Academic Disruption and Considerations

Emergent and often unexpected disruptions to learning can be difficult for students to process while maintaining their academic focus.  Students who do not qualify for mandated accommodations for these disruptions and who need short-term academic flexibility can request assistance from the Engineering Advising Office.  These temporary disruptions may include acute illness (common cold and the flu), family emergency, death in the family, personal crisis, and concern for unsettling world events.

Academic Considerations is the process in which Engineering Advising immediately responds and assists students who are experiencing a short-term extenuating circumstance and academic disruption. The Academic Considerations process involves an advisor in the Engineering Advising Office sending out a general notification to a student’s instructors on the students behalf notifying them that the student is experiencing an extenuating circumstance and to consider offering flexibility if appropriate. This general notification serves as a pathway for students to connect with their instructors to find possible flexible academic options.

Academic Considerations

Academic Considerations are sent out by the Engineering Advising Office. The Considerations outreach is meant to serve as a short-term solution to an immediate academic disruption. The outreach does not continue once it has already been sent to instructors. They will not be sent out more than once for the same disruption. Academic Considerations are not a guarantee for instructors to offer flexibility after an academic disruption, but rather a request for instructors to consider offering flexibility given the current circumstances.

Student Disability Services (SDS) Accommodations

Student Disability Services (SDS) Accommodations are sent out by Student Disability Services ↗ and are long-term solutions to an on-going or chronic condition/challenge. SDS Accommodations do not expire and can be used and referenced throughout the semester. SDS Accommodations are sent out for each semester and assistance is required/mandated by law. Accommodations are arrangements agreed upon by SDS and the student to meet the student’s needs.

Please note: Occasionally, students may initially have an Academic Considerations request with faculty but after three weeks of a continued health matter, students may require additional support. This disruption has now evolved into a long-term challenge that can be evaluated through Student Disability Services for possible Accommodations.

The following list are circumstances that qualify a student for Academic Considerations since they are unexpected and emergent life events:

• personal crisis, health emergency, traumatic events, short-term physical or mental illness
• family emergency, death of a loved one
• distressing world events

There may be times when Academic Considerations are not an appropriate support mechanism for students. The list below are circumstances that do not qualify a student for Academic Considerations since they are expected life events:

• longer-term, chronic, physical or mental illness
• planned absences for vacation or travel
• absence due to an internship
• coordinated absences for health related situations
• academic and extracurricular events that demand your attendance during a scheduled class, such as attendance at a conference
• religious belief accommodations (please see below)

In these situations, students must work directly with their individual instructors for support and flexibility, if appropriate.  This flexibility is not guaranteed.

Cornell is committed to supporting students who wish to practice their religious beliefs in keeping with its institutional values and compliance with New York State law.  The nature and scope of accommodations will vary based on a variety of factors.  Students who wish to practice their religious beliefs and need flexibility to do so should start by contacting the Office of Spirituality and Meaning-Making ↗ in Student and Campus Life to learn what options are available.

Contact the Engineering Advising Office at adv_engineering@cornell.edu or 607-255-7414.  Or, contact your professional staff academic advisor in the Engineering Advising Office directly to discuss.

Students are welcome and encouraged to directly contact their instructors with their personal matter, and to discuss options for their academic disruption, without necessarily needing the support of the Engineering Advising Office nor the request for Academic Considerations process.  If your instructors are able to work with you through your situation, then that is perfectly fine.

There may be times when students still need the assistance of the Engineering Advising Office for a request for Academic Considerations.  Below are two examples of how the Academic Considerations process could unfold:

Scenario One – Student Does Not Need Academic Considerations from Engineering Advising

• Student encounters a sudden and temporary life event causing academic disruption
• Student reaches out to their instructors to further discuss their situation
• Instructors are able to work with the student to provide flexible, short-term arrangements

Scenario Two – Student Needs Assistance from Engineering Advising through Academic Considerations

• Student encounters a sudden and temporary life event causing academic disruption
• Student reaches out to their professional staff academic advisor in the Engineering Advising Office to further discuss their situation
• The professional staff academic advisor meets with the student to outline the Academic Considerations process, encourages self-advocacy, and provides tips for approaching instructors
• The Engineering Advising Office sends a Request for Academic Considerations to the student’s instructors
• Instructors may be able to work with the student to provide flexible, short-term arrangements

Undergraduate engineering students in the College of Engineering, including those with Bowers CIS majors (Computer Science and Information Science, Systems, and Technology) are eligible to request Academic Considerations through the Engineering Advising Office. If you are not an Engineering undergraduate student, please contact your home college/department for more guidance.

