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

Dear Colleagues, 

 

We are writing to communicate the new Relocation and Moving Procedures that have been developed in connection with the revised Relocation and Moving Policy approved by the Board of Trustees in February. In the event a new hire is offered a moving allowance as part of their employment offer, these procedures identify the various ways UConn is able to pay for their relocation expenses.  The procedures also provide detailed instructions to both the newly hired employee and the hiring department on how to utilize the services of our new moving services provider, Signature Relocation.   

 

The University has engaged Signature Relocation (“Signature”), an independent third-party moving services provider, to assist new employees with their relocations.  Signature can arrange the transportation of household goods and personal belongings, as well as the relocation of the employee and their family. Signature will pay for eligible employee relocations and household moves up to the approved amount by 1) making direct payments to vendors for agreed upon moving services, 2) reimbursing employees for out-of-pocket expenses, or 3) via a combination of both methods.  New employees who choose not to use Signature for direct payments to vendors after a consultation may pay for their move out-of-pocket and submit receipts through Signature for reimbursement. Departments and relocating employees can access information about Signature’s moving services by visiting the following webpage: https://www.signaturerelo.com/uconn/. 

 

Following this message, we will reach out to all new employees who have recently accepted an employment offer that includes a moving allowance. We will inform these employees of the relocation services Signature has to offer and connect them with a Personal Move Manager from Signature. Department heads and administrators will be copied on these communications. 

 

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the stakeholders who provided input in this process. These procedures represent not only more comprehensive, affordable, and coordinated services for our new employees, but also streamlined administration for our staff who support new employee moves. We are excited to share these improvements with you and hope they bring positive change to your unit and our new colleagues’ onboarding experiences. 

 

Thank you, 

 

Office of the Provost 

 

Office of Human Resources 

Dear UConn colleagues,

As more employees have become fully vaccinated over the last few weeks, inquiries have been made about the ability to hold on-campus meetings, retreats, and interviews. We write today to reinforce existing parameters.

While the University has provided opportunities for faculty and staff to be vaccinated, colleagues are working diligently on the Future of Work Committee to recommend policies and procedures in anticipation of (1) some employees returning to campus on or around August 15, and (2) longer-term initiatives that will transform the ways we work.

As we await the Committee’s final report later this month and the administration’s assessment, it is important to remember that on-campus meetings for those pre-approved to be on campus should occur only with proper social distancing and mask-wearing.

In addition, virtual options must remain available for meeting participants, and participants should not be meant to feel diminished by attending virtually.

Employees who have been working remotely partially or fully should plan to continue to do so through at least mid-August. Managers cannot require employees who have been working remotely to return to campus at this time absent a business reason for doing so.

Large-scale meetings of any kind should not take place in-person at this time and interviews should remain virtual unless there is a compelling business reason, approved by the appropriate Executive Vice President, to conduct in-person interviews.

Additionally, employees should assume that the Spring On-Campus Registry will continue into the summer, and employees who intend to return to campus before Aug. 15 must work with Human Resources to be added to the Registry.

We also remind managers that they cannot ask an employee if they have been vaccinated or not, as this is considered personal health information.

We appreciate that there is a growing desire among employees to return to campus and achieve a long-awaited sense of normalcy. It is imperative, however, that returning to campus is done in a consistent fashion with an emphasis on health, safety, and communication.

We look forward to welcoming you back to campus in the coming months, and please keep an eye out for updates from us and from the Future of Work Committee later this month.

Sincerely,

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Scott Jordan
CFO and Executive Vice President for Administration

Chris Delello
Chief Human Resources Officer

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to share an update on the leadership of the Stamford Campus. Terrence Cheng, director of the Stamford Campus, was today named the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities. CSCU is gaining a tremendously talented and thoughtful leader in Terrence and I congratulate him on this incredible opportunity.

Terrence is exactly the kind of leader that Stamford has needed as the capacity and reach of the campus has grown significantly since he took over the directorship in January 2016. Under his leadership, the Stamford Campus opened residence halls, started new academic programs, increased its enrollment, and hired many new faculty and staff. He’s also been intentional in strengthening the campus’s role as an integral part of the surrounding communities in Stamford and Fairfield County, as well as across the state.

In addition to his role as Director of the Stamford Campus, he is a scholar who has enriched the intellectual life at our University. As a professor of English and an affiliate of the Asian/Asian American Studies Institute, he has established himself as a leading voice in creative writing and fiction, with several publications and awards, including a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship.

Terrence begins his new role at CSCU on July 1. Over the coming weeks we will identify an interim director who will serve while we undertake a national search in the fall to fill the role permanently. 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 in this online survey.

