Messages20-21

Message from the President and Provost: Election resources, reminders, and dialogue

Dear UConn Faculty, Staff, and Students:

Election Day is approaching next week, Tuesday, Nov. 3. As this date approaches, we want to reaffirm our values as a public institution.

Universities provide immense public service when they marshal their academic and research capabilities to illuminate and evaluate society’s pivotal moments. Presidential elections are exactly such times. They can provide an opportunity to learn and grow as an academic community through conversation and frank but respectful exploration of others’ viewpoints. They can also elicit strong emotions as we each consider the consequential decisions that come with our votes.

UConn does not endorse or oppose particular candidates or political parties, nor does it take an institutional stance on contents of campaign platforms. At the same time, we consider it part of our responsibility as a public institution to facilitate civic engagement, thoughtful dialogue, and inclusive participation in our community and society at large.

We encourage you to engage with our voting information resource online, https://kindness.studentaffairs.uconn.edu/voting-information/, where you will find information on how to cast your vote as well as upcoming events and conversations regarding this year’s election.

One of the series you will find at this site is called “Now What?”, hosted by the Humanities Institute and featuring several small dialogues hosted by faculty and staff about working past the election and seeing through to the future. You will also find a series of programs hosted by UConn’s cultural centers designed to serve as virtual healing spaces. Both of these series speak to UConn’s role as a facilitator of reflection and conversation regarding this pivotal moment in our society. They also exemplify the diversity of constituencies represented among our students, faculty, and staff.

As an institution that values diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), we will never accept or condone acts of bias, bigotry and other forms of discrimination, which political tensions can inflame. Those behaviors have no place at UConn and we will take actions to protect the well-being of our community, such as continuing our DEI training amid threats to cut federal funding for doing so, or our advocacy this summer against restrictions for international students.

UConn students, faculty and staff, and alumni have been bold and dynamic participants through the years as Americans have grappled with cultural, regional and economic divisions, and ways in which to find common ground and move forward toward the next century. We hope these resources provide valuable support and guidance at this very important and impactful time in our nation’s history.

Sincerely,
Tom and Carl

Tom Katsouleas
President

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Provost’s Message: Town hall updates

Dear UConn Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students:

Over the past few weeks, UConn administrators in consultation with the University Senate have made and communicated several decisions about the spring semester. We shared a summary of many of those details in a message sent on Oct. 9, and reviewed the details and answered additional questions during our Academic Town Hall on Oct. 16.

We recorded the town hall for those who could not attend. In addition to about an hour of Q&A based on attendee questions, the town hall includes a PowerPoint presentation that provides additional detail on the spring semester. You can find that recording and the PowerPoint slides by clicking here. You can also find the Oct. 9 message by clicking here.

I also want to take this opportunity to share a few updates below on timely topics, some of which we also reviewed during the town hall.

Best practices with webcams during class
Given the high volume of instruction taking place virtually, several offices and teams across the University report that they are responding to more inquiries regarding privacy and authentication with video conferencing technology. Most frequently, the questions are focused on whether students must have their cameras on at all times during classes or whether they can be required to remove their masks for the duration of an exam. Please consider the following guidelines:

  • Instructors can encourage webcams to be turned on, but also remember that students are often learning in environments that limit their control over the distractions and privacy in their surroundings – such as spaces shared with families and roommates, or in public spaces to access Wi-Fi. Please allow students flexibility in webcam usage to minimize those distractions or to free up their computer’s bandwidth.
  • Students’ learning environments also pose complications for exam authentication. Because students are using public spaces in many instances to attend virtual classes, removing their masks for more than a few seconds at a time beyond what is needed for facial recognition and identity verification is not feasible given current public health measures. Please be flexible with students on requirements for removing masks during virtual exams or other instructional settings. As a further reminder, students should also not be asked to remove masks during in-person courses.

Technology loans for students
ITS maintains a modest pool of devices that are available to students for participation in their online courses. Students may borrow an iPad for the semester. Students who require more computing power (e.g., to access and run specific software), can borrow a laptop for up to one week, although extensions are permitted where justified and if the equipment is available. Students can initiate a loan through ITS by submitting a general help support request at techsupport.uconn.edu.

