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Around 30 people, including David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics Dean Jeremy Jordan, gathered in White Hall Thursday afternoon for a town hall on the recently announced changes to the school.

Along with dropping “Human Dynamics” from the college’s name, the university established a working group to figure out the future of the school’s non-sport departments in an April 15 press release.

Throughout the town hall, students in the college’s human dynamics departments — Marriage and Family Therapy, Social Work, Human Development and Family Science and Public Health — brought up concerns and voiced frustration with Jordan. The dean, along with Falk Associate Dean of Student Services Chandice Haste-Jackson, fielded questions from students for just over an hour.

Here’s a breakdown of what the changes to Falk College mean — and don’t mean — for current and incoming students studying human dynamics.

What’s staying the same

Jordan clarified during Thursday’s town hall that academic programs for current students — and those matriculating next semester — will remain the same. No faculty or staff will lose their job due to the change, Jordan said.

“The support services you get, and the opportunities you’re afforded as a student in Falk College, will not change,” Jordan said, speaking to a room of students. “You’ll still have access to industry and study abroad and short-term excursions. All of those things will remain the same.”

Students majoring in a human dynamics program will continue to have their classes at the Falk complex, he said, and human dynamics faculty will remain in the buildings. Access to funding and current scholarships will also not change, Jordan said.

He added that there will be no changes made to graduates’ diplomas as they never had the name of the school on them in the first place, only containing “Syracuse University” along with the graduating student’s academic program.

Jordan addressed a student’s concerns about being “moved out” of the college and said that no programs would be moved until the newly established task force finishes its work.

“So as a public health major I’m a part of the Falk College of Sport?” the student asked.

“You are for this next year, yes,” Jordan said.

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The Human Dynamics Task Force

At Thursday’s meeting, Jordan said students are “one of our primary data sources,” meaning that students will be asked to provide feedback to aid the Human Dynamics Task Force.

Grace Brashears, a junior in Falk College, said during the meeting that students must be involved with the task force’s work.

“There’s a really big opportunity for Falk College to acknowledge these students and give them a voice,” Brashears said. “So what I ask from the Falk administration is that you fight for us to be able to be part of the conversation for every single step of the way.”

Jordan agreed, saying that while he will advocate for students to sit on the task force, he does not make that decision. Students will be provided with regular updates on the task force’s work, he said.

In its original statement, the university announced that SU Provost Gretchen Ritter had asked Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Lois Agnew and Rachel Razza — now the associate dean for human dynamics programs — to lead the task force. Syracuse Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens and Deputy County Executive for Human Services Ann Rooney will also work on the task force.

Jordan said Thursday that no decisions have been made yet about the future placement of human dynamics programs. While the programs staying in Falk is technically possible, Jordan said it’s “unlikely that these programs remain involved.”

More likely outcomes include moving the programs elsewhere in the university or creating a new academic unit, he said. Jordan also said that there is a “huge potential” that students, despite whatever changes are made, would still work in the same building they do now due to the lack of empty spaces at SU.

One student who attended Thursday’s meeting asked the dean why the Human Dynamics Task Force wasn’t created at the same time as the Sport Management Task Force.

“I don’t know if I’m in the best position to answer that. I wasn’t here,” said Jordan, who was named Falk’s dean in July 2023. “So that’s not a great answer and I apologize and I can try to find out.”

Projecting what he believes the process was, Jordan said April 15’s announcement was not a predetermined outcome when the Sports Management Task Force was formed. He told the student he’d “find some clarity” on the question, adding that he didn’t want to overstep on those who were a part of the process.

Published on April 21, 2024 at 8:23 pm

Contact Kyle: kschouin@syr.edu | @Kyle_Chouinard