Syracuse University professors will be able to drop students off their enrollment list if a student does not attend a lecture, or contact the professor, within the first week of classes.

During University Senate’s meeting on Wednesday night, Ernest Hemphill, an associate professor in the department of biology, presented the notion for professors to drop students they believe have intentions of not attending their class. This will prevent waiting for students to drop the class themselves and taking up spots in the class that other students serious about the course could take.

Hemphill said he believes this new rule will ‘allow us to smooth out the problems we have now.’ He has limited room in his laboratory, and has a recurring problem of students dropping the course too late for another student to take his or her place. This will eliminate empty chairs in popular, or required, courses.

Administrators are not required to practice this rule, but instead will simply have the option.

The only way this rule would be needed to be taken into effect is if a professor allows a student to enter a class, with the assumption that a student they have not seen has dropped, and the original student shows up.

International students and athletes will not be allowed to be dropped from a class if it takes them below 12 credit hours. Some professors, however, said they felt this rule seems unfair to other students.

Another argument made was that the colleges should notify their students if they are dropped from a class. It was also suggested the rule be listed in the course enrollment book and the classes anticipated to drop students if they do not have contact with a professor within the first week be listed as well, to give students a fair heads-up.

The rule will take effect in spring of the 2006 academic year.

USen members also discussed issues of the diversity of SU faculty. There have been 16 new minority faculty members hired this year. However, the conditions in which minority faculty have to work in have not improved.

Linda Alcoff, chair of the women’s studies department and a professor of philosophy and political science, said she believes SU has a retention problem when dealing with minority faculty. Alcoff, along with other faculty members, created a survey for old and new SU faculty on their views of how race affects their teaching abilities.

Focus groups have been formed, and a full report of the surveys will be produced for the spring semester. In the spring, USen will be able to vote on some actions that may need to be taken on some of the conditions mentioned in the surveys.

So far, a strong theme throughout the response of the surveys has been an experience of marginalization. Some faculty members have been marginalized in their departments, and have been given negative attitudes.

Many professors have reported a feeling of ‘lack of appreciation,’ and feel disrespected by their students.

One black professor said the ‘burden and responsibility can sometimes be too much to take.’ This professor is currently on four active committees for equal rights on campus, while last year he was on eight.

Alcoff said some faculty members have been afraid to speak up about their problems. Minority women faculty members specifically report problems they have with feeling disrespected.

The survey consists of questions such as how a person feels during the employment interview process and how they are welcomed to the uni

Published on October 11, 2005 at 12:00 pm