Dear New Syracusan:
As you make your final preparations to begin your academic
career at Syracuse University, I would like to share with
you my delight that you have chosen to become part of our
community. Be assured that you have selected a University
that is committed to your intellectual, personal, and
social growth—a community that values the individuality and
uniqueness you will bring to SU, and one that invites you
to come together for learning with peers who bring many
different life experiences from varied and unique
backgrounds to campus. We aspire to foster students’
diverse, multicultural, and international perspectives,
thereby preparing all students to engage with the world as
contributing members of a global society. We will welcome
and encourage your active participation in this engagement,
on campus and beyond.
The students, faculty, and staff you will join here are
very proud of our shared institutional commitment to
diversity. We hold the highest of expectations for you, and
we challenge you to embrace the opportunities that will
prepare you for engaging the world. Your success at
Syracuse University and beyond depends on your ability to
open your mind and contribute to what Chancellor and
President Nancy Cantor calls “the vibrancy that comes from
engaging difference.”
We appreciate diversity on our campus and the learning and
growth that can be gained by celebrating it. While Syracuse
University, like other institutions, is not immune to
bias-related behavior, such as making homophobic comments,
racial slurs, or sexist remarks, we take these incidents
seriously. We will deal swiftly with bias-related policy
violations that come to our attention through the
University Judicial System. At the same time, we will use
these incidents as opportunities to build an educational
foundation for all students in an effort to replace bias
with understanding, and ignorance with appreciation.
The harm to those who are not respected and are targeted
for their beliefs, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation,
religion, nationality, disability or other differences can
be permanently injurious. There is no place for bias or
hate on our campus, and such actions will not be tolerated.
In March 2002, Syracuse University’s Division of Student
Affairs established the Protocol for Responding to
Bias-Related Incidents to provide guidelines that ensure a
prompt, caring, and thorough response to victims of
bias-related crimes. It is online at http://students.syr.edu/deanofstudents/protocol.html.
This protocol also created a trained crisis response
team on campus, known as the Team Against Bias (TAB), to
assist the campus community through educational
dialogues and active programming that encourages
learning and communication. Throughout the academic
year, the Team Against Bias and other campus offices and
organizations offer many opportunities for you to learn
about people, beliefs, and cultures that are different
from your own. It is our hope that you will take
advantage of these opportunities to develop a better
appreciation of others and to further your own personal
growth.
Our campus community is a place that invites people to come
together to learn and grow from one another’s experiences.
We firmly believe that a supportive, diverse campus climate
encourages student academic and social success and overall
satisfaction, which is of critical importance to us. On
behalf of Syracuse University, I extend my very best wishes
to you for the upcoming semester and look forward to your
arrival on campus shortly.
Sincerely,