Fee reduction update
While most of our plans remain the same as what we shared on Oct. 9, I did provide an update during the town hall regarding the fee reduction for fully online experiences that involves a one-to-one undergraduate-faculty interaction (e.g., independent study, research). Specifically, we have identified a way in registration to designate these types of courses as either in-person or online (WW). The online designation requires the experience take place fully online and requires instructor permission (see the town hall slides for more details). The registrar is currently making contact with individual departments to create these designations in PeopleSoft for the registration process.

Next steps
Finals and Thanksgiving Break are just around the corner. As those events inch closer, we are receiving more questions about how those may look different this year. We are working through questions and plan to send updates to our community soon on each.

As always, I am inspired by the resolve and care our community has demonstrated over the last many months. I am deeply appreciative of all that you do.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs


Updates for the Academic Community

 

Final exam opt-out
Instructors who are not delivering a final exam in fall 2020 are asked to complete the Final Exam Opt-Out Form. Asynchronous courses have already been registered; this applies to all other modalities. Click here to access the form and additional information.

Visiting International Scholars for Spring 2021
The University has decided to extend its fall 2020 policy on visiting scholars through the spring 2021 semester. Under this policy, the University will refrain from hosting new visiting scholars for gratis appointment positions through the end of the spring term. We will continue to host visiting scholars who will come to the University as a paid employee if they are able to arrive and will perform their duties in person. This policy recognizes the University’s effort to reduce density on campus and the challenges that a new visiting scholar could encounter if moving from another country during a global health crisis, when in-person University resources may not be sufficient to support their transition. ISSS will be reaching out to all departments who have pending J-1 visa sponsorship requests who may be affected by this policy extension.

University Teaching Awards
Nominations are now open for the 2021 Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning University Teaching Awards. Each dean, department head, and regional campus director can nominate four (4) individuals – one nominee per each of the four award categories. Nominations are due by Friday, Nov. 13. Click here to access the form and more details.

Board of Trustees Distinguished Professorships
We are seeking nominations for this honor to recognize UConn faculty who excel in research, teaching, and service. As a reminder, we have revised our nomination process this year into two phases to broaden the diversity of nominees as well as to redistribute the effort involved in the nomination process. The deadline for nomination materials in the first phase is Friday, Nov. 25. More information and criteria for selection are available on the Provost’s Office website at this link. If you have questions about submitting materials, please reach out to amanda.pitts@uconn.edu.

Fall Food Drive
UConn Community Outreach is hosting a food drive on the Storrs campus now through Nov. 5. The most-needed items include canned vegetables, spaghetti sauce, pasta, cereals, peanut butter, canned fruits, toilet paper, paper towels, and paper cups and plates. Donations can be dropped off on the Storrs campus at the Student Union, Family Studies Building 117, Wilbur Cross 203, and Bousfield 105. For additional information, contact student coordinator Fiona Pare at uconn.co.initiatives@gmail.com.

Presentation, Academic Town Hall, 10/16/2020

On Oct. 16, President Katsouleas, Provost Lejuez and other University leaders discussed UConn’s reopening plans for the fall semester. The purpose of this session was to update the UConn community on the university’s academic progress in the fall semester, as well as decisions and plans for the spring.

PDF of presentation slides from Provost Lejuez

Full video of town hall via UConn’s YouTube channel

Provost’s Message: Summary of spring decisions

Dear UConn Community:

We have reached the point where our community must make decisions about many aspects of the spring semester. Because we cannot know right now what the COVID-19 conditions will be in the spring, our best approach is to model our decisions for the next semester on what we have done for the fall. With that in mind, student, faculty, and staff leaders have been hard at work reviewing plans and making decisions for how we will proceed with the spring semester. We have also been in frequent contact with local and state officials, and the Connecticut Department of Public Health is in full support of our plans.

Working together as a community we have made a number of decisions recently, which I am pleased to share here as a resource.

