Self Reported Absences
"Self Reported Absences (SRAs) are important mechanisms to preserve students’ academic wellbeing. They ensure that students can get accommodation when they need it, redistributing the power in the academic experience by allowing students to take control of their own academic experience. They were available on a trial basis, which will expire this year, the USC and the WSS are committed to keeping them."
how do we keep them?
Gathering Student Feedback
Student feedback is essential to any form of advocacy, faculty require data-driven solutions to enact any change. A survey was already conducted in the past, it was conducted by the WSS. The USC should use the Student Feedback Intern to reach a larger number of students, to gather more specific data about students’ experiences with the SRA tool. Through this survey, we will be able to empirically highlight the need for the SRA tool from a student standpoint.
Addressing Faculty Concerns
Faculty pushback against the SRA tool is one of the largest hurdles we need to overcome to renew the SRA policy. The first time that faculty concerns are often addressed by students is on the Senate floor, oftentimes faculty opinion is decided which is why intervention, before they vote, is integral to preserving this tool. To gain feedback from the faculties and affiliates the first Academic Advocacy Roundtable will be focused on the SRAs. Through this information gathering technique, we can specify the areas of concern that the faculty have with the tool. We can develop a presentation addressing these specific concerns, which we can give to the different Dean’s Offices, and with the permission and collaboration of the Affiliate Presidents they can bring the same presentation to their Dean’s offices if they believe it will benefit their constituents.