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Alumni Lunch and Panel: A Conversation about Access and Creating Opportunity Link

Coming Back Together (CBT) began in 1983, with the first reunion of Black and Latinx alumni returning to campus to celebrate achievements, meet current students and remain connected to the University. The College of Professional Studies will host its first alumni lunch and panel conversation on Friday, Sept. 10, from noon to 2 p.m.

Four alumni — Angela Gunn ’19; Patricia McBride ’18; Tim Bryant ’15; and Aisha Huntley ’05 — will discuss the access and opportunities earning their degrees as non-traditional students have presented. Director of Diversity and Inclusivity Excellence at the College of Professional Studies, Tyler Bell, ’11, G’12, will moderate the panel.

Register Now

About the Event: Link

Date:
Friday, September 10, 12-2 p.m.

Location:
Peter Graham Room
Bird Library, Room 114
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse NY 13244

Panelists: Link

Timothy Bryant	Angela Gunn	Aisha Huntley	Patricia McBride

Timothy Bryant – Falk ’15
MPH ’22 Student

Angela Gunn – A&S, Maxwell ’19
New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF)

Aisha Huntley – IST ’05
Syracuse City School District
Frazer School, Special Education Teacher

Patricia McBride – UC ’18
Deputy City Clerk, City of Syracuse

Moderator: Link

Tyler Bell, ’11, G ’12, ’21
Director of Diversity and Inclusivity Excellence, College of Professional Studies
Tyler Bell is the current College of Professional Studies Director of Diversity & Inclusivity Excellence and Assistant Teaching Professor. Being one of the first students to graduate from the School of Education under it’s five-year model. Tyler earned a bachelor’s degree in History and master’s degree from the School of Education in Social Studies Education which set the foundation for the career he loves, being a lifelong learner and educator. Tyler has held many roles within education teaching in a public and charter high schools for five years while serving as a department chair and instructional coach. The culmination of Tyler’s career came at the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year when he was profiled on NBC’s Meredith Vieria daytime talk show and meeting his inspiration becoming a teacher, Steve Harvey. Currently, Tyler is a Ph.D candidate in the School of Education Cultural Foundations of Education program. Tyler’s research interests include analyzing the role of African American museums throughout the United States in the past and present and how they can be models of representation and engagement of social justice education in classrooms and communities. Courses that Tyler has taught/facilitated at Syracuse University include: EDU 310 (The American School), CAS 102 (SummerStart Seminar), BPS 100 (Orange Immersion), and EDU 470 (Selected Studies Internship). When Tyler is not teaching his interests include reading, traveling to different cities and watching sports.

Syracuse University’s College of Professional Studies announces online noncredit course offerings in two sessions for Fall 2021 as part of Orange Academy, which launched in 2020. The cost of each four-week course is $244, with a discounted rate of $195 per course available to Syracuse University alumni, faculty and staff.

“Orange Academy provides a unique pathway to access all that Syracuse University has to offer post-traditional students as well as those who have earned a college degree but are seeking further educational enrichment,” says Michael Frasciello, dean of the College of Professional Studies. “High school students are also welcome to take Orange Academy courses as a low-stress introduction to the University.”

Courses through Orange Academy are taught by Syracuse University faculty and instructors. The first four-week session runs from Sept. 20 through Oct. 15, with an enrollment deadline of Sept. 8. Course offerings are Film Production: From Script to Set (led by Donato Rossi, director and video producer at the Center for Online and Digital Learning); The Business of Sport (led by Professor John Wolohan from Falk College of Sport & Human Dynamics and the College of Law); Social Media Strategies (led by Melinda Sebastian from the School of Information Studies); and The Power of Your Chakras (led by Andrea Willis, director of academic programs at the College of Professional Studies).

The second four-week sessions runs from Oct. 25 through Nov. 19 with an enrollment deadline of Oct. 11. Course offerings are Historic Cases in Forensic Science (led by Professor James Spencer Ph.D. from the College of Arts and Sciences); Introduction to Brand Development (led by Rich Merrill, a Whitman alum and adjunct instructor at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications); and Introduction to Project Management (led by Mark Borte, Syracuse University alum and adjunct professor at the School of Information Studies).

Orange Academy offers high engagement learning opportunities in a relaxed academic environment to those wanting to pursue a personal or professional passion or interest. There are no prerequisites to enroll in Orange Academy and no exams or graded papers, which provides the opportunity to advance knowledge in an open, welcoming setting.

“Orange Academy was launched in 2020 as a way to engage the Orange community during the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to Dean Frasciello, noting the partnership between the College of Professional Studies and the Office of Alumni Engagement. “Without having to leave the comfort and safety of home, students of all ages and backgrounds interacted with University faculty — and each other.”

The four-week noncredit courses provide weekly evening live sessions with supplemental content provided between class meetings. Attendees can strengthen their skills, learn a new craft and increase their knowledge base.

In 2020, Orange Academy students also had the opportunity to contribute to the University community, according to Jeff Comanici, executive director, Post-Traditional Advancement. Proceeds from the course fees for students enrolled in the Voices Matter: Why You Need to Talk About Race course contributed more than $4,000 to the College of Professional Studies’ Our Time Has Come (OTHC) scholarship fund. “The fund creates possibilities for underrepresented students at Syracuse University to earn their degree part time,” Comanici says. “The College of Professional Studies’ Our Time Has Come scholarship will be awarded through the College for the first time this fall thanks to the commitment and generosity of students in that Orange Academy course.”

To learn more or register for Orange Academy Fall 2021 courses, visit https://parttime.syr.edu/executive-education/orange-academy-online/. For more information about how to donate directly to the CPS OTHC scholarship, contact Jeff Comanici at jjcomani@syr.edu.

While a beloved Central New York musician died unexpectedly last year, he will be remembered this month not by how his life tragically ended, but by the spirit in which he embraced it.

Popular troubadour and local legend Elijah Harris, Jr., killed by a pair of hit-and-run accidents in April 2020, will be honored during a celebratory memorial service at Hendricks Chapel on the Syracuse University campus Saturday, July 17, from 3 to 7 p.m.

All members of the community are invited to this special observance being organized by his daughter, Lakisha Harris and her family, and hosted by Syracuse University’s College of Professional Studies. Due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, the family asks that attendees wear masks to keep the community safe.

“Mr. Harris could be heard on the streets of downtown and across University Hill, where folks delighted in seeing his presence and listening to his special brand of music,” says Dean Michael Frasciello. “We’re proud to play a part in honoring him and the influence he had on many other musicians.”

The service will feature tributes by family members, friends, and performances by those who have been impacted by his artistry, as well as raffles for a portrait of Eli, as he was known, and a gift card from J Michael Shoes on Marshall Street. “My dad used music to communicate and to teach others how to love through music,” says Lakisha. “This celebration will be a reflection of his passion and inspiration.”

Last fall, the Harris family established the Eli Harris Scholarship Fund, through the College of Professional Studies, which will assist a part-time music student annually. For more information about the scholarship, visit here. To make a donation in memory of Eli Harris, please contact Jeff Comanici, executive director of Advancement and External Affairs, at 315.443.1409 or jjcomani@syr.edu.

For more information about Eli Harris’ memorial service, please contact Lakisha Harris at 315. 418.5536 or elialleyway@yahoo.com.

View a live stream of the service online at 3 p.m. EST on July 17 via Zoom: https://syracuseuniversity.zoom.us/j/96338491671