Academic Calendar
Based on the decisions of the University Senate, we shared earlier this week that the spring semester start and end dates will remain the same, and that spring break would move to April 11-17, 2021. The University Senate also approved two reading days before final exams. Click here to see the full details on calendar changes posted to the Provost’s Office website.

Instructional Modality and Quarantine Periods
With decisions made on the calendar, we next had to decide how to balance a required quarantine for residential students and re-entry student testing at the start of the semester and the return to classes. We heard from students that the two-week quarantine before the start of fall classes was challenging for a variety of reasons, so our decision for the spring has also taken that into account. Specifically, for spring:

  • For the start of the spring semester, we will conduct the first two weeks of all classes remotely so residential students can quarantine at the same time as spring courses start.
  • Following spring break, residential students will return home and the last two weeks of classes, as well as exams, will be conducted remotely for all students.

Both measures are designed for the well-being of our community. We expect that many of our students, faculty, and staff will be traveling back from numerous locations after the winter break and after spring break; remote learning during those times will help minimize potential contact. Additionally, as Thanksgiving provided in the fall, spring break will provide an opportunity for a reset for our students, faculty, and staff before entering the home stretch of the semester. We believe that instructors should use the format that they think will best support learning and student engagement during these two periods but, based on fall selections, it seems likely that many who are teaching in-person will utilize a distance learning synchronous format (DL).

Pass/Fail
The Senate made a temporary change in the by-laws for this academic year affecting pass/fail for undergraduates. The change extends the deadlines to add or remove courses as pass/fail and also extends pass/fail availability to undergraduates with fewer than 26 credits and undergraduates on scholastic probation. The Graduate Faculty Council has jurisdiction over academic regulations affecting graduate students, and the existing bylaws apply. Pass/fail is not available to graduate students. Click here for more details on the Provost’s Office website.

Course Registration for Spring
Registration will follow the planned schedule, starting on Oct. 26 and ending on Nov. 11 for undergraduates.

With considerable effort from our schools and colleges in partnership with the Registrar’s Office, the modality for each course will be listed at the time of registration. It is also notable that the detail and description of the modality options shared with instructors last month has been sharpened based on feedback from fall semester courses. These options seek to provide more clarity to both instructors and students on the expectations of course meeting times and format, and the proportion of remote learning to in-person learning. Click here to see the full listing of spring 2021 modality definitions on the Provost’s Office website.

Fee Reduction
We will continue to offer the fee reduction to help meet two goals: 1) de-densifying campuses; and 2) opening up opportunities for in-person courses for students in residential housing.

  • A student may receive the fee reduction if they are not living on campus and they have no in-person courses.
    • Research and independent study courses will be labeled as in person no matter where they take place. Students will not be eligible for the fee reduction if they are enrolled in these courses.
    • Instructors cannot change the modality listing for individual students to make them eligible for the fee reduction.

 Housing
Residential Life shared an update last week that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will not allow the residential areas to be open at full capacity as hoped for spring. As such, we will need to continue under a similar model of around 50% occupancy. All residential students at Storrs and Stamford will have to participate in re-entry testing and a two-week residential quarantine. Students currently living on campus for the fall who wish to return for the spring semester will have the option to remain in their same assignment and keep their belongings in that assignment over winter recess. Click here for more information on the Residential Life website.

Similar to the current semester, the cost of housing and dining will remain the same as the previous academic year. In the unlikely case that a positive change in the landscape of the virus results in our being able to remain on campus after spring break and through exams, no additional charges will be added to housing and dining costs.  Moreover, similar to this fall semester and last spring, Residential Life will work with students who have no viable housing options for the remainder of the spring semester after the break.

If we are unable to continue campus housing up to spring break, pro-rated housing and dining refunds will be provided to students and will follow the University refund calendar.

Academic Town Hall and Future Announcements
We believe in the decisions that have been made about our spring semester over the past few weeks and it is important that we do our best to communicate the details and the rationale for these decisions. We hope this communication has value in that regard.

To continue the conversation, the University is hosting a town hall focused on academics for faculty, staff, and instructors next week, Friday Oct. 16 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The town hall will include a short presentation of key information and will then allow for questions. Click here for more information on how to participate in the town hall and to submit questions. Members of our community may send questions in advance by noon on Oct. 14.

