A high-ranking Syracuse University official spoke to student media Wednesday as part of a new pilot press briefing program the university recently announced in an email to The Daily Orange and CitrusTV, among other outlets.

Dolan Evanovich, the university’s senior vice president for enrollment and the student experience, provided updates on a major review of on-campus disability services Wednesday, among other topics.

“This is a new concept, it’s not something we’ve done before,” said Sarah Scalese, associate vice president for university communications. “We encourage and welcome your feedback.”

The briefing, which lasted about 30 minutes, was first announced in an email from Scalese on Monday afternoon. Scalese said the briefings will be held every other week for the foreseeable future. A senior university leader will be a guest at each briefing, Scalese said. Evanovich was the inaugural guest.

A CitrusTV reporter, two Mornings on the Hill reporters of NCC News, a NewsHouse reporter and two D.O. reporters attended the briefing in Crouse Hinds Hall.

At the start of the briefing, Scalese provided possible “story ideas” she said reporters could consider covering. One of those ideas was reporting that SU’s athletics production department is leading an ACC Network production with S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications faculty and students.

Scalese also listed some “possible story angles” she said reporters could consider for that story. She said one angle could be reporting on student involvement in the department’s live T.V. event.

The idea behind SU’s new briefings is to provide members of the student media “a forum to receive timely and relevant information coming from discussions happening among our senior leaders, and beyond,” Scalese said.

After Scalese spoke, Evanovich gave a brief overview of five major topic areas at the university, including the disability services review, which was announced by Chancellor Kent Syverud last month. Evanovich also answered questions from reporters for roughly 10 minutes.

Scalese said questions outside of the five topic areas, in regard to the student experience, could be redirected via email to Shannon Feeney Andre, director of communications and media relations for the university’s division of enrollment and the student experience.

One of the briefing goals is to “facilitate interviews both in person, by phone and via email, which I know we do a little bit of everything, in a quicker, more seamless fashion,” Scalese said.

“I think there’s a shared philosophy, and a new philosophy, which is that our campus community should be our first audience,” Dara Royer, senior vice president and chief communications officer, said at the briefing.

Here are two takeaways from the press briefing:

• Recommendations based on the disability services review are expected to be released near the end of the fall 2018 semester, Evanovich said. Syverud announced the review in mid-January. The chancellor, at the time, said the review would include “process and policy of student housing, academic accommodations, medical leaves, service animals and other areas.” The senior vice president added that he’s meeting with Michele Wheatly, the university’s vice chancellor and provost, and Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala on Friday to discuss the review. A steering committee is expected to work on the review in the next few months, Evanovich said. He also said there’s a possibility external consultants will be hired by SU to work on the project. Evanovich said, “(It’s) yet to be determined,” in regard to hiring independent consultants to assist the university with its review. The steering committee will make that decision, Evanovich said.

• Evanovich said a new enrollment plan, in development at the university, will be implemented at the start of the fall 2019 semester. The plan was first announced by Syverud in a speech in January 2017.

Published on March 1, 2018 at 12:10 am

Contact Sam: sfogozal@syr.edu | @SamOgozalek