Chancellor Kent Syverud’s address to the Syracuse University community Tuesday clarified the statuses of key initiatives, including Invest Syracuse. But with tuition hikes and spending cuts on the horizon in the name of the student experience, university leadership should provide clear-cut updates through these types of speeches more than twice per academic year.

In addition to Invest Syracuse, Syverud’s speech covered sexual assault policy reform and the newly introduced Euclid Avenue shuttle system. The address comes after a similar event in early fall during which Syverud laid the groundwork for Invest Syracuse, a five-year fundraising initiative that aims to raise $100 million to fund academic programs.

These addresses are essential to keeping the greater Syracuse community up to date on issues directly changing their own communities on campus, immediately and long-term. When Invest Syracuse officially rolled out in late July, the “funding vehicle” came with vague goals and called for loosely undefined budget cuts in support of the Academic Strategic Plan, one section of Syverud’s Fast Forward Syracuse initiative that outlines long-term goals for SU.

Following the announcement came a series of information sessions detailing Invest Syracuse and other projects sprinkled throughout the fall. But these forums tend to answer surface-level questions and rarely offer substantial updates, which is why SU should host another comprehensive campus update toward the end of the spring semester.

A higher frequency of speeches directly from the chancellor boosts SU’s administrative transparency and fosters more open dialogue for community members to critically evaluate the academic and financial actions affecting them most.

The effects of Invest Syracuse will touch core pockets of Syracuse University’s campus: students, staff, faculty and administrative offices. But before these stakeholders can buy into — or at least grasp — a sweeping venture the administration is convinced with be worthwhile, SU’s leadership should invest in communication by investing its time.

The Daily Orange Editorial Board serves as the voice of the organization and aims to contribute the perspectives of students to discussions that concern Syracuse University and the greater Syracuse community. The editorial board’s stances are determined by a majority of its members. You can read more about the editorial board here.