Change to Face Covering Requirement

Yesterday afternoon HR communicated a significant change to Northwestern's face covering requirement effective Monday, 5/24, morning at 6 AM. Students also received a similar message yesterday about the change in protocols. I would like to express my appreciation for the work of the Resurgence Analysis Team and Academic Continuity Team in thoughtfully and swiftly responding to last week's masking requirement changes. This is an important step on our journey toward the new normal at Northwestern.

I would like to call your attention to a few specific points from HR's communication as you consider the impact of this change:

• 6-foot social distancing guidelines remain in place for classrooms and all other campus areas until further notice. In academic lab settings where 6-foot distancing is not possible, face coverings are strongly recommended. Additional protective equipment in labs may be required for specific activities.
• A virtual meeting option should be offered for all in-person meetings. To protect employee privacy, meeting organizers should not inquire why an employee cannot attend a meeting in person. There are a variety of reasons why someone may not be able to meet in person.
• Faculty who are concerned under this new guidance about removing face coverings in the classroom should submit a request for a personal accommodation or flexible teaching modality arrangement to open a conversation about other alternatives (e.g., moving to a larger classroom, moving to a classroom with increased ventilation, requesting a change in modality, etc.). Requests will be reviewed and considered through HR in cooperation with Academic Affairs.

My hope and prayer for our community is that the transition to this change will be smooth. As always, thank you for showing grace, understanding, and patience in these times of change.

The P6 team and SLT will continue to regularly monitor the institution's health and response to COVID-19, along with any new guidance from Governor Walz, MDH, and CDC, as we move into the summer. You can expect to receive further communication and details on our fall planning efforts and community expectations as those are developed. 

Lecture Capture and Teaching Modalities

Summer Professional Development with You in Mind

One of the best ways for you to prepare for the fall semester and beyond is to take advantage of upcoming professional development opportunities available this summer to all faculty at no cost. These valuable opportunities, provided by the Online Learning Office and Academic Technology, will effectively prepare you to leverage current technology tool to improve your practice by providing flexible and dynamic instruction to your students.

The Improving Your Online Course (IYOC) workshop will be offered in June, and the Best Practices in Online Teaching (BPOT) course will be offered in July. These valuable courses, which can be included in your professional development plan (due by June 30), will effectively prepare you to provide instruction in a virtual format should the need arise. We will also have incentives for participating in these opportunities.

Our incentives this year range from headsets and monitors to wireless keyboard and mouse bundles. See the full list, find out more information, and register for these opportunities at https://confluence.unwsp.edu/x/qQbpBg.

The Flourishing Teacher

“Teaching is a Sacred Profession to which you are called”- Dr. Christina Bieber Lake (our keynote speaker for Fall Faculty Workshop 2021)

If 2020-2021 has dampened your fire for teaching or if you are in need of a reminder of why you do what you do, consider adding The Flourishing Teacher to your summer reading list. Discover a few specific strategies to help reset your approach to courses, scholarship, and maintaining stamina. The book is a wonderful read and structured according to the academic calendar beginning with “the-month-that-shall-not-be-named” [August] and concluding with July.

Dr. Christina Bieber Lake states, “I wrote this book to encourage you to rediscover your passion for your profession, to help you move from surviving to thriving, and to remind you why you chose this vocational path.” She was recently featured on the Christian Scholars blog to discuss highlights from book.

I hope that either through this book, or in other ways you are pursuing, that you find refreshment this summer so that you can continue to flourish in your teaching and scholarship.

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