Courses of Study 2020-2021 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
Courses of Study 2020-2021 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Policies and Procedures


In the School of Industrial and Labor Relations .


Resident Instruction


This division conducts the on-campus programs leading to the degrees of bachelor of science, master of industrial and labor relations, master of professional studies, executive master of human resource management, master of science, and doctor of philosophy from Cornell.

Leave Options


Study in Absentia

Registration in absentia enables a student to seek admission in another American institution for a semester or a year and transfer credit toward completion of the Cornell degree. This study option requires the development of a plan of study, a statement of appropriate reasons for study away from the university (e.g., availability of courses not offered at Cornell), good academic standing, approval of the plan by the director of student services, and payment of a special in absentia registration fee.

Leave of Absence or Withdrawal

Students who desire to withdraw or take a personal leave of absence from the university should schedule an interview with a counselor in the Office of Student Services. Counselors will assist students in contacting the appropriate offices or departments of the university, if necessary. All health leaves are handled by Cornell Health.

Scheduling and Attendance


Schedule Changes

Occasionally, it may be necessary for a student to request changes in his or her course schedule either before a semester begins or during the semester. Such requests must be directed to the Office of Student Services to avoid possible loss of academic credit.

Class Attendance

It is each student’s responsibility to attend all scheduled classes unless excuses have been approved by the faculty members. In some courses an instructor may permit a maximum number of class absences without a grade penalty or recommend withdrawal from the course. An explanation for absence from class may occasionally be secured from the Office of Student Services in advance of the expected absence. An approved absence may be warranted by:

  1. participation in authorized university activities such as athletic events, dramatic productions, or debates;
  2. medical problems supported by a record of treatment at Cornell Health or by another physician;
  3. serious illness or death in the immediate family;
  4. other circumstances beyond the student’s control.

A request for explanation of an absence should, when possible, be made to the Office of Student Services before the date of expected absence. A reported and explained absence does not relieve a student from fulfillment of academic requirements during the period of absence. The course instructor has the authority to determine what work must be completed. The office can only confirm the explanation for absence. Students should inform the Office of Student Services of any problems they have meeting course requirements.

Standing and Grades


Academic Integrity

In 1987 the faculty of the School of Industrial and Labor Relations approved a revised code of academic integrity. This code, while based on the Cornell University code, varies somewhat.

Absolute integrity is expected of all Cornell students in all academic undertakings. They must in no way misrepresent their work, fraudulently or unfairly advance their academic status, or be a party to another student’s failure to maintain academic integrity.

The code specifically prohibits:

  1. knowingly representing the work of others as one’s own;
  2. using or obtaining unauthorized assistance in any academic work;
  3. fabricating data in laboratory or field work;
  4. giving fraudulent assistance to others;
  5. fabricating data in support of laboratory or field work.

Full details on the applications of those prohibitions to course work, term papers, examinations, and other situations are listed in the Code of Academic Integrity.

Dean’s List

A Dean’s List is compiled for each of the four undergraduate classes each semester following receipt of final grades from the registrar. Eligibility for the Dean’s List is determined by applying all of the following criteria:

  1. achievement of a semester average for freshmen of 3.3 or better, for sophomores of 3.4 or better, and for juniors and seniors of 3.6 or better;
  2. a minimum course load for the semester of 12 letter-graded credits;
  3. completion of all courses registered for at the beginning of the semester;
  4. satisfaction of all good-standing requirements.

Academic Standing

Good standing requires that all of the following criteria be met at the end of each semester:

  1. an average of C (2.0) for the semester’s work, including a minimum of 8 completed and letter-graded credits;
  2. no failing grades in any course, including physical education;
  3. a cumulative average of C (2.0) for all completed semesters.

If at the end of any semester a student fails to maintain good standing, or if overall academic performance is so marginal as to endanger the possibility of meeting school and university degree requirements, his or her record is reviewed by the Committee on Academic Standards and Scholarships. The committee may issue a written warning to the student at that time. If a student does not improve after the written warning, he or she may be placed on a required leave of absence for one or two semesters.

Involuntary Separation from the School for Academic Reasons

A student may be placed on a required leave of absence at the end of any semester when he or she has failed:

  1. to establish good standing after a semester on warning;
  2. to maintain an average of 2.0 in any semester after a previous record of warning;
  3. to achieve good standing after being on warning any two previous semesters;
  4. two or more classes in one semester or has a semester average of 1.0 or below.

The Academic Standards and Scholarships Committee may decide to permit a student to remain on warning more than one semester if there has been significant improvement even though the cumulative average is still below 2.0.

S–U Grading Policy

An undergraduate may register to receive a final grade of S (Satisfactory) or U (Unsatisfactory) in courses that offer this option—either in the school or in other divisions of the university—subject to the following conditions:

  1. the S–U option may be used in ILR and in out-of-college course electives only;
  2. students are limited to registering for no more than 8 S-U credits in any one semester;
  3. students registering for S–U grades must be in good standing;
  4. students must fulfill the graduation requirement of 105 letter-graded credits;
  5. a grade of “U” is to be considered the equivalent of a “F” in determining a student’s academic status, but will not affect grade point average.

ILR faculty members assign a grade of U for any grade below C– and a grade of S for any grade of C– or better. A grade of U is considered equal to an F in determining a student’s academic standing, although it is not included in the cumulative average.

No change of grading (from letter to S–U or from S–U to letter) may be made after the 57th calendar day of the semester.

Course Repetition

ILR Students are not permitted to repeat the same course for which they have already received a passing grade.

Auditing Courses

Undergraduate students may not audit  courses. 

Grades of Incomplete

A grade of incomplete (INC) is assigned when a course has not been completed for reasons that are acceptable to the instructor. It is understood that the work will be completed later and credit given. Instructors may grant a grade of incomplete for a limited number of clearly valid reasons, but only to students with substantial equity in a course. A firm and definite agreement on the conditions under which the work may be made up must be made with the instructor. The school’s policy allows a maximum of two full semesters of residence for removal of a grade of incomplete. If it is not made up within this time, the grade automatically becomes an F unless otherwise stated by the faculty member on an Incomplete form. Students must resolve all grades of INC or NGR (no grade recorded) prior to conferral of their degree.