SU alumnus disappointed with university admissions for not accepting daughter

I’m another S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications success story. After graduating in 1982, I worked at Family Circle, The New York Times, Better Homes and Gardens, and eventually became editor in chief of Reader’s Digest Books. I hold deep gratitude for Syracuse University — but now I also have a big resentment.

My daughter, Maggie, an honor roll and high-honor roll student, happens to be deaf. She attends a mainstream school. Maggie’s digital hearing aids help some, but she relies heavily on lipreading and body reading to understand class discussions. She catches 50 percent. Maggie works twice as hard as most, seeing each teacher once a week, doing extra reading and working three hours a week with a teacher for the hearing impaired. Her average has consistently been 92, though this year it’s up to 96. Maggie mentors younger deaf students and volunteered a week of each of the last four years to help rebuild New Orleans. SU rejected her application to join the class of 2017.

I was shocked. Of course I know and understand Maggie’s intelligence and work ethic. Maggie fell in love with SU having attended football and basketball games and hearing my stories and love for the school. Last year, we took a formal tour for prospective students. She really wanted to attend and graduate from Syracuse.

I asked the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid to explain Maggie’s rejection, but they would not. I wanted to know if Admissions levels the playing field for deaf and blind students. Meaning: Do they recognize that a deaf student in a mainstream school carrying a 92 average compares to a hearing student with a 97 or 98 average? Couldn’t get an answer. Then, the admissions office defended its decision and wrote that they have a long record of “inclusion” and did not “discriminate,” when I hadn’t even mentioned prejudice. This made me think that perhaps Admissions “doth protest too much.”

I started a complaint to file with the U.S. Department of Justice under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In my anger and frustration, I fantasized that perhaps the United States vs. Syracuse University could be a landmark case forcing colleges and universities to level the playing field in some way for disabled students.

Maggie asked me not to and said, “Don’t worry dad, I’ll do something about it when I graduate law school.” Watch out world.

Christopher Cavanaugh

Syracuse University
Class of 1982