Administrator on Call through the office of Student Support and Advocacy Services ↗ may also connect with Engineering Advising regarding an urgent student situation and request Academic Considerations.

Neither your assigned faculty advisor nor your course instructors are able to make a request on your behalf.

Yes, any undergraduate student whose home college is Engineering, as well as Computer Science and Information Science, Systems, and Technology majors in Bowers CIS, may work with the Engineering Advising Office for Academic Considerations regardless of the particular course(s) enrolled in. Please know that academic disruptions often impact all of your classes so considerations for both engineering and non-engineering courses may be appropriate.

No. The Engineering Advising Office can only offer Academic Considerations to students whose home college is Engineering, as well as Computer Science and Information Science, Systems, and Technology majors in Bowers CIS. If you are in another college and experiencing academic disruption please contact your home college advising/student services office: see Cornell University Undergraduate Education ↗.

The Engineering Advising Office offers Academic Considerations requests – which are just that; a request. However, many instructors are willing to offer flexibility when students are facing academic disruptions and it is worth inquiring about flexibility. Please bear in mind any flexibility granted is entirely at the discretion of the course instructor who must also consider equity for other students in the course. For appropriate situations SDS offers Academic Accommodations which are guaranteed.

While it is helpful for the Engineering Advising Office to send out a Request for Academic Considerations, it is not necessary. If you are able and comfortable you may reach out on your own and ask for flexibility. However, we understand there will be times students will not be able to reach out directly to instructors due to the impact of the academic disruption, comfortability with doing so, the timing of the disruption, etc. and in these situations the Engineering Advising Office is more than willing to assist students.

Yes. Whether on your own or following-up on a Request for Academic Considerations it is student responsibility to connect with instructors to make specific flexibility requests and establish appropriate expectations and timelines with instructors.

Often times academic disruptions can have far reaching impact. While it’s prudent to seek academic flexibility in courses with immediate deadlines, prelims, etc. it is also prudent to consider informing all of your instructors of the situation. In the event other classes are impacted instructors will already be aware of the situation and/or you may find additional flexibility in classes that will help with one or two you need the most flexibility with.

Determine what would be most helpful for the course and ask the instructor for that flexibility. This could include things like: extensions, deferred or make-up prelim, alternative assignments, waiving (and re-weighting) assignment or quiz, asking for an Incomplete ↗ in the course. Remember that any flexibility is at the discretion of the course instructor who is also considering equity for other students in the class. The goal is to work collaboratively with the instructor to develop a plan for flexibility in the course.

A Request for Academic Considerations is meant to alert instructors about emergent, short-term, academic disruptions. It is student responsibility to follow-up on the request to ask for specific flexibility and disclose other relevant information (for example: expected return to campus if there will be time away). If a student is encountering a chronic heath situation or the disruption persists beyond two weeks it is a good idea to reach out to other offices such as SDS ↗, Cornell Health ↗, CAPS ↗, etc. for additional support and services.

While we hope this isn’t the case it is a scenario to be prepared for. If flexibility cannot be granted please reach out to the Engineering Advising Office to consider other options (dropping/withdrawing from a course, taking a leave of absence, etc.) that may be available to you.

No. Students are encouraged to reach out to instructors on their own accord as they feel comfortable though the Engineering Advising Office is able to assist through the Academic Considerations process.

Per the Cornell University Faculty Handbook ↗: “If a student contacts you about rescheduling an exam, missing a class, or needing some straightforward support (e.g., permission to type their exam instead of handwriting), you are empowered to make the appropriate arrangements and provide flexibility in these sudden, unpredictable situations.” Use your discretion as to what flexibility can be granted to students facing academic disruption while maintaining equity in your course.

No. Students should not be required to share health documentation to instructors though some may elect to share on their own.

If you have questions after receiving an Academic Considerations request you may reach out to the Engineering Advising Office. We advise students based on alphabetical cohort and the cohort advisor is likely aware of the student situation. Please visit the Engineering Advising Office to see the cohort advisors.

If you know a student has a FERPA ↗ release for the person contacting you then you may discuss the situation; if you do not know if there is a FERPA release keep the conversation general (for example: what would be true of all students in your class facing academic disruptions). You may also refer the parent/guardian to the Engineering Advising Office.

Depending on the disruptive event and its impact on a student follow-up communication may vary; however, it is the responsibility of the student to connect with their instructor(s). If a student fails to do so or does not meet agreed upon flexibilities (for example: extended deadlines) please use your discretion regarding how to proceed while knowing there is not obligation to continue to extend flexibility.