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Dear Schulich Faculty, Instructors, and Staff…

Timely messages from the Office of The Associate Dean Academic.

Winter 2026: ADA Start of Term Memo

The following message is from Kevin Tasa, Associate Dean Academic of Schulich School of Business.

Dear Schulich Faculty, Instructors, and Staff,

Thank you for the advising, mentoring, teaching, and service you pour into this School—your work makes the difference. In anticipation of the Winter 2026 term, this email contains information about relevant academic policies and procedures you may need to access. There is abundant information here; we strongly recommend keeping this memo close at hand through the term so that you can refer to its (ever-growing) contents. In the next section, you’ll find details about the University’s policy for AI in course work—what’s allowed versus prohibited, as well as links to resources to support your communication with students about your expectations. Following that, you will find information about other academic policies that continue to be in effect for 2025-26 (including the new policy on Academic Consideration for Missed Course Work, which took effect in September 2025.

AI use disclosure: This opening paragraph was drafted collaboratively by Kathryn Doyle with assistance from GPT-5 Thinking (OpenAI) on August 11, 2025 and was edited on December 1, 2025. The human author reviewed, edited, and is responsible for the final text. Prompt summary: “Write an engaging intro for a start-of-term memo that previews AI-use policies and thanks faculty and staff.”

Academic Policies and Guidelines for Winter 2026:

Generative AI in Course Work (Senate Policy on Academic Conduct): “At York, the Senate Academic Conduct Policy prohibits the undocumented or unreferenced use of GenAI by students, while further allowing instructors to restrict the use of GenAI tools. Note that by default, any documented use of GenAI is not a breach of academic integrity unless explicitly prohibited by the instructor.” (emphasis added; quoted from York University’s resource For Faculty – Generative AI in Teaching & Learning)

Given the language of the policy, we recommend that instructors consider adopting the following best practices:

State the Policy and Your Expectations Clearly for Each Assessment

Include in the syllabus (under Expectations tab) and in the instructions for each assessment whether and how GenAI tools may be used.

Reach out to Lindsay Page for example language for AI statements. A good starting point for your consideration is this open source bank of genAI statements for academic course work created by Lance Eaton, PhD: Syllabi Polices for Generative AI – Repository – Google Drive

Policies may differ between assignments; ensure instructions appear at the top of each.

In-person computer-based assessments should require the use of Lockdown Browser.

Reinforce During the Term

Discuss the AI policy in class at frequent intervals to ensure students understand it.

Encourage students to recheck the policy before beginning any assignment.

Clarify Boundaries

Your own use of GenAI for course preparation does not automatically permit student use.

Students must follow only the permissions you explicitly set for each assignment.

Academic Integrity & Citation

If AI use is permitted, require citation and attribution.

Direct students to York University’s guide on How to Cite Artificial Intelligence Tools for acceptable formats.

The student is ultimately responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the citations they use in their work.

Academic Consideration for Missed Course Work Policy: This policy establishes criteria for student requests for academic consideration for missed assessments (worth up to 20% of the final course grade) and absences from class due to extenuating circumstances such as short-term illness or injury, bereavement of a close family member, or an unforeseen or unavoidable incident beyond a student’s control that prevents them from meeting their academic responsibilities. Notably, the following circumstances are not eligible for academic consideration:

social, family, or work obligations

travel unrelated to the academic program

technological issues.

The policy further details the processes students must use to arrange accommodation related to an ongoing physical or psychological illness or disability, religious observances, or mandatory legal obligations such as jury duty. For further details, please see the attached policy.

Students may submit up to two self-reported absence requests per 12-week term, and one self-reported absence request per six-week term, without needing an Attending Physician’s Statement to receive academic consideration for missed assessments worth up to 20% of the final grade during those absences. Students who miss more than two classes should be prepared to submit an Attending Physician’s Statement to the instructor if they require academic consideration for missed assessments. Consideration for midterms or assessments that are not final exams is at the instructor’s discretion.

