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Syracuse University’s Senate discussed potential challenges in balancing the 2025 fiscal year budget and the impact of President Donald Trump’s executive orders at its first meeting of the year Wednesday.

Chancellor Kent Syverud said while the university maintained a balanced budget over the first six months of the 2025 fiscal year, he had concerns over whether SU could continue its performance until the start of the 2026 fiscal year on July 1.

“It’s going to be difficult because of the significant headwinds, including healthcare costs, labor costs, the changing landscape in athletics and Masters and International enrollment,” Syverud said.

Syverud also announced that SU received a record number of first-year undergraduate applications for the fifth straight year, with more than 46,000 applying to the class of 2029. He said undergraduate transfer applications were up from last year for next semester as well.

In response to President Trump’s day-one executive orders, Syverud said university administration would communicate with students if the school is affected by national policy.

“One of our long-held values is being a place that’s welcoming to all,” Syverud said. “The executive orders will affect different parts of our community differently, but we are all Orange, and that’s the important thing.”

The chancellor then commemorated the end of the Forever Orange program, which he deemed one of SU’s most successful fundraising campaigns. Since it began in Nov. 2019, the program has raised $1.59 billion surpassing its original goal by $90 million. The program also helped increase alumni engagement, which has swelled to 20.5% since its start.

“I think the campaign has changed the university significantly, not just in state of the art, new facilities that advance our academic goals, but also in real improvements to the student experience, lots of initiatives to support the faculty, including new chairs and research funds,” Syverud said.

Other business:

• The Senate approved the Committee on Curriculum and Instruction’s December report, which introduced 61 new courses and revised 172 courses.
• Syverud also discussed the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, noting that many students and faculty on campus have been affected. He thanked the team at SU’s campus in LA before ensuring that all students and faculty were safe.
• Senator Brice Nordquist encouraged increased participation in USen meetings and said it would raise productivity if the greater Senate could direct specific issues to certain schools, colleges and administrative units.

Published on January 22, 2025 at 11:43 pm