Cornell To Consider Banning Homework Over Breaks

Cornell students may soon have a very large reason to rejoice -- and relax.

The Ivy League university, notorious for its intense culture, may put a ban on "surprise" homework assignments over school breaks.

According to the Cornell Daily Sun, the proposed ban would only apply to "last-minute" assignments, say, something assigned the Thursday or Friday before a recess and due shortly after.

Cornell's faculty senate is expected to vote on the matter this month, the Chronicle of Higher Education reports.

Faculty have been largely supportive of the issue. Faculty Senate education-policies committee chair and theater professor Bruce A. Levitt said it was time to send the "message that breaks are meant to be used as breaks," according to the Chronicle.

Physics professor Carl Franck put it more bluntly. "We should not be assigning work over breaks," he said, the Sun reports.

The proposal was tabled last month in order for its language to be clarified -- some professors wanted the wording of the measure to be rewritten to exclude long-term assignments.

According to the Sun, the proposal emerged from a need for an "academic environment that encourages mental health."

What do you think? Is this a good idea or a bad idea? Or totally ineffective? Weigh in below.