Members of the Student Association voiced their opinions on the removal of Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts surface pattern design major, and expressed their support for the students in a bill passed at the Monday night meeting.

‘We’re experiencing an unusual situation, our major being cut for no apparent reason,’ said Christine Albanese, a senior SPD major. ‘This is a terrific program with a great job placement rate. We’re really glad to have SA’s help with this because we haven’t been able to get anywhere so far talking to administration ourselves. They seem to be unwilling to budge on the issue.’

Larry Seivert, SA’s president, made it clear that it is SA’s responsibility to consider the bill, because it is an organization whose goal is to advocate for students.

Seivert did express concern about the wording of the bill, which sparked debate amongst the assembly. The last clause of the bill states, ‘SA demands the cooperation and forthright communication from the College of VPA in regards to the SPD major.’ Many SA members felt the word ‘demand’ was too authoritative, coming from SA.

‘I totally support standing by the students and I think this bill should be solely focused on that,’ said SA assembly representative Helene Kahn. ‘I think it is unacceptable to be demanding anything.’

One of Kahn’s key arguments was that SA cannot demand something and sit back and wait for answers. She argued that SA must be proactive and actually take action to help the students.

John Barnhart, SA’s student engagement chair, agreed.

‘The resolution should state at least something we as the organization are doing besides making demands,’ Barnhart said.

Four senior SPD majors, including Albanese, were present at Monday night’s meeting. Albanese said that the reason they are angry is the lack of communication between VPA administration and students. She said students were not forewarned about the major cut that has been in discussion since the fall. Students were informed in a letter, but never told the reason why SPD was cut, she said.

‘We were pretty much blindsided the week before Spring Break,’ Albanese said. ‘The administration has not given us any real reasons. The students were not involved at all. I really don’t think this decision was made in the interest of the students in any way at all.’

Part of the bill states, ‘SA strongly opposes the lack of communication and disrespect shown by the College of VPA to its students, and believes students should be included in these types of decisions from the beginning.’

VPA students present at the meeting spoke as to why they felt the word ‘demand’ should remain in the constitution. They made it clear that they’re at the point of demanding answers, because they have tried to ask questions and administration has not responded.

Tyrone Shaw, SA’s academic affairs committee chair, co-authored the bill and presented it at the meeting. Shaw supported keeping the word ‘demand’ in the bill.

‘Sometimes I think even though we’re really beautifully worded, we’re really quiet and not taken seriously,’ he said.

Some assembly members agreed with Shaw, noting the opportunity to prove their commitment to students.

Current students, who have declared SPD as their major, will be able to keep the major until they graduate, but the seniors present at the meeting were concerned about incoming classes who will not have that same opportunity.

Though the assembly seemed split on the wording of the bill, it ended up passing by a majority. Only four assembly members rejected the bill.

Also at Monday night’s meeting, Seivert reported on the SU Showcase meeting he attended Monday night.

‘The university is going to be working with us in an effort to support the safety of students and the needs of the students being met wherever the students are,’ Seivert said.

Kahn announced that SA is working to provide resources like food and water to promote safety, but the details have yet to be worked out.

Lily Mei, SA’s comptroller, announced that budget hearings went smoothly this past weekend.

Though the bills presented to the Finance Board are packaged when presented to the assembly at the budget meeting, it was suggested within the assembly that each budget proposal bill is heard one by one. Mei disagreed with this idea.

‘This is the reason why we have a Finance Board and why assembly members are present during deliberation,’ Mei said. ‘They were elected by you as assembly members to their job.’

Deliberations will take place until Saturday, and the budget meeting will be held on Monday, March 30 at 6 p.m. in Maxwell Auditorium.

mequalte@syr.edu

Published on March 23, 2009 at 12:00 pm