While this message provides answers to many important questions for the spring, there are several other decisions that require more time, including how the University will undertake graduation. We will make these decisions in a collaborative and judicious manner, and as soon as we are able.

The last several months have been difficult for each of us in different ways; however, in that time I have also seen countless examples of our community working together and looking out for each other. I am proud to be a part of UConn Nation alongside each of you as we navigate unprecedented challenges.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Provost’s Message: Working Together to Move Forward

Dear UConn Community:

COVID-19 and the return to the UConn learning experience have presented our university with unprecedented challenges. We write today to celebrate our ability to maintain our core values, give you more information about the presence of COVID on our campuses, and indicate our path forward.

COVID-19 at UConn

We have learned a great deal over the past several weeks about balancing community well-being and educational progress in the midst of COVID-19. Together, we have used our strength as a research university to solve a complex problem and reopen UConn safely. We are grateful to the partnerships that have emerged throughout our campuses, administration, student and campus services, UConn Health, and the academic schools and colleges.

Our current infection rate is around 1%. This is a remarkable accomplishment. To date, our spread among students is because of small interactions such as card games, common meals, and other informal interactions. For all of us, our risk of spread is avoidable through our own individual actions, as expressed in the UConn Promise. This includes monitoring your health, participating in random surveillance testing, following guidelines for mask wearing, hand washing, and physical distancing, and heeding medical guidance provided by your primary medical provider. These are all especially important as we head into colder weather and spend more time indoors.

While we are hardly declaring victory, it is important to acknowledge the hard work of our community to promote safety in maintaining a largely safe and healthy environment on our campuses.

UConn Research and Innovation

As we planned for reopening this fall semester, we benefitted from workgroups that were enriched by the research talents of many partners, including InCHIP, Institute for Systems Genomics, MARS, CLEAR, and our epidemiology expertise in UConn Health.

We encourage you to learn more about these intersections of research and practice through upcoming events. InCHIP is hosting a series of panels, detailed on their website. The Provost’s Office is also hosting a research forum that features panelists involved in the innovative work in wastewater testing and pooled sampling on the Storrs campus, managed collaboratively among MARS, Institute for Systems Genomics, CLEAR, and Student Health and Wellness. This forum is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 14 from 5 to 6 p.m. More information is available on the Provost’s Office website. We welcome suggestions for future panels via provost@uconn.edu.

The Path Forward

Plans are underway for the spring term, which we are approaching with optimism and humility, working closely with many organizations, including the Senate Executive Committee, AAUP, UCPEA, and USG. We expect to make key decisions prior to the opening of registration in late October building on what we have learned from the fall semester.

Spring will likely be quite similar to the fall with continued decreased residential occupancy (currently around 5,000 students at Storrs) and continued medical due diligence through testing and surveillance. Students received a message today with more details on housing availability, including the option to retain their housing assignment from fall to spring.

Student events and activities continue to be guided by activities and program information that is available here. We have learned that building safe and connected campuses is enhanced by small in-person and virtual activities, examples of which appear on the uKindness site. We welcome all campuses and departments to submit events and activities to uKindness.

We are grateful to students, including leadership in USG and GSS who have shared thoughts on maintaining a meaningful connection between instructors and students in the spring, and many other critical university actions.

Our physical and mental health are deeply entwined and many are experiencing stress during this time. Students are reminded and encouraged to utilize SHaW-Mental Health resources. Faculty and staff are reminded of the support provided through the Employee Assistance Program.

Thank you, UConn, for your combined effort in keeping us safe and allowing us to return to in-person learning and research. Thanks to all of you, we are in this for the long haul.

Sincerely,

Carl and Elly

 

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Eleanor JB Daugherty
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Provost’s Message: Staff Keep UConn Running

Communications » Provost’s Messages and Presentations

Dear UConn Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students:

As we prepared for this fall semester, instructional needs and changes inevitably dominated our discussions. Faculty, graduate assistants and post-docs put in countless hours to prepare their course materials and plans for engaging with students. Alongside them, but often out of the spotlight, were the herculean efforts of countless staff that enabled our fall planning and implementation.

