[Interviews/Acceptances/Rejections Fall 2019]

On 2/17/2019 at 9:01 PM, LCA_1350 said:

 

I'm hoping to get more information or opinions on the Syracuse Sociology PhD program.  On paper, it seemed like a good fit for my research interests (immigration / migration), and it appears it may be my only acceptance this cycle.  However, these posts about the program are extremely troubling, especially given my research interests.  I would rather keep working in the non-profit sector than be miserable for 5-7 years and come out with a degree that may be stigmatized (would this be the case? I'm not plugged into the Sociology academic world).  

I'm also worried about the funding situation - the email from the director of graduate studies said "At this time, we cannot provide funding to cover tuition and living expenses. We are working to try and secure funding for you. It usually takes a month or so before we will know whether we can offer funding to you. We can, however, assure you that we are diligently working on this!"  This wording seems suspect, and from the previous post, it sounds like funding has been an issue in the past.  I've always been told that a PhD program without full funding is a major red flag.

Living in upstate NY is also a concern.  My fiance is a STEM post-doc, and we were hoping to "hit" in the same general area - a PhD program for me and a TT job for him.  He's a finalist for a position at SUNY Cortland, and will probably get an offer, but during his visit he thought the lack of diversity was concerning, and the deep seated racism in upstate NY was very palpable (the faculty at SUNY Cortland apparently did not hide this).  We're both white, but living in a culturally diverse and accepting area of the country is very important to us.

Any thoughts/input/opinions on any of these issues would be very appreciated!

This is that department’s way of telling you that you did not make the cut. From experience they will wait to see if someone they’ve already extended an offer with funding to declines the offer, if so then they *may* offer you their funding- depending on where you are in line. They will offer for you to talk to a current graduate student. Whomever you speak to will be a student that has stayed in line and followed all orders while being a part of the program. DO NOT ATTEND ANY PhD PROGRAM WITHOUT FULL FUNDING- as you have already indicated, it’s a bad idea and a red flag to be offered a position w/o funding. If you are used to doing radical or progressive work in your job my advice would be to stick with it and apply again next cycle if you still want to pursue grad school. Nothing progressive is happening in that departament in regards to immigration and migration. If you’re planning to do stats or demography you’d be alright, if you want to apply a critical lens I would keep looking. A thing I wish I had known when applying is how important it is to apply to schools based on multiple specific faulty you think you could work with (read their work ahead of time if you can) and/or the theoretical framework a certain department follows- look to see what a departments main specialities are by seeing what faculty have produced recently, look at CVs, try and figure out which faculty are newer (ppl tend to start out as assistant hen go to associate to full based on the school)- knowing who is newer will help you to see what direction a department might be moving in, see what relationships the department has built with other departments etc. This all can be so hard to find/figure out prior to attending and also time consuming, but it is worth at least trying imo. My experience would have been much different had I done this deeper digging.

I wish you you and your partner the best, and go with your gut when in doubt. 

[Interviews/Acceptances/Rejections Fall 2019]

On 1/24/2019 at 12:10 PM, decolonizingdescendent said:

If you are a person of color or international student-- do NOT attend Syracuse University for sociology. I urge you not to be fooled by the Maxwell moniker and its neoliberal nods to citizenship. The department is getting flack for being racist because it is. The continual silencing of POC's in the department is not only antithetical to sociology, but is also just very negatively impactful to grad students' lives. Multiple chairs have been complicit in forms of suppression, and one the former director of graduate studies is a horrid racist who has repeatedly targeted students of color in classes and the dept at large.  I will say there are a few faculty that can be allies and support, but they come few and far between and are outnumbered. The department does not care for activism and will try their damndest to weed out "troublemakers" and frame students as "good and productive" or "bad and unfit." On the level of scholarship, there's a lot to be admired and critiqued. But on the ground in the everyday operations, the connections between theory and practice are nonexistent. Would say it's laughable if it wasn't so violent and traumatic.

If you do decide to go, read your contract to ensure how much funding you are actually getting-- this has been a huge problem in the past and I hope it's resolved now.

Side note: for folks who have been accepted to any PhD programs. Congratulations!!! It can be an isolating experience for a number of reasons, esp for folks of marginalized identities. I truly hope that you are able to carve out a space for yourself in ways that are productive to your personal growth and happiness. If you are waiting still, fingers crossed. And those receiving rejections-- I am sorry. Keep your head up. It is a part of the process and speaks nothing to your capabilities and competencies. Get a feel for the fit of the depts you are looking at to see if they support you, your intellectual work, and your politics. 

just want to keep people informed as the decision letters come in.

 

I want to emphasize the sentiments of this post! DO NOT BE FOOLED BY ANY “DIVERSITY” and “INCLUSION” RHETORIC COMING FROM THIS DEPTARTMENT. The sociology department at Syracuse University is racist. It also *highly* discourages and minziminzes activist scholars. As a whole the department is afraid of being critiqued and is violently opposed to those seeking to create meaningful, tangible change- particularly in regards to race. While this program may admit POC, it does a HORRENDOUS job of supporting them. Retention rates for students of color in this program are ABYSMAL (particularly within the past few years).

This department epitomizes the neoliberal white woman. It functions with her mind, basis decisions off her values, gives kindness to those who follow suit whilst strictly/passively punishing those who disrupt, and vehemently denies such thoughts and actions when confronted.

To be clear and as stated above, there are a few faculty members and colleagues that are allies and give genuine support. However, the department as a whole is toxic.

If you have plans to work with the Women and Gender Studies program at Syracuse University, know that such plans are greatly discouraged by the leadership within the sociology department. HOWEVER. Do NOT let this deter you from building relationships with WGS faulty and students. The WGS department can provide spaces that you will not find in the sociology program, spaces where students of color are centered. Not all WGS spaces will provide this, but the opportunity exists.

If you are are person of color and you decide to attend the sociology program at Syracuse University, go in informed, know/own/live why you are there, and be mindful of what that place may take from you mentally/emotionally/physically. Center yourself. Build your own community. And more power to you.