Giving the Honor Council's dean's excuse policy its first stamp of student approval, Duke Student Government legislators voted 37-15 to support proposed changes Wednesday.
DSG Vice President for Academic Affairs Lyndsay Beal, who presented the proposal, said the DSG academic affairs committee felt the current policy "was just too much work and not trustworthy enough."
The new policy, proposed last spring by the Honor Council and Dr. Bill Christmas, director of student health, would allow students to submit a memo to professors and academic deans explaining their absence due to medical complicationsâ??without the consent of a doctor. The change is meant to encourage trustworthiness under the principles of the newly-adopted Community Standard.
Sunny Kishore, Honor Council chair, said the new policy would be more convenient for sick students by eliminating a trip to the student health center.
He added that DSG's support of the proposal was important to its ultimate acceptance by both the Arts and Sciences Council and the Engineering Council. Many faculty members have been hesitant to support the proposal because of a perception of tepid student support.
"In DSG, we're really getting a sense of what students want because, of course, students are going to be the primary supporters of this," said Kishore, a junior. "If they give their support, then faculty will follow."
Judith Ruderman, chair of the Academic Integrity Council created last year, and vice provost for academics and administration, said faculty may not be ready to embrace the climate of trust the new policy promotes.
"This is a delicate issue," she said. "Some faculty don't want to be put in the position of determining who's sick and who's sicker than the next student who didn't miss the next assignment."
A new subcommittee of the Academic Integrity Council--co-chaired by Beal, a senior, and junior Sourav Sengupta, the Honor Council's vice president for external affairs--will study the dean's excuse policy in general, making further recommendations to the council.
At the meeting, some DSG legislators questioned the effectiveness of the policy.
Troy Clair, DSG vice president for student affairs, voiced concern that although the new policy may provide a symbolic advantage by showing increased trust in students, grades may suffer if more students miss class. "Yes, [in] the new honor code, trust [and] integrity [are] symbolic, but your grade is not symbolic," said Clair, a senior. "We've seen from surveys over past years that there is a question of honor at Duke."
Other legislators said they trusted the current system and the requirement of doctor's approval more than the individual whims of faculty. "I have a lot of professors that I probably wouldn't want to put this choice in their hands," said sophomore Avery Capone, who wondered if students could still opt to use the current excuse policy.
Sophomore Ryan Kennedy thought the policy would allow students to cheat more easily.
"We have to ask, 'Is this a policy that shows that students can trust us to build institutions that do not promote cheating?'" he said.
Junior Avery Reaves, however, said the policy would encourage a trustworthy atmosphere, citing Davidson College's honor system--where students can take exams when they please without a proctor. "That's the kind of community that I want to live in," he said.
IN OTHER BUSINESS: DSG legislators approved charters of the Canadian Student Association, the Force Air Club, the Persian Students Association and Learning Identity for Environment.
It also appropriated $1,965 to Sigma Chi fraternity for its Derby Days programming.
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