Dear UConn Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students:

Over the past 6 months, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every aspect of our lives. Throughout this period, our faculty, staff, and graduate students have worked themselves ragged to shift courses, programs, and services to remote delivery with remarkable swiftness. These efforts have been essential in preserving our academic mission and I am grateful for your work. At the same time, I recognize that so much disruption has taken a toll, which is compounded by personal effects that range from seeing loved ones succumb to this illness, to experiencing heightened discrimination, to managing additional caregiving responsibilities, and a host of other impacts.

As we prepare for a fall semester unlike any we have ever experienced, we are using a community-based approach that incorporates and benefits from our entire University’s involvement. I am thankful to everyone who has raised suggestions, questions, and concerns, through town halls, emails, and other venues. To invite further feedback, the Provost’s Office will host weekly Office Hours open to all faculty, staff, and students starting next week. More information on upcoming sessions can be found on the Provost’s Office website, provost.uconn.edu/.

To facilitate our preparations, multiple re-opening planning groups are meeting across University operations, including a weekly academic planning group, provost.uconn.edu/covid-19-fall-planning/. A recent outcome from that group includes an IdeasLab from InCHIP that has brought extensive feedback from students, faculty, and staff regarding proactive strategies we can put in place to support a safe reopening.

In addition to more formal working groups, I am also holding weekly meetings with deans as well as with the Senate Executive Committee. Additionally, our team is meeting regularly with academic advisors across our campuses as well as representatives from our unions, our cultural centers, and our incoming chief diversity officer. Across all of these efforts, UConn Health has played a crucial role in ensuring we are making decisions that are in line with best practices to promote a safe return.

Much is at stake, including the educational experience of our students and the health of our community. Moving forward will take care, thoughtfulness and courage to get it right and recalibrate as we learn what works and as conditions change. Your feedback is crucial to inform our plans, to let us know when we’ve hit the mark, and to let us know when we haven’t. We will remain in close contact over the coming weeks and we will navigate these uncertain times best as a community, together.

Thank you,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

---

Updates for the Academic Community

• Faculty town hall: The University’s series of town halls continues, with a faculty town hall planned for July 29, at 12:30 p.m. The town hall is hosted by President Katsouleas and will feature updates from several administrators on reopening plans across the University. The details for the town hall, including how to submit questions in advance, can be found here: https://ait.uconn.edu/town-hall/. The livestream will also be recorded and available to watch later.
• Technology recommendations: ITS has created a new webpage to share recommendations on equipment and internet access for continued remote working, instruction, and learning. Please visit https://remotework.uconn.edu/ to review this resource.
• Instructional modality changes: We are leaving open the opportunity for instructors to change course modality until end of day Friday, July 24. One of our guiding principles has been to support instructors in choosing the modality that best fits with individual comfort level and course objectives. At the same time, we want to ensure that when continuing student registration reopens on July 27 any further changes to students’ schedules will be minimal to provide them a stable picture of how their fall courses will be delivered.
• Faculty overseas: Any faculty who will be outside of the United States for the fall semester should make sure that they have the approval of their department head for remote working, should inform Global Affairs of their location, and may wish to independently seek advice of a CPA about any tax implications.
• Course materials for UConn Bookstores: The UConn Bookstores are missing a sizeable amount of information they need to make appropriate orders for the fall term. This can be attributed to the flux in course modalities for the coming semester, however, now that the term is quickly approaching, please be sure to provide the bookstore with the information they need to order course materials for our students. Faculty and administrators can use the online adoption portal Faculty Enlight: https://www.facultyenlight.com/?storeNbr=8207, or by emailing the information to David Yutzey at david.yutzey@uconn.edu. Direct any questions to the General Manager, Len Oser at leonard.oser@uconn.edu.
• Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs and Development: We announced last week the three finalists for this position. More information on the finalists can be found on the Provost’s Office website: https://provost.uconn.edu/administrators-and-leadership/academic-leader-searches/.
• Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies: We have launched our search to fill this newly configured position in our office. We are accepting applications for this position through Monday, July 27. You can learn more about the position on our site: https://provost.uconn.edu/administrators-and-leadership/academic-leader-searches. Please feel free to reach out to the search committee, as well, if you are interested in the position personally or wish to recommend candidates.

