Whereas, Cornell Health’s Health Excuse Policy states that “Cornell Health does not provide excuses for routine illnesses,” injuries, and mental health problems that lead students to miss classes, labs, studios, exams, or deadlines, a longstanding policy that Cornell Health describes as similar to those of most major universities and consistent with the recommendations of the American College Health Association [1],
Whereas, Section 6.1 of the Faculty Handbook, under Health-Related Accommodations, restates this policy, expects students to be honest with their instructors about their ability to complete work and to request accommodations in a timely manner, and states that “Professors are expected to work with students on these issues” [2],
Whereas, Student Disability Services’ guidance to faculty on sick or injured students directs instructors to make appropriate arrangements in sudden, short-term situations, instructs faculty to “not ask a student for medical documentation/proof,” and reminds them that Cornell Health does not issue medical excuses for routine illnesses [3],
Whereas, the Faculty Handbook names academic advising staff and associate deans as the resource for faculty with concerns about a student’s attendance, and already provides a separate pathway through Cornell Health and Student Disability Services for students with serious or ongoing health conditions [1][2],
Whereas, despite this guidance, students in multiple colleges and majors continue to encounter syllabi, course websites, and course staff that require a doctor’s note before an absence from lecture, section, lab, or a prelim will be excused,
Whereas, a student who is asked for a note (that Cornell Health will not write) is left with two choices: accept a zero or an unexcused absence, or seek care from an off-campus urgent care, telehealth service, or private provider for the sole purpose of getting documentation,
Whereas, seeking care off campus can require money and time that not every student can spare—from copays and out-of-network charges to transportation costs for providers that may be difficult to reach without a car. These barriers disproportionately affect first-generation and lower-income students, students with high-deductible or out-of-state insurance plans, and international students who may be less familiar with navigating the U.S. health care system.
Whereas, when documentation is only available to students who can pay for it, a short illness becomes an equity problem, which goes against the University’s own expectation that health-related accommodations rest on honest communication between students and instructors,
Whereas, note requirements also push sick students to sit for prelims or attend class while contagious in order to avoid a penalty, putting classmates, teaching assistants, and instructors at risk and sending students with minor illnesses to local urgent care and walk-in clinics that do not need the added volume,
Whereas, many students do not know that these requests conflict with University policy, and there is no clearly advertised way for a student to raise the issue without worrying about how it may affect their standing in the course,
Be it therefore resolved, the Student Assembly affirms Cornell Health’s Health Excuse Policy and the Health-Related Accommodations guidance in Section 6.1 of the Faculty Handbook [1][2], and recognizes that instructors and course staff should not require a doctor’s note or other medical documentation for short-term illness, injury, or mental health concerns,
Be it further resolved, the Student Assembly recommends that the Office of the Dean of Faculty and the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education send a written reminder to all instructors, teaching assistants, and course staff before the start of each semester and before the evening prelim period, that includes:
- The Health-Related Accommodations language from Section 6.1 of the Faculty Handbook;
- Links to Cornell Health’s Health Excuse Policy [1] and the Student Disability Services faculty FAQ [3]; and
- A reminder that concerns about a student’s attendance should be brought to the student’s college advising office or associate dean rather than handled by requesting documentation,
Be it further resolved, the Student Assembly recommends that the Office of the Dean of Faculty and the Center for Teaching Innovation add standard illness and absence language to their syllabi (sample language in Appendix A), and academic departments review current syllabi and course websites to remove any requirement of a doctor’s note for short-term illness,
Be it further resolved, the Student Assembly encourages instructors to build flexibility into course design, which may include but is not limited to: dropping the lowest exam score, offering make-up prelims, reweighing a missed exam, or a permissible number of absences,
Be it finally resolved, the Student Assembly recommends that each college designate its advising office or associate dean for undergraduate education as the point of contact for students who are asked for a doctor’s note, that this contact be published publicly, and that students who raise a concern in good faith face no retaliation in the course,
Respectfully Submitted,
Saanya Agarwal ’27
Women’s Issues Representative, Student Assembly
Lydia Blum ‘27
Vice President of Policy, Student Assembly
Eeshaan Chaudhuri ‘27
President, Student Assembly
