To the UConn community,

In recent days, we have been made aware of several incidents of hateful conduct and speech directed at members of our community on the Storrs campus. This includes vile anti-Semitic graffiti on a building near Hillel and deeply offensive comments directed at members of the LGBTQ community, among others. Our disappointment is matched only by our concern: Any such attack on students, faculty, or staff members is totally unacceptable and has no place at this University.

We are taking these incidents very seriously, and any violations of the law or the Student Code of Conduct will be answered with disciplinary measures and law enforcement where appropriate. But these matters are not only formal violations of codes and statutes: They are directly counter to the spirit and purpose of education, and inimical to the life of a community of scholars and students.

The past year has been extraordinarily difficult for our University, our state, our country, and our world. Despite those hardships, many religious traditions observed this very week recognize the strength of faith and perseverance through the celebrations of Easter and Passover. Beyond these moments recognized by these specific traditions, there remains a true beacon for all of us of the importance of togetherness, compassion, and care displayed by the vast majority of UConn students, faculty, and staff members. We are emerging from a time of challenge as a stronger community, which is why these incidents are particularly hurtful and upsetting. We cannot – we will not – allow the hateful words and conduct of a few individuals damage the spirit of unity that animates this University.

We want to direct you to some of the resources available at UConn, which help strengthen our community by celebrating our diversity:

• The Office for Diversity and Inclusion, which offers a wealth of resources and information, as well as the ability to report a bias incident.
• The Office of Institutional Equity, which administers UConn’s non-discrimination policies and offers a suite of vital trainings.
• The cultural centers on campus, which provide students with a truly remarkable range of programs, as well as offering supportive, sustaining environments for students from a diverse range of backgrounds.
• The faith communities that serve UConn, offering spiritual support and direction to the rich variety of traditions in our community.
• The Center for Students with Disabilities, which provides outstanding support and programming for our students.

It is also important to remember that if you are the victim of or witness to a crime, the UConn Police Department is here to protect each and every member of our community.

It is distressing to me that a letter like this one is necessary, but it is absolutely urgent for us to make clear to all of our students, faculty, and staff members that you are vital, valued members of the UConn community. For those who feel distressed or uncertain in the face of incidents of abhorrent conduct, let us be as clear as we can: Hate has no place here. Together, we will overcome this, as we can overcome any challenge when we face it as a united University.

Regards,

Tom Katsouleas
President

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Frank Tuitt
Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer

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

 

 

 

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past 12 months, we have lived through a pandemic that has disrupted our lives and our work in nearly every way imaginable. When our University officially made a shift to virtual learning and work for the spring semester, one year ago, we weren’t sure how many weeks that would last. Then we started to wonder how many months it would last, as the decision soon carried forward to summer, then to fall, and now to spring again. Throughout, we have asked a lot of each of you, and you have accomplished feats that would have seemed impossible before the COVID-19 pandemic.

As we shared in a message to the University earlier this week, we are hopeful that our campuses will return to a more fully in-person presence in the fall. For the short and long term, big questions loom, as we ponder the lasting effects of this pandemic on our institution.

Many offices, teams, and individuals are already involved in conversations and planning on these issues. In order to bring our collective wisdom together and provide over-arching guidance, the University has convened two committees: Future of Learning (co-chaired by Senior Vice Provost Jeffrey Shoulson and Engineering Associate Dean Dan Burkey) and Future of Work (co-chaired by me and Associate Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Chris Delello). I encourage you to click the links for each to learn more about these committees and their membership.

We still face many unknowns, which means that flexibility must remain a constant guiding principle when it comes to serving our community. These groups will be crucial representatives of and advocates for the diverse voices and needs across our faculty, staff, and student populations. And they will be crucial in helping us undertake any changes necessary to our plans as they become needed.

