Dear faculty colleagues,
Many of you are having to juggle this new way of working along with homeschooling your children. Others are having to meet all of these challenges head-on while taking care of older parents, neighbors and loved ones. Those of you living alone are enduring your own kind of stressors in isolation with limited contact with others. And there are too many other ways this crisis is impacting your lives to list here, but I want you to know we’re firmly committed to supporting you in any way we are able. The stressors on each individual vary greatly but the collective negative impact is shared. And we recognize that, and that there will be long-term consequences professionally (and for innumerable other facets of everyone’s lives).
Please know that your department chairs, deans, Faculty Council representatives and other leaders are voicing their concerns about what they observe the faculty are experiencing. And we are working together to ensure that these pressures and professional impacts are acknowledged and hopefully eased to the largest extent possible.
There are several important updates and reminders this week.
Q&A: Associate Professor Zoom Meeting – Friday, May 8
The Faculty Affairs team is offering a Zoom Q&A meeting for tenured associate track faculty members to ask questions, share concerns and discuss specific issues, both in general and with respect to the impact of COVID-19.
Friday, May 8, 2020 at 11:00 AM
Trauma Support Services for Students
Similar to faculty and staff, students are experiencing heightened levels of stress. Please be hyper-aware of student communications and behaviors. 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.
As I sign off, two requests: Please continue checking on and supporting your colleagues and students. And as ever, we appreciate all that you are doing and encourage you to reach out to your Faculty 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