Dear Colleagues,

On Monday, January 18, the University will observe the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to reflect on the meaning of Dr. King’s work and sacrifice. In recent years, the University has requested student services and academic departmental offices remain open on the holiday to meet the needs of new and returning students as they prepare for the spring semester on campus. Starting this year, the University is encouraging all departments and offices that can close in observance of the holiday to do so. We recognize that certain critical university operations and departments serving our residential students such as dining, facility operations, and residential life remain open to meet student and campus needs. However, it is our intention that, wherever practical, University operations will be closed to observe the holiday. More information on holiday observances is available on the HR website. Questions regarding scheduling or time issues should be referred to Labor Relations at laborrelations@uconn.edu.

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

Sincerely,

Scott Jordan
Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear Colleagues,

After a very long year, we have finally made it to 2021. The last several months were particularly taxing with so many in our community giving their all to support our academic mission. The spring semester will still have its challenges, but there are many ways in which your hard work in the fall has provided a foundation and template to build upon for the spring. I cannot thank you enough for all you have been doing.

In advance of the spring semester starting in two weeks, our office wanted to share with you a few key reminders and resources for your syllabi for the spring 2021 semester.

One of the most valuable resources at your disposal is the syllabus guidance created by CETL, available on their website. A helpful starting point is their syllabus template, which you may review by clicking here. All instructors are welcome to use any of the language in this template to make the process of building your syllabi easier. Additional instructional resources can be found on UConn’s Keep Teaching website.

In particular, I want to draw your attention to a few areas that are new or modified in the context of COVID-19:

Authentication

• UConn is required to verify the identity of students who participate in online courses and to establish that students who register in an online course are the same students who participate in and complete the course activities and assessments and receive academic credit. Your syllabus should include information for students on the methods you will use in your course for authentication. Please see this resource guide for more detail: https://kb.ecampus.uconn.edu/2020/12/02/authentication-of-students/

Assessment/exam proctoring

• In many cases this semester, you will be administering exams and assessments remotely. The use of Lockdown Browser with Respondus monitor during online examinations may be a useful way to help promote academic integrity. If you plan to use Lockdown Browser with Respondus monitor, we recommend that you indicate this in your syllabus. This will allow students an opportunity to test the technology and identify any potential complications that may arise during the exam, e.g. technology, accommodations, or objections to accepting the Lockdown Browser’s terms of use agreement. Please work with your students who identify such complications during the practice or actual exam. Further guidance is available at https://ecampus.uconn.edu/keep-teaching-assessment/.

Reading Days

• Reading Days are scheduled for April 29 through May 2 in the spring semester*. On Reading Days, you may not hold regularly scheduled or make-up classes, and you also may not have assignments due or exams scheduled for these days. Please be mindful of these restrictions on Reading Days when constructing your syllabus. Fully optional activities including office hours, study sessions, and/or other accommodations may be scheduled during these days.
  *Reading Day dates vary for UConn Law and Health programs.

Inclement weather

• In the event that the University cancels classes because of inclement weather, this applies to all courses (remote, hybrid, in-person). For asynchronous courses, this may mean that you adjust deadlines by a day or two. Even in the event that the University does not cancel classes amid inclement weather, some of your students may report difficulty with technology or Internet accessibility. Consider including a note about how to contact you in such events, as well as a link to the University’s inclement weather policy, https://policy.uconn.edu/2011/10/27/emergency-closing-policy-2010-2011/.

Finally, we encourage you to share your syllabi with students early this semester – ideally a week before the first day of class. In addition to posting syllabi in HuskyCT for course-enrolled students to view on the first day of classes, faculty are encouraged to send a copy by email to all enrolled students or alternatively upload their syllabus link here (https://ecampus.uconn.edu/syllabuslink/) to provide access to all students so they can better prepare  for the semester, as well as make decisions earlier if they determine they would like to drop any classes.

