Two new members were added to the Syracuse University Council on Diversity and Inclusion earlier this month, including Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel, and Sweta Roy, external vice president of the Graduate Student Organization.

The Council on Diversity and Inclusion, established one year ago, gives short- and long-term recommendations to university administration on how the university can strengthen inclusive policies. It has so far established Indigenous Peoples Day, conducted an accessibility audit of the campus and more.

“Diversity is a fact, but pluralism is the goal,” Konkol said.

Pluralism, he said, depends on whether diverse people can come together and collectively serve the common good. Konkol joined the council as a member of the Chancellor’s Executive Team.

The university hired Konkol to serve as dean of Hendricks Chapel earlier this year. As dean, he said his place on the council was a natural fit.

Being on the council will also allow him to learn about issues of diversity and inclusion around campus, he said.

In conversations about diversity, Konkol said it’s tempting to not include religion or spirituality. But he said he wants to put religion and spirituality at the forefront of those conversations.

Konkol said he is currently looking at the university calendar and examining SU’s religious observance policy to determine whether current rules can be adjusted.

“That’s a natural contribution I feel I can make right away,” he said.

Hendricks Chapel produces an interfaith calendar every year to inform the campus of the various religious and spiritual holidays people may celebrate.

Roy has not made any official suggestions to the council yet because she only attended her first council meeting in the last two weeks. The first meeting was to introduce new members to the council and ensure everybody was in agreement with the council’s goals.

As part of the council, Roy said she would like to improve involvement in science, technology, engineering and math programs and increase the number of women in STEM programs at the university.

SU received a grant from the National Science Foundation to boost retention rates for historically underrepresented students in STEM fields.

Roy said she joined the council because GSO executive board members are expected to join a number of committees and councils. The Council on Diversity and Inclusion had a vacant spot left by the last external vice president.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to learn about what’s going on on campus and how to make sure graduate students’ voices are heard,” Roy said. 

The council is currently moving in the right direction, Konkol said, especially with its short-term recommendations. Short-term recommendations included implicit bias training for Department of Public Safety officers, the establishment of the La Casita Cultural Center stop on the Connective Corridor bus route and the offering of inclusive food options.

“We can make (diversity) a thread that binds us together, or we can allow apathy and voices of intolerance divide us,” Konkol said.

Published on October 25, 2017 at 12:47 am

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