It’s hard for Jesse Feitel to imagine Syracuse University without Chancellor Nancy Cantor. Cantor’s initiatives made it possible for Feitel, a senior political science major, to secure a four-year financial aid grant and attend SU.

As Cantor has recently announced her intention to step down from her position in June 2014, the question arises: Who will fill the position as chancellor?

While the answer to this is long from certain, Feitel and others in the SU community weighed in on the type of person they would like to see appointed as chancellor.

Feitel, one of two undergraduate representatives to the Board of Trustees, said his role has allowed him to work closely with Cantor. Feitel said he hopes the next chancellor “loves Syracuse as much as she does.”

Taylor Guy, a junior psychology major, said she wants the next chancellor to be as involved as Cantor.

“She’s had a lot of events and she keeps in touch with the community,” Guy said. “I’d want to see someone who continues to do that.”

This focus on community, for which Cantor is known so well, puts her into the category of chancellors that Andre Gallois, a philosophy professor, calls “visionary.”

Gallois said that he would like to see somebody “traditional” succeed Cantor. This type of chancellor would “focus on traditional activities such as teaching programs.”

Cantor’s contributions include The Campaign for Syracuse University, which raised over $1 billion, and creating the Scholarship in Action initiative.

Richard Thompson, chairman of SU’s Board of Trustees, said in a statement that Cantor’s initiatives helped achieve “greatness” at SU.

“I can’t think of a greater gift or a more powerful tool for assuring our continued success well into the future,” Thompson said.

At the core of such a significant decision, Feitel has confidence that the Board of Trustees will appoint a chancellor of Cantor’s caliber.

“The Board is an amazing group of individuals who are passionate about SU,” Feitel said. “They’re not going to bring in somebody who will do anything less than live up to the chancellor’s achievements.”

Published on October 16, 2012 at 2:53 am