University Senate is holding its annual open forum Wednesday at 4:15 p.m. in Maxwell Auditorium for all students and staff members with questions and concerns regarding Syracuse University.

Two controversial issues are expected to be covered during the forum: the recent proposal to alter the employee benefits package and plans to offer zero-credit classes in the College of Visual and Performing Arts for one credit.

USen is the governing body of the university and represented by students, faculty members and administration members. USen meets once a month to hear reports from committees and to take outside proposals into consideration. Its main purpose is to act as an advisory body to Chancellor Nancy Cantor.

SA President Jon Barnhart said he hopes students will express their concerns about the VPA zero-credit course plan at the forum. The situation surrounding the change emphasizes the school’s lack of communication with its students because there was no forewarning, Barnhart said.

VPA students have said the change could negatively affect students by complicating the scheduling process. Students with full schedules may be unable to take part in ensembles needed for experience requirements if the change occurs.

The recent employee benefits proposal has become a major concern among many USen members. A proposal was released Jan. 26 with details about a new employee benefits package aimed at increasing benefit inclusiveness and cutting costs.

Main points of contention include cutting free tuition to SU for State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry employee dependents, imposing a co-pay for tuition for dependents of SU employees, giving $1,000 to same-sex domestic partners to offset to federal tax and including opposite-sex domestic partners in the benefits.

Discussion at the open forum may include the employee benefits proposal, but this is not the purpose of the open forum, said Van Gulick, a member of the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Affairs who will be attending. Attendees can ask questions about any issue they are concerned about.

‘It is an opportunity to ask the chancellor a one-on-one question in front of an audience,’ Van Gulick said.

USen’s student positions are appointed by Student Association. The five members appointed so far are Simin Ding, a junior in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management; Eugene Herring, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences; Chris Alexander, a sophomore in Arts and Sciences; and Karah Cesar and Evin Robinson, sophomores in VPA.

lgleveil@syr.edu

Published on February 9, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Contact Laurence: lgleveil@syr.edu | @lgleveille