UPDATED: March 3, 2020 at 6:22 p.m.

Syracuse University’s Student Association plans to send out a letter in support of a reformed SEM 100 course, SA leaders announced during Monday’s Assembly meeting. 

SA plans to send the letter to curriculum committees at each of SU’s 13 schools and colleges, said Sameeha Saied, SA vice president. The letter will encourage the committees to adopt a semester-long one-credit version of the first-year seminar course, currently offered for five weeks.

“If we’re telling schools and colleges this is something students want, then we’re hoping they will be a little more likely to listen,” said Saied, who sits on the ad-hoc University Senate committee tasked with developing the revised course.

SA’s letter will also encourage the establishment of a three-credit diversity and inclusion course requirement in addition to the SEM 100 program, Saied said. The course is meant to be more identity-focused, while touching on topics like bias, prejudice and socialization, she said. 

The proposed first-year seminar requirement aims to hit three goals, including helping students adjust to life at SU and exploring identity and social dynamics, Saied said. 

“We’ve heard that (SEM 100) wasn’t effective,” Saied said. “So, one of the main things we’ve been trying to do is providing the scope and sequence that effectively addresses the issues that the students want this course to address.”

Other business

John Jankovic, co-chair of SA’s Student Life Committee, said there are currently menstrual product dispensary machines in six university buildings, including Schine Student Center and Bird Library. The committee hopes to extend the program to gender-neutral bathrooms as well, Jankovic said. This is something the Student Life Committee has been pursuing for four years, he said.

“I came into SA wanting to help with menstrual products,” said Abby Henry, an Assembly member. “I know that this is one initiative that’s actually going to touch a lot of people on campus, that’s why we’re pushing for it.”

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, Abby Henry’s statement was misattributed. A previous version of this post also misstated that a menstrual product initiative was passed. A previous version of this post also stated that a letter regarding SEM 100 was sent out Tuesday, but only an internal email was sent. The Daily Orange regrets these errors.

Published on March 3, 2020 at 12:22 am

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