Thank you for all you do to prepare rigorous and engaging course material for your students. Your efforts are noticed and appreciated.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Winter Weather FAQs from Human Resources and the Office of the Provost for Storrs & Regional Personnel

Please review the Emergency Closing Policy carefully for details about how decisions are made related to winter weather, expectations of employees, and other information.

1. I’m working from home due to COVID-19, and I received a notification that the University is curtailing on-campus operations due to a snowstorm. Do I continue to work from home?

Yes. Due to this year’s extraordinary circumstances, many UConn employees are working from home. As such, winter weather does not prevent employees from performing their job functions from home. HR encourages managers to be accommodating with employees who are able to perform their duties through a flexible schedule during winter weather days, due to childcare or snow removal needs.

2. My child’s school has closed for winter weather; do I need to use accrued time if I’m unable to continue working from home?

HR encourages managers to be accommodating with employees who are able to perform their duties through a flexible schedule during winter weather days. Employees using a flexible schedule with manager permission are not required to use accrued time. If a flexible schedule isn’t possible and an employee is unable to perform their regular duties while their children are home due to winter weather, the employee must take accrued time (e.g., personal, vacation, holiday) with approval from their manager.

3. I have lost power and internet access due to a winter storm – what do I do?

Employees who lose power or internet access due to a winter storm should notify their manager as soon as possible and discuss what work can be accomplished at home without power. Employees should keep track of the outage and arrange a flexible schedule once power/internet has been restored to make up the lost time. If an outage is severe and widespread, Human Resources may issue alternate guidance to the entire UConn workforce.

4. If classes are canceled because of inclement weather, does that affect online classes?

Inclement weather class cancellations apply to all classes — including those online.

5. How will inclement weather cancellations and closures affect exams, including finals, that are being conducted entirely online?

The University will make every effort to continue finals as scheduled to cause minimal disruption. In a typical semester, finals could be canceled because travel to campuses may be restricted because of severe weather. In this semester, where all final exams, projects, presentations, and papers are administered remotely, considerations are based more on internet access. If, for example, severe weather leads to widespread power outages, the University may need to cancel classes and reschedule final assessments to a later date. The Office of the Registrar in conjunction with the Office of the Provost will determine the makeup finals schedule in these instances. If the University cancels classes on a day when a course was scheduled to take an exam (non-final), the exam will need to be rescheduled.

6. What if the University hasn’t canceled classes, but I’m unable to connect online?

Instructors: In exceptional circumstances when a faculty member determines that they are unable to conduct a class session or deliver their final exam because of impacts caused by severe weather, the faculty member must notify his or her dean and department head to identify a solution to allow the class or exam to move forward as scheduled or to identify an alternative solution. Students: Students should contact their professors as soon as possible if they must miss a class or other activity due to weather conditions. Faculty should provide options for them to make up missed work.

7. If a student is unable complete a final assessment as scheduled due to weather issues, can they reschedule the final?

Storrs & Avery Point students who are impacted by weather and/or power outages who are unable to take an exam as scheduled should contact dos@uconn.edu to request to reschedule the exam. Regional campus students (Hartford, Stamford & Waterbury) should contact the Regional Campus Student Services staff at their home campus to request to reschedule the exam. The email request should include the following: Subject line:       Request to reschedule final exam Student Name: Student ID#: Course Name & Number: Exam Time: Please provide the reason for concern (i.e., power outage, Wi-Fi outage, etc.).

 

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to share an update regarding the extension of the Pass/Fail deadline for undergraduate students for the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters.

The deadline to designate a course as Pass/Fail for the fall 2020 semester is now 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 28, 2020. The deadline to designate a course as Pass/Fail for the spring 2021 semester is now 11:59 p.m. on May 14, 2021. These extended deadlines were approved by the University Senate on Monday, Dec. 7. As a reminder, this is available only to undergraduate students.