In the case of a missed final exam, students must continue to follow the existing Schulich process for deferred standing requests by contacting the instructor within 24 hours, completing the Deferred Standing Request Form within 48 hours, and being prepared to submit appropriate documentation (as determined by SSIR) such as an Attending Physician’s Statement to support the deferred standing request.

University-wide Change to Academic Schedule: Please note that in Summer 2025, the University implemented a series of 10-minute breaks to the academic schedule for all courses to allow students and instructors more time to transition between classes. For example, classes that used to be scheduled from 08:30 to 11:30 are now 08:30 to 11:20. Classes that used to be scheduled from 13:00 to 16:00 are now 13:00 to 15:50. This change applies to all class forms and delivery modes, including labs, tutorials, and courses delivered fully online. The revised schedule is visible to students on Schulich’s course offering site as well as on York University Courses.

In-person as Delivery Standard: All courses coded LECT or SEMR are in person, including midterms and exams, unless otherwise approved. If alternate assessment tools are to be used, such as Canvas Quizzes, please state this in advance in the syllabus. Please also continue using time duration windows for take-home exams.

Programs with a high contingent of late-arriving international students will have the option of live-streaming or recording in-person classes for the first two weeks of term to add flexibility. Students who may not be able to arrive by the start of classes are expected to communicate with instructors directly on a case-by-case basis and discuss available options based on course structure and academic expectations. Students will be advised that arrangements may vary from course to course and include but are not limited to live streaming/recording class sessions, pre-recorded lectures/materials, access to lecture slides, leniency in participation grade due to unavoidable absence, etc. Students are advised that if they cannot arrive in Canada by the end of the second week of the term, they should not continue in the program and should connect with Student Services on available options.

If you have a student whose situation may require additional support or consideration, please get in touch with Schulich’s Student Services and International Relations team: interrelations@schulich.yorku.ca

15% Remote Delivery Option: The option of running up to two discretionary online class sessions for an in-person course remains in place this term. Instructors should use their judgment and discretion in deciding if or when to exercise this option. The purpose of these sessions is to help mitigate the impact of the unpredictable circumstances that may arise during the term (instructor and student illness, guest speakers unable to attend in person, etc.). If, due to unforeseen circumstances, you encounter a need to exceed the discretionary limit of two online sessions, please contact assocdeanacad@schulich.yorku.ca for approval.

Class Participation and Attendance: Canvas’s Discussions tool is a simple and effective means to allow students who cannot be present in class to contribute their thoughts on course content. However you choose to assess participation and attendance this term, please adopt a generous and multi-faceted assessment approach defined clearly in advance, as per the School’s policy.

Peer Evaluation of Group Work: If you opt to assign a group project that includes a peer evaluation component this term, please be mindful that the instructor is ultimately responsible for all student grades. Bias is possible within group dynamics, so there are principles of fairness and justice that require careful attention. The ADA office has received several grade appeals arising from poorly designed peer evaluation systems. To reduce this in future, here are some best practices we strongly recommend:

Balanced weighting: Peer evaluation should be weighted to influence, but not dominate, the group project grades. For example, it should not be possible for a student to fail the group project or the course based solely on peer evaluation results. A 20% cap for the peer evaluation component of the project grade is recommended.

Transparency: Students need to be informed in advance of how peer evaluations will be used, including their weight in the final grade. This information should appear in the course outline in clear terms.

Clear Criteria: Provide students with a detailed rubric or set of criteria for evaluating peers, including expectations for participation, communication, and contributions to the project’s workload. You can connect with the ADA for examples (ktasa@yorku.ca).

Instructor Oversight: plan to review peer evaluations for anomalies (e.g. unanimously low scores) and investigate before applying penalties

Submission Requirements: Students should be required to submit (or at least retain) documentation of their contributions (e.g., drafts, data files, meeting attendance logs, or notes) so that instructors can validate the results of the peer evaluation before assigning grades.

Instructor Illness: Do not come to campus if you get sick. Viable options for dealing with illness are using the buddy system with another qualified instructor, delivering the class online using one of the two online meets covered by in-person delivery, or cancelling the class and scheduling a make-up session. If planning a make-up session, leave enough time to contact your area admin and the ADA’s office for scheduling assistance.

