Chancellor Kent Syverud’s four main goals for Syracuse University are strong points that will improve the school.

During his inauguration speech on Friday, Syverud indicated four ways SU can improve: enhancing the undergraduate education and experience, empowering the research excellence, embracing change and risk-taking at the university and improving veteran services.

A noticeable difference between Syverud and former Chancellor Nancy Cantor’s goals for SU is that he is focusing on the campus rather than the city.  

To improve SU’s undergraduate experience, Syverud is focusing on the College of Arts and Sciences. While SU’s communications, business and information studies programs are ranked highly on the U.S. News & World Report, SU’s liberal arts programs aren’t. The College of Arts and Sciences, considered to be the “center of undergraduate learning” according to SU’s website, needs many improvements if it is to live up to its reputation.

While the College of Arts and Sciences is important, Syverud should also focus on how to make the school more collaborative with other colleges at SU. The college can be stronger by improving communication and interactions with the other schools.

With that, Syverud should remember to improve all schools at SU, because the College of Arts and Sciences is not the only college that needs more attention.

Syverud’s goal to improve the infrastructure on campus should start by addressing the disparity of quality between buildings. Although some buildings are up-to-date, such as Carnegie Library, others are in need of renovations, such as E.S. Bird Library.

He embraces the entrepreneurial spirit of SU, which has become a strong part of SU’s identity. Syverud wants to take risks with the school to encourage more change, so SU’s identity can continue to be broadened in the future.

It is also beneficial that Syverud wants to build on SU’s veterans program, an already-developed aspect of SU’s identity. Veteran programs have a strong history at SU, and it is valuable to improve this community.

Syverud’s vision for SU highlights many of the issues that need to be addressed. If collaboration and change are applied to these topics, the university can grow into the one Syverud envisions.

 

Published on April 14, 2014 at 1:00 am