Students, administration, and faculty members gathered in Hendricks Chapel on Thursday afternoon to discuss issues about minority scholarship cuts, understanding diversity, and what it means to truly belong at SU.
Raising signs with messages such as “Why are we being ignored?” and “No decisions about us without us,” Syracuse University students led a silent but powerful protest on the steps of Hendricks Chapel before the 3:30 p.m. start of the university-organized Express SU forum Thursday. Their point was to show that although conversations about diversity and inclusion often take place on campus, actual concrete changes and solutions rarely take effect.
Starting in fall 2015, SU will reduce its number of Posse Foundation partner cities from three to one.
When Shelia Payton graduated Syracuse University in 1970, she left the campus she had called home for four years with mixed feelings.
“I had a great education. I learned a lot. It got me the career I wanted,” the 66-year-old alumna said. “But I never felt that I was part of the university.”
Starting this fall, Syracuse University will be partnered with the Posse Foundation to increase racial diversity on campus.
Since its inception in 1989, the Posse Foundation has sent more than 4,000 students to 40 different universities on four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships. Starting in the fall of 2012, Syracuse University will be added to the list, after becoming tri-city partners with the Posse Foundation.
The tri-city partnership means that Syracuse will accept a “posse” from Atlanta, Los Angeles and Miami annually. The connection will increase racial diversity on campus and will create a strong network of intelligent and determined Posse scholars.