WHEREAS a Faculty Senate Resolution of December 13, 2000, endorsed an agreement (dated 11/14/2000) between Cornell University and Tower Innovative Learning Solutions (TILS), Inc.,
a New York State business corporation (for which Cornell is the sole shareholder and which is licensed to do business as “eCornell”); and

WHEREAS the aforementioned resolution carried a proviso that “The Senate should be informed of any future change of status…[including] the expansion of the entity’s programs…”; and

WHEREAS the Rationale of the aforementioned resolution also mentions that “The current version of the agreement prevents eCornell from offering courses that could receive Cornell
credit”; and

WHEREAS the distinction between “offering courses” and “providing support services” is now clearer than it was in 2000; and

WHEREAS many commercial and educational entities are marketing, producing, and distributing online courses; and

WHEREAS Cornell University and TILS would like to amend the overarching agreement so that eCornell can compete with other vendors of services for online courses; and

WHEREAS the proposed amendment does not authorize eCornell to offer its own for-credit courses or degrees but only allows the provision of its services to existing academic units that are
already authorized to offer online course credit;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Faculty Senate supports amending the agreement between Cornell University and Tower Innovative Learning Solutions to allow university academic units to retain eCornell on a non-exclusive basis to provide production, administrative, marketing, and related support services in connection with credit-bearing distance learning courses that such academic units may seek to offer.