Let's Finish Strong

I hope you all had a chance to view Dr. Cureton's message and encouragement about working together to have a strong finish to our semester. Although we have seen our internal numbers ticking up over the past few weeks, our campus has been able to remain at Green because of our community's commitment to maintaining protocols during these final weeks. Thank you for doing your part and remaining diligent as we approach graduation.

Supporting Students During Final

As we near finals, we want to clearly communicate how you will know if a student is not able to take a final exam due to COVID or other sickness.

• If a student is in isolation or quarantine and cannot come to an in-person exam, you will receive an email from the Registrar’s office specifying an approved exam reschedule date.
• If the student is in isolation or quarantine, is feeling fine, and can take the exam virtually, the student will be expected to do so.
• If a student is sick (i.e., in isolation, quarantine, or otherwise) and unable to take a virtual or in person exam, you will be notified by the Registrar’s office of an approved exam reschedule date.
• If a student notifies you on the day of the exam that they are not feeling well, please direct them to Academic Achievement (academicachievement@unwsp.edu), who will work with Health Services to determine if adjustments need to be made. If needed, you will be notified by the Registrar’s office of an approved exam reschedule date.

Please also keep in mind the information shared in last week's communication regarding Anticipating Student Needs. The Online Learning Office is always available to help. 

Lecture Capture and Teaching Modalities

The Academic Continuity Team continues to gather feedback regarding the potential use of lecture capture along with hybrid and virtual teaching modalities in the 2021-2022 academic year. Faculty will have many opportunities to offer feedback, including during next Tuesday’s Faculty Meeting and again on Friday, May 7, during the Provost Coffee Hour. It is vital for us to hear your perspective on these important topics. Faculty and staff can continue to provide feedback, including comments on the Assumptions for Post-COVID Learning Environments document, through the month of May by accessing this anonymous Qualtrics link. You will see on the shared document that comments from areas other than Academic Affairs, including Student Government, have been added for consideration.

In addition to collecting your feedback, we are also taking the following steps to solicit additional information which will help inform decisions regarding the 2021-2022 academic year: 

• We are planning to administer a student survey next week to better understand student learning experiences with our four teaching modalities (i.e., face-to-face, blended, hybrid, virtual). 
• A subcommittee of the Academic Continuity Team is in the process of researching guidelines implemented by other institutions in utilizing face-to-face, blended, virtual, and hybrid learning modalities.

Planning for Fall

Now that we are nearing the end of spring semester, I know that many of you are looking ahead and ask questions related to fall semester. Topics such as vaccines, protocols, and accommodations are on people's minds and have been mentioned in various meetings. While details still need to be confirmed, I want to provide an update based on current information. 

Vaccines

Under the oversight of the Resurgence Analysis Team, a cross-functional group of staff and faculty members has been formed to provide information to the Senior Leadership Team on whether UNW should require or not require the COVID vaccine this fall. At this time, there is no requirement for employees or students to receive the vaccine. Because we desire to make well-informed choices and understand the implications of any decision we make for our community, I am thankful that this group is exploring this important topic, providing options for Northwestern to consider. I anticipate a decision being made and announced before the end of spring semester. 

Expectations for Protocols

Throughout the entire pandemic, we have used guidance from the CDC and MDH to inform our decisions related to mitigation strategies and protocols. Although guidelines may change, at this point we plan to continue to require masks in our classrooms, in line with the state mandate. If the state mandate changes, we will then review available guidance and make a decision on how best to proceed. 

In addition, we are planning to move our classroom distancing to 3 feet instead of 6 feet, as endorsed by MDH for the fall. Distancing for classes over the summer will remain at 6 feet.

Faculty Accommodations

Any faculty seeking an accommodation for the fall 2021 semester should reference the Faculty Accommodation and Flexible Teaching Arrangements form. If you have questions about your arrangement for the fall, please work with your Department Chair/Assistant Dean. You are also welcome to reach out to Kelly Franck, our Academic Affairs HR Business Partner, to discuss any questions you have.

Commencement Viewing Opportunity

We are excited to celebrate our spring graduates in just a couple weeks! Although faculty will not be able to attend ceremonies in the Knight Performance Hall, you are invited to join other colleagues in the socially distanced Nazareth Great Room (NGR), where light refreshments will be available. Capacity in the NGR is limited, so you will need to RSVP by Monday, May 3 indicating which ceremony/ceremonies you plan to attend. You can view the email sent by Andy Simpson with more information about commencement ceremonies, including live streaming options. Thanks in advance for supporting our graduating seniors!