Dear UConn Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students:

What is the right Library for UConn? Shortly after arriving here in 2018, Dean Anne Langley posed this question to the staff of UConn Library. At the time, no one would have known it was a prescient move that would help prepare the Library to weather a pandemic, but the ensuing strategic planning work has done just that.

Dean Langley’s question set the stage for a strategic planning process that began with the development of a set of values that provide flexibility and consistency in decision-making, collaboration, and planning. It’s a simple and effective collection of values: curiosity and inquiry; equity and inclusion; kindness and trust; and having fun. Soon after, the Library completed its planning process and published a Strategic Framework to chart its future. The framework builds on the Library’s strengths as a hub of scholarship, research, and learning to support UConn students, faculty, and staff across all campuses and will complement strategic planning at our institution. It also identifies ways that the Library can continue to support the aspirational intellectual goals of the University, while finding ways to operate efficiently amid changes in technology, access, and resources.

The approach follows three themes: Connect, Empower, and Engage. I’m highlighting here a few examples of how those Strategic Framework themes connect with current initiatives.

• Connect – Advancing a community of learners

As we look at President Katsouleas’s goals to double UConn research and scale Life-Transformative Education to all students, the Library clearly plays a crucial role. COVID-19 has required each of us to think about our work differently, especially in the ways we engage with physical spaces and materials. The Library’s approach has been to strike a balance between the safety of staff and community members and as much continued access to materials as is possible. While the physical space and materials are out of reach at the moment, the Library has put many alternatives in place to support the advancement of scholarship as much as possible amid social distancing and other health and safety concerns. All the latest updates can be found on the Library’s COVID-19 page, https://lib.uconn.edu/about/covid-19/.

UConn Library plans to begin offering limited onsite services, beginning August 31. While there is currently extensive access to materials and research support available digitally, the Library will enhance these offerings by adding curbside pickup of physical materials at Homer Babbidge Library in Storrs, and at each of the Regional Library locations. The hours available for pickup and the specific mechanisms for “curbside” offerings are still to be determined.

• Empower – Investing in ourselves and sharing our experiences

The Library staffing is at its lowest level since the late 1960s. While we all aim to be lean in our operations, we also need to be mindful that essential services are covered. The Library is now starting to address a significant reduction in its workforce numbers over the past few years, filling critical vacancies that balance the needs of our campuses with our current fiscal pressures and virtual operations. Dean Langley and her staff are taking a strategic approach to our collections at a time of rapidly increasing costs, coupled with extensive web development to enhance the Library’s online presence, which is how most Library users (both faculty and students) find and access research materials, especially now amid COVID-19 adjustments.

• Engage – Evolving our role at UConn and beyond

The Library exists as both a physical space and a virtual entity. UConn Library is made up of eight libraries including Homer Babbidge Library, Archives and Special Collections, Regional Campus Libraries, Pharmacy Library, and the Music and Dramatic Arts Library, as well as collection, staffing, and administrative relationships with the Health Sciences Library and the Law Library. Important programs that have been successful at engaging a broader scholarly community include collaboration over the Greenhouse Studios and the state-wide historical preservation work in the Connecticut Digital Archive (CTDA). Although the current context of the pandemic has users focused more toward virtual access, the physical space still holds importance for the long-term plans for the Library. In 2015, UConn began a large-scale master planning process for the Homer Babbidge Library, the flagship Library in the system. This summer, we are installing an external staircase required for proper egress from the building. Apart from this renovation and a 2017 renovation of the first floor, the facility has remained largely the same since 1990. A goal for the University is to pursue the continuation of the master plan to renovate the Babbidge Library infrastructure and design for modern-day academics.

