Editorial Board: Haynie’s early presence isn’t tenure-defining. Consistency is.
Editorial Board | SU requires steady leadership and an assured commitment to students. Mike Haynie’s early accessibility signals intentional collaboration — an approach that our Editorial Board argues must be permanent. Avery Magee | The Daily Orange
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Mike Haynie stepped into leadership as the 13th chancellor and president of Syracuse University after outgoing Chancellor Kent Syverud shared on April 15 that he had been diagnosed with a form of brain cancer.
The transition, moved earlier twice, invokes a need for steady leadership and an assured commitment to the university and its students. Haynie’s early effort to directly engage with students signals intentional collaboration, which he has publicly stated as central to his approach.
The challenge is ensuring this student-centered start continues past his opening weeks and into his tenure.
As an independent, nonprofit student newspaper, The Daily Orange meets this new leadership with cautious optimism, encouraged by Haynie’s early approachability while demanding transparency and consistency through a permanent culture of engagement.
Transparency cannot exist as a passive, occasional release of information; it must function as an active, collaborative process, one that consistently incorporates student perspectives into decision-making and ensures the chancellor’s priorities, progress, missteps and obstacles are visible and acknowledged.
As a university with a premier communications school, we expect consistent communication from the SU’s new leadership. We are taught the importance of holding institutions accountable, and student journalists must be able to apply those same standards to the university itself.
For student media, this standard is especially critical. Haynie said he values student journalism, and that must be upheld.
The D.O. is seeking professional correspondence and an open relationship with Haynie that keeps the university well-informed. Student media shouldn’t replace communication from the university itself. If students rely on campus and local media for information, then that connection must be strengthened.
That said, we understand Haynie faces a turbulent political climate in which national pressures, including policies under the federal government, continue to strain higher education. It’s undoubtedly a difficult time to lead SU. Leadership in this context demands clarity about the pressures the university faces. Students must not be distanced from the forces shaping their own institution, particularly when educational freedom is in flux.
Amid institutional change, SU also wrestles with its identity. The reputation alumni remember differs from the reality students face, leaving its alignment with student interests unsettled.
SU’s identity is inextricably linked to its athletics and remains a strong reason students choose to enroll. As such, the men’s March Madness drought, other declining Syracuse sports teams and a broader frustration with the athletics department naturally fall onto this new leadership.
The allocation of tuition dollars and affordability are, as with any new leadership, topical concerns. SU is increasingly investing in areas like the creator economy, artificial intelligence and esports, signaling a broader shift toward market-driven academic expansion. While these investments reflect emerging technologies, they also raise the question of what is being elevated at the expense of other areas.
The recent academic restructuring, for many, reflects a misdirection within the university, in which humanities and foundational sciences appear entangled with racialized and gendered political pressures. Equally disconcerting was the manner of its announcement. The vague invocation of “sunsetting” majors without initial clarity or context left students grappling with uncertainty. In both substance and form, this exemplified the need for transparency and clarity moving forward.
Haynie’s experience as an SU professor offers reassurance. But he cannot rely solely on institutional familiarity.
SU needs leadership equipped to keep up with the demands of modern higher education. Much of Haynie’s approach holds promise, beginning with open dialogue with student organizations and an effort to maintain regular interaction with students across campus.
The promise of this administration cannot be measured in rhetoric or aspiration; it hinges on the courage to enact fundamental change and the discipline to see it through.
The Daily Orange Editorial Board serves as the voice of the organization and aims to contribute the perspectives of students to discussions that concern Syracuse University and the greater Syracuse community. The editorial board’s stances are determined by a majority of its members. Are you interested in pitching a topic for the editorial board to discuss? Email opinion@dailyorange.com.
