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Update on in-person teaching exemption

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Dear Colleagues,

Several weeks ago I shared that we would introduce a process to review in-person teaching exemption requests for faculty, teaching assistants, and other instructors with significant health risk associated with COVID-19 personally or within their household.

On reviewing the potential options with President Agwunobi and other leaders, and given that all students are now required to be vaccinated, we have decided that all requests to transition one’s teaching from in-person to virtual for medical reasons will be handled through the existing ADA process. This process involves contacting the ADA office and completing the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form. That form and further information on the ADA process is available on the HR website.

Requests for non-medical exceptions should continue to be submitted to deans and department heads, who will make determinations based on sound pedagogy and the best interests of academic programming as we continue moving forward with a return to predominantly in-person instruction.

Thank you for your patience as we navigate this pandemic. I take seriously the Provost’s Office’s responsibility to maintain a safe and productive environment for our academic mission and will continue to work closely with my administrative colleagues to promote safety within our classroom, lab, and other community spaces. As always, you are welcome to share your concerns with me.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Stamford Campus Interim Director Announcement

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Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of the interim director for our Stamford Campus. David Souder, a professor and administrator in the School of Business, will take on this role, beginning July 1.

David is an experienced leader at UConn who has held a variety of administrative positions. He has served as the interim dean and the associate dean for graduate programs in the School of Business. Currently he serves as the academic director of the school’s Executive MBA program and the PhD coordinator for the Management Department.

I look forward to working with David to steward the Stamford Campus while we prepare for a national search for the next director. The Stamford Campus has grown in recent years, with the addition of new residence halls, new academic programs, and increased enrollment. He will also join a dedicated and knowledgeable leadership team who have been critical to the campus’s continued development, including Associate Campus Director Terry Reilly. David succeeds Terrence Cheng, who was named as president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities. Terrence has been a leading force in Stamford’s growth, as well as strengthening the campus as an integral part of the surrounding communities in Stamford and Fairfield County, and across the state.

David was recently promoted to the rank of professor in the Management Department, where he has taught courses in strategic management, statistics, and entrepreneurship since 2007.  He earned his BS from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, with concentrations in finance and strategic management, and his PhD in strategic management and organization from the University of Minnesota.  David’s research focuses on corporate short-termism and long-term thinking, and he frequently speaks with media and business groups on related topics.

Please join me in congratulating David on this new role.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs