Here is a a brief rundown of the week in The Daily Orange news:

Next vice chancellor and provost announced

Michele Wheatly will be the next vice chancellor and provost at Syracuse University and will lead the way in implementing the Academic Strategic Plan. The decision was announced on Friday after the Board of Trustees approved her for the position.

Wheatly currently serves as special assistant to the president of West Virginia University, and will start her position at SU on May 16.

She told The Daily Orange that she will be meeting with SU officials before she starts her new position in order to learn more about the university.

Courtesy of Steve Sartori

Ideas discussed at Campus Framework update

Several conceptual ideas were discussed at the Campus Framework update session on Wednesday. Michael Speaks, the dean of Syracuse University’s School of Architecture, outlined three potential promenades that would stretch across campus. One would connect East and West Campus through Archbold Gymnasium, and the other two would run down Waverly Avenue and University Place.

The creation of the National Veterans Resource Complex on Waverly Avenue was also discussed. Speaks said it will be the first pursued part of the framework.

He added that the promenade on University Place would be pedestrian-friendly and would eliminate traffic on the road.

Michael Santiago | Contributing Photographer

Services at SU work to address college suicide

While suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people ages 15-24, experts say colleges across the country have adjusted their services to meet the needs of more students seeking them.

At Syracuse University, the Counseling Center has seen a 66 percent increase over the last five years in the number of students using its services, said Cory Wallack, the center’s director. These services include measures of prevention, intervention and postvention.

Kylie Kerker, president of Active Minds at SU, is hoping to get the suicide hotline number on the back of SUID cards before she graduates in two years.

Frankie Prijatel | Senior Staff Photographer

SU follows national trend in banning hoverboards

Syracuse University is now one of more than 30 other colleges in the United States to ban hoverboards, a number that is rising due to concerns about the safety of the devices. In December, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a statement that it was investigating incidents of the devices catching on fire.

Experts say the root of the problem is the low-quality batteries used in hoverboards. Chief Law Enforcement Officer Tony Callisto, in the Department of Public Safety, said the temporary ban on hoverboards at SU could be lifted if the devices change to meet safety standards.

Some students, including SU football players, have expressed their unhappiness with the ban.

Devyn Passaretti | Head Illustrator

Officials say top research ranking will help all students

Syracuse University was placed among the top research institutions in the country last month, and days later announced that three SU professors were instrumental in the discovery of gravitational waves.

SU officials said these developments are a sign that the university is working toward its goal of becoming a “pre-eminent student-focused research university.”

Peter Vanable, interim vice president for research at SU, said these achievements were the results of years of work, and were not an overnight occurrence.

The improved ranking will help the university attract better faculty and students to benefit from better professors, officials said.

Courtesy of Caltech Media Assets

Published on March 6, 2016 at 7:29 pm

Contact Delaney: dovanwey@syr.edu