We also know that the pandemic will have lasting impacts on faculty and staff progression. The Provost’s Office and Human Resources also partnered on a COVID-Focused Work Balance Task Force in the fall to begin to capture issues and potential strategies and resources, some of which can be addressed in the Future committees, as well as in an effort being led by our office and the Office of Human Resources in collaboration with all University divisions to determine initiatives we can undertake to mitigate the impact of COVID. We are reviewing recommendations from this task force and will share more information in a future communication.

The past year has been trying. We have seen many of the ways in which our community can pull together around a common cause, and we have also seen areas where we must do better. These efforts will be most successful if they both capture and incorporate the best of what we did this past year, as well as acknowledge where we struggled individually and collectively. Both will help us all work together to make UConn emerge even stronger in the years to come.

Amid myriad challenges personal and professional for each of us, I am grateful to be part of a community that has sacrificed so much to continue our mission supporting our students and the State of Connecticut. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

To the University Community:

Last week, we shared UConn’s plans for in-person commencement ceremonies at Rentschler Field honoring the Classes of 2020 and 2021, in addition to our online ceremony. These occasions will cap the end of a long and tumultuous academic year with a spirit of pride, togetherness, and celebration – and serve as one sign of our gradual return to normalcy.

In that same spirit, we write to you today about a new beginning: returning to our campuses for the fall 2021 semester.

Though there are of course unknowns and uncertainties that remain, there are signs that we are beginning to emerge from this pandemic. Given the accelerating pace of vaccinations, widening eligibility, and positive trends with respect to prevalence and infection, this spring and summer will be a crucial time to hopefully turn the tide for good when it comes to COVID. We encourage every member of our community to make an appointment to be vaccinated as soon as you are eligible.

Knowing this, the University is actively planning scenarios for a fall reopening. As with everything related to the pandemic, how this will actually unfold will be based on public health guidance and circumstances at the time the fall semester is set to begin, meaning that we must remain as nimble and vigilant as we have been for the last year.

We share our plans and goals below.

ACADEMICS

Students were able to begin registration for fall and summer classes yesterday, March 22.

Similar to last year, nearly all courses for the summer will be offered online.

For the fall, we are hopeful that we will be able to more fully return to an in-person student experience. To that end, students registering will see that the majority of courses are listed as in-person, close to the same levels as fall 2019:

• 93% of undergraduate classes are listed as in-person, compared with 98% in fall 2019
• 86% of graduate classes are listed as in-person, compared with 90% in fall 2019

While we have entered the registration process with the goal of offering a more fully in-person academic experience next year than was possible this year, we will be flexible moving forward to support evolving academic needs in our schools and colleges. Moreover, we will be closely monitoring guidance on social distancing, vaccination rates, and other public health indicators over the next few months that could affect these levels of in-person experiences. If any of these indicators result in significant changes to our expected levels of in-person academics, we will share that update as soon as possible.

Throughout this year, the University has implemented a variety of health and safety measures with respect to issues such as distancing and airflow in classrooms, offices, and other facilities, and we will continue to adjust those measures as we prepare for a larger and denser population returning to our campuses.

STUDENT LIFE

Our fall plans are always contingent on guidance from the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH).  Given the increasing prevalence of vaccine in the world, it is likely that all students will have the opportunity to be vaccinated before returning to campuses in the fall, and all are strongly encouraged to do so.  UConn will plan to offer vaccinations to any returning students who have not been vaccinated, with a priority on residential students.  Regional students will be advised to obtain the vaccine through their medical provider over the course of the summer.

All students will be asked to notify the University over the course of the summer when they have received the vaccine.  While receiving the vaccine is not mandatory at this time, we cannot emphasize enough how much being vaccinated matters and informs the University’s ability to successfully reopen.  Please follow your state and national guidelines for vaccination and take advantage of appointments when they arise.  In the United States, the CDC has suggested all individuals over 16 years of age should have access to an appointment by May.

