Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud was upset about the process and certain findings relating to the NCAA’s report on Syracuse University, he told faculty members during Wednesday’s University Senate meeting.

“I think it’s important to communicate about it and comment on it. And frankly it’s important because for eight years, university leadership has not been able to comment on it publicly,” Syverud said. “When I first arrived here, I was dismayed at how long the process had gone on. Dismayed the process had gone on long with the participation of both the NCAA and university.”

The NCAA released a 94-page report on SU on March 6, which detailed instances of academic misconduct, and cited the university for a lack of institutional control over its athletics programs. As a result, the organization levied penalties against SU that included the loss of scholarships and vacation of wins for men’s basketball.

Syverud encouraged members of the Senate that packed the Maxwell Auditorium to read the entire report. Wednesday’s meeting was the first the University Senate has had since the release of the report. Faculty members in attendance were generally appreciative that Syverud has been forthcoming following the release of the report.

Syverud briefly broke down the violations, and said that the academic integrity issues, more specifically the case with Fab Melo, troubled him the most.

“We have taken this report very seriously. And I take it very seriously, because most of the core of what we are, a private research university with academic standards and values,” he said. “A lot has been happening before the report came out, a lot has happened since it came out.”

He noted the reformed drug-testing policy, which was revamped in 2009, and the addition of a provost for academic support for athletes, who does not report to the athletic department, and rather the provost.

Many of the professors agreed they were pleased with the transparency the chancellor was showing after the NCAA’s report. Samuel Gorovitz, a philosophy professor and former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said after the meeting that he has been pleased by the candor and thoughtfulness of the discussion surrounding these issues. But, he said he wished senators had an opportunity to ask Syverud and Interim Provost Elizabeth Liddy questions during the meeting.

Can Isik, chair of the Senate Agenda Committee and associate dean in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, said much of Syverud’s speech was a reaffirmation of the announcement he sent to SU community members Wednesday morning.

Isik added that Syverud has been very transparent and responsive since the report came out.

“I think they’ve been good about that,” he said. “The chancellor has been very forthcoming.”

Rick Burton, the university’s faculty athletics representative and a professor in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, said in an interview that SU is a great academic institution, and Syverud’s vision is for it to become an even greater one.

“I don’t think anyone would choose to not want to become greater,” Burton said. “I think this is a transformative time at Syracuse and I’m encouraged by how we’re going to go forward.”

-Staff writer Jessica Iannetta contributed reporting to this story.

Published on March 18, 2015 at 4:50 pm

Contact Sam: sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3