Who are we?
The Student Activism Engagement Team builds relationships of trust with students, and proactively monitors emerging issues and potential flashpoints for student activism on campus. They provide guidance to student activists on safe and policy-compliant protest methods, facilitate connections with relevant University departments, and engage with student protesters constructively in real time regarding their rights and responsibilities.
Kyle Dailey, Co-Chair
Associate Vice President, Student Involvement and Engagement
Student Experience
Julie Hasenwinkel, Co-Chair
Associate Vice Provost, Academic Programs
Academic Affairs
Jonna Gilfus
Associate Teaching Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition
College of Arts and Sciences
Anne Lombard
Executive Director, Student Engagement
Student Experience
Tanya Williamson
Assistant Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion
Office of Diversity and Inclusion
How do we engage with students?
Passive engagement
- Monitor the pulse of the campus to address incidents or decisions that could escalate to protest.
- Communicate with senior leadership and make recommendations.
- Meet with campus constituencies that express concerns around Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access and the student experience.
- Convene as a group to discuss topics and approaches to engaging students on campus.
Active engagement
- First responders to protest and demonstrations.
- Negotiate, when possible, the logistical or programmatic needs of student protesters.
- Work with the University community and City of Syracuse leaders to offer guidance and forecast potential challenges that could arise due to tense social moments that occur on campus, in the City of Syracuse, nationally and globally.
The Student Activism Engagement Team members are NOT:
- Protest managers. We believe students have the right to assemble and express their ideas. We want to assist them in navigating a multilayered system to help them further articulate their ideas and connect with the appropriate stakeholders.
- Adjudicators of conduct. In instances of protests or demonstrations we advise and remind students of the code of conduct and potential violations, so they have full knowledge of their actions and potential outcomes.
How do we operate?
- SAET holds standing weekly meetings or as often as necessary.
- Connect with offices and areas that support student services and experiences.
- Collaborate with offices and areas for student programming (e.g. election-related programming).
- Present to community stakeholders in different meetings and venues.
How can you contact us?
- We are open and available to meet with any constituencies on campus as individual members representing SAET or as the team.
- To contact SAET, please email us at saet@dos5.net.