As we continue to plan for the fall semester, access to Library resources at each campus will be a crucial part of our considerations. I am grateful to Dean Langley and the Library staff for their continued dedication to monitoring and implementing best practices in terms of resource delivery and community safety. We are all navigating a novel situation, which requires a blend of flexibility, patience, short-term adjustments, and long-term planning, much like I see in the Library’s approach and in so many of our incredible academic operations.

Thank you,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

---

Updates for the Academic Community

• Academic COVID update: We are working on the next set of COVID updates from President Katsouleas as we approach July 1, including the new update of our Reopening UConn website. We expect that these updates will provide more information on teaching assignments, student housing, and how we will meet our gating conditions from the State including testing and social distancing. We understand there is considerable anxiety about the details of reopening and we hope to answer as many questions as we can in this next update. I also would like to thank administrators, faculty, staff, and student members of our multiple working groups, the Senate Executive Committee, and Union leadership for insights and suggestions throughout the process.
• Messaging on housing prioritization: Today, Student Affairs sent a message to students regarding housing prioritization. As many of you work closely with students, we wanted you to be aware.
• Graduate student reverse town hall: Earlier this month, a group of graduate students and university partners planned a reverse town hall to share a range of experiences from graduate students. The event was sabotaged by vile messages that included anti-Black and anti-Semitic statements and images. As voiced by President Katsouleas, we denounce these actions and the individuals behind them. Organizers plan to re-engage this event soon and Information Technology Services is available to ensure the event can be safely undertaken. Members of our administration including Vice Provost Kent Holsinger and I look forward to attending this event.
• Bittersweet news: As was announced this week, John Volin, our Vice Provostfor Academic Affairs, has accepted the position of provost at the University of Maine. John has had an extremely successful career here at UConn as a faculty member, long-time department head, and most recently vice provost. His many contributions will be greatly missed. We are thrilled for him as he undertakes this exciting opportunity. As we have indicated previously, John was set to focus his portfolio on undergraduate studies this fall. I will be reaching out to various constituencies over the coming days and will be in touch soon with our plans to address this important role.

Dear UConn Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students:

Yesterday President Katsouleas shared the initial plans of our re-entry. By June 30, we will have a final decision regarding face-to-face classes for fall, with approval from the Board of Trustees. In the meantime, we know many of you are eager to make progress on fall course preparations and the return of students to our campuses.

As we look ahead to fall, we recognize that planning with many unknowns is a daunting task. As a resource, I have collaborated on this communication with Vice Provost John Volin and Assistant Vice Provost Peter Diplock to provide more guidance on what various instructional modalities look like in practice. Whether you are responsible for teaching in the fall or you’re responsible for student or departmental support, we hope these details start to fill in a few more blanks for you.

All instructors should be planning for virtual delivery of courses in part or in whole. Even if face-to-face learning is allowed for fall, faculty and graduate student instructors still need to be prepared with some elements of virtual delivery as scenarios could be fluid. You’ll see below in guidance from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning that the options for virtual delivery are actually quite wide-ranging, with four of the seven modalities outlined still possible if face-to-face classes are not allowed for fall.

Above all, we encourage instructors to focus on the modality that best matches your comfort level, your delivery style, acknowledges social distancing constraints, and will best engage students in active learning. Any faculty or graduate student instructor who feels most comfortable teaching online will be able to do so. In some cases, this may require some flexibility in the courses taught and/or the times offered, but we will do all we can to accommodate instructor preferences. We also recognize that some programs have a structure (e.g., cohort based) that can create challenges for online instruction. In those cases, we will work together to balance students’ preferences, program requirements, and safety.

Looking at fall courses, much like any semester, it is unlikely we will offer all courses in the exact same way across all sections. Some courses will be best suited for asynchronous delivery while others may be able to incorporate some synchronous and on-campus elements. We are eager to support a range of options to support flexibility and maintain course rigor.

Online. A course that has been previously approved and developed for online and can be taught completely asynchronously. No dedicated specific synchronous meeting times are required to be listed in PeopleSoft. The course will be listed as www in PeopleSoft.

Distance Learning Asynchronous. A course that has not been previously approved for online or developed through eCampus. No scheduled weekly meeting times are required to be listed in PeopleSoft. The course will be listed as www in PeopleSoft.