The University currently plans for our residence halls to return to higher density – as high as approximately 90% — depending on public health circumstances at the beginning of the fall semester. The residential community will continue to plan for holding some bed space for quarantine and isolation should COVID-19 remain present at UConn.  That number will be determined over the course of the summer following DPH guidance.  Student Affairs will send more information to students on residential capacity on March 31.

Masking and many distancing requirements will remain in place in the fall and will follow state and federal guidance.  The University will adapt its current color-coded system to reflect the ability to relax some restrictions as vaccination rates increase and guidance allows.  The color-coded system will affect the capacity of facilities such as the Recreation Center and the Student Union, student activities, dining, and residential life.

STAFF WORKFORCE

While employees who are vital to maintaining physical campus operations and conducting research have been working in person consistently for the duration of the pandemic, along with faculty and graduate students who taught in-person courses, many of our valued staff have been working remotely.

Those who are working remotely should plan on doing so through approximately Aug. 15. This does not mean that all employees who are working remotely will be required to come to campus on that date. Some employees who will play a needed role in preparing our campuses for the return of students and the beginning of the fall semester may be asked to report to work over the summer in advance of move-in and the start of the academic year. An employee who needs to come to campus at any time may do so with the agreement of their manager and Human Resources.

As has been the case since the beginning of the pandemic, many employees who could do so have appreciated the ability to work remotely over the course of the last year and are just as productive working from home – or more so – than when working in an office environment full-time. Others much prefer an office environment and are more productive there. For many employees and managers, a hybrid approach between the two, when possible, would be ideal, provided the University’s business needs are being met.

Given this, the University is in the process of examining new policies and approaches that may allow for greater flexibility for managers and employees when it comes to remote working in the future – beginning this fall – while ensuring that fair, equitable and consistent criteria can be implemented across the University, balanced with University needs. More on that in the coming weeks.

A new approach to remote working is only one example of changes we are considering.

GOING FORWARD

As noted above, there are clearly lessons to be learned from our experience during the pandemic with respect to learning, working, and the long-term effects for individuals and society.

In some cases, those lessons present challenges we will need to address, and in others, they can present opportunities to change and innovate. To that end, the University has convened two committees to think about and plan for potential short-term and long-term impacts in our daily operations: the Future of Learning committee  and the Future of Work committee.

Over the coming weeks and months, these groups will meet to discuss and recommend any number of changes and new approaches the University may adopt as we work to address problems and evolve for the better based on our experience during the pandemic. The Provost will provide additional information and details on both of these efforts this week, as well as through the coming months.

We have also seen the pandemic exacerbate inequities and evoke discrimination that disproportionately affects many in our community, from higher rates of COVID infection and serious illness among people of color and other populations, to heightened violence against Asians and Asian Americans, to increased caregiving demands. Our University can play many roles in addressing these concerns, both locally in supporting the needs of our own community, and broadly in applying our scholarly expertise to better understand and improve these issues at a societal level.

RE-ENTRY PLAN

The University will present its formal fall 2021 re-entry plan during the week of May 24, which will include similarly detailed plans as were adopted prior to the start of the past two academic semesters. We expect these plans will be updated throughout the summer based on circumstances.

With respect to vaccinations, please note that because each of the three vaccines have to date been approved on an emergency basis only, the University is not able to require that anyone – student or employee – receive it. Please also recall that UConn does not have its own vaccination plan; we are implementing the vaccination plan created by the state Department of Public Health, which determines prioritization and timetables. UConn cannot create its own system of prioritization. The state has announced that it expects that all people over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive the vaccine as of April 5 in Connecticut.

So there is still much work to do, but we believe we have good cause to be hopeful about our future. It is with a growing sense of relief, optimism and confidence that we look to our return.

Sincerely,

Tom Katsouleas
President

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Scott Jordan
Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President for Administration

Dear UConn Faculty, Staff, and Students:

As we approach the end of finals and the end of this semester, I want to share my immense gratitude for your individual and collaborative efforts these last several months.

