There is currently work being done to revise Syracuse University’s academic integrity policies, said Margaret Usdansky, director of the academic integrity office at Syracuse University, on Monday.

Usdansky met with the Student Association at its Monday night meeting to discuss the recommendations of the Academic Integrity Policy Review Advisory Committee.

“The (current) policy is very complicated. The academic integrity policy is 27 pages,” Usdansky said. “This (new initiative) is an effort to move away from that model and have something more efficient.”

The committee formed after many criticisms about the policy were raised. Some of these criticisms were that the policy itself contains too many procedures and is not very flexible in terms of the types of options offered to faculty and students, Usdansky said.

The revisions have been in the works since late October. The key changes are to adopt a single charge — violation of the Academic Integrity Policy — instead of having two charges.

The policy also recommends establishing three avenues for case resolution. Currently the only avenue for case revolution is a possible hearing. Because this is the only option available, there are more than 40 hearings per semester ranging from all different levels of offences. Since there are so many hearings a semester, it adds a lot of pressure to all members involved and makes the process take a long time, Usdansky said.

The new policy aims to decrease the number of hearings by resolving certain, lower offences in a simpler manner.

Usdansky added that the new policy would require final decision letters to be issued on behalf of each respective school or college’s dean so as to reinforce the importance the school places on academic integrity and the significance of the sanction for students.

SA President Aysha Seedat was very active in the revisions last semester and continues to be heavily involved this semester.

Seedat also plans to work this semester on writing a policy on free speech along with other SA members, the Graduate Student Organization and the College of Law’s Student Bar Association. In order to gain feedback, there are plans in the works to have three open town hall forums through which all students will have the opportunity to provide feedback and recommendations for the policy, Seedat said.

Seedat is also planning to learn more about the university’s budget model this semester with the hopes of better educating undergraduate students on how money is spent on campus.

Additionally, SA Vice President Jane Hong is currently sitting on the Chancellor’s Workgroup on Diversity and Inclusion. The workgroup is meeting twice a week in order to work on its report that is due March 11. The report will include recommendations on how to improve SU’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.

The bike-share program that was discussed heavily last semester is still in the works, Hong said, and SA members hope to launch the program in April. SA is entering partnership with Mello Velo, a bicycle retailer, in order to launch the program.

In other business, Aarick Knighton was elected as SA’s technology chair. SA is also currently accepting applications for assembly positions, which are due Friday.

Published on February 2, 2016 at 12:21 am

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