and staff, an SU News release announced Friday.

The five recommendations, compiled by SU’s Climate Assessment Planning Committee, include the creation of a staff climate advisory group and a mandatory first-year forum.

The campus climate survey was designed to determine the “climate” of the university through an analysis of behaviors, attitudes and standards and practices of students and employees.

The results of a campus climate survey conducted in spring 2016 helped the committee create the recommendations. About 6,000 SU students, faculty and staff completed a campus climate survey, according to the news release.

Here are the five recommendations Syverud approved:

Mandatory first-year forum for undergraduate students

All undergraduate students will be required to take a first-year course on campus resources, diversity and inclusion and sexual and relationship violence prevention.

According to the CAPC’s recommendations, the forum could possibly run for the entire year and include topics such as life skills, academic success strategies and academic program integration.

Creation of an education and professional development strategy for campus-climate issues

The university will create an education and professional development strategy to inform students, faculty and staff about campus-climate issues.

The issues covered by the education and development strategy should include staff supervision and support, diversity and inclusion, implicit bias, prosocial behavior, sexual and relationship violence and sexual harassment and stalking, among other topics, according to the CAPC’s recommendation.

Student leaders may be required to attend Title IX training, according to the news release.

Creation of an advisory group on staff climate issues

The university will create an advisory committee to write recommendations on issues related to staff morale, hierarchy and classism concerns and career pathways and training opportunities.

The committee will also write recommendations on the ways staff can address problems and will review policies and procedures affecting staff for “differences in approach and treatment,” according to the CAPC recommendation.

Develop ongoing communications related to campus climate

The CAPC recommended the university create an educational communication strategy to inform the community about improvements to campus climate.

The campus climate survey found a need for more proactive communications and transparency to help make climate issues more visible, per the news release.

The educational communication strategy could include communications from Syverud, an online mechanism for better internal and external communications on campus climate issues and discussions about how classrooms, programs and departments contribute to an inclusive campus.

Continue to evaluate the SU climate

Parts of the climate assessment survey — including sections related to sexual and relationship violence — will be repeated to monitor the campus climate every other year.

The university will repeat other parts of the survey every three to four years, according to the news release.

Published on September 17, 2017 at 11:00 pm

Contact Jordan: jmulle01@syr.edu | @jordanmuller18