Teaching, learning, and researching in a pandemic has come with an unprecedented scale and volume of challenges. We are working apart physically, but highly collaboratively in our approach to creating solutions. When I look back comprehensively at everything we have implemented to continue the academic mission, the sum of your efforts is astounding. I want us each to take a moment to reflect on what we’ve accomplished this semester; I’m sharing a summary here as a start toward recognizing how each member of our community has contributed to our ability to keep moving forward.

Faculty
Many of you had the dual challenge of advancing your research while also teaching courses. And you weren’t just teaching; for many of you, you had to reinvent your course materials for remote or hybrid delivery, or in socially distanced conditions. You also served as advisors and mentors to your students, striving to keep them engaged and supported as they adapted to change and challenges, as well. Many of you spent significant time evaluating policy and by-law changes, as well, to allow more flexibility for students. Some of you have been directly involved in combatting COVID-19 through your research and as advisors to committees and task forces, locally and at the state level. We know for many of you, your research productivity has been challenged, too, which is an issue we are taking seriously. We have convened a group to assess COVID-19 work-life balance among academics, and are putting together a group to study gender gaps arising from the effects of the pandemic. We have asked a lot of you, and I am grateful for your efforts and your feedback through the semester.

Staff
I’ve said before that staff keep UConn running. This has never been more true than these past several months. As an entire University continued to work primarily remotely, you organized countless WebEx meetings and provided technical support on a massive scale. You advised students on their coursework and changes to policy, and continued other crucial academic support services to help students succeed and prepare for their careers after graduation. You developed FAQs and contributed to many other communications to keep constituencies informed of important changes. You kept our campuses safe and clean and heated and cooled, you housed and fed on-campus populations, you kept construction projects going, and you kept the transit wheels turning. You were flexible and responsive in extending deadlines, updating forms, and sharing feedback on potential procedural changes. You’ve administered testing for thousands of students and employees, and now you’re preparing to administer vaccines. Throughout it all, you have been invaluable partners and leaders in moving us ahead through a pandemic.

Graduate Students and Postdocs
In any semester, graduate students are managing multiple roles, often as student, educator, and researcher, and postdocs are pushing the frontiers of knowledge forward while serving as mentors and guides to graduate and undergraduate students. The pandemic made what is a challenging role in normal times even more challenging and complicated. As teachers, you’ve overcome many of the same challenges as faculty in having to adapt your course materials. As scholars, many of you have had to change the approach to your research as travel to field sites or archives has been impossible. For many of you the great uncertainty often associated with life after your degree is even greater because of the enormous changes in employment and the economy. Yet through it all, you have been involved partners throughout our planning efforts, making sure your voices and concerns are considered as the University makes decisions. I have appreciated your input and that of graduate student leaders and will continue to seek your comments on how we can support your unique challenges.

Undergraduate Students
Your image of your college experience certainly looked different than what it has been over nearly the past year. I and my colleagues have been so appreciative of the level of care and responsibility you have shown to keep each other safe by following the behavioral best practices laid out in the UConn Promise. You have also been critical in helping the Office of the Provost, and our schools and colleges know what has been working in your courses and where we can improve. Undergraduate student leaders have also been essential partners in advocating for flexible policies for students who are facing unique sets of challenges. I am thankful for your care and concern.

Taking Care
The pace of the last several months has been intense, as each week, and often each day, has brought a new challenge to address. I know the pandemic’s impact stretches beyond your professional lives and has also influenced your personal lives, as children and relatives require additional care and support, or you’ve experienced illness or loss affecting a loved one. I hope for each of you that you can find moments between the fall and spring semesters to rest and reset. You have my deepest appreciation for everything you do.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear UConn Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students:

What a semester this has been. You have each been working at a persistent pace to adjust and adapt to different teaching modalities, research restrictions, and myriad other modified services for students, staff, and faculty. As we head into the Thanksgiving Break, I hope that each of you can take time to unwind, reset, and unplug.

