Students, faculty and staff now have a chance to share their opinions about Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor.

The university is collecting feedback of Cantor, who is in her fifth year as chancellor, through an online survey sent out last week. The survey, which takes about 20 minutes to complete, is available through March 9. All faculty, students and staff were sent the survey, as well as a sample of about 5 percent of alumni who were on campus during Cantor’s tenure, said Bruce Carter, associate dean in the College of Human Ecology and chair of the University Senate agenda committee that is charged with a required review of the chancellor.

“We know that not everyone will respond,” Carter said. “But we are hoping as many people as possible will.”

Though several dozen students were asked, few said they planned to fill out the survey. Midterms, busy schedules and lack of interest topped the list of reasons students gave for not participating.

“I don’t have time for it,” said Leticia Negron, a senior political science major. “I feel bad, but honestly I don’t know enough about what the chancellor has done to accurately fill it out.”

The online survey is a part of a chancellor review that is required every five years by the bylaws of the University Senate, SU’s governing body composed of faculty and staff. The review will also survey people in the Syracuse community.

“Since the chancellor is committed to working with the community, it seems useful to include community people as well,” Carter said.

The results of the review are presented to the university’s Board of Trustees and are not released to the public.

“If the Board of Trustees or the chancellor choose to, they are free to do so,” Carter said. “But the results are confidential, which would be true of almost any other faculty review.”

Carter said he hopes to have a report done by the end of the semester to present to the trustees. Under senate bylaws, the review can recommend renewal or dismissal of the chancellor. The Board of Trustees does not have to abide by the recommendations.

Last June, the compensation and executive committees of the Board of Trustees renewed Cantor’s contract with the university through 2014. It would have expired in 2010 after the current review was completed.

The faculty and students survey, which is being administered by the university’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, is broken up into five sections: leadership, vision, communication, individual style and characteristics and management. The survey begins with basic identifying questions, including demographic information as well as university-specific questions, like affiliation with the university, length of time at the university and extent of contact with Cantor.

Questions touch on general leadership and management characteristics – such as accessibility, communication skills and representation to the outside world – and on specific initiatives, like Scholarship in Action and the Connective Corridor.

“We actually used a number of the chancellor’s public statements as a basis for questions,” Carter said.

Adam Bernier’s general lack of satisfaction with Cantor motivated him to fill out the survey and share his thoughts.

“She seems largely absent from students in general,” said Bernier, a junior political science and international relations major. “I think I’ve seen her once.”

But Bernier did agree with Cantor in some areas, such as her emphasis on Scholarship in Action, which he said he believes has done some good in the community.

Most students said they simply didn’t know enough about the chancellor to have opinions – positive or negative – to share.

Angela Sutfin received an e-mail Wednesday reminding her about the survey, but said it had not changed her mind about filling it out.

“I just feel like I really don’t know that much about what she’s doing,” said Sutfin, a sophomore photojournalism major. “So, it’s kind of like, why would I fill it out? I don’t think I would be helpful.”

 

Published on February 25, 2009 at 12:00 pm