The SU-AAUP is organizing a listening session on Friday, August 29, 11am-12:30pm to compile concerns and questions of the faculty in light of recent changes at SU in response to general federal pressures and “guidance” on DEI. Representatives from the Senate Curriculum and Academic Affairs Committees will be on hand as well as SU-AAUP officers.  
 
Over the summer, the DEI office was renamed and reorganized, and webpages were scrubbed, in some cases in ways that impact on graduation requirements and curricular matters that are the clear province of the faculty in Shared Governance.  One example is the course catalogue description of IDEA courses ; another is the removal of DEI from the competencies. The issue is not that the language has been changed, but rather HOW these changes have been made—that is, without including faculty.
 
Faculty control of the curriculum is not merely a tradition; it is necessary to the integrity of the intellectual project of the university.  What happens to those of us who keep the older language on our syllabi?  What of departments whose entire projects are predicated on DEI principles?   We want to hear your concerns and questions, which we will make sure get to the administration.
 
Our administration, as all university administrations, has been put into an impossible situation by the current federal actions and threats.  We appreciate and lament this. At the same time, AAUP is committed to defending faculty rights and making sure that the integrity of the intellectual project of the university is maintained, which requires faculty control of the curriculum and academic matters, whatever the pressures and constraints from outside the university – or within.  This is why we will be listening to YOU and carrying your questions and concerns to the administration and relevant Senate committees.
 
Register here: https://syracuseuniversity.zoom.us/meeting/register/vvyXeHB3RiW8O15v8VXLwg