Submitting a Pass/Fail Request:

• Major advisor and/or program director approval is required for all Pass/Fail requests.
  • Please review this FAQ for more detailed information on Pass/Fail eligibility and process for the 2020-21 academic year: https://advising.uconn.edu/pass-fail-policy-faqs/.
• More information on submitting a Pass/Fail request, as well as a link to the Pass/Fail form, can be found here: https://registrar.uconn.edu/fall-2020-pass-fail/.
• Undergraduate students may submit Pass/Fail requests (via the form) through Monday, Dec. 28, at 11:59 p.m.
  • This extension allows for undergraduate students to review their final grades once they have been submitted.
  • Semester grades are due to the Registrar by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23.
  • Undergraduate students are strongly encouraged to submit Pass/Fail requests as soon as possible after grades are received, so that approvals may be processed in a timely manner.

I want to thank the members of the Senate Scholastic Standards Committee and the Undergraduate Student Government for their extensive work to review and formulate this proposal, as well as other changes pertaining to academic standards. Further, I am also appreciative of our advising and student services offices and staff who have been incredibly flexible and creative in assessing and suggesting changes aimed at accommodating differing student needs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 fall 2020 semester.

Reading Days are scheduled from Tuesday, Dec. 8 through Sunday, Dec. 13, as well as on Thursday, Dec. 17. In line with Senate By-Laws, instructors may not hold classes, or assign assessments or other course work (mandatory or optional) on these days. Instructors may offer office hours and optional study sessions during this time. Further, if a student requests an accommodation for an exam to be rescheduled during Reading Days, this can be allowed at the instructor’s discretion.

The extended number of Reading Days is one of several adjustments the University has made in partnership with University Senate in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. More detail on this year’s academic calendar is available at https://registrar.uconn.edu/academic-calendar/. Additional detail on Senate decisions and amendments can be found at https://senate.uconn.edu/.

***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 UConn community,

I am sharing an update regarding withdrawals from classes. The University has extended the deadline for withdrawals through Friday, Dec. 11.

Undergraduate students who are interested in withdrawing from a class must seek the permission of an advisor to do so. Graduate students must seek the permission of their major advisor. This is a temporary extension to allow students maximum flexibility in managing the impact from COVID-19 to their academic record. Students who withdraw from a class at this point in the semester will have a “W” on their transcript for any such course. This is the same designation as would be applied any other semester when students drop classes after the second week of classes.

To begin the process, students must contact their advisor to discuss the impact of potentially withdrawing from a course. Students seeking to withdraw from more than one course, or students who have already dropped a course earlier this semester and wish to withdraw from additional courses, will need further approval from their school’s or college’s dean, or at regional campuses, the regional advising director/dean’s designee.

Students may access the withdrawal form through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11, at https://registrar.uconn.edu/forms/.

The Provost’s Office, the Registrar’s Office, the University Senate, Senate Scholastic Standards, and Undergraduate Student Government are also continuing discussions on the Pass/Fail deadline for undergraduate students. We will share further updates as soon as we have finalized details.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

 

 

 

Dear colleagues,

We are reaching a couple of significant milestones in our fall semester: the end of in-person courses and Thanksgiving Break. You have been tremendous partners in adapting creatively and thoughtfully as we have had to update guidance throughout the semester pertaining to instruction and research, among many other areas. Thank you for all you have done to keep yourselves, your students, and your colleagues safe.

As we see COVID positivity rates increase in the state and around the country, we want to share a few reminders about precautions specific to research activities that will help us mitigate exposure risk and protect the health and safety of faculty, staff, students, patients, the public, and human research subjects.

• All activities that can be done remotely should be done remotely.
• Maintain adherence to public health measures, including social distancing, wearing masks, and frequent hand washing.
• The density in labs and shared spaces should be minimized.
• Anyone experiencing any symptoms should remain at home. It is not possible to tell the difference between a cold and COVID based on how you feel.
• If you are exposed to someone who is positive for COVID, you should follow current guidelines regarding quarantine and the need to follow up with a healthcare professional.
• Review guidance from the Office of the Provost and Office of Undergraduate Research related to undergraduate participation in research during and after the Thanksgiving recess. Please note for UConn Health, UConn students under quarantine should not continue to participate in research activities at UConn Health until their quarantine is lifted.
• There are no plans to ramp down research activities at this time; however, researchers are encouraged to review guidance from the Division of Environmental Health and Safety and the OVPR on safely ramping down research activities.

