By Megan Fraser
Despite being signed by President Richard Freeland and the Faculty Senate, a Student Government Association (SGA) resolution making it university policy that all teachers post their syllabi online is not being enforced for all undergraduate courses.
A non-scientific Northeastern News poll of 100 undergraduates showed five students have none of their current professors posting syllabi online, 21 students only had one professor post online, 33 students have two professors post online, 23 students have three professors post and 18 have all four professor post syllabi online.
The legislation, signed by the SGA in the fall of 2003 and President Freeland in the spring of 2004, requires every Northeastern undergraduate course has not only an online syllabus, but also a hard copy available to its students.
SGA Vice President for Academic Affairs Bill Durkin said he understands why the resource might not be available just yet, but said it is something that needs to be done.
“I understand that some professors have never done this before. It’s not going to be complete this semester, but it needs to happen. I hope the faculty isn’t dragging their feet on this, and if they are, they aren’t following university policy or the will of the student body and the Faculty Senate,” Durkin said.
Middler communications major Jennifer Tipping said she believes professors should be adhering to the policy because it would be helpful to students.
“Most students [would] think it’s helpful because it’s easier to access, so if it’s university policy, professors should be following it,” Tipping said.
Durkin said he has already attempted to bring the issue to light. He said he spoke with the Provost’s Office, who said they would “get the notice out.”
In a Feb. 18 memo from President Freeland to then-SGA President Michael Romano, Freeland wrote he would ask Provost Ahmed Abdelal to ensure the fall semester syllabi would be available online effective fall 2004.
More than seven months have passed since the memo, yet some Northeastern faculty have yet to be informed.
Associate professor to the School of Journalism Belle Adler has yet to post her class syllabi online and said she was unsure if she had been informed of the legislation to begin with.
“I have no real objection to it. I think it’s a great idea,” Adler said.
The associate professor said she does not believe the legislation is the ultimate solution, though.
“I prefer personal contact with students. I want them to come to class,” she said.
The faculty is not alone in their lack of awareness on the policy. Dean of the College of Engineering Allen Soyster said he knows the basics about the policy and has begun to spread the word but has yet to receive more information about the resolution.
“The policy sounds like a wise decision to me, so we’re going to have to make sure the word is out and give some time for professors to get online and get after them if they don’t,” Soyster said.
The dean said he has not received much feedback from his faculty as of yet and is “not sure if everyone’s aware of it quite yet,” but he “personally sent a message out stating the need to collaborate.”
Faculty members are able to use whatever means they see fit to post this information, under the legislation. Philosophy professor Peter Marton uses a Northeastern-provided Web site to post his syllabi, homework assignments and grades.
Marton began posting his class information before the SGA legislation had passed, but said using this online resource saves on other resources.
“Because I can post, I don’t have to chase students,” he said, “and it saves paper.”
Some students may take these resources for granted, Marton said, based on the fact that he has received little feedback from his students.
“I’m not sure forcing it is the best way to do it,” he said.
Not all students see course syllabi being posted online as a necessity, either.
“I don’t feel personally affected by it. As long as [professors] give a hard copy of the syllabus it’s not a big deal,” said sophomore criminal justice major Mark Blumsack, who has two out of five professors who post online.
Whether or not the policy applies to a student is not the issue though, said Aurea Lopez, a graduate journalism student who has one out of three professors post their syllabi online.
“It should be done. Maybe I don’t understand why it’s a policy, but if it is a policy then it should be followed,” she said.
Students, like senior information sciences major Kevin Cole, who has four out of five professors post syllabi online, said the resolution seems like it would be useful if it is enforced.
“[Paired together] a handout and an online syllabus are really helpful,” Cole said, “but it’s easier to update when it’s online — you can’t hand out a new syllabus every week.”
-Staff writers Jennifer Nelson and Lauren Rouleau and correspondents Jill Campbell, Elizabeth deLemos and Elizabeth Dudek contributed to this report.
