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The Daily OrangeUniversity College | Interim dean with deep city ties earns full title
By Matt Reilly
Posted: 8/28/07, 12:24 AM EST Section: News
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The decision to make Gonzalez the long-term leader of Syracuse University's school for continuing education and non-traditional students was announced by Vice Chancellor Eric Spina during the summer recess.
During Gonzalez's service as interim dean, she earned the strong confidence of the UC staff, the university community and the broader community, he said. This made the call an easy choice.
For Gonzalez, removing the "interim" from her title has not really changed her daily routine, but she finds herself getting more involved in parts of Cantor's community engagement efforts.
"Over the summer, I've gotten more involved in parts of the Near West Side Initiative," Gonzalez said. The initiative is a package of financial, energy and tax incentives that the university is spearheading to encourage growth in that downtown area.
As UC will naturally have more Syracuse-based students than the rest of the university, it tends to be involved in many of Cantor's "scholarship in action" programs, including the Connective Corridor and the School of Architecture's move to The Warehouse.
"Scholarship in action has actually given us an opportunity to do some things we might not have done," Gonzalez said.
It was partially Gonzalez's experience and involvement with the broader Syracuse community that helped her secure the job of UC dean in the first place, said both Spina and Gonzalez.
"UC, I think, should always have leadership engaged within the community," Gonzalez said.
She is currently the president of the Syracuse Common Council and formerly served as commissioner of the city school district and as an elector for the New York state Electoral College.
"I like to think of UC as kind of being the glue that brings community resources to the university and vice versa," Gonzalez said.
Her appointment comes amidst a period of change for UC, as Spina has begun to focus on better connecting the part-time, non-traditional students with the other schools and colleges of SU. The effort hopes to match UC students with their full time counterparts in order to earn them the "same degrees and credentials," according to an SU News release.
The plan is for non-traditional students to receive the same access and services as members of the SU community. And not to be an afterthought, Gonzalez said.
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