Updates from Faculty Affairs
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MEMORANDUM DATE: March 17, 2020 TO: Deans, Department Heads, Directors, and Faculty FROM: Andrea Romero, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs SUBJECT: Updates from Faculty Affairs Thank you for your organized response to the institutional precautions to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prioritize the safety of those who may be at higher risk. We recognize that it is a significant effort to handle all these rapid changes. It is wonderful to see how our campus community is supporting each other in every way possible. The Office of Instruction and Assessment (OIA) is doing an excellent job in providing support and training for faculty to move their classes to remote learning. Please find more information and updates here. Thank you for helping students stay on track for graduation; we know you are doing your best to prioritize course objectives. We all recognize that these changes are happening under time pressure and stress, and we are all doing our best to be helpful and transparent. In Faculty Affairs, we have canceled all group events for the semester, including the Faculty Showcase, Campus Connections, HSI Reception Event and Faculty Salons. All promotion, continuing status, tenure and award review decisions are anticipated to stay on regular timelines. Our existing tenure-clock delay policy should cover any COVID-19 related issues such as individual medical conditions, other personal reasons (e.g. caregiving responsibilities for ill family members), or adverse professional circumstances that are beyond faculty control. Please submit a written request for delay as early as possible after the events or circumstances. Requests for tenure-clock delays for those who have a mandatory review in 2020-2021 must be submitted no later than June 30, 2020. We encourage units to be flexible with unit-level deadlines for promotion and tenure dossier submission, given the added burdens of the moment. Annual performance review deadlines are extended as follows:
Given the unexpected changes in teaching format this semester, the following recommendations are provided:
Given the potential impact on any open faculty hiring processes, we will allow extended timelines for searches and hiring. Please continue to check the University of Arizona website for all communications and information. You can find faculty-specific information on our website at: https://facultyaffairs.arizona.edu/coronavirus-covid-19-information. For international faculty go here for more detailed information. In this moment, we have an opportunity to come together as a campus community to show compassion for one another. May we all continue to treat each other in a kind manner as we do our best to keep each other safe and healthy. You can find links from national organizations that provide recommendations and resources for coping during this complex time.
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