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Syracuse University’s Board of Trustees on Monday announced the formation of an advisory committee focused on diversity and inclusion.

The Advisory Committee on University Climate, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility will be chaired by Richard Alexander and Jeffrey Scruggs. The announcement comes a month after a temporary board committee recommended a more permanent body to evaluate SU’s progress on diversity goals.

The committee will consist of eight members from the Board of Trustees and Chancellor Kent Syverud, according to the release. The committee will help oversee the implementation of the recommendations from former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch for the Department of Public Safety and Damon Williams, an expert in diversity affairs who led a campus climate survey in the fall.

“The formation of the advisory committee reflects the board’s continuing commitment to this transformative work that is critical to shaping the future of Syracuse University,” Alexander said in an SU News release.

The committee will help review SU’s campus commitments, which were generated by various students in response to a slew of racist, homophobic and antisemitic incidents that occured at or near SU last year.

Lynch concluded that trust between DPS and the campus community is broken, and survey data compiled by Williams showed that many students, staff and faculty are not satisfied with SU’s campus climate. Both noted that SU has taken steps to improve its climate and has the infrastructure necessary to continue doing so.

The committee will receive reports from the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Keith Alford on progress regarding the implementation of SU’s five-year strategic plan on diversity, equity and inclusion.

“(W)e heard from our students about how they experience Syracuse University, and where we must do better,” Scruggs said in the release. “The advisory committee is poised to support the long-term work that will bring lasting and meaningful change to our community.”

Published on April 26, 2021 at 10:18 pm

Contact Mira: mlberenb@syr.edu