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

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.

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.

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.

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

• Town hall materials: Several university administrators participated in a faculty town hall last week. A video recording, as well as slides from the provost’s presentation, can be viewed on our site, https://provost.uconn.edu/communications/provosts-messages/.
• Reopening plan: At each phase of reopening, the University must prepare and submit our plan to the state. The fall reopening plan is available to view at https://reopen.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3065/2020/08/UConn-Reopen-Phase-3-Fall-2020-Final.pdf.
• Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies: We have extended our search to fill this newly configured position in our office. We are accepting applications for this position through Monday, August 10. You can learn more about the position on our site at 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.
• New dean of law: We are pleased to welcome Eboni S. Nelson as the new dean of the School of Law. You can learn more about Dean Nelson through this Q&A, https://www.law.uconn.edu/about/press-room/uconn-law-welcomes-dean-eboni-nelson.
• Office Hours with Provost’s Office Leadership: The Provost’s Office is hosting weekly Office Hours open to all faculty, staff, and students. More information on upcoming sessions can be found on the Provost’s Office website, provost.uconn.edu/.
• CETL resources for fall teaching preparation: The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning has shared curated resources for faculty and graduate student instructors as they continue preparations for their fall courses. The resource guide is available on our site at https://provost.uconn.edu/communications/informational-memos/.

On July 29, President Katsouleas and other University leaders discussed UConn’s reopening plans for the fall semester. The purpose of this session was to update the UConn faculty on the university’s plans and goals for reopening, as well as to answer related questions.

PDF of presentation slides from Provost Lejuez

Full video of town hall via UConn’s YouTube channel

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.