Faculty Affairs Update – Aug 12

Dear faculty colleagues,

I sincerely hope that each of you has found time and ways to relax and unwind during this sadly ending summer. Below is a series of updates for faculty as we plan for Fall classes to begin. Please be sure to review the recent message to students as they prepare to come to campus and the faculty fall planning update from the provost regarding changes to the fall semester.

We have consolidated questions (and answers) that leadership is hearing from faculty about COVID-19 testing, results, accommodations, etc. in these FAQs. Do please read through the FAQs as they contain a number of detailed and specific resources that you will likely find useful to support you and your students during the upcoming fall semester.

Please know also that the university is very aware of the anxiety that the pandemic is inducing, and many are frustrated by the legal constraints within which we must operate. We are currently exploring options for the fall semester and hope to have an update by next week. We will keep you apprised of any changes and add, clarify and revise FAQs as needed.

Fall 2021 Instructor FAQs →

Guidance for Faculty Living with Immunocompromised Dependents

In case you missed this in the provost’s fall planning update: Immunocompromised individuals are most at risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Individual faculty and staff members should submit their requests for accommodations for their own medical conditions through the ADA accommodation process.

In addition, UT recognizes that some faculty scheduled to teach in-person will need to move their courses online for the 2021 fall semester for the safety of an immunocompromised dependent who lives with the faculty member. Should the live-in dependent suffer certain pre-approved health conditions (see list here), the faculty member will qualify for a faculty flexible teaching (FFT) modality arrangement. The flexible teaching modality arrangement will allow the faculty member to move their course(s) and all meetings online for the 2021 fall semester.

Make a Faculty Flexible Teaching modality arrangement →

HB 2504 Requirements

Pursuant to regulations in the General Information Catalog and the Texas Administrative Code the following guidelines must be observed by instructional faculty each semester:

Requirement — Provide Syllabus to Students By First Meeting Day
Please note that course syllabi and instructor-of-record CVs are due in departmental or dean’s office no later than August 25, 2021.

Public Access to Course Information 
Documents should be uploaded to Access Syllabi and CVs system by departmental or dean’s office by: August 31, 2021.

Full details about HB 2504 requirements →

As a final note, as you are finalizing your course syllabi, please consider using some of the resources and suggestions offered by our Services for Students with Disabilities team to help ensure that your classes are accessible for students with disabilities by reviewing the information at their proactive best practices link.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Faculty Affairs team. We’re here to support you in any way we can.

Stay well,

TASHA BERETVAS, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs 
The University of Texas at Austin | Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost 

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