News

As previously announced, Barnes & Noble College (BNC) has been selected to manage all materials, general merchandise, retail and e-Commerce operations for the University’s Campus Store. The transition to BNC will continue throughout the Spring 2025 semester, but we wanted to provide the campus community an update on several frequently asked questions, including ordering textbooks and course materials and how to conduct departmental business with BNC. Information will also be posted on the Office of the Chief Operations Officer website.
 
Course Materials and Textbooks 
 
Due to the timing of the transition, the University’s current course material provider, eCampus, will continue to supply all course materials for the spring 2025 term. Barnes & Noble College will begin offering all course materials beginning with the Maymester term, starting May 13th.

• Faculty: Continue to use the eCampus “fast.ecampus.com” site to provide course material information for the spring term only.
  • Faculty members will be invited to use the new B&N Adoptions and Insights Portal (AIP) beginning with the summer terms. Information and tutorials will be shared in February.
  • We are excited to announce the hiring of our dedicated course materials faculty liaison, Leeanna Baldick. Please reach out to Leeanna at lbaldick@bncollege.com with any course material questions.
  • Faculty are also encouraged to contact the store with any questions or concerns. We will do our best to help!
• Students: Visit syracuse.ecampus.com or call 859.209.6958 for help and support with textbooks and course materials for the Spring 2025 semester.
  • Starting in April, please visit syracuse.bncollege.com for all course material information.   

Departmental Product Purchases

As the Store is no longer considered an internal University department, standing IDs will no longer be accepted as a form of payment for faculty members or departments. Any University department wishing to set up a standing purchase order will need to set up an account with Barnes & Noble.

To establish their new account, they will need to email sm8551@bncollege.com, attention MerryLea Bullock. Please provide the name of the department, to whom invoices should be sent, desired frequency of invoicing, and any purchasing restrictions (i.e., exclude gift cards). Those with questions about the form should contact sm8551@bncollege.com.

Individuals may continue to use their University procards for purchases.

We look forward to our growing partnership with Syracuse University and share the goals of student success and support for the entire campus community. We will continue to share more information about the transition as we move into the spring semester. 
 
Thank you. 
  
Bob Puma | Regional Manager 
Barnes & Noble College 

Campus Dining is excited to welcome the University campus community back to campus for the spring semester. The department will debut several new food options and dining initiatives across campus, responding to evolving culinary trends and student feedback about cuisine variety on campus, dietary needs and preferences, made-to-order options and favorites, and fresh and clean ingredient choices.

Read the full article at Syracuse University News.

Syracuse University Campus Dining has appointed Chef Richard Leonardo to the role of Corporate Executive Chef. The new position, which will provide overall leadership and operational management to all aspects of the campus dining program (residential, retail and athletic dining, catering, concessions, and bakery, production kitchen, and cook-chill facilities), was created in order to bring a focused, strategic approach to the culinary program at the University.

The culinary team is fully aligned with the new leadership position. Chef Leonardo will report directly to Cheryl Fabrizi, Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services. He will lead Executive Chefs Ilana Cahill, Jeff Dover, and Bryan Hammond, all of whom support campus dining at Syracuse University. Leonardo will leverage the professional experiences of his team to enhance every aspect of the campus culinary experience.  

“The dining program at Syracuse is multi-faceted and requires a nimble leader who can pivot quickly as needed,” said Cheryl Fabrizi, Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Services. “We’ve built our culinary team over the past year, by adding talented chefs and campus dining leaders across the entire team. Chef Leonardo will now be charged with putting culinary talent to its highest and best use and executing a cohesive culinary strategy across campus.”

In support of that goal, Chef Leonardo will work to introduce the latest culinary trends in campus dining and culinary production in the campus commissary. He’ll be responsive to student feedback, introducing globally-inspired and special occasion menu options in residential dining, where residential students eat the majority of their meals, infusing national food trends in retail dining and concessions, and continuing to elevate catered experiences. Chef Leonardo will continue to grow the culinary training program for SEIU employees as well as all of the culinary staff at Syracuse University and provide valuable input on new construction of and renovations of dining facilities and equipment. 

“Our goal is always to bring inviting, comfortable, engaging dining experiences to our guests – students, faculty, staff, community members, alumni, and beyond,” said Chef Leonardo. “Food brings people together. That’s where our focus will always be – on the connections that can grow from sitting down together over a delicious plate of food.”

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About Chef Leonardo

Chef Leonardo, a Central New York native, began his tenure at Syracuse University in November 2023, when he was hired as an executive chef in Campus Dining. His culinary path began in his teenage years, when he worked at his family’s restaurant. He received his culinary degree from The French Culinary Institute in New York City, then honed his skills working with the Daniel Boulud Restaurant Group.

Leonardo returned to Central New York to work as an executive pastry chef, then found his passion in collegiate dining with American Dining Creations, where he spent 10 years developing menus and actively working and training on-site with culinarians at 29 colleges and universities. 

