Letter from the Provost: March 18, 2021
Dear U of A Faculty,
With less than half of the spring semester remaining, I know many of you are curious about what our plans will look like for the summer and fall terms. As vaccines continue to be administered and cases decline across our state and country, we hope the worst of COVID-19 is behind us.
With that in mind, student registration for fall classes opens in a few weeks, and we are looking forward to a more traditional fall semester. Tomorrow, in messages to faculty, staff and students, Chancellor Steinmetz plans to communicate the university’s general outline and pace for our return to face-to-face operations. More detailed guidance will be provided soon, but here are some of the key elements to consider for the fall semester:
- Faculty will be expected to return to face-to-face delivery of courses.
- Social distancing requirements are not anticipated, but masks may still be required.
- Consideration for faculty who may have their own underlying health conditions will be addressed on a case-by-case basis through our normal accommodation process with the Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance (OEOC).
- The university is also in the process of reviewing and updating its remote work policy, which we will share with campus as soon as it’s ready.
- We will still be prepared to alter plans pending changes to the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic.
Our plan for the summer terms will be very similar to this spring, with masks and social distancing required in the classrooms, and a mix of remote, hybrid, face-to-face and online classes offered.
Please know that the health and safety of our campus community continues to be at the forefront of all our decision making.
I’ve said it before, but I want to reiterate my deep gratitude for your hard work, flexibility and unwavering commitment to our students during this last year. The past 12 months have not been easy, but I am confident we have emerged as a stronger, more nimble institution because of it.
That’s in large part due to the hard work of each and every one of you. Without your passion and dedication, we would not have been able to be successful in our efforts this past year. Thank you for all that you’ve done, and I look forward to working with you in a more “normal” fall semester.
Sincerely,
Charles F. Robinson
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs
Professor of History