Staff are the unsung heroes of our COVID operations. They managed classroom rearrangements, created and placed directional signage, enhanced cleaning, processed modality changes and course registration, provided HR and benefits support, maintained and recalibrated lab and Library operations, distributed internal and external community communications, provided rapid IT support, advised and supported thousands of students, modified housing and dining operations, and coordinated COVID testing for all in our community. As long as that list is, it is incomplete. All the while, staff have also maintained regular operations.

Our work and home lives have changed drastically in the past six months, but as our staff support us all we want to be sure we support each other, wherever you look at the University – from our peers and colleagues to University leadership.

To support staff, the Provost’s Office and Human Resources are partnering to expand the Admin Forum. This longstanding, popular program provides opportunity for staff colleagues to network, hear directly from university leadership, and learn and grow professionally. The Admin Forum attracts staff attendees from across the university.  Our new partnership broadens our team and expands access to all staff at our Storrs and regional campuses.

We invite staff to save the date for the first forum of the 2020-21 academic year on Thursday, Oct. 22, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The forum will include a brief town hall with university leaders, followed by breakout sessions for staff to meet and network in an informal, virtual setting. An invitation with further details will be sent to staff next week.

A further measure to support staff is the recently announced hire of Michael Bradford as Vice Provost for Faculty, Staff, and Student Development. Michael will oversee actualizing the potential of the individuals we serve at UConn. In this role, Michael and Provost’s Office staff will be close partners with Human Resources on opportunities to support staff across the university.

We are deeply grateful to UConn staff. Our university’s success is not possible without your talents, your professionalism, and your dedication to your work.

Sincerely,
Carl and Chris

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Christopher Delello
Chief Human Resources Officer


Updates for the Academic Community

 

U.S. Anti-Black Racism course open to faculty, staff, and graduate students
The university’s U.S. Anti-Black Racism course is available at no cost to UConn faculty, staff, and graduate students. The course has nine modules and is interdisciplinary, taught by faculty across the university. Each week will require about five hours of student learning. Registration information is available on this page, provost.uconn.edu/us-anti-black-racism-course.

Textbook orders for spring semester
Please consider placing your orders for spring semester courses as soon as possible through Barnes & Noble. We need to allow extra time for materials to arrive to the bookstore and to students, due to COVID delays and barriers. Students experienced delays in receiving materials in the fall semester due to similar delays and obstacles, including the start-of-semester quarantine.

Student Health and Wellness-Mental Health Services
If you have students who want to see a mental health professional, SHAW-Mental Health offers in-person, online or phone appointments for any enrolled students at the university. The office has moved primarily to same day consultation appointments for students reaching out for support to help assess needs. SHAW-Mental Health will continue to be available for crisis assessment 24/7 through the end of the semester. To schedule an appointment, students should call the office at 860-486-4705. For more information, please visit counseling.uconn.edu.

Upgraded faculty consulting form
We announced last week that an upgraded faculty consulting system is now available for UConn and UConn Health faculty. The link to submit requests in the new system can be found at our website, consulting.uconn.edu.

Senior citizen course auditing
For the Fall 2020 semester, Senior Citizen Auditors may enroll in undergraduate online courses or courses with one or more online components. The Senior Citizen Audit does not apply to laboratory or studio courses. Auditors must also seek instructor consent to enroll in any courses. More information is available at nondegree.uconn.edu/senior-citizen-audit.

Health insurance enrollment deadline
The Health Insurance Open Enrollment for State of Connecticut employees is underway and will end on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020. Any changes made during open enrollment will be effective Oct. 1, 2020. Additional information, including how to submit a change and the move to Anthem for all employees, is available on the Human Resources website.

Academic FAQs
We continue to update our FAQs for Academic Scenarios, including detail on our emerging plans for the spring semester. The FAQs are available at provost.uconn.edu/covid-19-fall-planning/covid-19-faqs-for-instruction.

