To the UConn Community:

February is a special month for the UConn community, as it provides several opportunities to celebrate the history, legacy, culture, contributions, and successes of the Black and African American and Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities. We invite you to celebrate two cultural heritage events with us:

Black History Month: Every February, we participate in the annual tradition of Black History Month. Inaugurated in 1926 by “The Father of Black History,” Dr. Carter G. Woodson, and made into a month-long celebration 50 years later, we use this month to raise awareness about Black and African American contributions to history. We recognize and celebrate the tremendous value these cultures have brought to the world, to our country, and to UConn. Though we believe that these contributions should be celebrated every day of the year, Black History Month provides an opportunity to reflect on our commitments to anti-racism and to renew our efforts.

Lunar New Year: February 1 marks the start of Lunar New Year 2022, the Year of the Tiger. Lunar New Year has been observed for thousands of years and symbolizes the welcoming of a new beginning and a time of reunion with family and friends.  For the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander community at UConn, it marks an occasion to celebrate cultural backgrounds, experiences, and identities. On Lunar New Year, we recognize and honor the rich culture, history, and experiences of the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander community, which make up such a significant portion of the UConn community.

We recognize that the last two years have been especially difficult for these two communities as they have borne the brunt of increases in racially based harassment and violence. We believe that these communities make UConn stronger. We are thrilled to celebrate them and encourage all in our community to participate in this month of festivities.

The African American Cultural Center (AACC) will be hosting a Black History Month Opening Ceremony featuring renowned Civil Rights attorney Benjamin Crump and Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd. The program is this Thursday, February 3, at 6 p.m.; registration is at this link. The UConn Foundation will also be hosting a guest speaker, Crystal Emery, to discuss racism as an inhibitor to freedom.

The Chinese Undergraduate Student Association (CUSA), Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), and Asian American Cultural Center (AsACC) will host a week-long event for Lunar New Year 2022 (February 13-18). This event will include celebratory social media posts about the origins, associated cultures, folktales and legends of Lunar New Year, and how students at UConn celebrate the event with their friends and family. AsACC will be distributing red envelopes to students throughout the week, and CUSA and VSA will host two watch parties (February 16 and 17) featuring a special video of all the performances and festivities for this year. Be sure to check their Instagram accounts @uconnvsa, @uconn_cusa, and @uconn_asacc for updates.

All are welcome to attend these events. Come help us celebrate these communities!

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Frank Tuitt
Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer

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Dear Colleagues,

As we prepare for our return to in-person instruction starting on January 31, I am writing to acknowledge the incredibly hard work undertaken by our community in getting through a successful first week of classes in the face of multiple challenges and adversities. I also wanted to take this opportunity to provide reminders, links to resources, and clarification across a few key issues. This memo provides guidance that is generally applicable across campuses but please also be aware of specific guidance that may be shared by leaders in your unit.

• Common spaces and gatherings in academic settings: Campus guidelines and visitor guidelines have been updated as needed. Please be sure to reference these as you’re planning events and meetings.
  • As a few highlights, a) masks will continue to be required in all indoor settings on each of our campuses (and required outdoors where distancing is not possible); and b) classes, academic events, and the participation of visitors in classes and/or events will be allowed without social distancing if no food is served and if the campus guidelines referenced above are followed.
  • Please note that there is a color-coded system for students across non-academic settings including residence halls and student organization activities and meetings. Beyond campus guidelines, these are additional restrictions for students given our responsibilities for their health and well-being. Information regarding the color-coded system and its current status is available here.

• Best practices in responding to COVID-related impacts on classes: Over the past few semesters, we’ve observed several best practices across many different instructional settings in responding to the academic impacts of COVID. I share a few of these here as options; however, our office also understands that what works best will vary from instructor to instructor and class format.
  • Supporting students who miss class due to COVID: If a student is placed in COVID-related quarantine (in response to potential exposure) or isolation (in response to testing positive and/or showing symptoms) by SHaW or their healthcare provider, they will be directed to contact their instructors; in cases where a large number of students are placed in quarantine or isolation (e.g., an entire dorm), the Dean of Students Office will be in touch directly with instructors. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning has created a set of FAQs for instructors to support students in quarantine or isolation: https://ecampus.uconn.edu/dean-letter-faq/. Some examples of options across exams, labs, and lectures are provided below.
    • Exams: General options include allowing a make-up exam or allowing students to drop their lowest exam grade to be replaced by their second lowest exam grade. This does not apply to final exams, which require students to obtain permission from the Dean of Students Office to reschedule a final.
    • Labs: Some instructors have provided data from a lab session that allows a student to complete a lab report when they were unable to attend in-person. Another option is to allow a student to attend a different lab section if space is available and the student’s attendance is approved in advance by the lab coordinator.
    • Lecture: Some instructors have opted to stream their lectures so students who cannot attend in-person can view the material live. Another option is to record the lecture, or to post the class slides to HuskyCT. While either can be valuable for the students who must miss classes in some cases, the decision to undertake either of these approaches is fully up to the instructor based on their pedagogical assessment of what is best for the individual student and the entire class.
  • Temporary adjustment of modality due to COVID-related Illness: When an instructor or a large majority of students must miss a small number of classes in a course due to COVID-19, the instructor may teach those specific classes virtually or take other steps to provide instruction for the missed classes (e.g. arrange for an in-person replacement instructor or provide a different instructional opportunity). COVID-related reasons are not grounds for moving an in-person course permanently to a virtual modality. In the unusual case where a larger number of class sessions (e.g., > 10%) would be impacted, an instructor must work with their department head and dean to determine the best approach for the course to continue in-person.
  • Sick notes: SHaW does not provide sick notes to students and the University does not encourage requesting or requiring written proof for missing a class session, for a variety of reasons. Students should be encouraged to alert instructors of the need to miss class for COVID-related reasons prior to missed classes if possible.

