S.07-13
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
S
?
University Secretariat
MEMORANDUM
To: ?
Senate
From: ?
Alison Watt
Subject: ?
Academic Amnesty motion
Date:
?
19 December, 2006
Senate Wei U forwarded this motion which was considered by the Senate Committee on
Agenda and Rules.
Academic Amnesty Motion
?
2C", 2006
Reference was made to the wording of a previous motion dealing with this issue in 2003,
and M. Dunnet stated that since this seemed to be a preferable wording, she would like to
substitute the wording of the motion before Senate
Moved by M. Dunnet, seconded by P. Percival
"Senate requests that instructors do not penalize students academically
for their participation in the February 7, 2007 National 'Day of Action',
and
Senate requests that faculty make every effort to accommodate those
students who wish to participate in the February 7, 2007 National 'Day
of Action'"
purposes on February 7,
BE
IT FURTHERRESOLVF,?5 THAT the Senate endorses lawful activities to increase
awareness to the need for/1anada and British Columbia to reinvest in affordable, high-
quality education at thç/post-secondary level.
A similar matter was considered by Senate in December 2003 concerning a Day of
Action in February 2004. A motion was forwarded to Senate by a student Senator
(attachment 1). Senate amended and approved the amended motion (also shown on
attachment 1). A communiqué was issued to the University following the Senate action
(attachment 2).
.
Room 3186, Strand Hall ?
8888 University Drive, Burnaby, B.C.
V5A 1S6
ATTACHMENT #1
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY ?
S.03-116
Memorandum
TO:
Senate
?
FROM:
?
Camilla Sears
Student Member
Senate
RE
February 4
th
National Day of Action ?
DATE: ?
November 13, 2003
I wish to bring forward the following motion and rationale concerning the February 4th
National Day of Action before the attention of the Senate.
Motion:
Whereas the Senate of Simon Fraser University has called on the provincial and
federal governments to increase funding to post-secondary education, and
Whereas the National "Day of Action" is an event that gives students across
Canada an opportunity to draw attention to student issues, and
• ?
Whereas funding to post-secondary education has been a prominent student
issue in Canada in recent years,
Jff4•
Be it resolved that Senate requests that no-tudcntbepenalized $ademidälly
for his or her participation in the February 4, 2004 National "Day of Action," and
Be it further resolved that Senate requests that faculty make every effort to
accommodate those students who wish to participate in the February 4, 2004
National "Day of Action."
Rationale:
Student associations across Canada are working together to organize a National
"Day of Action" to raise awareness for student issues in Canada on February 4th,
2004. National Days of Action have traditionally given students across Canada an
opportunity to have their voices heard and to make issues of post-secondary
education visible. As well, National Days of Action are historically among the most
heavily promoted and massively attended events at Simon Fraser University.
Therefore, the Simon Fraser Student Society is currently encouraging as many
students as possible to take part in the rally and activities that will take place on that
day.
Many other institutions' Senates and/or Education Councils have passed similar
resolutions in the past, including Carleton, York, Dalhousie, King's College, Ryerson,
Kwantlen, University of Toronto, University of Winnipeg, University College of Cape
Breton, and Mount Saint Vincent University. The Senate of the University of Victoria
has recently passed a similar motion for the upcoming February 4th Day of Action.
We are asking that Senate support the Day of Action in principle, and that faculty be
advised well ahead of time that students will be interested in participating and
encouraged to participate on February 4th. Since this resolution would be a request
and not a demand, it would not force faculty to disrupt their class schedules.
However, hopefully it will have the effect of encouraging faculty, lecturers and lAs to
modify, where necessary, their plans for the semester to allow as many students as
possible to take part. These modifications could include, for example, the
rescheduling of exams or assignment due dates, or simply granting
accommodations to individual students who-wish to participate. This motion is not
intended to absolve students of the responsibility of catching up on account of missed
work or class material.
As well, this resolution would discourage academic penalties - damage to grades or
other performance evaluations - being levied against students who miss class to
participate in the Day of Action. Again, it would be a request, and not a demand of
instructors. Nonetheless, it would have the effect of letting instructors know ahead of
time that Senate supports the Day of Action, and that students will want to participate.
The Senate of Simon Fraser University has already taken the step of publicly declaring
that
"provincial government underfunding to post-secondary education in BC is
contributing to decreasing quality and accessibility to post-secondary education in
BC
.
*
I
The National Day of Action seeks to draw attention to this very important matter.
Thus, I believe that Senate would be well-advised to support the Day of Action by
passing this motion.
* October 6, 2003
.
3'
ATTACHMENT #2
administrators-group@sfu.ca
, reg-das@sfu.ca
, 12/16/03 1:54 PM -0800, Student Day of A
?
1
To: administrators-group@ sfu.ca
, reg-das @ sfu.ca
From: Alison Watt <Alison_Watt@sfu.ca
>
.
Subject: Student Day of Action - February 2004
Cc: Bobbie Grant <bgrant@sfii.ca >
Bcc:
X-Attachments: :MacAlison: 172346:Day/Action motion Dec03 Senate:
Dear Chairs and Directors, Program Directors and Deans,
Senate approved the following motion at its meeting on 1 December, 2003
That Senate requests that instructors do not penalize students academically for their participation in the
February 4, 2004 National "Day
of Action, " and
That Senate requests that faculty make every effort to accommodate those students who wish to
participate in the February 4, 2004 National "Day of
Action."
In discussion it was stated that this was a request, and it was suggested that instructors could
accommodate students by choosing not to hold tests or exams on that day, thereby accommodating students
who wished to participate in the National Day of Action. However,
if
an instructor is unable to make
accommodations for students on that day (scheduled laboratories, studio work, etc.), students will have to
choose whether to attend classes or attend the National Day
of
Action, understanding that
if they do not
complete some elements of
the academic requirements
of
a course, there may be academic consequences.
I attach a copy
of
the Jldl motion and rationale for your information. Please advise ailfaculty members
and other instructional staff who will be teaching in the spring semester 2004 about this request from
Senate.
0
Yours sincerely,
Alison Watt
Director, University Secretariat
Attachment (amended Senate paper S 03-166)
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--------------
Alison Watt
Director, University Secretariat
Office of the President
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6
Telephone: (604) 291-3495
Fax: (604) 291-4860
. ?
'1.
Printed for Alison Watt <Alison_Watt@sfu.ca
> ?
I
