Dear faculty colleagues,
I hope this finds you and your families safe and able to manage the remaining impacts of these extensive winter storms.
We know that many students, faculty and staff members continue to be without power, water and heat. Their priorities are to keep themselves and their families safe. To relieve some stress, I am asking my office to provide flexibility with respect to work expectations and to extend all deadlines by at least one week. This means that the Research Reboot notification deadline and the Transformational Online Instructional Contributions application deadline are now extended to March 8.
As you know, we have lost a full week of classes. I am writing to urge all faculty to take a similar flexible approach with your students and their assignments. As communicated earlier this week, all assignment deadlines are paused while the university is closed. When classes do resume, I strongly encourage faculty to similarly extend student deadlines by at least one week and make accommodations, as appropriate. If possible, message your students now (or as soon as you are able) about extensions. That will help reduce some anxiety.
I know many faculty are really struggling right now, as are our students and staff members. Once again, our community is coming together to help each other in meaningful ways. Thank you for doing what you can to help our students and each other.
Thank you and stay safe.
Sincerely,
Dan Jaffe