Without question Terrence has been an exceptional leader at Stamford and his impact as a scholar and leader at UConn will be greatly missed. At the same time, I know he will continue to be a partner with UConn as we seek to strengthen the collaboration between our University and the system. Please join me in congratulating Terrence on this new opportunity.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear Colleagues,

As we approach the start of finals, I am reaching out with a reminder on Reading Days for the spring 2021 semester.

Reading Days are scheduled from Thursday, April 29 through Sunday, May 2.

The University Senate passed at its April 26 meeting an addition to the by-laws to provide greater clarity on the intention of Reading Days as preparation for final assessments. The addition is as follows:

“Reading Days are protected time for students to prepare for the final exam and assessment period. Instructors shall not require any course-related activity, assessments or submission of work on Reading Days. Instructors may use Reading Days for optional activities, such as office hours.”

If a student requests an accommodation for an exam to be rescheduled during Reading Days, this can be allowed at the instructor’s discretion.

Reading Days restrictions do not include responsibilities with external placements, such as clinical positions and internships.

***Please note, the above does not apply to the School of Law, School of Medicine, or School of Dental Medicine.***

Thank you,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear Colleagues,

The Office of the Provost and Human Resources invite you to attend the first Staff All-Hands meeting on May 19, 2021 from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

An all-hands meeting is an organization-wide gathering where leadership will discuss University updates, celebrate milestones, hear concerns, and most importantly, ensure that we’re transparent and open with staff so that you all have the information and connections you need to be truly successful in your roles at the University.

The meeting will include updates from leadership, a discussion of the work of the Future of Work committee, and will feature speakers from divisions across the University.

Meeting Information:

May 19, 2021

2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

RSVP: Please RSVP by completing this form.

If you require an accommodation to attend, please let us know when responding.

The meeting will be hosted via webcast service. Access the webcast by clicking on, or copying and pasting the following link into your browser’s address bar: Staff All Hands Meeting Webcast. Shortly after the live webcast, the same link can be used to view the meeting recording.

Information about this event is available on the Office of the Provost’s website: https://provost.uconn.edu/staff/staff-all-hands/

We hope you see you all on May 19^th.

Sincerely,

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Chris Delello
Associate Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

Michael Bradford
Vice Provost for Faculty, Staff, and Student Development

Dear Colleagues,

The Faculty Standards Committee of the University Senate will hold a forum for Clinical, In-Residence, and Extension (CIRE) faculty Promotion & Reappointment on Friday, May 21, 2021, from 1:00pm-3:00pm. The program will be held via WebEx. The purpose of the forum is to ensure that all faculty are aware of promotion and reappointment procedures and expectations and have the opportunity to have their questions answered by the administration.

Faculty and staff who plan to attend must register by completing this survey by May 17th.  The program will be recorded and available for viewing after the event.

Cheryl Galli
University Senate Administrator

Dear UConn Community,

We are at a pivotal moment nearly one year after George Floyd’s death in police custody, as we await a verdict in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged in Floyd’s death. While Floyd’s death helped bring broader attention and concern to how police encounters can turn dangerous and deadly for adults and children of color, we have seen similar patterns continue to play out, with the deaths of Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo as the most recent examples.

These events affect members of our community in varied and personal ways. The Office for Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of the Provost are co-hosting two University Forums over the next week to process these events and to discuss steps each of us can take to support one another and our communities at large.

Details for each event are included here, with further information available on the Provost’s Office website.

University Forums on Race, Policing and Justice: The Chauvin Trial

Friday, April 23

10 to 11:30 a.m.

Via WebEx

 

Wednesday, April 28

4 to 5:30 p.m.

Via WebEx

 

All faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend. In the spirit of solidarity, we hope to see broad representation from our entire community.

Sincerely,

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Frank Tuitt
Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer

Michael Bradford
Vice Provost for Faculty, Staff, and Student Development

Dear Colleagues,

The pandemic disrupted many activities that are integral to the normal work of UConn faculty, including travel. I know that many of you are anxious to know when and how current restrictions on work-related travel will be lifted. Although we continue to have some degree of uncertainty, I am writing today to let you know that we anticipate that faculty, along with postdocs and graduate students, will be able to undertake domestic travel for work-related purposes as of May 23, 2021.

I recognize that any decision whether to travel or not in the coming months will involve many factors, including personal ones. The intent of this email is not to encourage or discourage travel plans, but instead to give as much clarity as possible and to allow you to make plans for the coming months.

One of the lessons of the swift change brought by the pandemic was the importance of knowing where employees are when they are traveling for work-related purposes. For this reason travel requests must first be submitted into the Concur system for pre-approval by a supervisor, usually a department head (until May 23, deans will also have to approve travel). This approval process is particularly important in support of the University’s responsibility for “duty of care” with respect to employees who are traveling. Please note that per the University’s travel policy, travel requests not pre-approved may not receive reimbursement of expenses.