Student Illness and Missed Deliverables: Please remind students that they should not come to campus if they get sick.

Please see the policy on Academic Consideration for Missed Course Work relevant to student illness summarized above.

Breakout Space: Schulich’s breakout rooms are available for use. If you would like to book breakout space for your course, please contact your course support person.

Guest Speakers: Review the Live Streaming and Recording In-Person Classes guide on how to have a guest speaker attend your class online.

Required Course Materials (Including Software and Applications): Starting in Fall 2025, all instructors at the University are required to provide a breakdown of the costs associated with required course materials, visible to students; this list must be included in the course outline. Additionally, it is helpful to include a link to the minimum technical requirements for each piece of software that a student’s device needs to run. This will give students the information they need to prepare their computer systems for the course. We have included links to the minimum technical requirements for all Schulich supported learning technology in our student guide here.

Classroom IT Support: below is a summary of some critical information:

A/V Equipment Issues: Staff regularly review the classroom equipment and ensure it is operational. Should you experience an issue in your classroom, please get in touch with the Schulich Help Desk at (416) 736-5824 (or ext. 55824) or drop by the desk on the 3rd floor of the Schulich building (8 am-8 pm weekdays). On weekends, please access technical support by contacting University Services Centre.

Classroom Power Outlets: The availability of power outlets varies by classroom. If you plan an in-person, computer-based class meet and require additional outlets, please submit a ticket with details (number of outlets needed, room, date, time, course) to askit@yorku.ca with as much advance notice as possible. Requests received within three days of the meeting may not be accommodated. If you are planning a computer-based, in-person final exam, please ensure the request is included in the area or program’s final exam request submission to the ADAO at the start of the term. Late requests may not be accommodated. Additionally, exams that are scheduled outside of Schulich or McEwen buildings or Curtis Lecture Halls cannot accommodate the provision of additional electrical outlets. IST will be in touch shortly to share further support options available to students concerned about their laptops’ ability to last the duration of an assessment.

Pause to Save Student Work in In-person Computer-based Assessments: When conducting an in-person computer-based assessment, please consider implementing a brief pause for all students in the class to save their work, to check that their work saves properly, and that there are no other apparent widespread technical issues that require attention. During winter 2025, there was an influx of instances in which students claimed to have lost data after a significant portion of the exam time had elapsed. Implementing the pause helps to ensure that lost data (i.e. technical failure) does not become a successful form of manipulation as academic misconduct, which is on the rise and is no longer valid grounds for an alternate arrangement (e.g. make-up assessment or shifted weight) based on the Academic Consideration for Missed Course Work Policy.

Directing Academic and Conduct-related Concerns: Student Services and International Relations has created a flowchart to help students and instructors better direct academic or conduct concerns they may have. See the Academic and Conduct-related Concerns Chart for more information.

Reporting Suspected Academic Conduct Violations: Student and Enrolment Services has also created an electronic form for instructors to submit complete information for investigation of suspected academic conduct violations, such as cheating or plagiarism. Please be reminded that when an instructor perceives an academic conduct violation, the protocol is to notify Student Services and the Office of the Associate Dean Academic using the form linked above; instructors are not to pursue further communication with students regarding the incident, investigation, or disciplinary measures. See the complete details of the University’sAcademic Conduct Policy for more information about what constitutes academic misconduct.

Enrolment with Permission: Students can register for a course if the number of enrolled students is below the cap. When a course is full, usually 45 for electives and 55 for core courses, students sometimes ask an instructor to sign an Enrolment with Permission form. This is prohibited because a waitlist is created once a course is at capacity. The waitlist remains in effect for the first week of the semester, and students are given priority based on their position on the list. Instructors are only permitted to let students enroll in a course with a waitlist after the first week, when the waitlist expires. If a student is on a waitlist for a course, instructors can encourage them to attend the first class to prepare them better to transition into the course if space permits.

Student Academic Accommodations: Students with formal academic accommodations must register with Student Accessibility Services. Students whose accommodations pertain to exam writing must register with SAS before the exam period and by the SAS exam deadline (October 10 for Fall 2025 final exams). Ultimately, it is the student’s responsibility to be informed about and follow the registration/renewal process to keep their accommodations current.

Adding Support Staff to Canvas: Please consider now whether you’ll request that staff other than area administrative staff (e.g., RAs, Graders, Accessibility Support Staff, etc) be added to your Canvas course.

Please note that graders or markers can be used only in exceptional circumstances with the permission of the Associate Dean, Academic. It is the instructors’ responsibility to review Schulich’s Use of Graders policy before proceeding. Complete the grader approval request form on the T&L website to obtain permission.

For all requests, please note the following:

The CITE team will be solely responsible for adding all support staff to Canvas courses

All support staff must have an employee Passport York account to be added to Canvas. Student Passport York accounts cannot be used to add student employees to Canvas. Instructors should consult their academic area support staff for guidance on this process and budget adequate time for this work.

Once the employee Passport York account is available, complete the request to add support staff to Canvas form on the T&L website. If you are requesting that a grader be added, please attach approval.

YU Card Required for Students: All Schulich students are required to have a valid YU-card (mobile or physical). The YU-Card is the only acceptable form of ID to sign into an exam at Schulich. A driver’s license, passport, health card, Ontario voluntary identification, or pictures of identification will not be accepted. More information about getting or replacing a YU-card is available: YU-card | York University’s Official Photo ID and Debit Card.

Questions?

Instructors teaching in one-year master’s programs should direct their questions first to their program directors. Program directors will contact instructors if they haven’t already to set up a time to discuss program-specific plans. Instructors in other programs can direct their questions to the relevant area coordinators.

Additional Questions:

Academic, policy, or course scheduling questions: ada@schulich.yorku.ca

Student related queries: studentservices@schulich.yorku.ca (graduate), undergraduate@schulich.yorku.ca (undergraduate)

Teaching and learning related inquiries: cite@schulich.yorku.ca

Technical support (see IST contact page):

IT support tickets (e.g., Canvas, Passport York, Email, O365, etc.): askit@yorku.ca

Phone Help Desk: (416) 736 5824 OR ext. 55824

Kind regards,

Kevin Tasa

Associate Dean Academic

Final Exam Memo to Instructors and Staff – Fall 2025

Dear Schulich Faculty, Instructors, and Staff,

With the exam period fast approaching, here are some final quick reminders to assist you in preparation for your final exams. These points are the most critical ways to uphold academic integrity during final assessments. Below, we provide general guidance that is further detailed according to the exam format (in-person or online). Appendix A provides detailed guidance on proctoring exams—including how to authenticate digital YU-Cards. Appendix A is the basis for training proctors who are hired at Schulich. Further notes on online exams are provided in Appendix B of the memo.

Area Administrators: Please forward this email to your area’s full-time and part-time term instructors and invigilators.

Please note that:

No additional changes are permitted to the final exam schedule including the mode of the final exam (e.g., in-person courses must have in-person final exams unless the instructor has made prior arrangement through the area staff with the ADA office.

Lockdown Browser is encouraged to be used for in-person online exams. Please note that although the vendor for Lockdown Browser provides a remote proctoring service, it should not be used without prior permission and is separate from the other functions of Lockdown Browser.

Artificial Intelligence (e.g., ChatGPT): according to York’s Senate Policy on Academic Honesty, using text-, image-, code- or video-generating AI tools to complete exams without the instructor’s knowledge or permission breaches academic honesty. More specifically, using text-generating tools (such as ChatGPT) is cheating (Senate Policy, section 2.1.1), and using image-generating tools (such as DALL-E) is plagiarism (Senate Policy, section 2.1.3). This applies to the various possible uses of AI tools, such as using text-generating AI as the author of an entire response, a copy editor, or a ‘personalized’ reference tool akin to Google or Wikipedia.

