Interim Provost Heather Norris' Faculty Senate Comments
Delivered by Dr. Mike Mckenzie, Vice Provost of Academic Program Development and Strategic Initiatives
Greetings from the Provost’s Office.
I have several short updates to provide today.
1. Wellness Days
As Mark Ginn shared in his teaching and learning email update this morning,
We continue keeping the physical and mental health and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff at the forefront of our decision-making. You may recall the Calendar Committee's recommendations to limit widespread travel by cancelling Spring Break, starting the Spring semester a week later, and finishing the semester on time. Although there has been some discussion about university-wide “Wellness Days,” the calendar we are following this semester has no “extra” days we can use for university-wide Wellness Days.
That said, Deans Council members have been in consultation with their faculty to find ways to build in as much flexibility as they can into their individual class structures and to be aware of students who may be struggling. Together, they are working on options that are the most appropriate for their departments and programs, while accounting for the complexities, requirements and needs of different classes and class meeting patterns. Some programs are coordinating days off for all of their classes; other instructors are changing up their normal routine periodically to give students a break from screen time.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach, so please feel free to use these or other ideas as you feel they meet your class needs.
2. Clarification on Policy Interpretation
In an email Faculty Senate Chair Michael Behrent sent to faculty senators and others on February 25, Michael stated,
The key issues at stake can be boiled down as follows. The Faculty Handbook, following the UNC Code, defines procedures for four types of grievance. Three are very clearly defined: those relating to tenure and reappointment, those relating to the imposition of a serious sanction, and those relating to termination in the case of program curtailment and financial exigency. In addition, there is a fourth, very broad type of grievance relating to “employment status” or “institutional relationships” (these are so-called “607 Grievances”). The latter is in keeping with the AAUP principle that faculty should have a general right to petition a grievance committee regarding an employment issue (which does not mean that the grievance committee must accept the petition). Recent decisions by the Appalachian State administration, however, have interpreted that right narrowly, saying it can only apply to a specific array of employment concerns. This is the issue at hand.
Let me be clear –Recent interpretations regarding these policies by my office and the App State administration have been consistent with the interpretations in place under prior academic affairs leadership and have not changed for years.
3. Vaccines
As the Chancellor shared in her weekly update last Friday,
We are thrilled that App State’s application to become a community distribution center for COVID-19 vaccines has been approved by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
We anticipate beginning vaccine clinics in March, according to the state guidelines for the categories by which groups are prioritized for vaccination, and subject to availability of the vaccine.
Currently, North Carolina is vaccinating Groups 1 and 2, as well as Group 3 frontline essential workers who work in childcare or in pre-K-12 schools.
On March 10, Group 3 frontline essential workers will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
- College and university faculty and staff who are working in person at their work site are included in the group that is eligible to receive the vaccine beginning March 10. This includes faculty teaching in person classes first, followed by those teaching online but holding in person meetings and office hours.
- All other university personnel who are not prioritized into other groups (for reasons such as age or health care worker status, for example) are in Group 4.
- Students who are not prioritized into other groups are in Group 5.
- You will receive an email from the university when it is time for you to schedule your vaccine appointment.
More information about the state vaccine prioritization system may be found at https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines/find-your-spot-take-your-shot
and we will continue updating our university’s COVID-19 vaccination webpage (https://www.appstate.edu/go/coronavirus/vaccine/) with additional information.