SU responds to open letter changing Lockerbie scholarship program

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Syracuse University responded to an open letter from hundreds of community members expressing disappointment with SU’s changes to the Lockerbie scholarship program.

Elisa Macedo Dekaney, associate provost for strategic initiatives, wrote the response letter to further explain some of the proposed changes to the program, including a new year-long program at Lockerbie Academy for 10 select students that would end with a week-long immersion trip to the SU campus .

The university responded on October 18, four days after the open letter was sent. The open letter, written by remembrance researcher Christopher Jennison in 2011-12 and signed by 427 people, included views from Lockerbie scholars, Remembrance scholars, SU students and others invested in the Lockerbie program.

Dekaney said the university reviewed the educational component of the scholarship and found that because the Lockerbie Scholars were non-matriculated students, students were focused more on the social aspect of university life than on their academic achievements. As non-matriculated students, Lockerbie Scholars cannot transfer SU credits to another university.

“While this social component is important, it does not align with the original goals of this program,” Dekaney wrote.

The SU’s initial announcement said the trip was for 11 to 12 students, but made no mention of the year-long program in Lockerbie.

The open letter argued that the proposed changes would “significantly reduce” the impact of the program, which has been running for 35 years to commemorate the 270 people who died in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, including 11 Lockerbie residents and 35 SU students. The letter also highlights the bonds between Syracuse and Lockerbie students created through the program.

Jennison said he wrote the open letter to give former scientists a chance to express their feelings. He said the letter served as a collective response from members of the Lockerbie and Remembrance community, who he said were not consulted before SU’s decision.

“I think, more than anything, it was a chance for people to have their voices heard and have a forum where they could express their feelings and frustrations,” Jennison said.

The letter included several anecdotes about friendships between Remembrance and Lockerbie scholars to demonstrate the impact that Lockerbie students had on the Remembrance program and the broader campus community.

“The Lockerbie Scholar program is a living monument to the connection between Syracuse University and Lockerbie. During my freshman year in fall 2003, I met a Lockerbie Scholar and it changed my life and opened my eyes to the world,” Stephen Miller, 2006-07 Remembrance Scholar, wrote in the letter.

In SU’s response, Dekaney acknowledged the impact of the scholarship program and agreed that it has strengthened the bond between the Syracuse and Lockerbie communities. The response said the program may be “redesigned” in the future to allow more Lockerbie students to participate.

Jennison said he hoped the open letter would encourage SU Chancellor Kent Syverud, the Board of Trustees and other academic leaders to open a forum for discussion about the decision. He said this would allow members of the Remembrance and Lockerbie scholarship community to express their views so that the university could take them into account.

In his response, Dekaney said the university’s proposal for future Lockerbie scholars will be discussed at upcoming meetings with SU’s Lockerbie partners.

Dekaney said in her response that despite the changes, SU will continue to encourage collaboration between Lockerbie Scholars and Remembrance Scholars, university leaders and local officials. These include joint program opportunities between Lockerbie and SU students studying abroad in London, she said.

Jennison said SU’s Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars are among the most engaged students on campus and remain invested in the Remembrance program even after they graduate. Given this opportunity, Jennison said many people would be willing to support the program financially so that the scholars’ presence on campus could be maintained year-round.

“I understand that things need to evolve, but I think that with such a deep, lasting and meaningful pair of scholarships, often involving some of the most active leaders on campus, the university would have spoken to them or predicted it in some way.” of the community,” said Jennison.

Published October 23, 2024 at 11:14 p.m

Contact Kate: [email protected]