Dear Faculty,

The campus has come alive with students hurrying to class, connecting with friends, making new friends and talking about what they are learning. From the organization and hard work of our residential and student life staff during move-in, to the enthusiasm and engagement of our Advocats and academic staff and faculty during new student orientation to the incredible student energy at Convocation and our Twilight Induction ceremony, the year couldn’t be off to a better start. I have also been hearing from faculty that your classes have been filled with excited, engaged students. Thank you for fostering their excitement. Please continue to capitalize on the fresh opportunities you have for nurturing these young minds, creating an academically rigorous and meaningful learning environment for them, and sharing your passion for teaching and learning!

As we begin the 2021-2022 academic year, there is a great deal of news and information to share. I hope this will be helpful to you.

Health and Safety

  • Please review the UVM COVID-19 Guidelines for information on the protocols and expectations for students and employees who test positive or are identified as a close contact. Please also refresh your understanding of the definitions of quarantine, isolation and close contact which are available here. Student Health Services will interview students who test positive and reach out to close contacts. We have a system to track and follow-up with close contacts to ensure their health and wellbeing. Please note, if you are identified as a close contact, and you are vaccinated, and you do not develop symptoms, you are not required to quarantine. However, you are expected to test on days 2 and 7 after exposure. Please review the guidelines carefully to understand your responsibilities and to help protect and promote the health of our community.
  • Students who test positive are required to isolate in a designated isolation space for 10 days. Our isolation space for on-campus students is operating as it did last year, with some enhancements.
  • Everyone is required to wear face coverings over their nose and mouth when inside UVM buildings and UVM vehicles, regardless of vaccination status. You can find specific details here. Currently eating in a classroom is prohibited since it requires extended mask removal. Quickly lowering a mask to drink is permitted at the discretion of the instructor.
  • UVM’s weekly testing results are posted every Monday.
  • Guidance on how to handle student absences from class for any medical reason is included in the syllabus template that is posted on the CTL website. 
  • The Center for Health and Wellbeing is partnering with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) to present Mental Health First Aid for Higher Education, a nationally certified training to faculty and graduate students. Even before the COVID 19 pandemic there has been an increase in depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions among college students. As the students enter their second year with pandemic still present and adversely impacting many lives, the resumption of campus classes this fall may be difficult for them. This training helps instructors to recognize the potential risk factors and warning signs for a range of mental health problems and use a 5-step action plan to help people in crisis connect with appropriate professional help. Please visit the CTL web site for additional program information.
  • As we settle into a new academic year after a prolonged period of distancing and uncertainty, it is more important than ever that we focus on the wellbeing of all University of Vermont employees. For many of us, the last 18 months has had an impact on our physical, mental, and social health and wellbeing. That's why I am pleased to announce and support Open Source Wellness at UVM, a welcoming and fun health and wellness coaching program for UVM and UVM Medical Center employees. You can learn more about this program in this message and at this website.

Academic Affairs

  • Faculty may now request Catamount Core designations for their courses!  Supplemental forms to include with your CourseLeaf submission, including those for D1, D2, and SU designation are available here. The Catamount Core general education program will launch with the incoming class in Fall 2023. More information about the new curriculum, current requirements for students matriculating before Fall 2023, and history of the general education alignment process can be found on the General Education website. Questions about general education at UVM can be directed to Pablo Bose, Provost’s Faculty Fellow for the Catamount Core.
  • Looking for more chances to engage directly with our first and second year students? Our themed residential Learning Communities are seeking Faculty Affiliates to offer short programs or other fun engagement opportunities this academic year. The total time commitment is 3-5 hours, usually spread over two separate engagements. If you’re interested in exploring the possibilities, please contact John Sama, Coordinator for Academic Integration in the Learning Communities.
  • The Office of Community-Engaged Learning (CELO) invites faculty who are teaching community-engaged courses to request course designation as Civic Learning or Service-Learning.  Both designations allow faculty to apply for supports and resources; consultation on pedagogy and guidance in the designation process available.  For more information, see the Faculty section of CELO's website, or email CELO Director Susan Munkres.  The course designation request form can also be found here. 
  • Each year, the university is required to publish a faculty list. This list appears in the University of Vermont Catalogue and it includes faculty members’ terminal academic degree information drawn from PeopleSoft. New faculty members should enter their degree information in PeopleSoft by September 30. Instructions are available here.

Faculty Professional Development

  • CTL and Writing in the Disciplines (WID) are co-hosting a book group exploring Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education by Alex Shevrin Venet. The author offers six principles that can help instructors create a more trauma-informed and equitable student experience. If you are interested in participating, please complete this form by September 7.
  • CTL continues to offer a variety of workshops to support your teaching and use of instructional technology. For a list of events and to register, please visit the CTL Events Calendar.
  • The Division of Faculty Affairs offers funding and strategic support for professional development events. If you have an idea for an event (e.g., speaker, workshop, book group) contact Jim.Vigoreaux@uvm.edu or submit the request form found here. We welcome suggestions for events for the AY21-22 Faculty Development Series on Equity, Social Justice, and the Sustainability Imperative.
  • The beginning of the academic year is a good time to plan your research and writing projects. To help you develop a successful strategy, the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity is offering a multi-week course on building a publishing pipeline.

Supporting Community

  • Given the shortage of housing options for our students and new faculty and staff, any member of the UVM community who wishes to post information about properties they have available for rent can access the off-campus housing site. Post information using your UVM NetID and password.

Reminders and Recent Communications

  • On August 31, Interim Vice Provost for Student Affairs Erica Caloiero and Title IX Coordinator Nick Stanton shared a status report on the university’s Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Action Plan.
  • On August 30, President Garimella shared a message recognizing our collective accomplishments over the last year.
  • On August 25, I issued a memo to all faculty providing guidance on masking, teaching modalities, and office hours.
  • On August 25, President Garimella and I sent a message to all students welcoming them back and offering some advice on how they can support their continued health and safety. Please encourage your students to read this message and to make healthy choices.

As we gathered on the University Green last Sunday evening with our first- and second-year students to officially induct them as scholars and as citizens who will change the world, I asked them to challenge each other to attain their academic goals, to look out for one another, and to respect each other, reaffirming their shared purpose to earn a UVM degree. The following Twilight Induction Ceremony pledge was read:

You are now members of the University of Vermont community. Together, we are dedicated to the academic and personal success of every individual.

We are all responsible for creating and maintaining an environment of learning and discovery, supporting a community of people with many different backgrounds, perspectives, orientations, and characteristics.

Here, in this special place, we celebrate diversity, care about one another, respect our differences, and embrace the free and open exchange of ideas.

Our students then pledged their commitment to be guided always by the values expressed in Our Common Ground: respect; integrity; innovation; openness; justice; responsibility. I know that we, as faculty, make a similar commitment to Our Common Ground values as the foundation for our shared community experience. We are One UVM!

Warmly,
Patty