Editorial : Campus must maintain interest in top five major issues during summer lull

In the past year, The Daily Orange has published nearly 70 editorials highlighting some of the most pressing issues facing the campus and greater community. Topics ranged from grocery store accessibility to the frustrations of Microsoft Outlook as Syracuse University’s email provider.

But among the lighthearted reflections and heartfelt calls to action, there are five major issues that this community cannot leave to fizzle out on the back burner this summer. The distractions and lethargy of summer break and the prospect of new challenges cannot hinder the urgency with which we approach them come fall.

• The Academic Integrity Office must proceed with amendments to its policy. After presenting several possible changes this spring, the next step should include a campus-wide discussion about the effectiveness of its policies and recommendations for change in the fall. Harshening the punishment for repeat offenders and subsequently raising SU’s academic standards should be an utmost priority.

• The possibility of drafting a summer internship policy could greatly benefit students, especially if SU finds pathways to assist those facing unpaid or expensive for-credit internships. However, without student interest and activism in this necessary initiative, students may find new roadblocks to taking certain kinds of summer internships. This is an issue students must pay close attention to.

• Students asked for a medical amnesty policy that would protect them from punitive action if they call for medical help when intoxicated. This policy has the immediate potential to save lives of those in danger of overdose but fearful of getting in trouble.

• The issue of SU’s changing admissions data that resulted in the university falling in the U.S. News and World Report rankings has yet to be settled. SU administrators and concerned faculty disagree about the implications of the state of SU’s admissions data. It’s impossible to come to an informed stance on the issue without all the information, uninhibited and uncensored. This conversation must continue.

• SU saw a freshman bulge this year that caused housing trouble and possible overcrowding in classes, though a report by the Ad Hoc Committee on Enrollment won’t release its findings until July. The size of the student body has implications for housing, campus life, facilities and academics. We should make sure the July findings become a priority come fall.