When we all return after the break, we’ll be completing the last couple of weeks of classes and finals. There are many ways this will be different than a normal semester, so I thought it would be helpful to share a summary of resources and reminders.

Class modality
All classes will be taught remotely after Thanksgiving Break, from Nov. 30 through Dec. 7, followed by Reading Days from Dec. 8 through 13; no classes, assessments, or due dates for assignments (mandatory or optional) can occur on these reading days. When we return for the spring semester, all classes will be held remotely from Jan. 19 through 29. If public health and safety conditions allow, classes will resume in their indicated modality, starting Feb. 1.

Finals
Final exams are scheduled from Dec. 14 through 16, and Dec. 18 through 20. Dec. 17 is a Reading Day (with the same stipulations for reading days noted above).

If your class includes a final exam, this exam must be conducted remotely. Instructors choosing another form of assessment aside from a final exam should have indicated this with the Registrar via the opt-out form.

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 but have not provided notice to your students yet or have not conducted a practice run as recommended, please do so as soon as possible. This will allow students an opportunity to identify any potential complications that may arise during the final 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 ecampus.uconn.edu/keep-teaching-assessment.

Reduced student presence on campus
The majority of students living in residence halls will have moved off-campus by this weekend, as has been the university’s plan since the beginning of this semester. Students who need to stay on campus in residence halls will be allowed to do so, with modified services available. All students leaving campus have been required to take a COVID test before leaving to promote safety beyond our campuses.

Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs)
Based on a proposal put forward by the Senate Faculty Standards Committee, and a supportive vote from University Senate, Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs) will be required for all courses in the current fall semester. The proposal further made a request for the “administration to consider the potential impact of the pandemic on faculty as they analyze and apply SET results from Fall 2020 and Spring 2021.” I believe this is a very reasonable request and I indicated my support for it in the Senate meeting and I reiterate that support here.

Specific to SETs for the current fall semester, please note these two important reminders:

1. Instructors have the opportunity to add three additional open-ended questions to their SET surveys. Instructors of regularly scheduled courses may add their questions starting on Saturday, Nov. 21 through Friday, Nov. 27. Please visit oire.uconn.edu/set/set-support.
2. SET invitations will be emailed directly to students two weeks before the last scheduled day of the course (or one week, if the course is less than six weeks long). This link to SETs will also be available for students on their HuskyCT homepage. Instructors will have the ability to check the response rate of their survey(s) during the survey period.

Inclement weather guidance
The University recently shared a reminder of procedures and practices in the event of delays, cancellations, or closures due to inclement weather. Of note, if a decision is made to cancel classes, that will apply to all classes, both in-person/hybrid and online. While we certainly understand why an instructor teaching an in-person or virtual course might want to offer a class virtually to avoid losing a class period, there are a variety of factors that necessitate the canceling of classes applies to all classes. These factors include access limitations to virtual classes that may result from power outages and other weather-related complications, as well as significant uncertainty and complications for students adjusting to last-minute modality changes.

Research precautions
While there are no plans to ramp down research activities at this time, we do encourage you to review the precautions in place to maintain health and safety in research settings, as well as updates on Undergraduate Research participation. The Office of the Vice President for Research and the Provost’s Office shared a joint update earlier this week, which you can find here: provost.uconn.edu/2020/11/17/maintaining-a-commitment-to-health-and-safety-in-research-activities.

Spring re-entry
All students living in on-campus residences will be tested by the start of the spring semester and will quarantine during the first two weeks of classes.

All employees who will work regularly on campus in the spring should expect to be tested. Supervisors are also being asked to update their registry to indicate which employees will need to be on campus regularly to perform their job duties. Human Resources recently shared information on employee testing protocols that cover the winter break and the start of the spring semester. Please review those details here: hr.uconn.edu/employee-covid-testing.