As of Fall 2025, the only acceptable form of student identification to sign into an in-person exam is a YU-Card (mobile or physical). Identification such as a passport, driver’s license, Ontario voluntary identification card, health card, or pictures of identification are not accepted. This requirement as well as instructions on how to obtain a YU-Card have been communicated to all Schulich students via multiple emails, on Canvas, and in the Final Exam Memo to Students from the ADA’s Office. If a student does not have valid identification at the exam, they are not entitled to access the exam.

The course director or instructor is the lead proctor of the final exam. Instructors are expected to attend the final exam and be available to actively monitor the exam and answer questions.

Accommodation Requests: Students with formal accommodations related to tests and exams (for example, those who require additional time to complete an exam) must have registered with Student Accessibility Services before the exam period (the registration deadline for F2025 was in October). Please remind students seeking accommodation for exam writing to register or renew with SAS and to request an alternate exam (at least 3 weeks in advance of the exam date) to ensure they can write the exam with the proper support. Arranging alternate exams or accommodations is ultimately the responsibility of students. If students with accommodations do not register or request on time, they are still entitled to sit the regular exam without their accommodations if they choose; the exam results will not provide grounds for a grade appeal.

For In-person Exams:

Most importantly, please clearly communicate your expectations of students writing the exam to your students.

In short, explain the exam procedure before the exam starts (i.e., post instructions to Canvas now and then repeat at the beginning of the exam).

Things like “all phones must be deposited at the front desk with the professor,” “absolutely no materials are allowed on the desk,” “all bags must be left at the front,” etc., are best communicated in writing and ahead of time.

Use question formats where copying is difficult (essay style, scramble order of answers, don’t use last year’s question, for example).

Have students stand up and check themselves head to toe to ensure they have no unauthorized materials on them or the desk.

Many infraction reports and later grade appeals from the affected student originate at this juncture: instructor finds material (e.g., phone, calculator, paper, etc.) on the student, the student claims no explicit request was made to leave this particular item somewhere, instructor reports infraction, student claims material was unrelated to exam, and a big investigation ensues.

Please note that digital YU-Cards, which include a photo, are accepted as a form of identification. Invigilators have been informed of the process of checking the authenticity of digital and physical YU-Cards. However, if you would like to familiarize yourself further with the process of authenticating this identification mode, please see the attached Appendix A.

It is recommended that all materials should be stored in closed backpacks or other bags, which ideally are left at the front of the room if possible.

Consider asking students to sign an Academic Honesty Statement before taking the exam (e.g., on the cover sheet). This act would remind students to remember the proper exam-taking process.

For In-person Exams with a Laptop:

Remind students in advance that they need to bring their devices fully charged and with additional battery pack, if available. Not all exam spaces are equipped to allow every student to plug in a device simultaneously. To avoid a situation in which students cannot finish the exam or lose time due to battery deficiency, please remind them before the day of the exam to ensure that their device has adequate battery life for the exam duration. A limited number of battery packs are available for loan to Schulich students at Bronfman Library on a first come, first served basis.

For more details regarding online exams, please see Appendix B.

Dealing with Academic Honesty Infractions

Despite your best efforts, some of you must deal with academic honesty infractions. What to do in such a situation may only sometimes be entirely clear to all. Therefore, here is a summary of the key procedural steps. The link above offers more details. There are, in essence, two scenarios:

1. “Something is happening here, but what it is isn’t exactly clear.”

What are your options?

Say something to the entire class about maintaining silence or keeping their eyes on their paper.

Speak to an individual or cluster, indicating that their behavior appears improper and that they will be watched closely;

Move one or more students to a different location in the room (‘up front’ often works).

2. You (or the invigilator) “can see [it] now”; cheating is (very likely) occurring:

Students are allowed to complete the examination if a breach is suspected.

If you suspect cheating is occurring, document as much detail of the alleged incident as possible, including:

The exact time of the suspected incident

Which section of the exam the suspected student(s) are working on

Seating arrangements of suspected student(s) and those nearby

Images or written descriptions of suspected infringing materials such as open websites, crib sheets, etc.

NB: If documenting these elements will disrupt other students, the suspected student(s) can be moved (i.e., to the front of the class) to have devices or materials inspected.

