WHEREAS, deliberation on academic issues constitutes the core of a university faculty's function, and

WHEREAS, following a pattern set with the reorganizations of the Division of Biological Sciences and the Department of Computer Science, the Cornell administration once again ignored the very clear wishes of the faculty* for consultation on an academic matter by moving ahead with the creation of e-Cornell as a for-profit enterprise for distance learning, without permitting time for due deliberation by the faculty through their governance structure,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate instructs the Dean of the Faculty and the University Faculty Committee (UFC) to draft a written agreement between the Faculty Senate and the President, covering the process by which decisions of the central administration on academic matters that concern more than one college or on other matters that the Senate has addressed or that the UFC wishes to bring to the Senate will be handled, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate instructs the UFC to present the agreement at the May 10, 2000 meeting for formal Senate ratification.

Adopted by the Faculty Senate on April 12, 2000 by a vote of 64-4-3.