Travel
In general, employee domestic and international travel for work purposes remains heavily restricted, in line with State of Connecticut guidance. We also encourage employees to be mindful of state guidance as you consider holiday travel plans. Please visit hr.uconn.edu/employee-domestic-travel and travel.uconn.edu to access more details on UConn travel requirements, as well as State of Connecticut guidance.

Gratitude for your efforts
All of the updates and resources above represent countless hours of collaboration and ingenuity across more offices than I can list here. I’ve said many times that one of the things that makes UConn so great is the people. This has been apparent throughout this semester as I’ve seen so many faculty, staff, and students work collaboratively to make the best of a challenging situation together. Thank you and please be safe over this much-needed break.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

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Updates for the Academic Community

Provost’s Office Community Office Hours
The Provost’s Office continues to host office hours for any member of the community to connect with our leadership. Upcoming times can be viewed on our homepage, provost.uconn.edu.

Vice Provost Michael Bradford is hosting themed office hours for two of his upcoming dates:

• COVID Workload Issues for Spring, 2021(faculty and academic staff only), Dec. 2, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. RSVP here.
• New faculty of color, Dec. 8, 1 to 2 p.m. RSVP here.

Black and Brown Faculty Networking Event
The Provost’s Office, the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, and Human Resources are partnering to host a virtual networking event for Black and brown faculty, on Dec. 18, from 4 to 6 p.m. RSVP here.

Faculty and Staff of Color Town Halls
The Office for Diversity and Inclusion is hosting two town halls for faculty and staff of color in December. The first town hall is for Staff of Color (Dec. 3, 9am-11am) and the second is for Faculty of Color (Dec. 16, 1-3pm). The first 60 minutes of each event will include remarks and updates from President Tom Katsouleas, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Frank Tuitt, Vice Provost Michael Bradford, and Provost Carl Lejuez followed by a Q&A session. The subsequent hour will be used for discussion among attendees. If you can attend, please register HERE by Nov. 23. Supervisors are also asked to be flexible in allowing their employees to attend these events.

International student access to HuskyCT
International students have access to HuskyCT through UConn’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) and in the vast majority of situations this has been working reliably. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they have reliable internet connections and to abide by the laws and regulations where they are located. However, ITS is aware of some situations where students have demonstrated the inability to access components of the course due to firewall restrictions in their home country. Some foreign countries may limit or prohibit access to certain US websites. If students in your class reach out to you with this kind of access issue, please make reasonable accommodations to ensure that they are able to have access to necessary course materials.

Student employment guide
The Office of Student Financial Aid Services – Student Employment has recently produced a guide with frequently asked questions regarding student employment in university positions. The guide can be found at studentjobs.uconn.edu/employment-guide.

General Education Course Enhancement Grant Competition
Each year, the Provost’s Office General Education Course Enhancement Grant Competition awards several proposals up to $7,500 to revise existing Gen Ed courses in innovative ways or create new ones to enhance the General Education curriculum at UConn. The deadline for this year’s competition is Dec. 4. Details on submitting proposals can be found at geoc.uconn.edu/course-development-grant-competition.

Center for Career Development Affinity Communities
The Center for Career Development recently introduced its new Affinity Communities, which are identity-focused groups that provide specialized content that integrates diversity, equity, and inclusion within the career development journey. A key feature are the Student and Alumni Success Stories featuring current students, recent alumni, and “further-out” alumni who have shared their stories, insight, and advice. All faculty and staff are welcome to direct students to these pages to find student groups, events, mentors, and more. The Affinity Communities landing page can be found at career.uconn.edu/affinitycommunities.

Dear UConn Community,

For the past several months, many of us have had to focus our energy and attention on adapting to the challenges posed by COVID-19. Today, as we anticipate the results of the presidential election, many of us again find our attention focused to just the day ahead.

While 2020 has in many ways necessitated that we prioritize the short term, as a university community we also must consider where we are headed for the long term. A big step toward charting that direction is launching our strategic planning process. In a normal year, we would likely not choose to announce the start of this process on Election Day. But 2020 is unlike any year we’ve ever seen.

