Restructuring to the Department of Public Safety and elections for multiple Student Association positions dominated the conversation at the semester’s lengthiest meeting to date.

DPS Chief Tony Callisto detailed changes made to DPS’ structure during the two and a half hour Monday meeting in Maxwell Auditorium. The presentation followed student outcry in recent weeks regarding the position change of the well-liked former DPS Cpl. Joe Shanley, who was assigned an officer title following the restructuring.

“This is a much leaner and a much flatter organization than we had six months ago,” Callisto said of the restructuring process, which eliminated some positions, including corporal and lieutenant, entirely.

Surveys, hours of interviewing and outside consultation were part of the months-long review that resulted in the restructuring, Callisto said.

About a dozen DPS officials, including Shanley, attended the meeting. DPS has rejected calling any position change a demotion, a point Sean Dinan, a member of the general assembly and Class of 2014 co-president, questioned. Dinan, who collected questions from students through Facebook, said he had difficulty understanding how a reduction in title doesn’t amount to a demotion.

Without specifically addressing Shanley, Callisto said the repositioning within DPS was not intended as a punishment.

“The design and intent of the reorganization was not punitive, not intended to harm anybody,” Callisto said.

The meeting changed course following Callisto’s presentation, as four students were electedto various positions within SA. In an attempt to lighten the election load during future meetings, a student representative in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, a University Senate representative and two Board of Elections Committee members were selected at Monday’s meeting. SA President Allie Curtis has said previously that future meetings will likely run long as SA works through the process of selecting representatives to empty general assembly seats.

Clifford Jacobs, a child and family studies major, was selected as a Falk representative. Jacobs said he hopes to generate more attention toward his college, as he feels Falk is underrepresented on the Syracuse University campus.

“I think everyone overlooks it as a school,” Jacobs said.

Steven Fantigrossi, a sophomore political science major, claimed one of the more than two dozen available USen seats. Fantigrossi, who manages the SU football team, said as a USen representative, he would like to be a voice for athletes on campus, a group he considers underrepresented in student government. Twenty four USen seats remain available to students.

The Board of Membership and Elections committee grew by two members during Monday’s meeting with the addition of Jane Hong and James Tucci, a communication and rhetorical studies major and environmental biology major, respectively. Hong, who also serves on the public relations and student life committees, was questioned about her ability to serve in multiple committees without being overextended.

Hong, who was named the association’s member of the month, countered and said SA was her main commitment on campus.

“Student Association is my main priority right now, and over the past month, I’ve worked really hard to get initiatives going,” Hong said. “I know myself and I trust I’ll be able to dedicate myself fully to every single committee.”

Other business discussed:

• The assembly approved $8,139 in programming funding for three separate student organizations. About $148,290 in special programming money remains for spring 2013.
• The Graduate Student Organization plans to conduct a survey analyzing pay disparities for employees in different academic fields.
• The Academic Affairs committee is working on a number of initiatives, including bettering the textbook-finding system attached to the bookstore’s website, and working to convert the former Haven dining hall to a study space, said Academic Affairs chairperson Jenny Choi, in her report.
• Duane Ford, SA vice president, is working on an initiative that would make putting textbooks on reserve in the library mandatory. Ford is working on a second initiative that   would make condoms available in campus residence halls.

Published on February 12, 2013 at 1:51 am

Contact Debbie: dbtruong@syr.edu | @debbietruong