Dear Colleague,
We are writing to provide you with information on discussions that are taking place between the University and the Faculty Association regarding the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Faculty Association has been in communication with the Provosts and Faculty Relations over the past week and we fully support the shift to online and alternative modes of teaching and other social distancing measures taken by the University to protect the health of our community.
We understand faculty are feeling a lot of pressure to suddenly shift the delivery mode of their courses and plan for final exams. We want to emphasize that faculty members have the autonomy and latitude to determine how best to manage their courses to the end of term and their final examinations. The University has put out a number of resources to support faculty; we encourage you to seek any guidance you need to transition your courses and assist your students.
A number of questions and concerns have been brought to our attention regarding increased workloads, intellectual property rights, impacts the disruptions to research and conferences may have on promotion and tenure files and other assessments, impacts on the work of Librarians, and general concerns around student evaluations, among others. We want to reassure you that both the Faculty Association and the University are aware of these and other concerns and will address and communicate more about them in due course.
We want to acknowledge the many uncertainties confronting our membership and the University, and thank you for your patience and your efforts as we navigate these unprecedented and rapidly changing times.
Please note that while the Faculty Association office remains open as of today, most of our staff will be working from home. They will remain available by email or telephone.
Best,
Bronwen Sprout
President
