Dear Faculty,

There is an energy on campus that I am sensing from our students. They definitely appear happy to be back on campus and connecting with faculty and friends, even while masked and social distancing. Being in class this semester as a faculty member, navigating new technology, engaging at-home students with those in person, and learning how to do breakout groups through Teams is a good reminder of the complexities all our faculty are dealing with this semester. Yet, hearing the students’ questions, listening to their insights, and applying their experiences to the content they are reading is a nice reminder of why we do what we do. It is a gift to be able to teach and learn from our students.

As we end the second week of classes and prepare for next week, I want to reinforce and offer some important information that will be helpful to you.

• I hope you were able to join Wednesday’s livestream for the official unveiling of the Celebrating Diverse Voices at UVM display at the Davis Center. The exhibit space provides a venue for sharing the work and struggle of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color at UVM. Please make a point to visit the space if you are on campus or when you return to campus. A big thank you to Dr. Paul Deslandes, Chair in the Department of History in the College of Arts and Sciences, who used his expertise and research to make the diverse voices of UVM come alive. The display space was also dedicated to our own Dr. Wanda Heading-Grant, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion who has championed UVM’s work in DEI over the last 30 years. Thank you, Paul and Wanda.
• The additional CATCard-enabled quiet study spaces are now labeled on the interactive campus map. Please communicate this information to your students. Also let them know that they can use the heated tents, tables on the second floor of Waterman (near the café), and of course take advantage of the Libraries and the Davis Center.
• As the semester gets underway, please remember that the Academic Alert Early Warning System can help you connect with students who may be struggling in your courses. You can easily generate warning letters by clicking on “Update” in the “Academic Alert” column on the class roster, which you can access via the MyUVM portal. The system allows you to add specific notes to the generated letter to give the student and their academic advisor(s) additional information on specific concerns such as absences, missed assignments and exams, or poor performance on assessments.
• Spring semester is a time when many of our students start thinking of life, and work, beyond UVM. Whether they’re graduating, seeking an internship, or just needing a plan for the summer, the Career Center can help you help them. The center has ready-made modules addressing frequently asked questions, recorded presentations, and Peer Leaders at the ready. These can add value to your courses in many ways, with only modest effort on your part. Visit the center’s Faculty & Staff Resource page to learn more about how you can galvanize in-class learning by connecting it to Career Readiness (i.e., the ability to articulate skills and experiences to potential employers). Or, go straight to the Request Form to schedule a presentation and/or have topical career modules embedded in your Bb Course. The center’s library of modules is growing rapidly; modules can be added to courses as optional content, extra credit, or a graded assignment (the center can even help with the grading!). Please let your students know about these two Spring Fairs: February 24 - Engineering & Tech Career Fair and March 17 - Spring Job & Internship Fair (both virtual fairs held from Noon – 3pm).
• CDE is offering an Online Teaching Boot Camp, a 2-week practical training in designing, building, and teaching an online asynchronous course specifically for the accelerated summer format. By the end of the Boot Camp participants will have an outline of the first week of their course completed, and CDE instructional designers will be available for coaching afterward. Two sessions will be offered this spring: March 9-22 and April 6-19. More information can be found here.
• The Provost’s Office has created an informational academic reorganization webpage that includes reorganization communications, the Working Group and Subgroup membership and responsibilities, the project timeline, and relevant resources and reports. A big thank you to David Jenemann, Dean of the Honors College, for his leadership as chair of our Academic Reorganization Working Group.
• You can find detailed information on COVID-19 tests administered and results on the Weekly Testing Report. Last week’s student test results included 17 off-campus positives and 15 on-campus positives out of 12,323 tests. Last week’s faculty and staff test results included 2 positives out of 1,115 tests. As you know, new and more contagious strains of the virus have emerged. Please recommit to all COVID-19 safety precautions and practices and refrain from travel and gathering. Faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to participate in regular testing.

Keep up the great work with our students. Share your knowledge, challenge your students to think critically, and give them as many opportunities as you can to engage with you and their classmates.

Enjoy your weekend, stay safe and healthy, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Warmly,
Patty