Unfinished Business —

This meeting was devoted to editing the Resolution to Defend Academic Freedom in Teaching and Community Engagement that Scioli had drafted in response to committee members’ feedback at and subsequent to the February meeting.

All members of the committee contributed ideas for improving the format, content, and language of the resolution. 

Davidow initiated discussion about the desired response to the resolution from the KU administration.  The committee agreed that we should include language asking for acknowledgment and response to the requests put forth in the resolution. 

Scioli planned to make the revisions and send the updated version of the resolution by April 1 to Rémy Lequesne to be reviewed by Fac Ex.

The remainder of the meeting was devoted to discussion of the revised Excused Absence Policy.  The committee saw merit in the changes made, several of which responded to suggestions made by FRPR, but suggested further revisions to the language as well as more substantive changes.  The committee continues to feel that the phrase “unforeseen life events” is nebulous and has the potential to be interpreted differently by student and instructor.

Schwaller proposed making a distinction between medical and legal reasons for requesting an excused absence – as these are verifiable – and personal reasons (in the category of “unforeseen life events”), which may not be verifiable with documentation.  Schwaller suggested that the latter be directed to the Student Affairs Office, who would act as an intermediary in deciding when an event in a student’s life warranted excuse from an exam.

Scioli promised to propose discussion of this policy among the charges for next year’s committee.