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Dear Colleagues,
We continue to address as expeditiously as possible the unprecedented challenges created by the novel coronavirus COVID-19 on our students, faculty and staff. On March 13, 2020, we distributed the Academic Continuity Plan for disruptions caused by an infectious disease outbreak. We continue to operate within that plan and now have a Supplement No. 1 to add to that Plan. This supplemental piece describes several announcements that have already been made since that date, and also provides several additional changes in academic operations in the following areas:
- Allowing all students to elect a Pass/Fail grading system for Spring semester courses (with the possibility that with dean approval such a system might not be available, most likely to occur in graduate courses)
- A default one-year extension of the promotion and tenure “clock”
- A default directive not to use student course evaluations during spring semester
We believe that the above changes will help ease the widespread anxiety, uncertainty, and social and geographic disruption you are facing. As you can see, there are more details to follow; but we wanted to get these announcements to you as quickly as possible. The changes have been reviewed and approved by the Faculty Senate leadership as well as by leadership of the Undergraduate Student Government Association. This new reality is still fluid and uncertain, but we remain confident in our UAB community’s resolve to adapt and work together.
Thank you. |
