Editor’s note: This editorial, originally published in Monday’s paper, is updated here with consideration for a statement from a Syracuse University spokesperson that was submitted to The Daily Orange on Monday morning.

Considering the limited communication between Syracuse University, international students and their overseas relatives, the university must deliver on a promise it made last year to create an SU WeChat account to improve dialogue.

Yaqi Kang, president of the China Student Development Think Tank at SU, acknowledged Chinese students have fewer safety concerns now than they did after the September 2016 murder of SU student Xiaopeng “Pippen” Yuan, who was from Beijing. The safety concerns also stemmed from increased reports of off-campus robberies and break-ins at predominantly Chinese apartment complexes and locations.

Following Yuan’s death, the university promised to develop an official SU WeChat, a Chinese mobile messaging app that would allow for communication regarding students’ academics and personal safety between their overseas family and the administration. More than a year later, the university is still working on an account.

In response to Monday’s news story about Chinese student safety, a university spokesperson confirmed the university is actively working to develop an official campus WeChat account. Under the app’s current policies, only Chinese residents and citizens are able to serve as account administrators, delaying SU’s unveiling of the service.

The Daily Orange Editorial Board is encouraged to hear SU is working on creating the account, considering it’s an incredibly tangible resource that the university has a moral obligation to create and ensure students their safety is a top priority. An SU WeChat account is essential to improving the campus environment and SU experience for Chinese students, and communication of the account’s progress is helpful for students awaiting its creation.

A 2017 survey conducted by the Chinese Development Student Think Tank found more than 40 percent of Chinese students at SU felt the university wasn’t providing enough resources to ensure their safety on campus and in off-campus living communities. The survey, comprising 384 Chinese students, reported that 80 percent of students had “encountered a dangerous situation” while in Syracuse.
SU has made other efforts to address the safety concerns. More DPS officers patrol the Ivy Ridge neighborhood, which is south of South Campus near the university’s Physical Plant and houses many international students. Still, SU must prioritize communication between administrative officials and the international student community on the WeChat account status.

Student safety is a right — not a privilege — and SU should turn safety promises into safety resolutions by making its WeChat account a reality.

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. You can read more about the editorial board here. Are you interested in pitching a topic for the editorial board to discuss? Email opinion@dailyorange.com.

Published on February 11, 2018 at 10:47 pm