A strategic planning process launched amid an unprecedented year like 2020 would ring hollow without the context of this year’s events. Our strategic planning process must consider our place as a public research university in the full context of our times, which includes a pandemic, racial and social injustices, and environmental impacts. So in some ways, it is fitting to launch our planning process in the context of a consequential election.

We are launching the start of our planning process with you. We invite you to join us in visioning activities over the next few weeks, where we will share our initial directions for strategic planning and gather your feedback on what direction you envision for UConn over the next several years.

We are offering a few different options to participate in these visioning activities: through university-wide events, through your own teams or organizations, or individually.

The university-wide visioning events will include a State of the University presentation from President Katsouleas and an overview of the strategic planning process from Provost Lejuez. They will also include breakout sessions made up of randomly assigned groups of each event’s faculty, staff, and student attendees to engage in discussion about shared vision and values for the UConn of the Future.

We have made the following dates and times available for university-wide visioning events:

• Friday, Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 19 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

You may also choose to participate in strategic plan visioning activities within your own teams or organizations, or individually. We will record the presentations from the university-wide events and can provide the same visioning activity materials for those who elect the team or individual option.

If you are interested in participating in visioning activities, we ask that you let us know through our RSVP form by clicking here. Please note that we are also seeking faculty and staff facilitators for the university-wide events, for which you’ll be able to sign up in the RSVP form.

These events will set the stage for our creation of a steering committee and working groups from our community, who will join our planning team for the start of the spring semester. If you are interested in engaging in specific ways on this plan, you may let us know via provost@uconn.edu.

We look forward to beginning these important conversations with you.

Sincerely,
Tom and Carl

Tom Katsouleas
President

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear UConn Community,

Our University is committed to an environment that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Recent reports of a series of anti-Semitic incidents on our Storrs campus undermine that goal. We denounce in the strongest terms acts of violence, hate, and intimidation aimed at members of our Jewish community.

These recent reports were all acts of physical damage to property, including swastika graffiti. These are undeniable symbols of antisemitism that elicit painful reminders of the Holocaust among our Jewish students, faculty, and staff. These acts and other discriminatory acts this semester are deeply upsetting and leave a scar on members of our community whose beliefs or identities are targeted. No student or employee should be subjected to harassment based on their religious beliefs, nor their race, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, national origin, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

We rely on each member of our community to help us foster an environment that is welcoming and safe for all of us. Our University policies set forth expectations of acceptable and unacceptable behavior, which are outlined in our policy against harassment, discrimination, and related interpersonal violence. Violations can result in discipline up to and including separation from the University.

Another important measure anyone at UConn can take is to report bias incidents at our new site, inform.uconn.edu. We created this site to make it easier for any employee or student at UConn to submit a report and find additional resources. Your reports also help University leaders identify potential problem areas, giving us the opportunity to address issues more proactively.

The recent acts of anti-Semitism happened in South Campus and were investigated using our bias response protocol with a focus on the residential community where the acts of hatred took place. After each incident the Residential Life staff reached out to the impacted parties to offer support and provided messages to the community, which are posted on the Dean of Students Office’s website.

UConn staff are actively engaged in conversations with the members of the Hillel community to plan an event to be held the week of Nov. 9 to address these concerns and work toward healing. Details of the upcoming event including date and time will be available next week, posted in the Daily Digest. These acts of hatred have no home on our campus and we will continue to work to support the members of our community, particularly UConn Huskies of the Jewish faith who have been directly impacted.

Unfortunately, we have no shortage of events that demonstrate the destruction that can result from religious intolerance, from as nearby as the deadly shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh to recent religiously motivated attacks in Paris. As a public research university, UConn holds a responsibility to lead the way in promoting mutual understanding and repudiating intolerance.

Sincerely,

Tom Katsouleas
President

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Franklin Tuitt
Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer

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

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

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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.

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