The Graduate School at Syracuse University in New York recently paused funding for a fellowship program in African American studies.
According to a report from Syracuse’s student news outlet The Daily Orange, Peter Vanable, dean of the Graduate School and associate provost for graduate studies, informed graduate program directors and chairs that the African American studies fellowship would no longer accept new applicants. The program was originally established to support graduate students who integrate African American or Pan African studies into their respective fields of study. Students who have already received fellowships with multi-year funding commitments will continue to receive their promised support.
A separate scholarship fund for students pursuing a Ph.D. in STEM disciplines was also paused indefinitely.
“These decisions are not made lightly but reflect the difficult tradeoffs we’re facing across all graduate funding priorities,” wrote Vanable in an email obtained by The Daily Orange. “We recognize the importance of these programs in supporting our graduate students and their scholarship. We will continue to assess our funding landscape as circumstances evolve.”