• Student requests to attend an entire in-person course virtually: Instructors are under no obligation to meet requests for virtual attendance of a student in an in-person course. In some cases, in which the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) identifies virtual instruction as an accommodation for a student, as with all CSD accommodation recommendations, an acceptable accommodation must be made. Where the instructor believes virtual attendance is not appropriate for pedagogical reasons, they can work with CSD and CETL to ensure that another acceptable accommodation is identified and undertaken. Instructors should advise students requesting an accommodation due to disability to consult first with CSD.
• Student move-in weekend: Due to the potential snowstorm for Saturday, January 29, Residential Life will allow students to return to campus a day earlier, on Friday. Be aware that the Storrs campus will likely experience higher traffic as a result of move-in activity Friday through Sunday.

• Work/life balance: We know this is a trying time for a variety of reasons, with many of you facing additional stresses when it comes to caring for children and other loved ones. Our office will continue to encourage supervisors to be flexible with their direct reports as they navigate potential disruptions, which often come with little advance notice. I also want to remind everyone of the free services available through the University’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to all employees (including GAs) and their household members. A review of EAP services and options is available at https://hr.uconn.edu/employee-assistance-program/.
• Mask availability: The University has ordered supplies of surgical-style and KN95 masks for faculty and staff for everyday use. The surgical-style and KN95 masks are available through this form (requires NetID login): https://warehouse.uconn.edu/face-mask-requests/. Environmental Health and Safety has a resource guide available on their website with more information on the differences among various masks and their recommended usages.

If you have further questions, please consult our Academic FAQs. If you are still unsure or have specific suggestions, please reach out to leadership in your unit, or you are always welcome to reach out to me directly.

Best of luck in the coming weeks. Our students are greatly looking forward to getting back to the amazing in-person learning environment we create at UConn, and the academic leadership at UConn truly wants to do all we can to support each of you and your part in creating that environment.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to share an update on the leadership of the Waterbury Campus. Bill Pizzuto, director of the Waterbury Campus, will retire effective Feb. 1. As many of you know, Bill is a fixture in the Waterbury community and plans to become more actively involved in local politics. He has been nominated as the Republican candidate for the 71st House District seat left vacant by the retirement of State Representative Tony D’Amelio.

Bill has served as campus director for the Waterbury campus since 2006, and previously served as associate vice provost for the tri-campus program of Waterbury, Torrington, and West Hartford. He also served as director of both the Waterbury and Torrington campuses before the closure of the Torrington campus.

Bill leaves big shoes to fill, given his extensive history with UConn and the Waterbury campus. Our next step is to identify an interim director to oversee the campus while we build our plans for a search. Regarding the interim role, I am seeking your input in the qualities we should consider in the directorship, as well as nominees for an interim director (including self-nominations). Please share your responses, through the end of the week, in this anonymous online survey.

Please join me in thanking Bill for his tremendous service to UConn over the past 20-plus years and wishing him all the best in his new pursuits.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear Storrs and Regional Colleagues,

On Monday, January 17, 2022, the University will observe the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to reflect on the meaning of Dr. King’s work and sacrifice. The University encourages all departments and offices that can close in observance of the holiday to do so. We recognize that certain university operations and departments may need to remain open to meet university needs. However, it is our intention that, wherever practical, university operations will cease in observance of the holiday.

More information on holiday observances is available on the HR website. Questions regarding scheduling or time issues should be referred to Office of Human Resources, Employee Relations, at laborrelations@uconn.edu.

Further details about commemoration of the holiday at UConn will be shared in the coming days.

Sincerely,

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Christopher Delello
Chief Human Resources Officer

Dear Colleagues,

I’m writing with a brief update on the Stamford Director search. The position has posted and we are actively seeking applicants, in partnership with Parker Executive Search.

You may review the posting here, https://www.parkersearch.com/current-opportunities/university-connecticut/campus-director-uconn-stamford. Please feel free to share this opportunity with candidates. This will also be advertised via several national job boards, which will complement additional targeted recruitment efforts by Parker and UConn.

We look forward to reviewing a robust slate of candidates to lead our UConn Stamford campus. On behalf of the search committee, thank you for all your engagement in this important search process.

Sincerely,
Mark

Mark Overmyer-Velázquez
Campus Director, UConn Hartford
Professor of History and Latinx Studies