Dear Faculty,

We are entering the final weeks of the semester. The close of the academic year is typically a busy and joyful time – a flurry of deadlines, recognitions, and celebrations – for faculty and students alike. As this remarkable year draws to a close, I ask that you offer additional thought and attention to two student populations in particular. Our first-year students missed so many of their important high school milestones as a result of the pandemic, and their first year of college also was impacted by necessary COVID restrictions. Similarly, while we are committed to providing our graduates with a memorable day, Commencement will lack some of its customary glory.

I would appreciate your efforts to acknowledge the challenges your first-year students and advisees have faced this year. Encourage them to look forward to what we anticipate will be a strong return to in-person instruction and activities on campus next fall. And please find ways to personally recognize and congratulate our graduates. Even small gestures can have significant impact – especially when they come from faculty members. This week in the class I am teaching, we recognized three seniors and one graduate student who are graduating. They shared who was coming to their graduation, whether in-person or virtually, and what jobs they have landed or the preparation they have made for graduate school. Their classmates applauded and reinforced with great delight how proud we all were of their accomplishments. It meant a lot to them.

As I do each week, I’m writing to share reminders and information that I hope is helpful to you.

  • I begin with a bittersweet announcement. Scott Thomas, Dean of the College of Education and Social Services, has been appointed the newly endowed John P. ‘Jack’ Ellbogen Dean of the University of Wyoming’s College of Education effective July 1. Please join me in thanking Scott for his many contributions to our university and congratulating him on this exciting new role. We will plan a special recognition of his accomplishments in the near future. Dr. Katie Shepherd, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in CESS, has graciously agreed to serve as Interim Dean.
  • Please join us for the Faculty Teams Live event next week where we’ll provide updates on a variety of topics including vaccine updates and UVM’s role in the COVID response, research updates and summer research activities, commencement, travel, and visitors. As always, we’ll leave plenty of time to answer your questions.

Faculty Teams Live Event – Updates
April 22, 2021
12:00 – 1:00 pm
http://go.uvm.edu/campusupdate

  • The call for nominations for the AY2020-2021 President’s Distinguished University Citizenship and Service Award, the President’s Distinguished Senior Lecturer Award and the President’s Distinguished Lecturer Award has been extended to Friday, April 30, 2021. Nomination materials should be sent by email as a single PDF file, with the award name as the subject line, to Jennifer.Diaz@uvm.edu.
  • The Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes faculty for excellent instruction. Students, staff, and faculty are welcome to submit nominations by completing the form found here. Nominations are due by May 7, 2021.
  • The Center for Teaching and Learning and the Writing in the Disciplines Program are co-sponsoring a Student Voices Panel: Reflections on Grading and Instructor Feedback. The student panelists will reflect on the experience and purpose of grading; the kinds of feedback they have received, how feedback has been useful, and not; and what faculty have done with feedback that promoted learning and confidence. Faculty will then engage in conversations with colleagues to reflect on the student panel. The event will take place April 22 from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. Please register here.
  • As you prepare for the final weeks of the semester, please double check the final exam schedule and remind your students about the timing of your final exam and the location if it is scheduled to be in-person. This is also a good time to review the Final Exam policy to ensure that you abide by provisions regarding exam scheduling. Final grades will be due, as always, 72 hours after your final exam date/time, and must be submitted by noon on Friday May 21. Please submit grades for graduating seniors as soon as possible to facilitate timely certification and conferral of their degrees.
  • Reminders and recent communications:
    • We were delighted to announce that in accord with Governor Scott’s “Roadmap to Reopening” graduates are now permitted to have two fully vaccinated guests attend our in-person, on-campus Commencement ceremonies.
    • Vice President Derr provided a vaccination update on April 1.
    • Please help shape the RFP process for UVM’s Learning Management System by completing this brief survey.
    • The addendum to the existing UVM Travel Policy has been revised for summer 2021 travel, and reflects the most current state and University requirements.
  • You can find detailed information on COVID-19 tests administered and results on the Weekly Testing Report. Last week’s student test results included 39 off-campus positives and 20 on-campus positives out of 17,501 tests (percent of new student cases already in quarantine: 59.3%). Last week’s faculty and staff test results included 1 positive out of 1,001 tests. Faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to participate in regular testing.

I leave you with this thought from one of my favorite poets, Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote, “Many eyes go through the meadow, but few see the flowers in it.” This is a good time for us to take a moment and appreciate the blooming beauty around us instead of the chaos and noise that often characterizes our lives. Maybe the proverb take time and smell the roses makes more sense than we might have once thought.

Warmly,
Patty