Whereas on November 20th of this year the Cornell Community received a message from President Skorton concerning the ‘Krause Report’. Included in the message was the following request,

Whereas the University Assembly has legislative authority for those aspects of the conduct of members of Cornell University now covered by the Campus Code of Conduct and the Statement of Student Rights,

Whereas the University Assembly is a governing body that is representative of the entire Cornell Community and is comprised of 21 voting members; six undergraduate students, three graduate and/or professional students, five employees, and seven faculty,

Whereas the Codes and Judicial Committee a standing committee of the University Assembly is representative of the Cornell Community,

Whereas the administration is represented in the University Assembly by several ex-officio members of the Assembly, without vote including the Vice President for Student & Academic Services, the Senior Vice President, another member of the central administration appointed by the President, and the Chair of the Committee on Minority Affairs,

Whereas the working group, consisting of Susan Murphy, Chair and Vice President for Student and Academic Services, Charlie Walcott, Dean of the University Faculty, Alison Power, Dean of the Graduate School, Tommy Bruce, Vice President for University Communications, Mary Opperman, Vice President for Human Resources, Mary Beth Grant, Judicial Administrator, and Jim Mingle, University Counsel and Secretary of the Corporation, is not representative of the Cornell Community,

Whereas President Skorton is free to consult with anybody or any group about the recommendations made by the University Assembly,

Therefore be it resolved that the UA continue to carry out its legislative responsibilities of reviewing and evaluating proposals for changes in the Campus Code of Conduct with the independence prescribed by its charter, and

Therefore be it further resolved that the UA wholeheartedly supports the Memorandum of Understanding submitted to President Skorton by the CJC.

Introduced by Randy Wayne

Memorandum of Understanding

Acted on at the 5 December 2006 meeting of the co-chairs of the Codes and Judicial Committee (CJC) of the University Assembly (UA) of Cornell University and members of the Working Group on the Campus Code and Judicial System.

This memorandum affirms the following:

1. The current Code of Conduct and Judicial System at Cornell University, and current procedures for its amendment, revision, and replacement of any aspects thereof, continue to be in effect;
2. Any changes to the current Code of Conduct and Judicial System, or methods for its amendment, revision, or replacement can be accomplished only through processes spelled out in the legislation of the university;
3. According to existing university legislation, the UA is the appropriate body that is empowered to initiate revisions to the Code and Judicial System*.
   *From the University Assembly Charter:
   Article 1: Authority and Responsibilities
   The University Assembly shall, by delegation from the President:
   1.1 Have legislative authority for those aspects of the conduct of members of Cornell University now covered by the Campus Code of Conduct and the Statement of Student Rights
4. Current practice is that proposed revisions come to the CJC from many areas of the campus community and are debated in its frequent meetings during the school year. The CJC then frames any revisions that it finds appropriate as resolutions and these are sent to the UA for its consideration. The UA acts on (with or without amendments) those resolutions and sends them to the university administration for its action.