SU’s COVID-19 hiring freeze left vacant positions, gaps in faculty
Katelyn Marcy | Asst. Illustration Editor
Losses in revenue across the university could have contributed to the implementation of the freeze.
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After a recent hiring freeze, some Syracuse University departments have had to adjust plans to account for the lack of new faculty.
SU instituted the hiring freeze ahead of the 2020-21 academic year to reduce the financial impact of the pandemic, and it was in place during the spring 2020 hiring period. Once the freeze ended in the fall, the university was able to hire 14 faculty members, said Ramesh Raina, interim vice president for research, in a statement.
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Syracuse University professors expressed concerns about the university’s COVID-19 response at a virtual University Senate open forum Wednesday.
Some professors worry that they will have to commit to choosing modes of instruction for the fall 2021 semester before knowing what the pandemic will look like then.
“I am already thinking about the fall semester,” said mathematics professor Steven Diaz. “It is very unclear what the COVID situation will be by then.”
Diaz asked administrators at the forum how they will respond if professors teaching in person opt to switch to remote instruction for the fall semester if the COVID-19 vaccine does not protect them from new variants.