Distance Learning Synchronous. A course that will be taught synchronously online (using WebEx, Blackboard Collaborate, or Microsoft Teams) with scheduled weekly meeting times required to be listed in PeopleSoft. The course will be listed as DL in PeopleSoft.

Distance Learning Flex. A course that will be taught using a combination of synchronous online (using WebEx, Blackboard Collaborate, or Microsoft Teams) and asynchronous approaches. Scheduled weekly meeting times will be required although not all will be used for synchronous activities. This course will be listed as DL in PeopleSoft.

Hybrid/Blended Flex. A course that will rely upon mostly asynchronous activities together with a more flexible irregular need to meet on occasion synchronously with students in person. Scheduled weekly meeting times are required (although actual use will be varied and more limited). This course will be listed as H/B in PeopleSoft.

Hybrid/Blended Platooning. A course that will rely upon synchronous face-to-face instruction for a group of students physically present in the classroom with recorded or live lecture streaming for students not physically present in the classroom (e.g. MWF course schedule, 1/3 of students attend M, 1/3 W, 1/3 F, or Tu/Thur course schedule, ½ students attend Tu, ½ attend Thur). Scheduled weekly meeting times are required to be listed in PeopleSoft. This course will be listed as H/B in PeopleSoft.

In-Person. A course that will be taught face-to-face in person and scheduled meeting times are required to be listed in PeopleSoft. Social distancing guidelines will require a larger classroom space than previously (e.g. a W section with 19 students will require a classroom size of ~60). This course will be listed as in-person in PeopleSoft.

As instructors develop courses for fall over the summer, the resources available on the eCampus website for the spring will still prove useful. Please be sure to reference . Additionally, more information on public health and sanitization efforts for our campuses can be found at https://reopen.uconn.edu/.

Faculty and staff play an important role in supporting our students as they return in the fall and readjust after months of uncertainty and disruption academically and personally. Students may need more guidance and check-ins than usual from faculty and staff. In particular, graduate students are in the role of both being a student trying to learn in our current environment and supporting our instructional mission.

Beyond instruction, we can also play an important role in encouraging students to follow healthy practices, especially in choosing not to come to class or other campus activities when they are feeling unwell. Students need to know that they will have support in catching up on any material they miss in class or campus work because they have chosen to protect their communities by staying out of the public domain while they are feeling any symptoms of illness.

Most importantly, what doesn’t change is the great strength of UConn’s teaching mission and the true treasure we have in our faculty, graduate students, and staff providing instruction and support. Over the next month, we will balance thoughtful decision-making with prompt communication of updates. In the meantime, we greatly appreciate your patience and all you are doing to support our educational mission.

Thank you,
Carl, John, and Peter

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

John Volin
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

Peter Diplock
Assistant Vice Provost and Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

---

Updates for the Academic Community

• Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs and Development search:Last week we announced the search for the Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs and Development. Since that time, we have added two faculty members to the search committee who represent our important faculty roles outside of the tenure track. Specifically, we have added Jean McCarthy, who is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, as well as Phil Birge-Liberman, who is an Associate Professor in Residence in the Department of Urban & Community Studies. In addition to their faculty roles, Jean brings considerable experience with AAUP and Phil has considerable experience teaching at multiple regional campuses. More details on the search are available here: https://provost.uconn.edu/administrators-and-leadership/academic-leader-searches/.

• Tenure clock extension: In light of the disruptions presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential impact on scholarly productivity, the Board of Trustees changed the University By-Laws to provide for a one-year extension to the tenure clock for those tenure-track faculty who request it. Important information regarding the tenure-clock request form, procedures, and FAQs was emailed to Deans and Department Heads at the end of last week, and can also be found on the PTR page on the Provost’s website.

