Dear graduate assistants,
The spring semester is around the corner, and we are reaching out to share a message distributed today to UNLV faculty by Executive Vice President and Provost Chris Heavey. Please read the following message carefully and reach out to graduate.dean@unlv.edu if you have any questions.
We are here to support you during what might be another challenging semester. Thank you for all you do.
Wishing you a healthy and productive semester,
Brianne Heinle Executive Director of Graduate Financial Services & Business Operations
Kate Korgan Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate College
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Dear Colleagues,
Happy New Year and welcome to spring 2022! We hope your winter break was restorative and that this message finds you ready for a new semester.
We hoped that after nearly two years in this pandemic we would be able to return to normal operations this spring, but the ongoing spread of the COVID-19 virus requires us to adhere to modified operating procedures for at least one more term.
Please know that the health and welfare of the campus community continues to be our highest priority. As you prepare for the start of classes, we would like to provide some general information to help you know what to expect.
Vaccination Status
Even though the Nevada Legislative Commission did not approve an extension of the expiring COVID-19 vaccination mandate for college students, the emergency regulation was an important inducement for students to complete a COVID-19 vaccination series. Our current estimates are that more than 90% of students in any particular classroom will be vaccinated against COVID-19, a much higher rate than during the fall semester.
The vaccination mandate for Nevada System of Higher Education employees enacted by the Board of Regents last fall is still in place. Over 96 percent of UNLV faculty and staff are fully vaccinated.
We urge all vaccinated students, faculty, and staff to strengthen their immunity against COVID-19 by getting a booster shot, if you haven’t already done so.
Health and Safety Protocols
Masks remain an important tool in preventing transmission of the virus. Per CDC guidelines and the Governor’s Emergency Directive 47, everyone in classrooms, labs, meeting rooms, and other indoor public settings must wear a mask or face covering.
As in the past, students who refuse to wear a mask should be referred to the Office of Student Conduct for a COVID-19 safety violation.
Recent studies suggest that surgical masks or N95, KN95, or KF94 masks offer better protection to the wearer than single-layer cloth masks. The Division of Business Affairs has placed an order for KN95 masks. When available, we will provide units with instructions on how to request these masks for faculty and staff.
According to the best public health guidance available, there is relatively low risk to faculty in the classroom when everyone is wearing masks and the majority of individuals are fully vaccinated.
Reporting Positive Cases
We ask that anyone in the campus community with a positive test result report it through the online portal. Working with the Southern Nevada Health District, the UNLV contact tracing team will track and log cases of COVID-19 that have been positively identified and take appropriate action to notify contacts. This data provides a good overview of how COVID-19 infection rate is affecting our campus community.
Because of current CDC guidance that fully vaccinated individuals with a booster shot who are exposed to COVID-19 do not need to quarantine unless they are experiencing symptoms, the disruption to courses is expected to be less per individual exposure than it was in previous terms.
Student Accommodations / Arrangements
Whether you are teaching in-person or remotely, multiple students in your course may require accommodation or a special arrangement because of illness or other reasons. We ask you to remain flexible and understanding of the challenges students and their families face in light of the pandemic.
As you prepare your syllabi for the start of classes, we encourage you to reconsider any mandatory attendance requirements. Students who are ill should remain at home to avoid infecting others. Alternatives to mandatory attendance include participation points for various active learning activities.
We also encourage you to institute multiple assessments with make-up opportunities rather than a small number of high-stakes exams, which is not good pedagogical practice nor beneficial for public health. If students are ill, they should stay home rather than come to campus for an exam they feel they cannot miss.
The Disability Resource Center (DRC) will provide support for students with an approved accommodation. If a student does not have a DRC accommodation, we ask you to work with the individual to address the need in a way that is fair and compassionate.
Requests to Shift to Remote Instruction
Although we discourage changes to course mode of instruction once students are enrolled, you may request shifting your course to remote synchronous delivery if you have significant risk factors related to COVID-19. If you would like to submit a request, please contact your department chair or supervisor as soon as possible and not later than January 10. These requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and you will be notified no later than January 14.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we navigate through these unprecedented times. We look forward to seeing you on campus soon.
Warm wishes,
Chris Heavey
Executive Vice President and Provost
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UNLV is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504 institution. All qualified applicants to the Graduate College, and admitted students, will receive equal consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or covered US veteran status. |
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