These precautions are grounded in the same principles that have informed our guidance since last spring, including:

• Directives and guidance from local, state, and federal authorities to minimize disease spread and exposure, such as restrictions related to essential businesses, social distancing, reduced density, stay-at-home orders, travel, and masks.
• All research colleagues on campus must be registered with the Office of Human Resources On Campus Registry with the exception of graduate assistants and student workers. Please refer to HR’s guidance about the Spring Registry issued on Nov. 16. During semester break and in the spring semester those research colleagues that are concerned about potential exposure may contact their manager or Principal Investigator who will notify HR that a test is requested.  Employees testing is encouraged.
• Principal Investigators (PIs) remain responsible for providing direction and oversight of their projects, labs, and/or research sites, and personnel including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff.

If someone in your lab or research program tests positive for COVID or has come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID, you should follow current University guidelines regarding reporting. If you have employee-related questions, please contact hr@uconn.edu or hr-employeeresource@uchc.edu, respectively.

If you have any questions regarding research activities, please visit the OVPR website or contact ovpr@uconn.edu.

Thank you,
Radenka and Carl

Radenka Maric
Vice President for Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing with a reminder of our upcoming Visioning Day events that are the first step in our strategic planning process. We hosted our first of these events last Friday with faculty, staff, and students from across our university. Participants generated a wide range of thoughtful ideas and observations about ways for UConn to accelerate its ascent across President Katsouleas’ priorities and our guiding values that we will develop as part of the planning process.

I invite you to sign up for one of our upcoming events, this Thursday, Nov. 19 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., or Friday, Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The deadline for the Nov. 19 event is today, so please be sure to sign up soon if you plan to attend that day.

More information about Visioning Day events can be found by clicking here.

Also, be sure not to miss the launch of our Provost’s Distinguished Speaker Series this year, with the first talk of the year given by Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor C. Michael White. His talk, “Shining Light in the Shadows: My Work in Dietary Supplements,” is today at 4 p.m. More details are available at this link.

I look forward to seeing you at these upcoming events.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear Colleagues,

This morning, Student Affairs announced to Storrs students that five additional residence halls would be placed under quarantine, and the remaining residential students would be placed under a modified quarantine.

• Students whose dorms were identified for quarantine will be unable to attend in-person classes, as has been the case with other quarantines.
• Students in modified quarantine, which remains the large majority of students in residence halls, are allowed to continue attending in-person classes. A modified quarantine means that all quarantine procedures apply to these remaining students with the exception that they are permitted to attend class in person, participate in clinical placement, and participate in essential research functions conducted at UConn. They must continue to wear masks, follow medical advice, refrain from gatherings, and remain in their rooms.  They may go to class or other academic activities, pick up food at the dining halls, participate in COVID testing, and go for walks outside away from other people.

As has been the case throughout this semester, please be flexible with students who need accommodations in order to complete course activities.

The take home message is in the final week we are limiting activities of our residential students to minimize the spread of infection on campus in this final week and/or in what our students might bring home. But in this approach we are trying to limit disruption to classes and other academic spaces where we know spread has been limited. We are also requiring that residential students must receive a PCR exit test before leaving for Thanksgivingbreak.

Please click this link to view the message that was sent to students.

Thank you,

Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear Colleagues,

We are bringing to your attention a decision to quarantine five residence halls at Storrs because of an increase in positive COVID-19 test results among our students. Their quarantine will begin tomorrow, so as you have done throughout this semester, we ask that you be flexible in accommodating students who are unable to come to campus and make sure they are still able to access course materials and continue their progress in your courses. While this is the largest number of dorms to quarantine at once, at 500 students this is not the largest number of students we have had in quarantine at one time.

We are monitoring results through this week and will provide updates if further mitigation measures are necessary to control spread of positive results.

Thank you for your ongoing flexibility and care for our students. Please click this link to read the message sent to students.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs