How Syracuse University can make changes to city initiatives more clear

UPDATED: Nov. 2, 2017 at 5:55 p.m.

With a change in leadership comes a change in policy, and Syracuse University is no exception. When Chancellor Kent Syverud replaced Nancy Cantor at SU’s helm in 2014, he shifted Cantor’s focus on the city of Syracuse to a focus on the broader city-university community.

Syverud’s prioritization of SU and its campus began with big investments under the Fast Forward Initiative. SU’s Economic Investment and Community Impact reports released Monday provide a first look into how those changes may affect the city.

From the Near Westside Initiative to the Connective Corridor, SU’s relationship with the city it calls home has been debated time and time again. Big changes can result in controversy, which is why SU must be clear with straightforward explanations of the reasoning behind any changes to city-focused initiatives.

Unlike the university’s lengthy reports that are often filled with jargon, the investment and impact reports are easy to understand. The reports themselves are short and full of graphics, and they’re both parsed into a two-page, by-the-numbers report.

Though some concepts — such as the “benchmark universities” SU’s community investments are compared to — remain uncertain, this condensed report helps community members accurately respond to its findings.

It’s not yet clear what community investments will be modified, which leaves room for feedback before any decisions are finalized. After all, these reports’ suggestions should raise a few eyebrows. It’s mentioned that SU makes bigger community investments than “benchmark universities” — investments that include access scholarships for underrepresented student populations and longtime institutions such as the Community Folk Art Center.

Potential funding changes may come down to hard-line numbers with little room for compromise. But if the university does plan to make considerable changes to its community investments, it owes the community explicit reasons why.

The Daily Orange Editorial Board serves as the voice of the organization and aims to contribute the perspectives of students to discussions that concern Syracuse University and the greater Syracuse community. The editorial board’s stances are determined by a majority of its members. You can read more about the editorial board here.

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, it was implied that Syracuse University’s “Syracuse University Impact: Central to Central New York” study called for cuts to SU’s community investments. The study does not indicate that SU will reduce funding for any scholarships or community organizations in the city of Syracuse or the surrounding central New York region. The Daily Orange regrets this error.