Office of the Provost

Dear Colleagues,

 While the fall semester is still eight months away, we must begin our initial planning for instruction now. There are many decisions and developments that will occur between now and August. Thus, our planning should provide a flexible starting point that will allow us to adapt as conditions change with safety as the primary driver of our decisions.

The first important step in our fall semester planning is the initiation of class schedule proofs ahead of the start of registration in the coming weeks. For now, the starting point for fall 2021 proofs is based on the teaching schedule from fall 2019. This approach allows us to consider the possibility of a more fully in-person experience in fall 2021, and allows for maximum flexibility to reduce density based on emerging public health data over the coming months. We strongly considered all options as a starting point in close collaboration with our Academic Planning Group, but the reality is that the logistics of moving from largely virtual to something more in person is simply less feasible than starting largely in person and shifting to virtual as appropriate.

We have shown a commitment to prioritizing safety throughout the past year and that same commitment will be in place as we determine any reduction in density and specifically in-person learning and working for the fall. Moreover, decisions about density will depend on numerous factors that include state guidelines; availability of vaccinations; and the findings from a working group I will be charging soon on the Future of Learning at UConn that will set a path for what learning can and should look like for our students in a post-pandemic environment.

We are seeing signs of progress with the first phase of vaccinations underway and are taking every step available to provide vaccination for those who will be in person in the fall. However, if you are not offered the full course of a vaccine in time for it to provide maximal protection by the start of the fall, you will be given the opportunity to conduct your classes and other work duties virtually ¹. We will also be mindful of infection rates, with a reduction of in-person presence tied to those rates. Additionally, we will consider health and other relevant exceptions that would necessitate someone continuing to teach and work remotely, such as the presence of an immunocompromised member of your household. Finally, in instances where a course delivered online better meets unit needs amid a more in-person semester, we will continue to support autonomy for department heads, instructors and deans to make those decisions that are in the best interests of the University and our continued commitment to our proud educational mission at UConn.

Following this message, the registrar will be in touch with more detailed instructions for departments to begin the process of preparing proofs. I will continue to work closely with deans for each school and college and the Senate Executive Committee and UConn AAUP to review this approach as we move forward in planning for the fall semester. Human Resources is also a key partner in our preparations as they lead employee vaccination coordination. I encourage you to engage in their Town Hall this Friday, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. More information is at https://hr.uconn.edu/employee-covid-vaccine/.

It is our hope that this approach for fall 2021, combined with the values we have led with to protect safety this year, will provide the confidence our community needs to begin planning now.

Please reach out to me directly at carl.lejuez@uconn.edu and consider attending my office hours (https://provost.uconn.edu/) if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

¹ At this time we are not able to require employees to be vaccinated and thus we are focused on whether a vaccine is offered as the key decider in someone not being asked to teach/work in person. At this time, those choosing not to be vaccinated will not be prohibited from working in person. All individuals, vaccinated or not, are required to continue to wear a mask and observe all other state guidelines until further notice.