News

The Onondaga Citizens League released the results of its study “The World at Our Doorstep.”

Heidi Holtz and Kristen Mucitelli-Heath co-chaired the study. Holtz is the director of research and programs at the Gifford Foundation. Mucitelli-Heath is the director of state and federal relations and community initiatives at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center.

The primary purpose of the study was to develop a clear picture and understanding of the refugee dynamic in Onondaga County—the needs, the service continuum and the opportunities new refugee populations offer—and to recommend policies and programs to make the region a more welcoming community.

This report takes a huge step forward in providing the base information necessary to dispel some of the myths about refugees in the community. The report concludes that while service providers are working cooperatively as much as possible, they sometimes work in isolation from each other.

The report recommends, first and foremost, the establishment of a more formal, ongoing refugee task force that can provide timely and regular communication of the numbers and needs of refugees, as well as other data that local agencies collect. The task force can then facilitate the sharing of information among the various agencies and to the community at large.

“There are many pathways to improvement for our community—and if the stories we heard over the past year are any indication, one of these pathways is to work together to welcome a population that offers our community the potential of vitality and renewal,” says Holtz.

“Our community has a long history of welcoming people from around the world,” adds Heath. “The actions we recommend might be targeted toward helping this new population, but are built on the premise that by helping them, we help ourselves.”

 

University College inducted four students into the Alpha Sigma Lambda (ASL) Society at its March 2013 Honors ceremony. ASL is a national honor society that recognizes the special achievements of adult students in higher education. It is dedicated to the advancement of scholarship and the encouragement of nontraditional students to work toward associate and/or baccalaureate degrees.

Syracuse University is one of more than 300 chartered chapters of Alpha Sigma Lambda throughout the United States. The following students were recognized:

• Oritt Blum of Short Hills, N.J., majoring in broadcast journalism in the Newhouse School of Public Communications;
• Cynthia Gannon of Liverpool, N.Y., majoring in information management and technology in the School of Information Studies;
• Jeanette M. Nels of Syracuse, majoring in psychology in The College of Arts and Sciences; and
• Penelope Anne Traynham Singer of Syracuse, majoring in jewelry and metalsmithing in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

The May 2 session of the Institute for Retired People (IRP) will feature Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University. Thompson will provide a history of the television/film business from 1945 to present.

Thompson is the founding director of the Bleier Center and a Trustee Professor of Television and Popular Culture. He was a visiting professor for six summers at Cornell University and served for nine years as professor and director of the N.H.S.I. Television and Film Institute at Northwestern University.

Thompson received a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago. He is the general editor of an ongoing series of books about television published by Syracuse University Press and the author of five books.

IRP runs from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Syracuse, 5833 East Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville. Guests are welcome to attend.

For more information, visit uc.syr.edu/irp, call 315-443-4846 or email cmkarlho@syr.edu.

IRP is a community program of University College of Syracuse University, dedicated to the principle of lifelong learning.

Syracuse University’s Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) presented its annual academic awards on April 19 at Drumlins Country Club.

HEOP is a special admission program for part-time students whose financial and educational backgrounds would prohibit them from regular admission to Syracuse University. Funds from the New York State Education Department enable HEOP to assist students with financial aid and support services to guide them to successful completion of educational programs.

Ten students received bachelor’s degrees and four received associate’s degrees through University College. Academic Excellence Awards were presented to students who completed at least 12 credits in 2012 and earned at least a 3.0 grade point average. Recipients present were Mirsada Alic, Timothy A. Bryant, Nathanael Garay, Jane C. Gardner, Eunice Jones, Krystal Jones, Nancy Legra-Garcia and Denise M. McKee.

Perseverance Awards recognize students who demonstrate exceptional discipline in balancing a commitment to their academics and their family responsibilities while improving their academic performance. Recipients present were Jedidah N. Adams, Chelsea M. Cooper, Kelli Jo Edson, Krystal Jones and Legra-Garcia.

Rosemary Kelly, assistant dean at University College, congratulated the students on their success. “Tonight, while we applaud our students for their hard work and academic achievement, let’s remember how this translates into the very real world off campus,” Kelly said. “Because success is not only measured by grades and degrees, but also by the lives touched along the way, and the knowledge and experience our HEOP students give back to our community.”

Geraldine de Berly spoke on “Best Practices: Using Educational Representatives (Agents) for International Student Recruitment” at the annual University and Professional Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) conference in Boston on April 4. Additionally, she was elected UPCEA’s 2013-14 chair of the International Network, which focuses on global education and its implications for continuing and professional studies.