Office of the Assemblies

Dear Anuli,

 

As you know, Cat conveyed to me Resolution 43: Demanding Cornell Implement a University-Wide Slip Day System. As it currently stands, the faculty handbook states: “There is no such thing as a ‘university excuse’ for absence from class that frees a student from responsibility for the missed work. Only the instructor of a course can provide such an exemption to a student.” There are many reasons for this. For example, all courses are taught differently: in courses where assignments are scaffolded, allowing students carte blanche in how or when they utilize extensions could have significant downstream implications, and thus faculty may have a strong preference to maintain oversight about the most appropriate ways to grant flexibility to students.

 

Any university-wide policy with regard to grading or any other educational process that affects faculty prerogative in the most essential way falls under the authority of the Faculty Senate. By copy of this message, I am sharing this resolution with Dean of Faculty Eve DeRosa so that she can convey the view of the student assembly to them.

 

Sincerely,

 

Martha E. Pollack

 

 

 

Martha E. Pollack

President, Cornell University

300 Day Hall

Ithaca, NY 14853

Tel: 607-255-5201