Dear faculty colleagues,
We hope that you’re enjoying that refreshing “chill” in the air as October dawns.
Below are a series of important updates for faculty.
Faculty Flexible Teaching Modality Requests
It’s that time of year when faculty are working with their administrative contacts and supervisors to decide upon the course schedule for the Spring semester, 2021. This includes choosing the teaching modality for each class. Just like when faculty requested teaching modality accommodations and flexible teaching arrangements for their fall semester teaching, we have created a request system for spring, 2021 classes. If your teaching modality needs are being met then you do not need to use this request system.
If a faculty member has been assigned to – but does not want to – teach an in-person or hybrid class in Spring, 2021 then
- The faculty member should use this form to make the accommodation request if the faculty member is at “increased risk for severe illness” from COVID-19 per the CDC guidelines or for other medical conditions / disability for which the employee is seeking accommodation.
- The faculty member should use this form if they
- live with at least one individual considered at increased risk for severe illness as a result of COVID per CDC guidelines, or
- are the primary caregiver for at least one dependent (child, elder, etc.) in their home and is without access to sufficient care options.
Locating Child and Dependent Care Resources
We regularly include information on care options for UT Faculty in our faculty affairs updates, but you can now find child and dependent care resources on this page to help ensure this information is accessible.
Exam Schedules & Conflicts
We expect more exam conflicts to occur due to our hybrid teaching models. Instructors will need to be flexible in accommodating exam scheduling conflicts and share final exam timing with students as early as possible. Here is some specific guidance for different course modalities, including recommendations for in-person and asynchronous exam options.
Introducing TX24 – Our New First Year in College Students
As a part of longstanding UT traditions, many faculty members participated in new student recruitment and enrollment events (in-person pre-Covid, and online this spring and summer) for the Class of 2024. Your contributions have helped us recruit the largest, most diverse freshman class in our university’s history. You can learn more about this historic incoming class here.
Q&A: Tenure-Track Faculty – Friday, October 16
The Faculty Affairs team invites tenure-track faculty early in their career to join a promotion discussion.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://utexas.zoom.us/j/96134738536
Meeting ID: 961 3473 8536
Proactive Community Testing
The university communications team created the following Proactive Community Testing materials to help promote new COVID-19 testing options on campus. There are several graphic options and an informational video available for faculty to use in their classes to help keep students informed. Please also share these resources (and others of relevance) with your teaching assistant and assistant instructors.
Protect Texas Together App
As you may already be aware, the Protect Texas Together App helps those returning to campus stay safe and includes ways to make it easier for students and faculty to get registered for proactive community testing. The app now allows you to fill out all of the testing paperwork on your phone or device and quickly connect your EID to your test ID.
The app also includes room log-in features to help support contact-tracing as well as a daily symptom survey to help app users to self-monitor. Use of the app is not required, but it’s strongly encouraged. Please make sure you’re using the most recent version (2.0.5). If you are using an older version of the app, please update your system by visiting either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
If you have any faculty-related questions, concerns, and solutions please feel free to contact the Faculty Affairs team. We’re here to support you in any way we can.
Stay well,
Tasha Beretvas