News

Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Andrew Gordon has announced that Sheila R. Johnson-Willis has been named associate vice president and chief equal opportunity and Title IX officer. She has served in that position on an interim basis since June 2015.

“Following a national search announced last November, which attracted applicants from across the country, it became very clear to the search committee that Sheila has all the essential qualifications, skills, experience, sensitivity and commitment to carry out the duties of this critical role,” says Gordon. “She has earned the respect and trust of students, faculty and staff, and has done a stellar job of leading the office through some challenging times over the last few years.”

Read the full story at SU News.

On the Spectrum (OTS) is hosting a trivia night on Wednesday, Feb. 21, from 7-9 p.m. in 114 Hall of Languages. The trivia night, which will celebrate one of the most prominent characteristics of autism, special interests, is hosted in collaboration with Active Minds, the Disability Student Union, the Disability Cultural Center and the Beyond Compliance Coordinating Committee. At the trivia night, members of OTS will provide (totally unfair) questions based around the topics they love. Read the full article at SU News.

James Gordon Williams first heard Prince’s music as a high school student. “The album Sign ‘O’ the Times (1987) was popular then and Prince’s music videos were available via MTV-style music video channels,” recalls Williams, assistant professor of African American Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. “I also had a cursory awareness of “Purple Rain,” but did not grasp the cultural significance of the landmark album and the subsequent movie at that time,” he adds.

Read more at SU News.

Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud announced the formal opening today of the Office of the University Ombuds. Professor Emeritus Samuel Clemence has been named to head the office in an interim capacity until a search committee identifies a permanent ombuds.

The University created the office in response to recommendations of the University Senate Committee on Women’s Concerns and the Chancellor’s Workgroup on Diversity and Inclusion. It provides University staff, faculty and graduate students with an informal, confidential, impartial and independent resource to address interpersonal issues or questions openly and without fear of reprisal or judgment.

View the full article at SU News.

All members of the Syracuse University community and beyond are invited to the seventh OrangeAbility on Saturday, Feb. 17, from 2-4 p.m. in the Women’s Building Gym A. This student-led initiative is sponsored by the Disability Student Union (DSU), the Beyond Compliance Coordinating Committee (BCCC), the Disability Cultural Center(DCC), Recreation Services and community organization MoveAlong Inc.

Read more about the event at SU News.

A new School of Education lecture series devoted to early childhood literacy debuts this week with the most prominent family in the field of children’s literature and illustration.

Jerry Pinkney, Gloria Jean Pinkney, Brian Pinkney and Andrea Davis Pinkney ’85 will visit Syracuse for a two-day residency on campus and off, Thursday and Friday, Feb. 15 and 16. They will discuss how social justice and representation of African American culture in children’s literature became their life’s work. The Pinkneys will appear as the inaugural presenters in the Jo-Linda and Dennis Keith Distinguished Speaker Series.

For more information about the event, visit SU News.

The Office of the Provost has launched a new internal grant program designed to enhance and sustain an inclusive, accessible campus community. The grant program—known as the Unsurpassed Student Experience Diversity and Inclusion (USE D&I) Grant—seeks to support diversity programs and practices that deepen understanding and engagement across multiple areas of difference, including racial, ethnic, religious, disability, nationality and veteran status, among others.

Read the full story at SU News.

Marcelle Haddix, associate professor and chair of reading and language arts in the School of Education, is the creator and director of Writing our Lives, a program geared toward supporting the writing practices of urban youth within and beyond school contexts. In this edition of Innovation Orange, Haddix explains how the program benefits both student and teacher alike.

Innovation Orange Marcelle Haddix from Syracuse University News on Vimeo.

Originally posted at SU News.