• Restrictions on students and researchers from China: On May 29, President Trump published a Proclamation on the Suspension of Entry as Nonimmigrants of Certain Students and Researchers from the People’s Republic of China. The proclamation intends to restrict the entry to the United States of students and exchange visitors for study or research if they have connections to any institution that supports China’s “military-civil fusion strategy.” It does not apply to students coming for undergraduate study, to those who are studying or conducting research in a field “involving information that would not contribute to the PRC’s military-civil fusion strategy,” permanent residents of the United States, to someone who is the spouse of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, and limited other exception categories. The proclamation leaves much of the details to still be worked out among the various government agencies who will need to implement the order, including students and scholars currently in the U.S.  Global Affairs will keep the UConn community informed when there are operational details available from the federal government. For a more detailed analysis, please visit https://isss.uconn.edu/2020/06/01/new-presidential-proclamation-issued/.

Dear UConn Community,

Recent events have called national attention yet again to the destructive power of prejudice and racism. The death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis serves as our most recent example. We are disgusted by the images we have seen capturing the unconscionable acts that caused his death. Demonstrations across the country make clear that communities are hurting and frustrated by repeated acts of violence against their neighbors, friends, and families. These events have saddened and angered so many on a deeply personal level, with the burden of fear for one’s own and their family’s safety placed squarely upon African-Americans.

Unfortunately, this is just one of many examples of the pain caused by systemic injustices that are present every day. Take, for example, the disproportionate rates of death by COVID-19 among African-American, Latinx, and Indigenous peoples, or the discriminatory acts targeting individuals of Asian descent and foreign nationals from many countries in this pandemic. This adds to the already vulnerable experience of so many in our community, including but not limited to DACA students who are unsure about their future; individuals with disabilities who can feel invisible; LGBTQ+ individuals experiencing verbal and physical acts of violence; individuals subjected to intolerance based on their religious identity and beliefs; and people of color who are forced to constantly question if they can engage safely in routine activities like jogging or bird watching.

These events underscore the critical importance of our infusing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in everything we do every single day. Not with mantra and platitudes, but with clearly articulated and tangible action that is supported by the University with budget and action. As scholars, educators, and colleagues, we are uniquely positioned to reflect, learn, and act.

We are committed to this work as UConn moves forward from some of its own recent struggles. We have a crucial new partner in these efforts with the recent hire of Dr. Frank Tuitt as our new Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer. We are all eager to work with him to sustain a culture that understands, respects, and appreciates differences, but also one that readily acknowledges our shortcomings and holds ourselves accountable for measurable progress at all times.

As he looks ahead to this new role, Frank shared the following: “I strongly believe that institutions like UConn should be at the center of creating spaces for students, faculty, and staff to imagine and invent ways to build more inclusive, affirming, and equitable institutions, organizations, and communities, and I look forward to doing my part to contribute to that collective effort.”

We have communicated closely with him over the past several days, and we all will benefit from his leadership and expertise.

We have the opportunity to engage our entire community in the work that is needed, building upon continued advocacy and efforts of concerned faculty, staff, and administrators at UConn in collaboration with our cultural centers and our amazing undergraduate and graduate students who are willing to speak clearly and directly about their experiences. Change cannot be carried out by one person or one office alone. Too often the labor of this work is disproportionately undertaken by our most vulnerable, impacting their career progression, as well as their mental health and overall satisfaction with their work experience. This is a time when we can build momentum to share the responsibility across our entire community at our Storrs, UConn Health, Avery Point, Hartford, Stamford, Waterbury, and law school campuses.

We also have been extremely fortunate to benefit from the stewardship of Interim Chief Diversity Officer Dana Wilder. Building on strengths of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, we are positioned as a national leader and a place where people of all identities feel they have a genuine opportunity for success and belonging. We encourage each of you to explore their website, which includes multiple resources including trainings and guides as well as information on events and cultural centers sponsored by their office.

There are no simple solutions or easy answers to solve the issues of injustice and prejudice in society and at our University. Of all of the various parts of our experience as administrators, this is the one area where we both feel like we have not done enough or met our own expectations. We do not experience that feeling as despair, but instead as a motivator to understand and accept our own privilege and the responsibilities that it brings to do more. We encourage our community to hold our entire leadership team accountable as we carry out that vital work together.

