Graduation speaker announced

Students have expressed concern and enthusiasm since Thursday's announcement that JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon will speak at the 2010 Syracuse University commencement.

Debate sparked among students regarding JPMorgan's relationship with the university and the process by which Dimon was selected. Some students are also questioning whether Dimon was on the list of suggested speakers provided by the senior selection committee.

Commencement, a joint ceremony for SU and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry students, will be held May 16.

JPMorgan has an on-campus technology center located in Lyman Hall that opened in October. Sixty SU students intern at JPMorgan facilities each semester, according to the university's Web site. The technology center allows students the opportunity to take classes, land internships and search for jobs, and JPMorgan promises $30 million to the university over the next 10 years. The partnership also created a minor in global enterprise technology.

"Hundreds of students are benefitting from it," said Kevin Quinn, senior vice president for public affairs. "It's creating tremendous opportunity."

Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric Spina also spoke of the benefits of SU's collaboration with JPMorgan, saying the partnership provides "untolled, incredible opportunities for students" and the potential for groundbreaking research.

But some students reacted to the choice with discontent.  

Jen Gramer, a senior history and art history major and a senior class marshal, said she has heard concern from other marshals and students regarding JPMorgan's $30 million investment in the university last year. Aside from the university's ties with JPMorgan, she said, many students do not feel it is appropriate to have a corporate banker speak given the current economic crisis.

"I think, in general, a lot of people feel like it's a bit off-putting to have a banker speaking in this sort of economic and political climate," she said. "I think a lot of people would have rather had a different sort of speaker."

Mariel Fiedler, a member of Students for a Democratic Society, said choosing Dimon as the commencement speaker gives JPMorgan approval despite the banking industry's involvement in the recent financial crisis.

"This kind of reeks of something going wrong," said Fiedler, a senior broadcast journalism and English and textual studies major.

Other students disagree, saying Dimon's strong leadership of JPMorgan throughout the financial crisis makes him someone who showcases strong leadership.

Larry Seivert, a senior finance major, former Student Association president and 2010 class marshal, said it's important to focus on someone's strength as a speaker rather than just how well his or her name is known. For Dimon to rise to where he has in the financial world, Seivert said, he probably has the poise and speaking skills to make help him deliver a good commencement address. He also said JPMorgan is one of the only large banks that didn't receive any bailout money.

"Jamie Dimon was always in a lot of different spotlights," Seivert said. "He is really well known for being one of the best CEOs out there, one of the most accomplished, and he really carries a lot of presence and lots of experience."

JP Morgan's business model also gives Dimon attractiveness as a speaker, said Muss Akram, an engineering student and senior class marshal.

"The fact that JPMorgan Chase did really well during the recession goes to show something about good leadership in that organization," he said.

He said Dimon's ties to the university were something that the selection committee looked at as a strong point because it has created jobs and opportunities for students on campus.

Stephanie Chen, a senior magazine journalism major, said she did not know who Jamie Dimon was when he was announced.

"I don't really understand why or what the thought process was behind it, but I'm sure our class could have picked people that were a lot more interesting than he," she said.

Members of Students for a Democratic Society are hoping the university will seriously evaluate student concerns and consider finding a new speaker, said Ryan Hickey, president of the organization. If Dimon remains the commencement speaker, he said, the administration could expect opposition at commencement.

The group will not try and prevent Dimon from speaking, but it may bring signs or not wear the traditional commencement gowns, Hickey said. He also said members may wear black arm bands to "represent the death of the university as a learning institution" because Dimon and SU's relationship with JPMorgan Chase represents the corporatization of the university.

Some students are also raising concerns that Dimon was not one of the preferred choices put forth to the administration by the selection committee.

The selection process begins about a year prior to commencement. The committee is made up of senior class marshals from each school and college and the student representatives to the Board of Trustees. The committee meets several times to discuss possible commencement speakers, also taking student suggestions from the university's Web site. The committee ultimately submits a list of about 40 to 50 suggestions with the top 15 selections in a separate list.

One class marshal, Chad Brooker, was abroad during the selection process last spring but said he was still very involved in the group's discussions. He said that while he thinks Dimon is a great choice for a speaker due to his extensive résumé, he said he does not remember any discussion involving adding Dimon to the list.