On Monday, January 6, the Joseph I. Lubin House began utilizing a new online reservation system, known as Star Rez. Moving forward, all overnight accommodations at Lubin House will be booked through the new system.

Access Star Rez for Lubin House here.

When you make your first reservation through Star Rez, you will be asked to create an account. You will be able to choose from two types of accounts: an administrative account, used to book reservations on behalf of someone else, or a personal account, used to book reservations for yourself.

Star Rez is currently used on campus to manage housing assignments and will soon be utilized for reservations at the University’s Minnowbrook Conference Center. The Office of the Chief Operations Officer decided to invest in the new system in order to modernize and streamline the entire ordering experience for its users. Users will be able to view all current and past reservations details directly in their account, making rebooking of past reservations a simple process.

Anyone with questions about overnight accommodations at Lubin House should contact Andrew Levy, Director, at 212.826.0324 or anlevy@syr.edu.

On Monday, January 6, Campus Catering will launch a new online ordering system, known as CaterTrax. Beginning that day, all Campus Catering and JMA Dome suites customers will place their catering orders via CaterTrax. To assist all Catering customers with the transition, the Auxiliary Services training team will offer four one-hour training sessions within the first two weeks of January.

The Catering team decided to invest in the new system in order to improve the entire ordering experience for its users:

• All activity and changes relating to a catering order are now tracked within the order, replacing the old email ticketing-based system
• Customers will be able to view all current and past order details and invoices directly in their account, making duplication of past orders a simple process
• The system offers a streamlined ordering process, which will limit miscommunication between customers and the Catering team and limit order and delivery errors
• Customers will now have the ability to save payment options (chartstrings/credit cards) within their accounts

All users are invited to attend any one of the four training sessions most convenient for their schedules. To attend, click the link below for the session you prefer and follow the prompts to register:

• Thursday, January 9, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/c101fe1c-941b-41b8-a910-86db7e78b5a8@4278a402-1a9e-4eb9-8414-ffb55a5fcf1e

• Friday, January 10, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/6b1838df-2b0e-4b8f-9514-ef16c6faa608@4278a402-1a9e-4eb9-8414-ffb55a5fcf1e

• Monday, January 13, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/25d7ead4-8aa8-479a-934e-248f5ec07a66@4278a402-1a9e-4eb9-8414-ffb55a5fcf1e

• Wednesday, January 15, 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/e6426634-b0ee-4ec6-b437-918d51486248@4278a402-1a9e-4eb9-8414-ffb55a5fcf1e

Anyone with questions about the training sessions should contact Tori Budnik, Auxiliary Services Training Specialist, at vabudnik@syr.edu. Those with questions about the CaterTrax program should reach out to Campus Catering at catering@syr.edu or 315.443.3605.

As part of its comprehensive housing strategy, Syracuse University today announced its intention to pursue the development of a new full-service hotel to be constructed on University Avenue. This effort follows the University’s recent conversion of the former Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center into Orange Hall, a residence hall that now houses roughly 400 students. It also builds on the University’s recent acquisition of the Hotel Skyler Syracuse.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

As Syracuse University continues to advance its comprehensive housing strategy, later this month it will begin demolition of several structures to make way for two new residence halls. The housing strategy, first announced in February 2024, includes demolishing Marion Hall, Kimmel Hall and Dining Center, and Comstock Avenue Garage. Work on Marion and Kimmel halls will begin in December, while the demolition of Comstock Avenue Garage is expected to start in early 2025 following the permitting process. Parking Services staff will connect with each Comstock Avenue Garage permit holder directly to coordinate new parking assignments.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Many campus facilities will be closed or operate at reduced hours this Thanksgiving break (Nov. 24-Dec. 1). For students who are remaining in Syracuse over break, we’ve compiled relevant information from campus partners about the hours of operation for certain student services on campus. Read on to learn more, and while you’re here, check out this companion guide detailing the activities happening in Central New York over break.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

As part of the previously announced transition of the Syracuse University Campus Store to Barnes & Noble College (BNC), store locations will undergo temporary closures over the next two weeks to allow for installation of new technology, staff training and other exciting changes.

The University community is asked to plan for any purchases they may need to make prior to the closings.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Campus Dining is excited to announce a series of initiatives and brand-new dining options aimed at faculty and staff members, in an effort to make dining on campus as easy (and delicious!) as possible for all University community members.

Table Service Dining Now Available at Neporent Café and Dining Room

A refreshed and remodeled Neporent Café and Dining Room, located on the first floor of Dineen Hall, fully reopened to the campus community in October. Neporent offers two dining options: grab-and-go service, which is offered throughout its operating hours, and, NEW this academic year, table service dining, which is offered every weekday between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Guests visiting the Dining Room during that time will be required to wear business casual dress.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.