<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><span id="m_8260640273122954020gmail-docs-internal-guid-78669c93-7fff-ee62-d9c7-9df8de7505f4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Colleagues,</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">It is strange to begin to draft what I would like to be a "welcome back" message to you all, as I know we are all wishing for a return to "normal," the way things used to be.  COVID has overstayed its welcome in the many ways it has negatively impacted our campus life, and so I am choosing not to frame this message as a "traditional" welcome back.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I have struggled with the same sense of COVID exhaustion that many of you feel.  This is a strange and isolating time.  Yet, I regularly remind myself that we are moving one step closer--day by day, month by month--to the passing of this pandemic.  However our semesters unfold in the future, we will have lighter and brighter days, where we can again spend the majority of our time facing each other, without masks, and move away from the Zoom overload that has been hard on all. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I do want to share a few final reminders about our spring semester:</span></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">All classes will be remote for the first *two* weeks of the semester.  If you plan to teach in-person/hybrid for the remainder of the semester, please consider how to best communicate to students your expectations for the first two weeks of fully remote instruction.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">There is no spring break scheduled (largely because of the concern of having members of our campus traveling to a multitude of places and increasing the chances of a COVID infection spike upon return.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">All of our SUNY approved start-up information related to COVID is accessible via a tab at the top of our Plattsburgh homepage, or by clicking </span><a href="https://www.plattsburgh.edu/covid-19/index.html" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">here</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">If there are any days where the campus is designated as closed due to inclement weather, *all* classes will be cancelled (independent of modality).</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I expect over the next two weeks that I will have additional information to share with you regarding the return of students to campus and the beginning of in-person classes/hybrid classes on February 15th.  I will update you as soon as I have any additional information to share.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">So I won't say "welcome back,"  but I am looking forward.  I do wish you the best as you finalize your teaching plans for this new semester and also hope that you enjoy this final weekend of our winter break.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sincerely,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Anne</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></p><div style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0,0,0);line-height:18px;margin:0px"><div style="font-size:14px;line-height:18px;display:inline;margin:0px;text-transform:uppercase">--</div></div><div style="font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0,0,0);line-height:18px;margin:0px"><div style="font-size:14px;line-height:18px;display:inline;margin:0px;font-weight:bold;text-transform:uppercase">ANNE <span id="m_8260640273122954020gmail-m_233018924819509323:8i6.10">HERZOG</span>, </div><div style="font-size:14px;line-height:18px;display:inline;margin:0px;font-weight:bold">PhD</div><div style="line-height:18px;margin:0px">(She, Her, Hers)</div><div style="line-height:18px;margin:0px">Provost</div><div style="line-height:18px;margin:0px">Vice President for Academic Affairs</div><div style="line-height:18px;margin:0px">802 <span id="m_8260640273122954020gmail-m_233018924819509323:8i6.11">Kehoe</span></div><div style="line-height:18px;margin:0px">101 Broad Street<br><span id="m_8260640273122954020gmail-m_233018924819509323:8i6.12">Plattsburgh</span>, NY 12901</div><div style="line-height:18px;margin:0px">(o) 518-564-5402</div><a href="https://www.plattsburgh.edu/" title="SUNY Plattsburgh Link" style="color:rgb(200,16,46);background-color:transparent;line-height:18px;display:block;margin:0px;font-weight:bold" target="_blank"><span id="m_8260640273122954020gmail-m_233018924819509323:8i6.13">plattsburgh</span>.<span id="m_8260640273122954020gmail-m_233018924819509323:8i6.14">edu</span></a><div style="line-height:18px;margin:0px"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sunyplattsburgh" title="Visit SUNY Plattsburgh on Facebook" style="color:rgb(200,16,46);background-color:transparent;line-height:18px;display:inline-block;margin:0px" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.plattsburgh.edu/_images/about/facebook-logo-60x60.png" width="30" height="30" alt="Facebook Logo" style="vertical-align:middle;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:7px 3px 0px 0px"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sunyplattsburgh" title="Follow SUNY Plattsburgh on Twitter" style="color:rgb(200,16,46);background-color:transparent;line-height:18px;display:inline-block;margin:0px" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.plattsburgh.edu/_images/about/twitter-logo-60x60.png" width="30" height="30" alt="Twitter Logo" style="vertical-align:middle;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:7px 3px 0px 0px"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sunyplattsburgh/" title="Visit SUNY Plattsburgh on Instagram" style="color:rgb(200,16,46);background-color:transparent;line-height:18px;display:inline-block;margin:0px" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.plattsburgh.edu/_images/about/instagram-logo-60x60.png" width="30" height="30" alt="Instagram Logo" style="vertical-align:middle;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:7px 3px 0px 0px"></a> <a href="https://www.snapchat.com/add/sunyplattsburgh" title="Add SUNY Plattsburgh on Snapchat" style="color:rgb(200,16,46);background-color:transparent;line-height:18px;display:inline-block;margin:0px" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.plattsburgh.edu/_images/about/snapchat-logo-60x60.png" width="30" height="30" alt="Snapchat Logo" style="vertical-align:middle;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:7px 3px 0px 0px"></a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/school/suny-plattsburgh/" title="Visit SUNY Plattsburgh on LinkedIn" style="color:rgb(200,16,46);background-color:transparent;line-height:18px;display:inline-block;margin:0px" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.plattsburgh.edu/_images/about/linkedin-logo-60x60.png" width="30" height="30" alt="LinkedIn Logo" style="vertical-align:middle;border-style:none;padding:0px;margin:7px 3px 0px 0px"></a></div></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><img src="https://www.plattsburgh.edu/_images/about/suny-plattsburgh-email-logo.png" width="200" height="40" alt="SUNY Plattsburgh Logo" style="white-space:normal;vertical-align:middle;border-style:none;margin:10px 0px 0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(33,37,41);font-family:Lato,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;display:block"></span></p></span><br></div></div>