Commencement celebration for fall
President Katsouleas shared an update with students that UConn will not be able to hold an in-person commencement celebration this fall. Connecticut’s current guidelines on large gatherings prohibit any ceremony on the scale of commencement. More information at commencement.uconn.edu/october-ceremony.

 

Publication date: 09/24/2020

Provost’s Message: A Culture of Support

Communications » Provost’s Messages and Presentations

Dear UConn Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students:

In any academic year, the week before classes begin is an intense time of preparation for nearly everyone across our institution. This year presents an additional layer of complexity, as each of you has had to reconfigure curriculum and syllabi, office operations, physical spaces, and events, in various combinations of virtual and in-person formats. For many of you, these efforts run parallel to intensified caregiving responsibilities and other personal stressors brought on by COVID-19, with disparate impact experienced by some of the most vulnerable in our community.

President Katsouleas and I emphasized last week in our message the necessity of community in this moment. While we focused on public health in that message, it’s important to remember the other half of the UConn Promise, which calls on us to ensure that each member of our community feels included, supported, and valued by doing all we can to support the goal of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive UConn.

As we start this new semester, each of us will experience professional and personal challenges. I encourage us all to continue to approach our colleagues and our students with compassion, flexibility, and understanding. The care you have each put into building a semester that prioritizes physical safety and emotional well-being, and academic rigor and progress is truly remarkable. I thank each of you for all you have done, and will do throughout this fall, to help UConn move forward, together.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs


Updates for the Academic Community

Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies
We announced this week the three finalists for our Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies search. All UConn faculty and staff are invited to submit questions for the candidates, as well as view their public presentations. More information on the finalists  and presentation access can be found on the Provost’s Office website: provost.uconn.edu/administrators-and-leadership/academic-leader-searches.

Faculty and Staff Handbook
The Faculty and Staff Handbook website has a new look. Visit the updated website at handbook.uconn.edu. The handbook is a centralized resource for faculty and staff to locate the information and resources they need at UConn.

Community Office Hours with the Provost’s Office
The Provost’s Office’s weekly Community Office Hours are open to all faculty, staff, and students. More information on upcoming sessions can be found on the Provost’s Office website, provost.uconn.edu.

Returning to Campus training
Please be sure to complete the Returning to Campus and/or Returning to Research training provided by Environmental Health & Safety. This training is required for any employee (faculty/staff/graduate student employees) who will work on campus this fall.

Links for the trainings can be found here:

Library reopening plan
The Library recently announced its reopening plan to begin on August 31. The plan includes details on availability of common spaces, access to collections, and other Library services. You can find more detail on the UConn Library website. 

COVID-19 support resources
InCHIP’s Social and Behavioral Sciences COVID-19 Workgroup has created and distributed a COVID-19 Support Resources infographic as a quick reference guide for instructors teaching amid COVID-19. The infographic and information on workgroup members can be found here: https://provost.uconn.edu/covid-19-faculty-infographic/.

Travel updates

In-person office hours
We encourage schools, colleges, departments, and all other offices to post information about your in-person and virtual services to your websites. This will help students and staff know which offices are open to in-person visitors, as well as those offices that continue to operate entirely remotely. Please consider including information such as in-person office hours and procedures (e.g. drop-in or appointment), points of contact, and any other detail that will help your constituents know how and when they can reach your office. Signage is also available to post in your offices and buildings to guide in-person visitors on protocols: brand.uconn.edu/wordmarks-assets/downloads-2/#covid-reopen.

Mansfield town news
The Town of Mansfield recently shared information about modified operations and other local protocols in place to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in the community. More information, including a list of which business are open, can be found by clicking here.

 

Publication date: 08/25/2020

Message from President and Provost on Community Responsibility

Dear UConn Community,

The state of Connecticut is in a fortunate position to have a low transmission rate of COVID-19 overall, though we know some communities are disproportionately affected compared to others. Our UConn community has a big part to play in keeping the transmission rate low. On a broad level, the University has redesigned physical spaces; put comprehensive baseline testing, quarantine and tracing strategies in place; and will continually monitor and test for presence of COVID-19 through random testing and wastewater surveillance.

