Haynie gives ‘fireside’ chat to students, faculty at annual Whitman Day
SU’s acting Chancellor Mike Haynie gave a “fireside chat” to students and faculty at the annual Whitman Day event. Haynie shared leadership advice, lessons learned from Whitman and addressed higher education’s broader crisis. Avery Magee | Photo Editor
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In “recognizing the legacy” of Martin J. Whitman, Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management’s namesake, Acting Chancellor Mike Haynie recalled a lesson he learned from Whitman himself that’s stuck with him for decades.
“Syracuse University is an institution that gives people a chance when others would not,” Haynie said.
In an intimate Wednesday “fireside chat” with students and faculty, Haynie elaborated on the lesson as a guiding principle in his current role. He said he uses it to help draw a line between what must change and what shouldn’t.
Throughout the chat —part of SU’s annual “Whitman Day” —Haynie discussed his work leading the university through COVID-19, working with veterans through the Institute for Veterans and Military Families and current challenges facing higher education in the United States.
The speaker and breakfast reception was moderated by Whitman senior Marc Pantano. Pantano was a familiar face for Haynie, as the two met at a dinner during Remembrance Week, Pantano said.
The two continued running into each other on campus after their first encounter, something which the acting chancellor said shows the importance of students “showing up.”
Stepping into the chancellorship after over two decades at SU and his experience as a U.S. Air Force veteran, Haynie gave advice on leadership throughout the discussion.
“We certainly can’t shrink away from the change that’s required for us to thrive in the future,” Haynie said. “But there are things about this place that should never change. I think one of those things that should never change is being an institution that’s willing to give people a chance.”
Whitman freshman Kaveri Deepak said she resonated with this sentiment, as she said a common goal of business students like herself is to “grab” opportunities.
“The willingness to say yes and being able to learn new opportunities like how he did is one of the most important things I learned,” Deepak said.
Haynie said the reason he’s stayed at SU for so long is influenced by the Whitman School’s ability to say “yes” to innovation. When he originally wanted to start the IVMF with no experience leading a program, he wasn’t turned down, but instead supported by his peers.
Throughout his chat, Haynie also addressed the current challenges facing higher education. In 2025, international student enrollment dropped across the nation. At SU, international student enrollment dropped to 5% from 12% in 2023. Haynie said statistically, the number of American families that question the value of a four-year degree has increased in the last few years.
“Over the past five years, no American institution has lost more public trust than higher ed,” he said. “It should be a wake-up call to those of us who have worked in that space over the last five years”.
He pointed to shifting student habits as both a challenge and an opportunity. He said the traditional understanding of education has now shifted into uncertainty, and that those assumptions should now be challenged in order to make progress.
“This generation consumes content differently, and as a consequence, we need to teach and train differently,” Haynie said. “The exciting thing about what’s ahead is being innovative and entrepreneurial in how we respond to the challenges coming at higher education.”