Any unauthorized materials (e.g., crib sheets) should be taken from the student[s] immediately.

The students involved should be asked to remain in their seats at the end of the examination. At this time, their examination materials should be collected and identified by the instructor or invigilator. The instructor and/or invigilator should make notations to assist in documenting what was observed if they have not already.

If an invigilator identifies the matter, the matter should be reported to the instructor at the earliest possible time. An Exam Incident Report Form should be submitted to the instructor soon after that (please see tab on Exam Procedures).

The instructor shall assess the situation, and if persuaded that cheating has taken place, the instructor should:

Notify the students that the matter is being turned over to the Associate Dean Academic and

Submit a written report and supporting documentation (exam materials, crib sheets, indications of copied sections if that was the case) to the Associate Dean.

No examination grade should be entered until the matter has been heard by the Associate Dean and a resolution of the academic dishonesty charge has been concluded.

Getting Technical Help During Your Exam:

If you require support, contact the Schulich IST Service Desk (formerly Help Desk). They can be found on the 3rd floor of the Seymour Schulich Building, and their opening hours can be found here. You can also reach the service desk at (416) 736-5824 or in advance via email at askit@yorku.ca.

As always, we are so grateful for your efforts to provide a smooth experience for our students. If you have any questions or concerns, the team at the CITE office is at your disposal to assist wherever they can. For academic and policy questions, please contact ada@schulich.yorku.ca.

On that note, good luck to all in ensuring smooth examinations.

Sincerely,

SSB Office of Curriculum Innovation & Teaching Excellence (CITE)

Schulich School of Business, York University

cite@schulich.yorku.ca | www.schulich.yorku.ca

The Director’s Digest.

Insight. Curated. Monthly.

The Studio’s monthly features and discussion of trends and topics in teaching and learning.

November/December 2025

Social Skills in Higher Education

This month in the Director’s Digest, we look at something that doesn’t show up in the syllabus but can make or break a class: our social skills. In a university, subject expertise might get us in the door, but it’s our ability to read the room, empathize, and engage that keeps students present and learning. It is these social skills that just might help us win the battle over the attention of our students. Educators across disciplines are increasingly encouraged to develop strong social and emotional skills. Skills like empathy, communication, and relationship-building. In fact, as the digest materials this month attest to, a growing body of expert commentary and research argues that these “soft” skills are central to teaching effectiveness, student engagement, and mental health in higher education. The common theme this month is that by improving our social skills and fostering personal connections, faculty and students can create more engaging, supportive learning environments that benefit both students and instructors.

Don’t Miss:

The big feature for October is a great Harvard Business Review piece, “Soft Skills Matter Now More Than Ever, According to New Research”. It explains how “…the glue that keeps talent productive is social skill…”. Along with cognitive skills (e.g., complex problem solving) these skills keep professionals relevant and resilient. While technology exacerbates uncertainty, human skills remain a lasting advantage.

Beckie Supiano’s “The Social Classroom: Connections can be key to students’ academic success. Professors can help.” in The Chronicle of Higher Education illustrates how professors’ efforts to foster peer connections in class can dramatically enhance student engagement and success. Yes…making time for student socialization in class is good. This piece provides both anecdotal evidence and research context for the idea that learning is fundamentally social.

“Teaching with Kindness: How Caring for Your Students Sets the Stage for Success,” where Jennifer McMullen reflects on what it is that yields high student engagement and respect. Drawing on research and experience, she recommends concrete ways faculty can cultivate a kind, socially supportive classroom climate.

The social skill word of the day is kindness…so, check out, “Why kindness is an essential leadership competency TEDxOshawa” from former Schulich ExecEd Manager, Robin Young. He shows how even small acts of compassion can create a “ripple effect,” transforming cultures. Even one kind gesture, he notes, can inspire others to follow suit. Instead of dismissing kindness as naive, Young frames it as a practical strength and core competency for all of us.

– Stephen Friedman, November 2025

All Learning. All the Time.

Curated and always updated.

Teaching Excellence. Teaching Innovation.

Schulich Style.

Awards and recognition for educators at Schulich.