On an individual level, we must each commit to following recommended public health protocols to keep ourselves and our community safe by adhering to the UConn Promise. And we want to be clear: When we refer to community, we mean more than just our UConn campuses. Each of our campuses is part of the larger communities of the towns and cities where we live, including but not limited to Farmington, Groton (Avery Point), Hartford, Stamford, Waterbury, and Storrs/Mansfield. Whether you are going to a campus building or you’re going to the grocery store after our quarantine period, the same rules apply.

The UConn Promise is simple, straightforward, and powerful. These steps will help keep each of us safe, as well as our neighbors and the communities that serve as the backbone of UConn.

Specifically, each of us will:

  • wear a mask or face covering in public places – outdoors or indoors;
  • avoid close contact, aside from roommates and family, by maintaining at least six feet of physical distancing from others;
  • regularly wash my hands — for at least 20 seconds — and use hand sanitizer;
  • follow state, local and University rules regarding gathering sizes, pedestrian traffic patterns, and other new regulations designed to promote safety and good health – including limiting social gatherings to very small groups on campus or off campus;
  • monitor daily for COVID-19 symptoms and inform health services or my health care provider regarding any changes in my health status;
  • commit to medical isolation, quarantine, or other medical direction when advised to do so by a health care provider;
  • read all University COVID-19 communications and take action as necessary; and
  • maintain all immunizations including an annual flu vaccine, as advised by my healthcare professional.

In line with the specific components of the UConn Promise above, we expect everyone in our community – faculty, staff, and students – to take all necessary steps to be safe at all times. Across our working, learning, and living spaces on our campuses and in our local communities, we are prepared to do all we are able to ensure every member of our University is respecting the health and safety of others. Addressing non-compliance on campus should always begin with a request for compliance. Each of us can ask our fellow community members to put on a mask when we see they aren’t wearing one. The two of us had the pleasure of welcoming students and parents as greeters during move-in weekend. There were only a few occasions in which we had to remind individuals to put on or raise their masks, and we were gratified to see how overwhelmingly supportive and appreciative our students (and their families) were of our safety protocols.

While cooperation is overwhelmingly positive, we also know there are cases of noncompliance. It is important for us to share that we take these very seriously, and we will and have taken action to keep UConn and our surrounding communities safe. This action can start with a conversation, but we have measures in place for necessary disciplinary action.

Many of you are aware of a party in a residence hall that violated our health and safety rules; as a result, the students involved have been removed from campus housing. Separately, over the weekend, seven students were written up for minor infractions.

We understand that many of you will come into contact with students as well as other faculty and staff who will be noncompliant with the UConn Promise. Where you are comfortable doing so, you should begin with asking the noncompliant individual(s) to do the right thing. Where that doesn’t produce a compliant response, behavior referrals for students can be submitted to Community Standards, or referrals for faculty or staff can be sent to that individual’s supervisor or the Provost’s Office. The University has also instituted a COVID-19 Information Center for non-emergency inquiries, and can be reached by calling 860-486-COVI or by emailing covidquestions@uconn.edu.

Additionally, we are partnering with local officials to support safety efforts off campus. We are working with the Governor’s Office to support the Town of Mansfield’s request to enact a local ordinance that will ban gatherings of 25 or more people. Our response in the event of larger gatherings would usually begin with a conversation, but could range from a citation for violating a city ordinance to subsequent student conduct investigation.

In addition to being clear about our expectations and contingency plans to promote safety, we also must be transparent about our status throughout the semester. This includes a public dashboard with updates on the rate of positive versus negative tests on our campuses that anyone can access. We already have seen a remarkably low rate of positive test results during the move-in process. Moreover, each positive case was met with a clear and detailed plan to ensure the safety of others and limit any further spread.

Finally, we want to hear how we are doing and suggestions for improvements. We know the work of keeping our campuses operating safely and effectively is ongoing, and we will continue to gather and be responsive to feedback from our internal and local communities. Many of the strategies above are aligned with feedback from outreach into our communities, including a thought exchange conducted by our Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) in Storrs/Mansfield. We want to encourage everyone to email your thoughts to provost@uconn.edu and to attend the virtual Provost’s Office Community Office Hours, provost.uconn.edu, as well as the upcoming live office hours from President Katsouleas, president.uconn.edu.

