In a campus-wide email sent Wednesday afternoon, Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud thanked individuals and groups he said helped oppose “troubling” provisions in the original federal tax legislation that would have directly affected the university.

The final Republican tax bill, which Congress passed Wednesday morning, does not include the provisions in the original plan that would have dramatically increased the cost of university attendance for some students.

The chancellor said he was “deeply grateful” to Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.) for working to remove provisions affecting the university from the final bill. Syverud sent a letter to Katko in November expressing concerns about certain provisions of the bill after the congressman voted in favor of the original House plan.    

Syverud thanked the Graduate Student Organization and its president, Jack Wilson, for helping “mount a broad and loud opposition to the House bill.”

He also thanked the university’s government relations team, which included Mike Haynie, SU vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovations; Raymond Toenniessen, SU assistant vice president for veterans development; and Tim Drumm, SU executive director for special initiatives.

Syverud said he didn’t know “for sure” what SU would’ve done if the original House bill became law. But he added a large team was working to make sure graduate students, faculty and staff could have completed their education.

“It would have been very hard, but I am confident our University would not have left our people in the lurch,” the chancellor said.  

The original plan, passed by the House in November, would have eliminated the tuition waiver tax exemption and student loan interest deduction, among other things. Those provisions were not included in the final tax bill.

Syverud also said he would report on the tax law and other legislation in January.

Published on December 20, 2017 at 2:50 pm

Contact Jordan: jmulle01@syr.edu | @jordanmuller18