Office of the Provost

Dear Colleagues,

I’m writing to share updates from this month’s University Senate meeting, which led to changes in the by-laws. This includes a temporary new grade as an alternate to the W grade and the expectations for delivery of syllabi and course schedules to students.

As always, the minutes and other documentation can be found on the University Senate website. From this meeting, you’ll also find President Katsouleas’s report on the Presidential Task Force on Sponsored Projects, and Vice President Frank Tuitt’s report on the Office for Diversity and Inclusion.

NRC grade*
The University Senate approved a new grade that will provide students who withdraw from courses an option to note that the W grade was received during the height of the COVID pandemic. This new grade will be recorded as NRC: No Record-COVID. The NRC grade makes clear to employers and graduate schools that a grade was disrupted by COVID. The Graduate Faculty Council voted to provide the same option to graduate students.

Eligibility to convert a W grade to an NRC grade requires having met the following criteria:

• Undergraduate, Ratcliffe Hicks, Graduate, Non-Degree, and Pharm D students
• Have been approved to withdraw from a course in the spring 2020, summer 2020, fall 2020, winter 2021 and spring 2021 semesters only

For previously withdrawn courses. Emails will be sent to eligible students when the NRC request portal is available later this semester.

For new spring 2021 course withdrawal requests. Students may elect the W or NRC grading option when submitting course withdrawals through the withdrawal deadline of April 28, 2021. The form for withdrawal requests, which now also includes the NRC option, can be found on the Registrar’s website.

The deadline for all NRC Requests is April 28, 2021. All requests will be processed in Student Admin by May 14, 2021.

This is a limited-term change that has been approved only for the semesters mentioned above.

Syllabi update*
The University Senate also voted to amend the By-Laws, Rules and Regulations of the University Senate as follows with deleted items in strikethrough and new language underlined. The intent is to provide students timely information on course expectations so they can plan for and adjust their course load accordingly.

II.I.5. Miscellaneous, Syllabi

(After 4/5/2021 – II.E.2 Scholastic Standing, Responsibility for the Academic Assessment of Students)

Instructors shall provide, in writing on the first day of class, syllabi and schedules if not included in syllabi, to students in their courses, including internships and independent studies. Instructors shall specify what will be taught, when and how it will be taught, when and how learning will be assessed, and how grades will be assigned, and (for distance education courses) how student identity will be authenticated.

Thank you
During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, our University community has adopted many adjusted practices and revised policies to help balance the increased need for flexibility with our commitment to a rigorous academic experience. I appreciate the collaboration and advocacy of our student, faculty, and staff leaders to make these changes in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

*These changes do not apply to UConn Law, Medicine, or Dental Medicine.