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In This Section:

Volume 14, Issue 4
October 5, 2011


In this issue:


Gannett health excuse policy

Dear Faculty and Staff of the College of Engineering,

Gannett Health Center has requested that we remind everyone who works with students about Gannett's policy of not providing health excuses for short-term illnesses (such as colds or flu) that cause a student to miss a class, exam, etc. The policy can be viewed on Gannett's Web site at: http://www.gannett.cornell.edu/services/health-excuses.cfm

Gannett will continue to communicate with college advising offices (through the university crisis managers) when students are hospitalized or have long-term illnesses that might create ongoing attendance issues. Someone from the Engineering Advising Office will notify you if there are students in your class(es) that require academic accommodations in these situations.

Please feel free to contact me or Engineering Advising at (607) 255-7414 if you have questions or concerns, either about the policy or about a specific student.

Best,
Charlie Seyler,
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs


NSF data management sessions

Cornell faculty and staff are invited to attend an informational session on the National Science Foundation's policy requiring a data management plan with all grant proposals. This policy went into effect January 18, 2011. Staff from the Research Data Management Service Group (RDMSG) will review the requirements, describe how researchers can obtain assistance from the RDMSG to create data management plans, and answer questions.

Two sessions will be offered:
Monday, October 10, 1:00–2:00 p.m., 102 Mann Library
Tuesday, October 11, 12:30–1:30 p.m., 110 Phillips
Advanced registration is not required.

For more information on the RDMSG, visit http://data.research.cornell.edu.
Please feel free to contact rdmsg-help@cornell.edu if you need any assistance with creating a data management plan.


Libraries on Facebook and Twitter

The Engineering Library, along with the Math and Physical Sciences Libraries, is now on Facebook and Twitter. Follow and like them for daily updates about library services, events, and other information. Visit them at: facebook/EMPSLibraries and on Twitter @EMPS_Libraries. They also have a blog: blogs.cornell.edu/EMPSL.


Clarification of conflict of interest procedures

Recently the university changed its conflict of interest procedures and there has been some confusion, especially as it pertains to students and staff. Simply, anyone who is specifically NAMED in a proposal must complete the conflict of interest policy. If a student, postdoc, etc. is not listed by name, that person does not need to file.  

Please note that the University Policy 1.7 (Financial Conflict of Interest Related to Research) sets minimum standards on who is required to report based on federal regulations and high institutional risk. Should faculty or staff be aware of people with real or potential conflicts, even if they are not named in the proposal, they are asked to work with their unit administrative director and/or Office of Research Integrity and Assurance (ORIA) to determine if reporting is required.


Awards and honors in the engineering community

Three engineering faculty members are recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Salman Avestimehr (ECE), David Erickson (BME), and John March (BEE) were among 94 to receive the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. Kyle Shen (Physics) also received the award. Read more.


Recent engineering news releases


Submitting announcements to Information Update

Please send your news notes to engr_info_update@cornell.edu. Announcements will be published no more than twice and should be limited to about a hundred words or less. The next issue of Information Update, published biweekly during the academic year and monthly in the summer, will be May 29, 2013. The deadline for submissions to this next issue is Friday, May 24, 2013 at 5 p.m. Information received after the deadline will be published in a future issue if appropriate.