UConn has engaged Anthony Travel, a national leader in university travel management, as our new full-service travel management provider. There are several benefits of our partnership with Anthony Travel:

1. Anthony Travel integrates with our new travel system – Concur
2. We now have a dedicated travel agent on site
3. There are no booking fees passed on to travelers and departments

We highly encourage travelers to obtain a UConn-sponsored Travel Card if they plan on traveling on the University’s behalf.

Refresher training sessions are now being held for Concur requests, travel booking, and expense and approvals. We also encourage all travelers to become familiar with the updated UConn travel policy.

If traveling, you should continue to follow any guidelines that remain in place at the state level regarding quarantine and/or testing requirements for out-of-state travel. If you are returning to campus after travel, you must still follow requirements laid out by HR in relation to appropriate quarantine and testing. These will be updated by the end of this week and apply uniformly regardless of whether travel is for personal or professional purposes. In addition, you should continue to follow sponsor guidelines and requirements for any grant-funded travel.

For now, international travel restrictions will remain in place following guidance from the State Department and CDC. As such, international travel will continue to require a travel waiver and approval from Global Affairs.

Funding requests for out-of-state domestic travel can now be submitted to the AAUP/OVPR Faculty Travel Funding Program following the standard pre-pandemic process. The fund will continue to support requests to attend virtual conferences or other remote professional-development opportunities.

A range of useful links have been provided at the bottom of this email to assist with your travel plans, but if you have specific questions you are welcome to reach out at any time.

Best wishes,

Jeffrey Shoulson,
Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

Useful links & contact information:

• For general travel questions, email travel@uconn.edu or visit the travel website: https://travel.uconn.edu/

Deleted:

• Concur refresher training sessions will be offered throughout the spring. Details can be found here: https://travel.uconn.edu/2021/03/15/concur-refresher-training/#more-2258
• Questions related to international travel can be emailed to Ngozi Taffe, ngozi.taffe@uconn.edu
• The Travel Waiver form can be found here: https://global.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/173/2018/06/Travel-Waiver-Application-FacultyStaffOther2020.pdf
• Global Affairs website: https://global.uconn.edu/home-2/travel-immigration/international-travel-information/
• AAUP/OVPR Travel Funding Program information, including request form, can be found here: https://ovpr.uconn.edu/services/research-development/faculty-travel/
• For information on post-out-of-state travel requirements for returning to campus, please follow guidance from HR. <a href="https://hr.uconn.edu/covid-19-hr-faqs/ or email hr@uconn.edu”>https://hr.uconn.edu/covid-19-hr-faqs/ or email hr@uconn.edu
• Pre-pandemic restrictions remain on travel to some states. Further information can be found here: https://travel.uconn.edu/2020/01/22/north-carolina-and-mississippi-travel-ban-update/

This message was sent to all Storrs and regional campus undergraduate and graduate students. 

Dear UConn students,

I am writing with a reminder of upcoming deadlines for placing courses on Pass/Fail or withdrawing from courses, as well as the addition of an NRC grade in place of a W when withdrawing from a course. More details are shared below.

Pass/Fail Grading
The last day to place courses on Pass/Fail grading is May 14, 2021. This option is open only to undergraduate students. A set of FAQs is available on the Office of University Advising website.

W Deadline and NRC Grade
The last day to withdraw from a course is April 28, 2021. Most students have the option for a withdrawn course to appear as a W or a new NRC grade on their transcript. The NRC grade can also be applied retroactively to courses from spring 2020, summer 2020, fall 2020, and winter 2021.

The University Senate approved the new NRC grade to provide students who withdraw from courses an option to note that the W grade was received during the height of the COVID pandemic. This new grade will be recorded as NRC: No Record-COVID. The NRC grade makes clear to employers and graduate schools that a grade was disrupted by COVID. The Graduate Faculty Council voted to provide the same option to graduate students.

NRC eligibility

Eligibility to convert a W grade to an NRC grade requires having met the following criteria:

• • Undergraduate, Ratcliffe Hicks, Graduate, Non-Degree, and Pharm D students
  • Have been approved to withdraw from a course in the spring 2020, summer 2020, fall 2020, winter 2021 and spring 2021 semesters only

NRC for previously withdrawn courses

Emails will be sent to eligible students later today notifying them of the option to convert their grades to NRC and sharing next steps for doing so.

NRC for new spring 2021 course withdrawal requests
Students may elect the W or NRC grading option when submitting course withdrawals through the withdrawal deadline of April 28, 2021. The form for withdrawal requests, which now also includes the NRC option, can be found on the Registrar’s website.

A set of FAQs is available on the Office of the Registrar website.

During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, our University community has adopted many adjusted practices and revised policies to help balance the increased need for flexibility with our commitment to a rigorous academic experience. I appreciate the collaboration and advocacy of our student, faculty, and staff leaders to make these changes in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs