Faculty Affairs Update – 4.23

Dear faculty colleagues,

Everyone is doing their best under continually challenging conditions and we know it is exhausting. With the final few weeks of the semester ahead, I hope you are able to show yourself and others both grace and kindness.

There are several important updates and reminders this week.

Trauma Support Services for Students

If you suspect a student is experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact the Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL). Trained staff members are available 24 hours a day to help you find support options and strategies for your students. There are additional resources available on our FAQ page.

Learn More  → Behavior Concerns Advice Line

Student Health & Wellness Support

The Texas Well-being project out of UT’s Longhorn Wellness Center collaborates with faculty to embed practices supporting student mental health and wellness in classrooms, office hours, and other learning environments. They are working with faculty across colleges and schools to learn strategies to build social connectedness, teach from a growth mindset perspective, embed mindfulness and gratitude activities, and help students build their resiliency. In addition to improving their students’ well-being, many faculty indicated that collaborating on the project has improved their own well-being.

This link offers more about the project and how you can get involved. Or to obtain more information directly, contact the project coordinator, Thea Woodruff.

Get Involved → Student Support

Making Instruction Accessible

Thank you for the work you’re doing to ensure students with learning differences and disabilities have the accommodations they need to be successful with online classes. We found this additional resource shared by the National Deaf Center offering tips to enhance your course’s accessibility. Please continue your efforts to support the learning and well-being of all our students.

Learn More → Accessibility Resource

HB 33 and SB 810 Deadlines Extended

The university partners with the University Co-op to ensure compliance withHB 33 and SB 810, which require all textbook course material selections to be visible to students at least 30 days before the start of the semester. In addition, SB 810 requires that open education resource (OER) course materials are identified so that students know which courses use them.

View Co-op submission form

Digital Course Packets

We strongly encourage the use of digital materials, wherever possible, for the remainder of the spring semester and for summer session, which will also be online. For more information on requesting a digital course packet, visit the Document Solutions COVID-19 webpage. You can also reach out to them directly with requests at dscoursepackets@austin.utexas.edu.

Document Solutions

Faculty FAQ Updates

We’ve recently added new FAQs on copyrights for recorded lectures, Zoom security, online HIPPA-compliance with students and other topics. Please visit the website for updates.

Faculty FAQs

Please find time to take care of yourself this weekend and reach out to theFaculty Affairs team with any questions, concerns, and suggestions on how we can better support you and your work.

Stay well,

TASHA BERETVAS | Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
The University of Texas at Austin | Office of the Executive Vice President & Provost | provost.utexas.edu

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