The challenge now is to remember this moment even if it fades from the headlines and to continue to strive for a society and a UConn that allows all to live safely and welcomed.

Sincerely,
Tom and Carl

Tom Katsouleas
President 

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear UConn Community,

As I begin my tenure as provost at the University of Connecticut this week, I am honored to play a part in building on UConn’s strengths, helping us all navigate current challenges brought on by COVID-19, and positioning us to emerge stronger than ever. At the end of this message, we are sharing the first in a series of COVID-19 updates that are particularly relevant to the academic mission.

My goals align with those of President Katsouleas in supporting life-transformative education, enhancing research, and driving economic growth in the state. I am eager to approach these goals in ways that are relevant to all disciplines within our academic community; prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion for our faculty, staff, and students; and approach our path forward with a strong interdisciplinary, innovative, and entrepreneurial spirit. Moreover, I look forward to engaging all of our campuses including the Avery Point, Hartford, Stamford, and Waterbury regional campuses.

I have had the privilege of many great conversations over the past few months and what I have learned is central to how I am approaching the role of provost. After extensive discussion, evaluation, and consultation with the exceptionally talented and dedicated team in the Provost’s Office, we have decided to undertake a reorganization to maximize service to our faculty, staff, and students. The change in structure will redistribute responsibilities to enhance depth of focus in critical areas, as well as strengthen our communications infrastructure. I am pleased to share that this reorganization has also benefitted from extensive conversation with stakeholders across campus including the president’s cabinet and our academic deans, as well as leadership from University Senate and the unions.

We have been able to make these changes in a fiscally responsible manner, through targeted efficiencies and realignment of responsibilities, keeping our office lean but also strategically aligned to prioritize the services needed by our community.

The first new role will be focused on organization and communication. Kristi Henderson, who served in a similar combined role with me at the University of Kansas, will be coming to UConn this summer as the assistant vice provost for strategic communications and chief of staff in the Provost’s Office. Kristi will play a pivotal role in the work we will do together as a community to determine and communicate our path forward in the context of an ever-evolving pandemic.

I am also pleased to announce that we will be searching for a new vice provost for faculty/staff affairs and development. This position will be crucial in our ability to balance and focus the portfolios of our existing leadership in the Provost’s Office. In complement to our already strong emphasis on students, this position allows us to prioritize equitable attention to the needs of our faculty and staff. We will announce an internal search for this role in the coming days. With this new position, Vice Provost John Volin will focus his portfolio on undergraduate student success and Vice Provost Jeffrey Shoulson will focus on interdisciplinary and strategic initiatives. The other areas in the Provost’s Office remain unchanged, including graduate education, global affairs, budget, and capital planning, and a committed staff who continue to strive together to maintain excellence in this office.

I am grateful to all those who have welcomed and advised me as I’ve prepared for this new role. I want to especially thank my predecessor, John Elliott, for his leadership this past year, as well as Kathy Slowik, who has steadfastly supported me through a seamless transition before she retires as executive assistant to the provost this August after 20 years in the Provost’s Office.

UConn feels like home already. I am excited to work alongside you as we advance UConn’s mission.

Thank you,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

---

COVID-19 Updates for the Academic Community

• We are in the process of determining teaching schedules for the Fall and are moving as quickly as possible. We are in regular contact with the Senate Executive Committee and will make sure to prioritize safety and the rigor we’ve come to expect as part of our educational mission. Until we are able to communicate decisions, please continue to follow the guidance from President Katsouleas and prepare for the possibility of your courses being delivered online.

• The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) has provided new guidance for the phased reopening of research activities in light of the lifting of certain state restrictions. All faculty, post-docs, and students are encouraged to consult the resource page at the following link for important details.

• Faculty and staff who have the ability to work from home are encouraged to continue to do so until further notice. Please contact your supervisor if you have any questions.

• Please be sure to follow the daily COVID-19 updates from University Communications, which is your most up to date and comprehensive source of COVID-19 related news and updates.