COVID-19 has brought significant challenges to our lives and UConn has an important role to play as we move forward. We are in this together, Huskies – let’s rise to meet this challenge and protect our community.

Sincerely,
Tom and Carl

Tom Katsouleas
President

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Provost’s Message: A View into the In-Person Experience

Dear UConn Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students:

In just a few more weeks, we start a fall semester that looks different from any other year. Much of our instruction will take place through virtual and remote means; however, about 30% of fall semester classes will be conducted in person.

For our instructors, students, and staff who will be on our campuses when we reopen, I want to assure you that individuals and teams across the University have been working tirelessly to create as safe an environment as possible. This has involved several offices, including Facilities Operations, Student Affairs, UConn Health, Student Health and Wellness, University Communications, Human Resources, Dining Services, Residential Life, Public Safety, University Planning, Design and Construction, and dean and department offices.

Our re-entry into the fall starts with a commitment to the safety of ourselves and our colleagues. The University has created the UConn Promise, which promotes behaviors among our community members to maintain a safe and respectful environment. The UConn Promise includes committing to public health measures such as wearing masks, as well as encouraging Huskies to look out for one another, especially as COVID-19 has been coupled with heightened discrimination for some of our faculty, staff, and students. We started by asking our undergraduate students to make this promise. We now ask all faculty, staff, and graduate students to review the promise and make a commitment to follow these guidelines to promote the well-being of our community.

Hand sanitizer dispenser at the Chemistry Building

Covid 19 sign at the Chemistry Building

The other key safety factor concerns the physical spaces we will share on our campuses. I want to give you a view into what several aspects of the UConn in-person experience will look like in Storrs and all the regional campuses.

Before even stepping inside any building, you will see a sign enforcing mask usage, hygiene and social distancing protocols, and symptom checking. Once in any building, you will find multiple hand sanitizer dispensers in hallways, with prominent signage to alert Facilities staff when refills are needed. Additional signage will be posted throughout buildings with guidance on social distancing, hygiene, and other public health protocols.

Classroom layout for social distancing

In each classroom, the seating layout has been analyzed and rearranged for social distancing. Layouts for classrooms, teaching labs, and other facilities are available to view and download at this Sharepoint site from University Space Planning and Management. In some cases, the new layouts have reduced classroom capacity by up to 80%. In each room, green stickers will be affixed at seats to show where students can sit. It is important that students and instructors follow these guides to maintain safe distancing in the classroom.

High-touch surfaces such as door handles, railings, and bathroom surfaces will be cleaned regularly throughout the day. Classrooms will be cleaned twice daily, and cleaning supplies will be available in each room for faculty and students to clean shared equipment and seating upon entry and exit to classrooms. High-traffic entry and exit points will be marked as “enter only” and “exit only” to minimize close physical contact. Plexiglass shields have been installed in high-traffic areas, such as dining halls and service counters—both as part of the plan put together by Facilities Operations as well as by request from staff working in those spaces.

Example of a Plexiglass shield at McMahon Dining Hall

Custodian sanitizing door handles

We have created an FAQ as a resource to find these details and others relevant to academic scenarios at https://provost.uconn.edu/covid-19-fall-planning/covid-19-faqs-for-instruction/. Most of these are based on questions we have received from faculty, staff, and students, so please continue to share those with us. We will add to this list regularly.

Our preparations for the fall semester are focused on creating distance and, at the same time, grounded in community. I am encouraged by the care everyone has shown under exceptional circumstances to create an environment for our students, faculty, and staff that puts well-being first. This is in addition to the work I’ve seen so many of you doing to ensure an exceptional academic experience for students, as you prepare for different modes of instruction, advise students for the fall, and retool programs and processes for remote operations or limited in-person settings. Your efforts are appreciated at every level.

Thank you,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs


Updates for the Academic Community