<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><span id="m_-8828373959594808308gmail-docs-internal-guid-851d5ef6-7fff-c975-0982-e921c3298180"><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">I want to update you on some recent challenges related to the processing of our COVID tests that may be impacting notifications related to students and their authorization to attend in person class sessions.  With the snowy weather last week, FedEx, our usual carrier for pick-up and delivery of the boxed samples, has been (at times) quite delayed in their deliveries.  This week, Plattsburgh employees have been asked to drive the samples directly to the processing location to side-step these shipping delays.</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">Also, there is clearly a highly increased volume of tests requiring processing at SUNY Upstate Medical University because all of our campuses are required to test *everyone* coming to campus (students/faculty/staff) every week.  Results from the test processing have taken longer than they did in the fall semester, which also delays our ability to confidently assess students in terms of the safety of their attending in person classes.  I am sharing this information just so you have a fuller picture of some of the challenges we have been facing *administratively* as we work to keep our campus safe.</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">A second note: Faculty Senate Executive representatives spoke with the President and me at Tuesday’s meeting about their concerns about scheduling the fall 2021 semester (if it remains COVID-influenced) with no fall break and no return from Thanksgiving week.  I shared at that meeting that President Enyedi is supportive of our working to build in some wellness or rejuvenation days (which a few other comprehensive campuses have found to be beneficial for both faculty and students).  I have decided to charge an ad hoc committee to develop a plan for consideration and am asking each Academic Dean to identify one chairperson and one faculty non-chairperson from each school to serve on this committee.  There will also be a representative from the library appointed.  The deans will be communicating very soon with their schools on this topic.</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 hope the semester continues to go well for each of you and that you are starting to look forward to spring’s arrival as much as I am.  More light and warmer days!</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">My best,</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><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">--</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;font-weight:bold;text-transform:uppercase">ANNE HERZOG, </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 Kehoe</div><div style="line-height:18px;margin:0px">101 Broad Street<br>Plattsburgh, 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>plattsburgh.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>