The University Senate on Wednesday passed a resolution that urges administrators to cancel classes on campus for the rest of the week.

The vote came after a string of at least 12 racist and anti-Semitic incidents were reported at or near Syracuse University over the course of about two weeks. SU’s initial response to racist graffiti targeting black and Asian people found in Day Hall has sparked a now-week-long sit-in at the Barnes Center at The Arch organized by the #NotAgainSU student movement.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday criticized Chancellor Kent Syverud’s handling of the situation. The New York State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigations have been called in to support SU’s Department of Public Safety.

After the Senate resolution passed, Syverud was asked to comment on the recommendation.

“I really have to confer with the academic affairs people on this,” the chancellor said. “I will do that right after the meeting.”

He said he assumes Provost Michele Wheatly will “communicate” about the matter before midnight.

The resolution was in regard to “face-to-face” classes, specifically. There had been no campus-wide updates from Wheatly as of about 9 p.m.

Some SU professors and departments canceled Tuesday’s classes or allowed absences after a white supremacist manifesto was allegedly AirDropped to students’ cellphones in Bird Library. Syverud at the meeting Wednesday said the AirDrop reports were “probably a hoax.”

Published on November 20, 2019 at 8:55 pm

Contact Sam: sfogozal@syr.edu | @SamOgozalek