Fresh out of a “positive, engaged and active” meeting with the Board of Trustees, Student Association President Boris Gresely was excited at SA’s meeting on Monday about the prospects of Chancellor Kent Syverud’s Fast Forward Syracuse plan.

Gresely was able to sit down with the board to make suggestions on how to improve Syracuse University, such as establishing “an alternative to Castle Court” for students and making a more positive “student climate with the chancellor.”

At their meeting in Maxwell Auditorium, SA assembly members discussed upcoming events that may lessen the apparent tension between the chancellor and SU students that has formed as a result of the chancellor’s condemnation of SU’s top party school title. There were also discussions about the chancellor’s Town Hall meeting, Gresely’s meeting with the Board of Trustees and other SA events. 

A Town Hall meeting for the chancellor to connect to SU students is being held Monday, Sept. 22 at 4:30 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel. The purpose of the meeting is for students to familiarize themselves with the Fast Forward Syracuse plan designed primarily by a steering committee and several working groups. A question-and answer session will also be held, so students will have the opportunity to have their personal concerns addressed by the chancellor.

The three-part Fast Forward plan is being implemented to provide “the key strategic direction and framework” that is necessary to make SU a more prestigious educational institution and enjoyable learning environment for faculty, staff and students alike, according to the Fast Forward website. 

The three components of Fast Forward Syracuse are a strategic plan, a campus master plan and an operational excellence program. The strategic plan aims to continue SU’s reign as a renowned institution and develop academic programs in the areas that are needed. The operational excellence program will aid in increasing effectiveness and efficiency, and also gathering funds to implement the strategic plan and the campus master plan, according to the Fast Forward website.

Syverud addressed students in a letter on Fast Forward Syracuse’s website, stating, “I believe that, to get better, we need to take risks, we need to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit that animates so many parts of this campus and we need to move nimbly.”

At his recent meeting with the Board of Trustees, Gresely shared concerns that assembly members spoke about at last week’s SA meeting. He addressed the partying ban at Castle Court and the importance of administration stepping up to create new alternatives for students to have fun on campus. Gresely also suggested a student-led tour of campus for the Board of Trustees, which he hopes will allow some disconnected members of the administration to get a better feel of student life on campus and why some improvements are necessary. Gresely said he felt that the board was very “receptive” to his ideas and he hopes that they can be set into action.

Director of Public Relations Austin Galovski delivered a report detailing the upcoming Fast Forward Kickoff Event. The purpose of the event is to bring together campus organizations, Greek houses and residence halls to celebrate the implementation of Fast Forward Syracuse. Depending on the date of Shack-A-Thon, the event will be held on either Sept. 25 or Sept. 29.

Published on September 16, 2014 at 12:01 am

Contact Alexa: atorrens@syr.edu