Dear Orange Friends:
It is with great optimism and excitement that I welcome our students, faculty, and staff to the Fall 2023 semester. I’ve spent the last week welcoming new students and faculty to campus from every corner of the world and across 48 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, military bases across the globe, and more than 14 Indigenous nations. I attended celebrations to build community among our 36 new native students, to introduce Hillel to 275 new Jewish students, and to connect nearly 300 international students from more than 40 countries. At Syracuse, people with different experiences, cultures, and interests come together to create our unique Orange community.
Our commitment to being a University welcoming to all is more important today than ever before. The Supreme Court decision ending race-based admissions will make our work to recruit a diverse student body different and more challenging. But Syracuse University did this before, and we can and will do it again. Inclusion is an intrinsic part of who we are as an institution, dating back to our founding in 1870. I’m inspired by the bold actions of Chancellor William Tolley, who built upon that welcoming tradition in ways that forever changed Syracuse University. Syracuse University long welcomed Jewish students when other universities limited their access to higher education. In 1942 it offered young Japanese Americans an escape from internment camps and full scholarships. And after World War II the doors of this great university were opened wide to every returning member of the military.
Our commitment of being a university welcoming to all extends to the pursuit of knowledge and research that advance the ideals of our society. This is one of the areas where, I believe, Syracuse University shines. I see it not only in our efforts to welcome new people to campus and develop a sense of belonging, but in all the ways our leaders, faculty, staff, and students encourage a robust exchange of ideas and thoughtful engagement. It’s how our professors inspire spirited classroom discussions that are both challenging and enlightening. Last year those efforts created change and advanced serious dialogue on issues including carbon neutrality, disability services, gun violence, and the mental health epidemic among others.
As we begin a new academic year, I ask each member of our community to value the unique time and place in history in which we are living, and the privilege we share to be a part of Syracuse University. I am excited for the year ahead and all we will discover and learn together.
Let’s have a great semester. Go Orange!
Chancellor Kent Syverud