Office of the Provost

Dear Colleagues,

As we prepare for our return to in-person instruction starting on January 31, I am writing to acknowledge the incredibly hard work undertaken by our community in getting through a successful first week of classes in the face of multiple challenges and adversities. I also wanted to take this opportunity to provide reminders, links to resources, and clarification across a few key issues. This memo provides guidance that is generally applicable across campuses but please also be aware of specific guidance that may be shared by leaders in your unit.

• Common spaces and gatherings in academic settings: Campus guidelines and visitor guidelines have been updated as needed. Please be sure to reference these as you’re planning events and meetings.
  • As a few highlights, a) masks will continue to be required in all indoor settings on each of our campuses (and required outdoors where distancing is not possible); and b) classes, academic events, and the participation of visitors in classes and/or events will be allowed without social distancing if no food is served and if the campus guidelines referenced above are followed.
  • Please note that there is a color-coded system for students across non-academic settings including residence halls and student organization activities and meetings. Beyond campus guidelines, these are additional restrictions for students given our responsibilities for their health and well-being. Information regarding the color-coded system and its current status is available here.

• Best practices in responding to COVID-related impacts on classes: Over the past few semesters, we’ve observed several best practices across many different instructional settings in responding to the academic impacts of COVID. I share a few of these here as options; however, our office also understands that what works best will vary from instructor to instructor and class format.
  • Supporting students who miss class due to COVID: If a student is placed in COVID-related quarantine (in response to potential exposure) or isolation (in response to testing positive and/or showing symptoms) by SHaW or their healthcare provider, they will be directed to contact their instructors; in cases where a large number of students are placed in quarantine or isolation (e.g., an entire dorm), the Dean of Students Office will be in touch directly with instructors. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning has created a set of FAQs for instructors to support students in quarantine or isolation: https://ecampus.uconn.edu/dean-letter-faq/. Some examples of options across exams, labs, and lectures are provided below.
    • Exams: General options include allowing a make-up exam or allowing students to drop their lowest exam grade to be replaced by their second lowest exam grade. This does not apply to final exams, which require students to obtain permission from the Dean of Students Office to reschedule a final.
    • Labs: Some instructors have provided data from a lab session that allows a student to complete a lab report when they were unable to attend in-person. Another option is to allow a student to attend a different lab section if space is available and the student’s attendance is approved in advance by the lab coordinator.
    • Lecture: Some instructors have opted to stream their lectures so students who cannot attend in-person can view the material live. Another option is to record the lecture, or to post the class slides to HuskyCT. While either can be valuable for the students who must miss classes in some cases, the decision to undertake either of these approaches is fully up to the instructor based on their pedagogical assessment of what is best for the individual student and the entire class.
  • Temporary adjustment of modality due to COVID-related Illness: When an instructor or a large majority of students must miss a small number of classes in a course due to COVID-19, the instructor may teach those specific classes virtually or take other steps to provide instruction for the missed classes (e.g. arrange for an in-person replacement instructor or provide a different instructional opportunity). COVID-related reasons are not grounds for moving an in-person course permanently to a virtual modality. In the unusual case where a larger number of class sessions (e.g., > 10%) would be impacted, an instructor must work with their department head and dean to determine the best approach for the course to continue in-person.
  • Sick notes: SHaW does not provide sick notes to students and the University does not encourage requesting or requiring written proof for missing a class session, for a variety of reasons. Students should be encouraged to alert instructors of the need to miss class for COVID-related reasons prior to missed classes if possible.

• Student requests to attend an entire in-person course virtually: Instructors are under no obligation to meet requests for virtual attendance of a student in an in-person course. In some cases, in which the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) identifies virtual instruction as an accommodation for a student, as with all CSD accommodation recommendations, an acceptable accommodation must be made. Where the instructor believes virtual attendance is not appropriate for pedagogical reasons, they can work with CSD and CETL to ensure that another acceptable accommodation is identified and undertaken. Instructors should advise students requesting an accommodation due to disability to consult first with CSD.
• Student move-in weekend: Due to the potential snowstorm for Saturday, January 29, Residential Life will allow students to return to campus a day earlier, on Friday. Be aware that the Storrs campus will likely experience higher traffic as a result of move-in activity Friday through Sunday.

• Work/life balance: We know this is a trying time for a variety of reasons, with many of you facing additional stresses when it comes to caring for children and other loved ones. Our office will continue to encourage supervisors to be flexible with their direct reports as they navigate potential disruptions, which often come with little advance notice. I also want to remind everyone of the free services available through the University’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to all employees (including GAs) and their household members. A review of EAP services and options is available at https://hr.uconn.edu/employee-assistance-program/.
• Mask availability: The University has ordered supplies of surgical-style and KN95 masks for faculty and staff for everyday use. The surgical-style and KN95 masks are available through this form (requires NetID login): https://warehouse.uconn.edu/face-mask-requests/. Environmental Health and Safety has a resource guide available on their website with more information on the differences among various masks and their recommended usages.

If you have further questions, please consult our Academic FAQs. If you are still unsure or have specific suggestions, please reach out to leadership in your unit, or you are always welcome to reach out to me directly.

Best of luck in the coming weeks. Our students are greatly looking forward to getting back to the amazing in-person learning environment we create at UConn, and the academic leadership at UConn truly wants to do all we can to support each of you and your part in creating that environment.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs