News

It’s more than just the honey: SU’s Bee Orange raises environmental awareness

Despite numerous setbacks after the launch of Bee Orange at Syracuse University in 2019, the project’s leaders managed to continue their community connection and sustainability efforts to sell their honey across campus.

The project, inspired by Bee Campus USA, established six honey beehives on South Campus in the spring of 2020. The project aims to protect pollinator habitats, increase environmental awareness and encourage appreciation of nature, said Meg Lowe, sustainability coordinator and SU Bee Campus USA committee chair.

Read the full story at dailyorange.com.

Syracuse University bee hives hope to help promote more fresh foods in urban area

A new project on Syracuse University’s South Campus could be part of the answer to bringing some much-needed relief to Syracuse’s food desert areas.

Urban beehives like Detroit Hives have already seen such success in turning some of Motor City’s most destitute areas into fertile, growing gardens.

PhotoJournalist Westbrook Shortell takes a dive into the Hive Mind on South Campus to see just how important honey bees are to making it all happen.

See the full story on CNYCentral.com.

Honey Produced by Campus Honeybees Available Soon

In spring 2020, South Campus became home to six honeybee hives, which house over 300,000 honeybees. In their first year on campus, the bees harvested enough nectar from campus plants and trees to create over 300 pounds of honey. The honey is harvested twice a year and has been bottled for sale on campus. A small initial offering of campus honey in early 2021 proved immensely popular, with the honey quickly selling out across campus.

In the next few weeks, University community members will be able to purchase the honey in the Campus Store in the Schine Student Center, as well as in campus convenience stores.

New Electric Equipment Reduces Noise, Increases Carbon Neutrality on Campus

It’s one of the sounds of summer: a gas-powered lawnmower. The noise is quite common in neighborhoods as people work to keep their lawns looking good. It’s no different on the Syracuse University campus. With 800 acres of grounds, cutting the grass comes with the territory. But the noise and pollution created by gas-burning engines is soon becoming a thing of the past on campus, as grounds crews transition from gas-powered equipment to electric. Included in this grouping is the use of a zero-turn commercial grade mower with a 60-inch cutting deck, powered not by gas, but rather, four large batteries.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Housing Committee Announces Results of Review, Acquisition of The Marshall

Updated apartments and suite-stye units for undergraduates living on campus, and additional housing on South Campus for juniors and seniors, graduate students and others are just some of the priority items in Syracuse University’s new housing strategy. The strategy, which follows the completion of a comprehensive housing review that began in 2019, prioritizes student feedback and seeks to meet the needs of today’s undergraduate and graduate students.

In July 2019, Syracuse University announced a holistic review of its on-campus student housing to better understand residential options and determine future needs in support of enriching the student experience. A committee made up of representatives from across campus performed qualitative and quantitative analysis on data collected from engagements with more than 7,000 students, faculty and staff members. The committee solicited input through focus groups, engagement sessions and three separate online surveys. Data collection continued throughout the summer and fall of 2020 to assess the pandemic’s effects on the local housing market and campus housing trends.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Syracuse University Affiliated with Award-Winning Fair Labor Groups

Syracuse University is a longtime affiliate of the Fair Labor Association, which has been nominated for a 2021 Classy Award that will be announced in September.

The Classy Awards honor the world’s most innovative nonprofit organizations and social enterprises. The Fair Labor Association is one of 50 finalists in the People’s Choice award category.

Rachel Duffy, director of trademark licensing at Syracuse University, serves as the University’s liaison to the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC). Duffy, who also serves on the monitoring committee of the FLA and is a member of the WRC Board of Directors, works closely with these organizations to ensure that products licensed by the University are made by workers who are fairly treated and compensated.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Gearing Up for Fall Events, BFAS Departments to Host Job Fair July 9 and 10

Director of Food Services Sue Bracy knows what August and September have in store for Syracuse University staff, and she knows that the time to prepare is now.

The return of major in-person campus events and the expected return to full capacity at the stadium means that her department will also need to return to full staffing levels. They’ll be called on to provide catering, concessions and daily dining services to the entire University community. After 15 months of public health restrictions and during a nationwide labor crunch, Bracy recognized that it would be a challenge to hire the approximately 300 full-time, part-time and temporary workers her department needs, and that’s how the idea of hosting a job fair came about.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Parking and Transportation Services to Manage Safety Escort Shuttle Services Beginning July 1

Effective July 1, Parking and Transportation Services staff and drivers will assume responsibility and oversight of the University’s Safety Escort Shuttle Services program. The change is in response to recommendations provided to the University by Loretta Lynch in her comprehensive review of the Department of Public Safety (DPS), completed earlier this year. Among the 23 recommendations provided by Lynch and her team was a suggestion to remove the safety escort shuttle program from the portfolio of services offered by DPS.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Kinchen to Join Auxiliary Services Team as Executive Director, Housing and Lodging

Vernetta Kinchen will begin her tenure as Syracuse University’s Executive Director for Housing and Lodging on July 1, Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services Kris Klinger announced today. The new position was created to oversee the Housing, Meal Plan, and I.D. Card Services Office, along with the Syracuse University Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center and the Minnowbrook Conference Center, located in Blue Mountain Lake, N.Y.

“I am excited to welcome Vernetta Kinchen to Syracuse University Auxiliary Services,” said Klinger. “With success in both the higher education and lodging spaces, Vernetta brings a wealth of diverse knowledge and experience to our team.”

Following a long career in the hotel and hospitality industry, including stints with Marriott and Wyndham hotel properties, Kinchen became the Associate Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration in June 2013. Her time at Cornell also included work as a talent and retention specialist and in September 2020, she was appointed to oversee Cornell’s COVID-19 testing operations.

In her new role in Auxiliary Services, Kinchen will be asked to assist with the planning and implementation of the University’s housing strategy and to create and execute strategies for lodging, events, and conference services, with a focus on providing excellent customer service to the University’s many stakeholders.

“It is an honor to be joining and leading a team with so much talent,” said Kinchen. “I look forward to partnering with campus leadership to elevate the quality of services offered to the Syracuse community.”

Student Employment Goes Digital With New Time Clock Tool

The Office of Student Employment, in partnership with the Comptroller’s Office, is implementing a new tool for student employee time reporting called TimeClockPlus to enhance the payroll reporting process for students. Beginning July 1, all hourly student employees will transition to using this automated timekeeping online tool to record their hours worked.

“As student employment resources continue to evolve and modernize, we are pleased to implement a new tool for our students that enhances the process for time reporting and makes it easier for students to capture their hours using any device,” says Camille Donabella, director of student employment and operations.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.